Introduction to Dan Montagna, PMO Manager at Makpar

With a deep history in Project Management in the government, higher-education and the for-profit arenas, Dan Montagna is the new PMO Manager at Makpar.

To officially introduce Dan to Makpar’s ecosystem of government customers, partners, and employees, we recently sat down with him to get his take on why he joined the company and gain his perspective on overall government IT trends.

The following conversation has been edited for length.

Q: Please tell us about your background.

I’ve been in the field of project and portfolio management for about 15 years now.  From early in my career, I worked with state and federal agencies, as well as with for-profits and non-profits. I’ve run the gamut and it’s been an exciting ride.

I’ve also stood up and led Project Management Offices (PMO), as well worked directly in business operations in my career. The common theme for me has really been working within and alongside IT services and technical teams through project and program delivery.

Q: Tell us about your role at Makpar.

The PMO role at Makpar is focused on delivering consistency and reliability, and repeatable resource delivery, to the project teams and program managers that work directly with our clients.  

Within this framework of the PMO, we are focused on value streams for Makpar, as a company overall. My role is to ensure that we are continually bringing value to clients. Building and doing more to improve our overall best practices and processes, while adhering to quality standards, will be a big part of this effort.

This also includes developing reporting, and looking for new ways to improve our existing systems and tools.

Q: Why did you choose to work at Makpar?

When looking for a new role, I wanted to stay rooted in a field that I have a passion for. This may make me a little bit nerdy, but I really do appreciate project management as a discipline. 

In speaking with the team, even early on, Makpar stood out as not only having a space where I could bring my expertise, but also having strong core values. There is a good sense of wanting to work as a team, grow the business and be better while we are doing it.

Q: Where do you think IT modernization in government is headed?

That’s a good question! I often leave this to the true subject matter experts (said with a laugh). But I am a bit of a news hound, and enjoy staying on top of key trends in the government IT sector.

The one thing that will be a constant is cybersecurity. I really like the concepts around Zero Trust that Makpar and the government is chasing these days. This is a key element that will continue to be on the forefront.

Network modernization and cloud computing, and the constant improvement in these areas, will also continue to be a priority. I’m excited to see this get better, especially when cybersecurity is considered. I also look forward to seeing how government uses Blockchain and AI to improve efficiencies.

This all blends into hybrid work models, and all of these items will help people work in a more flexible manner. There’s a lot that’s going to be happening over the next 10 years.

Q: Any personal information about yourself you would like to share with our readers?

I’ll probably get into trouble for saying this – most of the Makpar team is not located in the northeast – but I am a fan of the New England sports teams. I also like gardening, and hiking, and I'm a fan of music in pretty much all genres and styles.

What is unique about me is that I own an original 1973 Ford Bronco. I also have a small dog that I adopted just after the worst of COVID. And, this keeps me doing regular daily walks.

We would like to thank Dan for taking the time to speak with us, and we officially welcome him to the Makpar team!