Jeff Stewart, PMP

PMI Member Since 2001


Personal History
Jeff received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas, and his Masters degree from Northwestern University, also in electrical engineering with specialization in optical systems and technology. Jeff served as an Armor/Armored Cavalry officer in the United States Army for 24 years where he commanded several Cavalry and Armor units. As an additional specialty, Jeff served in the Acquisition Corps of the United States Army where he was an Operational Evaluator. In this position, he developed and wrote operational test and evaluation plans, and performed test and evaluation on major acquisition systems under development by the Army to ensure operational effectiveness and suitability. Several of the systems he was responsible for underwent accelerated evaluation for deployment to the Gulf War. Subsequently, Jeff worked in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans at the Pentagon where he managed multiple, multi-million dollar programs spread throughout the country and the world. He had primary responsibility for policy and funding for individual soldier training throughout the Army. Jeff joined Battelle Memorial Institute in 2000 as a Program Manager in the Army Market Sector where he was responsible for business development and commercialization. He transferred to the Chicago area 2001 and presently serves as Operations Manager for the Technology, Research, Education, and Commercialization Center (TRECC) located at the DuPage Airport. TRECC is a collaboration between Battelle and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Under the current contract, the Battelle staff at TRECC provides technology transfer and commercialization services to the Department of Defense.

Best Project Management advice ever received
Hope is not a method. Bad news doesn’t get better with age.

Your secret to effective Project Management
Communicate, communicate, communicate!

Recommended Reading for Project Managers
Hope is not a Method” by General (retired) Gordon R. Sullivan

If you could have been a team member on any project, which would it have been?
Either a member of the “Six Companies”, the consortium that built the Hoover Dam; or a member of the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo teams that put men on the moon. The depth and breadth of the things they had to accomplish to achieve their goals is staggering. Monumental achievements.

Where do you recharge your batteries?
Routinely at the golf course. Traveling when I can.

Why do you change assignments every year or two?
Historically, it’s been thrust upon me, first by the Army, later by circumstance. You must follow the dynamics and go where the action is and where the opportunities are. That generally dictates not staying in one place for too extended a time period.

Why did you volunteer to serve on the PMI board?
It’s my feeling that if you are going to be a member of an organization, and expect benefits from membership in that organization, then you must be willing to contribute. Volunteering for the board was/is my way of giving back to the organization. It has had the additional benefit of affording me the opportunity to meet and work with some outstanding people.