Wendy Couch

About Wendy Couch

PROGRAM MANAGER, CERTIFIED PROJECT MANAGER, AND RECORDS OFFICER with over 20 years of progressive experience providing strategic planning, project management, program analysis, IT, and records/information management. Expertise in strategic and tactical planning, budgeting and financial analysis, management reporting, and resource analysis/optimization. Solid record of performance managing analytical studies, key initiatives, and high-profile organizational improvement projects. A persistent leader with strong business acumen and proven ability to balance short-term priorities against long-term organizational goals. Very strong critical thinking, problem solving, research and liaison skills. Recognized for outstanding communication skills, flexibility, keen political savvy, sense of humor and leadership abilities. PRIMARY AUTHOR: FRON Position Paper: A Modest Proposal to Restructure Information Governance, Years 2022 through 2030 (available upon request) AREAS OF EXPERTISE: • Strategic Planning and Operations • Program Management and Analysis • Team and Project Oversight • Records and Information Management • Budgeting / Finance / Contracts • Quantitative / Qualitative Analysis • Project Management • Process Improvement • Analytical / Critical Thinking Skills • Oral and Written Communication • Records and Information Governance TECHNICAL SKILLS: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems; case management and workflows; collaboration sites such as MAX.gov; expert ability to conduct credible, internet-based research. RESUME AND REFERENCE LIST: Uploaded to LinkedIn

Experience

1. Chief Records Officer

   Us Department Of Commerce

   Jun 2013 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   PROGRAM MANAGER / MANAGEMENT ANALYST: Direct the Department’s Records Management (RM) program, a major program segment, impacting thirteen operating units. Develop, implement, evaluate, and improve processes and procedures. Establish long-range strategies as well as short-term plans. Integrate new technology into strategic planning. Develop agreements and negotiate mutually acceptable solutions. Author and present materials for senior leader briefings. Cultivate professional partnerships with management, staff, and customers by maintaining open lines of communication, soliciting feedback, and collaborating on problem resolution. Direct personnel as a team lead.STRATEGIC PLANNING: Analyze organizational and operational trends and problems and establish the Department’s RM strategic goals and RM plan. Engage senior leaders for input into strategic goals. Advise senior Department leaders, bureau Records Officers, bureau program managers, OCIO Office Directors, and staff to assist them in implementing organizational strategies. Find alternative solutions to complex problems. RM REGULATIONS AND POLICIES: Subject Matter Expert (SME) on compliance with RM regulations, federal policy, and civil discovery rules, providing feasible alternatives for IT and mission. Primary RM SME to develop responses to congressional, OIG, OMB, and NARA requests. Department lead for NARA inspection, negotiations, and remediation. Partner with IT professionals to move the Department from paper to digital records. Provide RM technical expertise for: email, data architecture, electronic archiving, collaboration spaces, and digitization. Customer engagement on minimum system requirements, user stories for agile development, and systems interoperability. METRICS/RISK: Perform on-going qualitative and quantitative analysis to measure the RM program performance. Perform SWOT analysis. Identify underlying issues and potential courses of action, including adjustments to RM Strategic goals.