Shanita Brackett

She’s not SuperWoman, but often feels like her stand-in! From early morning to late evening (there is no such thing as 9 to 5 in IT), Shanita Brackett is the Chief IT Portfolio Officer at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. Shanita has drawn from over 15 years of experience across both public and private sectors to lead the museum's portfolio management team in an effort to support strategic IT initiatives and development efforts. In her role, Shanita is responsible for budgeting, forecasting and determining technology needs for achieving the museum’s vision. As a Certified Project Management Professional and Contract Officer Representative, Shanita also ensures that project managers and technical experts follow best practices in implementing innovative toolsets. Recognizing that the museum’s IT portfolio management team is in its infancy stage, Shanita also establishes standards, protocols and performance metrics and hopes to grow the team’s maturity to Level 4 by 2020.

Unlike many of her peers in the public sector, Shanita has managed successful IT project management and development teams remotely for the last 6 years. She is a two-time alum of the University of Virginia, receiving her B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S in Management of IT. Shanita’s vision is to encourage a customer-focused, IT portfolio management practice that thrives in today’s virtual environment. Shanita is a dedicated mom, recreation baker, green building enthusiast and all-around volunteer, lending her expertise to the Project Management Institute’s Atlanta Chapter and American Council of Technology-and-Industry Association Council.