Speakers 2026

Ms. Molly Kovaka, PMP, has been a professional project manager for more than 20 years, delivering communications, civil, building, and public works projects. From 2012 to 2019, Ms. Kovaka was contracted to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) as senior telecommunications project manager where she delivered nearly $20 million in communications project work including leading an agency-wide land mobile radio system replacement, microwave path replacements, new site builds, communications project scoping, fiber installations, and network hardware upgrades. Ms. Kovaka was recognized by her peers and named Outstanding Contractor in Transmission Engineering in 2014 and was also nominated for the same award in 2017 and 2019. Ms. Kovaka is an outstanding communicator who is comfortable leading all sizes and types of project teams. As a trained and credentialed project manager, she inspires performance from team members by building a collaborative and productive project team with a clear shared purpose. She is a high-level, systematic planner who takes pride in developing a master plan and then seeing it through to completion and is also a direct and empathetic leader who recognizes that a happy team is a productive team. She has established herself as an accountable and dependable team member who leads by example and inclusion. Education: B.A., Mathematics Major and Physics Minor, University of Maine; M.S., Construction Management, Arizona State University Office Location: Portland, Oregon Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations:  Certified PMI® Professional Project Manager (PMP) (issued in 2012)  Smartsheet® Core Product, Project Management, and System Administrator Certifications

Presenting:

• The Basics Series: Project Management vs Systems Engineering