Breakout Session Speakers
Sakena Lesmeister
Sakena Lesmeister is an experienced project manager with a background in project management, strategy, continuous improvement, and training. She currently serves as the IT Project Manager at the J.R. Simplot Company. Her previous work experience includes positions at Western States Equipment, the Ada County Highway District, and Verizon. Sakena holds an MBA and a bachelor's degree in business administration. She has also earned professional certifications, including a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation and Six Sigma Green and Black Belt certifications. In addition to her professional activities, Sakena is actively engaged in her community. She has served as the past president of the Boise Centennial Rotary, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chair for Rotary District 5400, and the Membership Chair for Rotary District 5400. Furthermore, she was a substitute Idaho State Representative during the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions, has served as a past board director for Go Lead Idaho, and is an alumna of the Leadership Boise class of 2021-2023.
Michael Ellis
10+ years of PM experience. Boise State MPA grad. Recently received my PMP
Amy Washburn
With over twenty years as an HR executive in Fortune 50 companies, Amy has a unique approach to change management. It isn't about managing change; it's about developing and nurturing an Evolutionary Mindset.
Ann Smith
Ann Smith, the driving force behind Guide & Grow Consulting, has been instrumental in catalyzing the success of numerous companies across diverse industries for over a decade. Her expertise in talent development spans fields such as manufacturing, technology, food and agriculture, government, and non-profit sectors.
Ann specializes in empowering businesses to excel by helping organizations build resilient, high-performing teams that drive success. Through interactive workshops and customized training, Guide & Grow empowers teams to enhance their interpersonal skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork.
Ann's passion lies in evaluating, designing, and delivering dynamic learning experiences that foster stronger interpersonal bonds, cultivate a sense of inclusion, and drive innovation and collaboration.
Ann applies her zest for learning to all areas of life, including running marathons, coaching Girls on the Run, and fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Dr. Mahesh Boodraj
Dr. Melodie Wilson
My journey into project management has been anything but conventional. I began my career in education before transitioning into corporate career education. After six years, I was the Director of Training for a career development company. I took a break to raise and homeschool my children, not realizing how hard it would be to return to work. I eventually started teaching for a school in Ohio that did not have a computer curriculum. Unbeknownst to me, working at the school gave me many opportunities to work on project management skills. In addition to implementing computer science curriculums at different levels, I also had the opportunity to lead the school yearbook program each year. This project included initiating the project and getting approval from the board, planning, executing, monitoring and closing each year. The terms are different, but the skills are the same.
I returned to college for my masters in computer-aided design and instruction and after a yearlong search started teaching for a national training company. I had the opportunity to train and consult for Tyson Foods and the city of Sacramento as they implemented Power BI. I've also worked closely with other large organizations such as Kaiser-Permanente, Orange County Children's Hospital and all branches of the military. During this time, I earned my PMP while also earned a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. This led to my teaching exam preparation to adult students undergoing career changes later in life.
Today, I am part of an exciting new team of workforce development specialists challenged with developing and delivering the training program for approximately 2000 new hires for the Micron Technologies expansion in Boise, Idaho. This expansion is a result of the CHIPS Act and AI technology. This unique opportunity has created a large demand for American-made memory chips to made here in Boise. This position is an excellent opportunity to combine my doctoral training in curriculum and instruction, my project management skills, and my experience teaching team members of large corporations.
Although I do not have a traditional corporate background, I have discovered that many of my life experiences were highly relevant to project management. My diverse background has made me a stronger communicator and, ultimately, an excellent project manager. I currently lead a PMP exam prep group at Micron, and am always willing to help and encourage those who are trying to get their PMP, especially the non-traditional adults.
Ed Vasko
Edward Vasko, CISSP, is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and subject matter expert on cybersecurity, workforce development, and organizational transformation. He is currently the CEO of High Wire Overwatch, one of the world’s largest managed security service providers (MSSPs). Prior to High Wire Overwatch, he was the Director of Boise State University’s Institute of Pervasive Cybersecurity where his work enabled Boise State to become a top-tier University known for solving the complex cybersecurity problems facing all businesses, industries, and critical infrastructure. In doing so, he established Boise State as a national leader of cybersecurity research and workforce development. He is a successive entrepreneur with over 30-years of experience in the cybersecurity industry. Prior to joining Boise State University, Edward founded and was a Senior Vice President at Avertium, a leading national managed security and consulting provider. Before founding Avertium, he was the co-Founder and CEO of Terra Verde, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Edward grew Terra Verde into one of the nation's largest provider of cybersecurity advisory and managed security services, with over 2,000 active clients around the world. Through his career, he started, successfully ran, and exited five businesses, all in the cybersecurity industry.
Edward is also an active member on advisory councils, working with organizations to develop curriculum that more quickly enable 21st Century Cybersecurity Professionals to enter the workforce ready to help defend the nation’s critical assets. Appointed by Arizona’s Governor, Edward held a Commissioner role in Arizona’s Commission for Post-Secondary Education from 2015-2019. He was also appointed as the co-Chair of Arizona’s Cyber Team (ACT) Workforce Development Committee and a member of Idaho’s Cybersecurity Task Force. His first book, “Opportunity Seized, Squandered, Lost: An AI Business Parable,” was published in 2024. He is a graduate of Arizona State University and multi-year recipient of ASU’s Sun Devil 100 business leadership award. Most importantly though, Edward is a proud father and husband.
Chris S. Johnson
Chris S. Johnson has been the Associate Vice President for Budget and Planning at Boise State University since 2022. Before joining Boise State, Chris served as the Director of Administrative Services (CFO) for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) for 7 years. Before transitioning to the higher education industry, he worked in the port industry for over 7 years as a Deputy Executive Director and CFO; including, Senior Project Manager on a $60 million environmental cleanup portfolio. The largest project was a $36 million brownfield cleanup that only cost the port $1m as part of an innovative finance and insurance strategy. Chris has additionally worked over 8 years for the Washington State Auditor’s Office in various roles including: Auditor, Lead Auditor, Assistant Audit Manager, Washington State Higher Education Coordinator and Regional Audit Manager. Chris received his MBA from Western Washington University and a BA in German (with a minor in International Relations) from Brigham Young University. Chris completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Washington in 2012.
Chris traveled and lived abroad from 1987-1990 working with people from many countries including Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Mozambique, Nigeria, Poland, Russia and Samoa. Chris experienced history firsthand as he was living in Halle East Germany in 1989 during the anti-communist demonstrations and the fall of the Berlin wall.
Leanne Downs
Leanne Downs has combined the skills of process improvement, project management and change management to build a strong toolbox that she uses to lead all aspects of change. Leanne worked in Medical Imaging for 16 years prior to shifting to healthcare operations where she earned her Six Sigma Green Belt. She then achieved her MA in Organizational Leadership, which opened the doors to a few years of business consulting & middle management where she discovered that her strong organizational skills were a natural fit for project management. Leanne achieved her PMP in 2017 and her CCMP (Certified Change Management Professional) through the ACMP (Association of Change Management Professionals) in 2022. Prior to joining Boise State University in December, Leanne enjoyed 13 years at Healthwise, Incorporated prior to its acquisition.
Outside the office, she and her husband Dennis are the "Brady Bunch minus 2" quickly made up with spouses, and are grandparents to three. Leanne, Dennis, and their faithful fur baby, Kita, are often found in the kitchen cooking, exploring wines and mixology when they're not planning their next travel adventure.
Jeff Jensen
Jeff Jensen is the Founder of I Train IT Leaders LLC. An experienced and recognized thought leader across multiple best practice frameworks, Jeff consults and collaborates with organizations to drive strategic alignment, continual improvement, and value co-creation.
Jeff is certified as an ITIL 4 Master (ITIL 4 Strategic Leader, ITIL 4 Managing Professional, and ITIL 4 Practice Manager), as well as a DevOps Leader, Certified Process Design Engineer, Business Relationship Management Professional, Project Management Professional, and a Distinguished Toastmaster. He started his career as a systems engineer in the IT organization supporting design, engineering, and manufacturing business units for a large semiconductor company. Jeff quickly moved into a leadership role managing IT Operations at the largest site for the company, and then directing cross-functional teams located in multiple sites and global geographies. In addition to well over a decade of semiconductor industry experience, Jeff has worked in the retail, engineering, and managed services industries as a PMO Coach and Leader, Application Support Manager, Process Improvement Architect, Service Management Office Lead, and a Customer Success Manager. Since starting his own company, I Train IT Leaders LLC, in 2017, Jeff has led digital transformation efforts for a large multinational company, and architected and chaired a multi-million dollar program designed to bring together Agile, ITSM and DevOps practices to align ways of working across cross-functional global product and technology organizations.
Jeff is also the Co-Founder and President of the Boise ITSM local interest group, and he enjoys mentoring, coaching, and collaborating with his peers in the PMI- Western Idaho Chapter, the Treasure Valley Agile Community, and in Toastmasters International. He has delivered multiple training classes and presentations in ITIL, Agile Service Management, Customer/Employee Experience, Value Stream Mapping and DevOps practices to audiences across the USA and globally. Recently, Jeff was recognized for his work authoring content and providing feedback for the ITIL 4 – Digital and IT Strategy publication, and has been a featured speaker at HDI Service Management World conferences over the past four years.
Jared Fairbanks
Jared Fairbanks is a master’s student in Cybersecurity with a business management emphasis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in IT Management from Boise State University, where he developed a strong interest in the practical application of project management and technology to solve real-world challenges. He has worked in Boise State’s Cyberdome, first as a cybersecurity analyst and later in a management role. These experiences sharpened his skills in threat analysis, teamwork, and leadership, while also reinforcing the value of hands-on learning and collaboration in the cybersecurity field. Jared is passionate about helping others succeed by making project management and cybersecurity concepts more accessible. He strives to bridge the gap between technical expertise and management perspectives, ensuring that complex topics are easier to understand and apply effectively.
Chance Davies
Chance Davies, PMP, holds a BBA in Information Technology Management and is currently completing a Professional MBA at Boise State University. Passionate about project management and technology, Chance has been invited on multiple occasions to lecture and lead full classes on project management at BSU, offering insights into managing complex projects in tech-driven environments. As a DevOps Engineer at HP, Chance has been honored for outstanding contributions in the DevOps field. Chance is also a recognized Toastmasters International speaker, blending technical expertise with effective communication. When not immersed in technology and project management, Chance enjoys astrophotography and capturing the wonders of the night sky. This same curiosity and passion for exploration drive Chance’s commitment to helping others grow and succeed in the dynamic world of project management.
