This month, the Office of Information Technology is celebrating Stephen Reynolds, Senior Project Manager on the IT Portfolio Management team. Stephen has been with Fordham for 10 years. Throughout his time at Fordham, he has worked on many interesting projects and developed both professionally and personally. To honor his contributions, we are sharing a little about his story.
How long have you been employed at Fordham and what roles have you held?
I have been serving as a project manager since I started here at Fordham in 2015. Over the years, I have enjoyed working with faculty, administrators, and students across the university. There’s always something new to learn and new people to meet in this role.
What’s the day-to-day of your role like?
Largely, my time is spent helping our IT teams accomplish their goals through careful planning, monitoring, and managing work while keeping everyone informed on a project’s progress. I begin each day by responding to emails and setting my goals for the day. I typically manage 3-6 projects at a time, so I consider what is my most important area of focus for each project. Then, my work will include managing the project plan, gathering the project team to share status, managing the resolution of issues and risks, communicating with the project team and stakeholders, and escalating problems and decisions to senior management. Every project is different, so Fordham’s project managers work hard to bring a clear management practice that is flexible enough to meet the unique needs of each project team.
What is your proudest accomplishment in IT and/or life in general?
My proudest accomplishment is raising three kids, putting them through college, and seeing how close they are with each other in their adult lives.
When you are not working, what are some passion projects/hobbies/activities that you’re involved in?
I volunteer on weekends at my town’s local food co-op, refilling bulk food bins, packaging dry goods, and helping customers. I also enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking and camping with friends and family in and around Vermont. Each Summer, I spend two weeks camping with family in western Pennsylvania. There is always a lot of food, games, and singing at this event. Although I can carry a tune vocally, I am only just beginning to learn to play along on the guitar.
How have you grown professionally while on our team?
Anyone in the project manager role can’t help but grow from the experience. I am lucky to be able to work with many different people in many different roles across the university. These experiences give me a unique perspective that I bring to my work in guiding project teams.
What is the most unique part about working at Fordham?
There is definitely a sense of larger purpose in our work. Everything we do is linked to a student’s ability to achieve their educational and career goals. Also, I have found that there is a great emphasis on the relationships we build at work and that the strong personal connections we nurture at work pay off both personally and professionally.
What is something fun or interesting that not many people know about you?
I have Scottish ancestry on both sides of my family and I have learned how to make bespoke (hand-tailored) Scottish kilts. My father gave me a kilt in our family tartan a few years back and I was inspired. Since then, I have made several styles of kilt for myself, friends, and family. My brother even wore one of my kilts for his wedding last year. Hmmm, maybe next I’ll learn to play the bagpipes! Slàinte Mhath! (Good health!)
This interview was conducted as part of the Office of Information Technology’s SpotlITe series, in which we highlight staff members who have meaningfully contributed to IT, Fordham, and beyond.