Dakota M. Churchill

Context

Vetcove's implementation team needed to rapidly scale SaaS onboarding and data migration programs across a growing roster of enterprise veterinary clinics. At the outset, launches were manual and fragmented across 6+ tracking systems, with no documented processes or PM infrastructure — limiting throughput to one clinic launch per month across 28+ distinct legacy PIMS systems.

My Role

Lead Technical Program Manager across all SaaS implementations and data migrations. Owned go/no-go decisions, cross-functional coordination across product, engineering, CX, onboarding, an external data conversion partner, and 3 enterprise partner groups — plus full program infrastructure design from the ground up.

Approach

Architected 38+ AI agents and automation workflows using Claude and Google Apps Script, consolidating communication across 12+ operational platforms. Developed standardized implementation frameworks and a 42+ article knowledge base covering 364+ mapped data fields. Built scalable training infrastructure and transformed Engineering partnership from reactive escalation into structured root-cause scoping, offloading 3 recurring processes entirely.

Outcomes

• 200+ programs delivered across 28+ legacy systems with zero PM-attributed launch failures
• 71% reduction in SOP manual effort via 38+ AI agents and automation workflows
• 74% reduction in onboarding and migration issue reports
• QA consistency improved across 364+ mapped data fields
• Weekly throughput scaled from 1 monthly to 10–17 weekly launches
• Onboarding ramp cut from 3 months to 1 month; team scaled from 2 to 17

Strategic Complexity

Navigated ambiguity across vendor exports, admin misconfigurations, and product defects across 3 enterprise clients and 28+ legacy systems. Balanced rapid scaling demands with QA rigor by building AI-augmented workflows that separated operational noise from true engineering defects — enabling the team to grow 8x without proportional headcount.

Context

ENGEO is a multi-office geotechnical and civil engineering firm across Western USA. After integrating a newly acquired San Diego branch, the office focused on establishing a foothold in the local market while transitioning from legacy workflows to modern geotechnical software and aligning operations with other company locations.

My Role

Project Manager and Staff Geologist managing 5–10 concurrent projects, owning proposals, cost estimates, client relationships, vendor coordination, RFPs, and deliverable quality under my direct supervision.

Approach

Championed and led procurement and integration of Metashape photogrammetry software, designed training programs for all 3 SoCal offices, and expanded SharePoint to standardize document management firm-wide. Maintained rigorous project tracking to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery across all client engagements.

Outcomes

• 85% project award rate across 81 geotechnical and civil engineering projects
• Zero schedule or budget overruns across all engagements
• Standardized SharePoint workflows across all 3 Southern California offices
• 300+ hours saved within the software's first year of implementation
• Drove Metashape adoption from 1 to 4 offices through training and documentation

Strategic Complexity

Maintained consistent delivery across 81 projects while supporting entry into a new market, where proposal strategy and execution directly influenced client acquisition and the office's long-term positioning.

Context

The USGS commissioned federally funded investigations into Yellowstone National Park's hydrothermal systems. The research required coordinating scientists, park employees, and labs across 7 U.S. institutions with distributed timelines, publication requirements, and federal reporting obligations.

My Role

Lead Research Geologist and program coordinator across two USGS divisions (GMEG & CVO). Owned fieldwork logistics, cross-institutional alignment, data management, and scientific publication end-to-end.

Approach

Established multi-institution coordination workflows, developed comprehensive ArcGIS technical documentation, and trained 2 employees to full software proficiency within 3 months. Translated complex scientific findings for both specialist audiences and the general public through 3 online articles.

Outcomes

• 3 peer-reviewed papers published (Journal of Volcanology & Geothermal Research; Geophysical Research Letters)
• 3 online databases and 6 conference abstracts published
• 7 institutions aligned across federal and academic partners
• Research presented to 25,000+ attendees at international conferences

Strategic Complexity

Managed competing institutional timelines and publication priorities across federal and academic organizations with no common project management infrastructure — building alignment through direct relationship management and clear communication protocols.