Valerie L. Cortez

 

 

 

valerie.cortez1@gmail.com

 

EDUCATION:         MBA, Averett University 2004

                                     BSBA w/ focus on Business Information Systems, University of Phoenix, 2001

                                   

                        SPECIAL TRAINING:

• Oracle 11i E-Business Suite: Essentials for Implementers (Introduction, Multi-Org, Flexfields, Project Management & Project Integration) CBT through SkillSoft, 2008
• Enhanced Defense Financial Manager, Missile Defense Agency 5-day/40 hour CDFM certification course March 2009

                                   

SECURITY CLEARANCE:  Secret 1991 - current

 

RELATED EXPERIENCE: 

 

• 10 plus years of providing requirements determination, concept development, military systems analysis, systems integrations and implementation support to Defense organizations in the Financial Management arena.
• 4 years supervising senior analysts and providing direct modernization planning and resourcing support at the OSD level.

 

 

SUMMARY:  Mrs. Cortez has a detailed background in Project Management, Senior Analysis, and Technical Liaison with a strong foundation in business process reengineering and defense acquisition.  She holds a current Secret Clearance with C4ISR as well as EVMS experience and an MBA.  An active member of toastmasters, she currently serves as VP of Public Relations for Research Park Toastmasters in Huntsville, AL.  She is qualified for many types of positions and passionate about making a difference toward a greater good while serving her country through vocation as attested by 8 years of exemplary active military service in the U.S. Navy followed by over 10 years of consistently delivering quality work on government contracts intended to strengthen US warfighters. 

 

Career Highlights:

 

 

L3 Global Security & Engineering Solutions                            Sr. Systems Analyst

11/07 – Present   

Serving as Sr. Systems Accountant on the Defense Agencies Initiative (DAI) implementation effort to Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Huntsville, AL

Order to fulfill (O2F) lead charged with championing all efforts regarding data cleansing and business process reengineering for the order to fulfill process area in preparation for the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition acquisition and implementation.  Developing and implementing testing and training strategy for O2F.  Ensure all MDA requirements are met within the global configuration as well as communicating across process areas to assess impacts of configuration changes to other areas.  Documenting organizational change requirements and business process reengineering needs during the blueprinting phases. 

 

SAIC                                                                                                                          Project Manager / Business Analyst/ Technical Liaison

04/05 – 05/06

Business Management Modernization Program (BMMP) aligning systems and processes to the Business Enterprise Architecture (BEA) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller PMO, Crystal City, VA.

 

 

Delivered the 21^st Century Computerworld Honors award winning DAU information architecture and data structure development methodology known as Kaleidoscope.  Developed enterprise reporting capabilities of assets and programs supporting high-level urgent government initiatives, the PPBE processes, implementing DOD 5200 compliant security standards, and assists with the achievement of Federal financial compliance for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) budget of nearly $500BB per annum.  Results achieved through managing the development of a prototype business intelligence application.  Achieved enterprise data efficiency implementing a quality improvement methodology adapted from Lean Thinking with a customer focus. This resulted in actualizing a common data structure that enhanced the reporting capabilities supporting congressional and executive mandates to achieve Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and align to the Enterprise Architecture.  Utilized RAD spiral development philosophy to create a near-production web-based ETL, storage, query, and display environment with dynamic dimensional modeling founded on object oriented design (OOD) using Informatica's OLAP tool.  Served as technical Liaison; extracting data, developing queries, reports, & dashboards for various organizations within the DoD.  Source Data included Financial, manpower, logistics, weapons systems, COCOM, and geographic.

 

Orizon                                                                                                                  Project Manager / Business Analyst/ Technical Liaison

10/04 – 04/05

Business Management Modernization Program (BMMP) aligning systems and processes to the Business Enterprise Architecture (BEA) Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller PMO, Crystal City, VA.

Improved operational efficiency, optimized business/systems, leveraged existing technologies, and expanded functional capabilities.  This was achieved through developing and delivering the financial enterprise transformation strategy outlining the deployment of several enterprise solutions.  Managed various cross-functional working groups work products within a matrix environment contributing to the transformation strategy.

Strategy included: interpreting the FY05 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and GAO reports; assessing Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process, and OMB circulars A-130, A-127 and A-11 for guidance determination; coordinating and facilitating various cross-functional working groups across the Comptrollers purview and across the Domains in order to develop the work products required to comply with the guidance; eliciting, assessing and documenting transformation processes and requirements; analyzing FM enterprise solutions in detail and developing transition strategies outlining deploying enterprise solutions leveraging current technology while enhancing financial management capabilities.

Correlated task included: Conducting operational requirements analysis, technical assessments and program reviews. Interfacing with other DOD project offices, and other organizations conducting or interfacing with program or system operations, planning, RDT&E, and system sustainment. Participating in Milestone Reviews, program planning, technical specification development and system performance assessments. Supporting appropriate planning and development forums, contractor/government integrated product teams (IPT’s), and technical interchange meetings to further understand and develop background basis for technical analysis; developing and delivering various documentation, briefs, and presentations for government client and ultimately congressional review; using EVMS, and CPIC portfolio management process to assess systems against JFMIP requirements to develop the migration plan (SV-8); analyzing and reporting on PMA budget data, Exhibit 300’s, 53’s and ITMA database. Tasking involved daily interfacing with senior government officials, peer organizations, and vendors.

 

 

 

Advanced Technology Systems, Inc                                                    Project Manager / Business Analyst

03/01 – 09/04

DLA, DefenseSupplyCenterPhiladelphia,

Grew the program budget an additional $50MM through performing and effectively presenting results of Life cycle Cost using EVMS for the ACAT level III Common Food Management System (CFMS) program calculating deployment, training, labor, and implementation cost in centralizing the supply chain management and logistics systems and functions supporting all DoD subsistence & food management.  Directly responsible for developing financial models in the Economic Analysis and PMA / POM request growing the program budget.  Managed a team in assessing feasibility, evaluating Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) systems, performing gap analysis, support for design reviews, test planning and execution and requirements verification, performing research on commercial best practices in food service management (bar coding, RFID, ala carte, point of sale, & back office) and developing integration and implementation plans of a COTS application.  Tasking involved interacting with IT and other functional groups to effectively market and implement IT solutions. Correlated task included: developing the Acquisition Program Baseline, IA Strategy, C4ISR DoDAF OV-3, Business Case, and Concept of Operations; managing FFMIA and Clinger-Cohen Act compliance processes; performing the BMMP compliance assessment through Milestone-B and Phase 1 of Milestone-C.

 

 

CACI / Object Technology Information Specialist            Business Analyst / Project Lead

06/99 – 03/01

Navy Space and Warfare Information Technology Center PMO, New Orleans, LA

Lead teams ranging from 3 to 8 consultants and participated in gathering detail information on business processes, systems, data, and requirements; developing use cases, process models, work flow analysis, functional needs assessment, gap and SWOT analysis; performing financial analysis (ABC Costing, EA, ROI); researching & recommend best practices; establishing program methodologies; make recommendations on process improvements and automation efficiencies; and creating integration & implementation strategies.  Directly responsible for the development of several LCM documents, architecture work products, requirements definition, developing and presenting program briefs to high level government and congressional constituents. Tasking involved interfacing with and presenting to high level executives at the PMO and interacting and coordinating with peers from other organizations and vendors.

 

 

MILITARY SERVICE:

Honorable Discharge, United States Navy: Apr 1992 – Jul 1999.

Campaign Badges: Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze star: Kuwait Liberation (Saudi, Arabia).

Awards / Honors received

“Navy Achievement Medal”: Secretary of Defense, John B. Dalton, New Orleans, LA.

“Blue Jacket of the Year”: Commander Naval Reserve Force, New Orleans, LA.

“Military Citizen of the Year”: Chamber of Commerce, New Orleans, LA.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Serves as VP of Public Relations for Research Park Toastmasters club since May 2008; developed the club website and integrated Web 2.0 practices into club processes for scheduling, progress tracking, and communications.

 

Member of Huntsville chapter of Society of Cost Estimators and Analysis; currently attending courses and actively pursuing SCEA Certification.