Information Sharing and Collaboration in Crystal City
Helene Johnson
December 2010
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Helene Johnson |
A former high school algebra teacher, MITRE's Helene "Toni" Johnson has always been a "people person". Whether with children, colleagues, or customers, her willingness to both listen and lead, as well as her adventurous spirit, has been a guiding force throughout her career and personal life.
Johnson, who has been with the corporation since 2000, is a lead information systems engineer in MITRE's Center for Integrated Intelligence Systems. She is well-regarded as a subject matter expert on stakeholder analysis and systems engineering best practices for several government agencies.
When she first started at MITRE, Johnson supported the Department of Defense. She later worked with several agencies within the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services while working at the corporation's McLean, Va., campus. "Most of my earlier projects required me to capture 'as-is' technical environments to better understand how to move the sponsor towards their 'to-be' vision of a new and improved system. Such a system should increase human productivity while potentially decreasing cost."
In 2008, she saw an opportunity to support new sponsors from the DoD and the Intelligence Community. Eager to embrace new challenges, she accepted the position and moved to her sponsor's office in Crystal City, Va. She took on project management duties of a large-scale acquisition system, responsibilities that included overseeing the development, installation, operation, training, and usability testing of the enhanced-acquisition system. "I lead user training and data migration efforts to ensure the entire systems engineering lifecycle is accurately implemented for the sponsor."
A Diverse Set of Responsibilities
While much of her work focuses on data analysis oversight, she is also involved with project management and future technologies and capabilities. "I conduct usability engineering on federal government systems to test 'ease of use,' for the end user. Another part of my job focuses on market research—evaluating commercial products and processes to ascertain best practices and lessons learned—to assess if this is the best approach or product for my sponsor."
The multi-faceted nature of her job is one of the things she enjoys the most. "My day-to-day responsibilities entail applying systems engineering and advanced technology methodologies," she says, "but I also enjoy the human side of my job. As the MITRE Deputy Project Lead, I'm the conduit between the sponsor and the MITRE team. I try to ensure that all expectations—resources and customer deliverables—are successfully managed. I also work with the team to make certain that everyone's ideas are presented and understood. My focus is not only on getting the job done but on empowering my team members to showcase their unique skills in solving the sponsor's critical problems. My MITRE-team mantra is: if you don't take care of your people, you'll have no people."
Sandi Aguirre, her department head agrees, "Toni has been very instrumental in building an effective sponsor relationship and cultivating a cohesive MITRE team."
Always eager to learn new technologies and tools, Johnson recently expanded her technical knowledge (she has a master's degree in management information systems from American University) through the completion of a master's level certificate in enterprise content management. Her work and study in this area have inspired her to explore new ways of working within the IT arena both for her sponsors and at MITRE. "I find it really exciting to be a part of the federal government's efforts to move from paper-based offices to paperless ones."
Putting Her "Human" Side to Work
As further evidence that she is a people person, Johnson is one of the facilitators for the MITRE Networking Circle Group. This group hosts a series of monthly lunchtime discussions with up to 20 members and two facilitators. She encourages participants to share their experiences and promotes information sharing and collaboration among circle members. She also conducts research on improving cross-generational collaboration at MITRE, which she eventually plans to implement within various customer domains.
Though her schedule is usually packed, Johnson still finds time for volunteer activities outside of work. With a bachelor's degree in zoology and a minor in chemistry from Howard University, she is a strong supporter of local students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She volunteers as a research engineering mentor, science fair judge, and science club advisory board member.
As for her remaining free time she says, "I'm truly a woman of the fall, since football is my favorite sport. I also love being around water and have enjoyed family vacations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina."
"I really appreciate the quality of life I'm able to have as a MITRE employee. I've had 10 wonderful years here and have had the opportunity to work with many talented people."
—by Kay M. Upham
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