About The Presentation

Public professionals often manage programs, initiatives, and recurring deliverables—without realizing they’re actually overseeing portfolios. In this session, Dr. Mary Cochron, PMP, demystifies portfolio management for non-corporate settings and shares practical ways to apply it in government, education, and nonprofit contexts. Learn how to align multiple efforts with strategic goals, balance competing priorities, and make smarter resourcing decisions—all without needing a PMO or a formal title.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define what constitutes a project portfolio in public sector contexts, and distinguish it from programs and standalone projects.

2. Recognize common examples of informal portfolio management in education, city and state government, and nonprofit work—especially when no formal PMO exists.

3 Apply portfolio thinking to align ongoing projects and initiatives with broader organizational goals and public value.

4. Evaluate competing priorities and resource constraints using simple portfolio-level tools and techniques.

5. Develop actionable strategies to influence strategic decisions—regardless of formal authority or job title.

About Dr. Mary Cochron

Dr. Mary Estelle Cochron, PMP®, brings over a decade of experience in project management and program implementation within the field of educational measurement. Her career began in 2005 in the classroom and evolved through school and district leadership roles before expanding to lead large-scale, multi-state assessment programs.

In 2022, she founded Metimur, a consulting firm specializing in project management, implementation strategy, and technical assistance for organizations across the education sector. Known for translating complex initiatives into clear, actionable plans, Dr. Cochron is passionate about using project management tools to drive impact—from policy to practice.

She lives in Fresno with her husband, two step-children, two dogs, and an unknown number of goldfish.