Westminster, Maryland, United States
My career has been eclectic, purposeful and inquisitive; a holistic approach to learn all I could about the world and its people. This required an omnidirectional focus to find wisdom and enlightenment from which to grow, no matter the direction I chose. In my formative years, I spent time in seminary studying for the Catholic priesthood. Yet after graduating from university, I served in the military to find my ‘purpose under heaven’. This phase opened my mind to the connection between faith and commitment. I pursued professional careers in education as a certified teacher and in technology as a both a manager and consultant focused on mainframe program development, operations and portable technologies. I’ve been a certified project and program manager in areas from financial, corporate to government. In between it all, I worked in vastly diverse areas from ferreting crews to offshore oil rigs to sales and management supporting a wide variety of markets. I’ve been a freelance writer covering subjects from equestrian musical freestyles, ethics, medicine, the repercussions of technology’s past, present and future, to working as a songwriter for film, television and independent artists as a member of ASCAP. For decades, I’ve observed and written about technology’s effects on areas from education to business to warfare. With each, the ancillary effects on people was unmistakable. To understand the human condition, all that matters are those thoughts and beliefs that reside between a person’s ears and in their heart. Imagination is my greatest asset; the same neural engine that conjured the concept of ‘thinking machines’ over a hundred years ago. The visionary authors of that time wrote stories that planted the seeds of imagination, guiding our ingenuity towards the development of today’s artificial intelligence (AI). This created a forced perspective aimed at public opinion as an assumption of fear while navigating future markets through a growing prioritization for what sells most over what could serve humanity best. AI now sways a narrative from a land of opportunity to the harbinger of doom. A shared responsibility for building an AI-ready society is losing itself in a sea of unchecked activities, rumors and zealous business tactics, giving rise to a new type of tech entrepreneur. They aim to prioritize profits while perfecting skills in commercial manipulation. Regard for the consequences of their actions is low while they stoke human fears and offer misguided or unrealistic hopes. Life has taught me much; it’s time to share the insights.
Eclectic experience as a writer, teacher, manager, public speaker, and consultant in the areas of leadership, technology usage and trends, social issues, project management and education. Past publications range from articles on the ethical use of technology to supportive material for international conferences and graduate theses and songwriting for film and television projects. Current Projects: • Writing a memoir about the life and times of Cecilia Ciana Chejne-Maddlone • Providing editorial work for an independent author • Collaborating on song lyrics with established composer • Posting regular musings about my personal journey through life over on BeingFrank.blog • Freelance writing on my experience pertaining to technology’s evolution over the past 41 years
Corporate learning director, overseeing the design and execution of strategic vision and educational plans for corporate training, government agencies and leadership development. • Provide ad hoc educational and managerial consultation for VA’s Office of Transition and Economic Development (OTED), interfacing with clients, stakeholders, teams, and leadership to aid in mitigating risk, keeping abreast of developments, and maintaining a positive and dynamic communications network. • Lead Project Architect for VBA’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) Professional and Executive Development Series (PDS/EDS) designed to provide formalized performance training to TAP Curriculum and Operations Managers and C-Suite cadre on subjects ranging from MS Office Suite to Business Writing, Communication Skills, Conflict Resolution, Leadership, and Effective Negotiations.
Under special contract for the Program/Project Management School (PMS) overseeing staffing competency and collaboration. - Pro tem liaison for special projects interacting with VA Corporate Office’s (VACO) technology and creative division. - Provide educational and editorial advice on all departmental documentation (courseware, white papers, assessments, reports, etc.) - Supervise the establishment of cloud-based assets library, acting as interim Digital Assets Manager.
Project Manager for a professional development program at VHA focused on four national Biomedical Engineering certification programs (CBET, CRES, CHTM, CCE). - Oversee creative and educational development to include biomedical and IT certification program management. - Establish Blackboard study areas for three disciplines, to include separate self-study areas for student reinforcement. - Manage a team of six instructors, one editor, and two instructional designers on the development, delivery, and support of courseware for biomedical certification programs. - Manage process for rewrites and editing, concept designs, training, and personnel logistics for biomedical as well as basic and advanced networking courses, overseeing needs assessments, statistical surveys, tracking programs, interviews, and heat maps to diagnose student performance and trainer engagement efficiency. - Oversee the rapid conversion of certification and IT network-based courses to virtual platforms in response to COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with front-line instructors working at ground zero locations to interject experiences and lessons learned into virtual training curricula.
Work with C-suite executives, creative directors, eLearning designers, and human resource partners on a variety of projects aimed at assessing, identifying, and delivering solutions involving rich media development, emerging technologies, team management, empathic communications, and training solutions with emphasis on forward-thinking methodologies and design. - Developer/writer on a wide variety of subjects from leadership and education to topical social issues, publications, songwriting, and multimedia design. - Mentor for entrepreneurial focus groups, providing assistance to global members on subjects ranging from business set-up and structure, executive summaries, to the inherent challenges of work/life balance.
Independent consultant for production and eLearning solutions, with emphasis on new training systems, course development, branding and design. - Produce and direct interpretive, narrative, and instructional rich media content, developing strong client-centric relationships while maintaining positive team dynamics. - Write, edit and/or co-author various articles and books on topics ranging from global virtual management, education and technology, to music, finance, and ethics. - Pioneer in the portable technologies field, writing a bimonthly online column that addressed the latest developments in technology solutions and the UI experience. - Write technology industry articles and white papers used as research material for international conferences and post-graduate theses. - Member of delegation from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) to discuss digital rights with members of the US Senate and Congress on Capitol Hill. - Guest speaker at technology industry conferences such as the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), Data Center, Inc. (DCI), MobileVillage Expo, and the Computer Dealers Expo (COMDEX). - Independent consultant for production and eLearning solutions, with emphasis on new training systems, course development, branding and design.
Project/Change Manager and Senior Instructional Designer representing the Kilda Group and Sterling Heritage. - Lead efforts for course design and development as well as creative and promotional initiatives for the VAAA with a focus on historic preservation, facilities management, physical security, water safety, and boiler safety. - Promote empathic leadership to create an effective and cohesive team to function as a multi-faceted think tank. - Acting Project Management Office (PMO) managing client liaison activities such as: o Gather Business Intelligence related to budgeting, TO/IDIQ contract compliance, COTS evaluations, operational analytics, and online/instructor-led course guidelines and requirements. o Adjudicate change control and operational management, business plan execution, stakeholder communications, organizational design, team effectiveness, and client engagement models. o Oversee the development of rich media content to include creative assessments of eLearning and web-based solutions. o Head the development and production of content for in-house broadcast web station.