Danielle Ayan, PMP, ICP, GISP, UXC, AJP

“Danielle had no reason to think that a newly hired software developer with absolutely no experience with the technology we were building her project with would be successful. I never got that feeling from her -- in fact, it was quite the opposite. I owe her a great deal for her confidence in me when I was just starting out, and for all of the invaluable guidance that she provided to get me moving in the right direction. It would be impossible to expound on all of Danielle’s positives -- but I will try my best to hit the many high points. My belief that Danielle was truly in my corner and believed in me was key to me developing my confidence in a field that was brand new to me at the time. She encouraged me to grow, and even when we butted heads, I always came out of the fray with a new appreciation for her and her reasoning. Danielle is the definition of a straight shooter without a hidden agenda. She said what she meant or she didn’t say it at all. As a seasoned leader myself, I really appreciate someone who stays true to herself and doesn’t compromise her values to speak her mind and say things that really need to be heard. I actually looked forward to attending meetings with Danielle; it was because she made me feel as if I belonged to something special. Her creative energy and insights helped shape and sustain a unified direction for our team to achieve success. Team success was the only success that mattered to her. I firmly believe that she would give a stranger the shirt off of her back, and when it came down to someone who was on her team, she’d give us the moon, if we were in need, and she could do it. I was embattled with a less-than-ideal relationship with my fellow developer in the beginning of our project and, through sheer force of will and motivation -- she managed to get us to become good colleagues and even better friends. To this day, if she ever needed any help, I would drop what I was doing to help her out. I feel like I owe her something. Even in the short time we were acquainted, her impact on me as a leader was profound. If you are a Hiring Manager or Program Manager reading this, and you are trying to make a decision on whether Danielle is the right person for whatever you are considering, I am available for comment and I will vouch for her on any position in the spectrum from fast-food manager all the way to space shuttle team lead. It is my belief that she can do anything – and do it with precision, on-time, under budget, with grace, with love, and with her teammates’ and customers' utmost confidence. ”

“An all-around professional. She gives 110% whatever she puts her mind to. Her personality works well with anyone, in any group. Open, friendly, with energy and excitement. She is very well organized and structured. Her project coordinator skills were on-point in the 3 projects that I worked on with her. Our internal team and our partner were always satisfied with the detailed documentation and project organization that she provided. A diamond in the rough. ”