Program Leadership and Management
- Design programs or projects to meet organizational objectives, from timelines to deliverables
- Build the team and provide leadership in developing team cohesiveness and communication
- Cultivate a culture of empowerment and accountability
- Identify, develop and maintain strong working relationships with strategic partners
Work Example:
The Search for the Wreck of the Bonhomme Richard
MMC President Melissa Ryan leads the search for the remains of the Revolutionary War ship Bonhomme Richard (BHR). Commanded by U.S. Naval hero John Paul Jones, the ship sank off the coast of England in 1779 during a vicious battle with the British. It was during this battle that Jones shouted his famous words from the deck of the BHR: “I have not yet begun to fight!”
Melissa created this project in 2006, which involves building relationships with personnel of all levels in the French and U.S. Navies, sourcing the assets and technologies needed for mission objectives, strategic planning, working with the media, and conducting outreach activities.
She liaises with U.S., French, and British Navies as well as academia and private industry to establish partnerships and technology transfer opportunities. She also interfaces with U.S. and foreign Embassy staff and other high-level government officials in order to facilitate operations in foreign countries. Over the years, the search has applied technologies such as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, Remotely Operated Vehicles, magnetometers, side scan sonars, P3 Orion aircraft, the US Navy’s Submarine NR1, and deep-sea divers. It is likely the most comprehensive marine archaeological survey being conducted, with more than 600 U.S. and French Navy personnel having participated in more than a dozen expeditions, and hundreds more people working shoreside to make it all happen.
Based on the Bonhomme Richard project, MMC developed and instructed the U.S. Naval Academy’s first and only online course, Historic Shipwrecks, which focuses largely on the methods, technologies, and policies involved in the search for a historic shipwreck. The course integrated science, history, technology and engineering into a multidisciplinary and interactive learning experience for Naval Academy midshipmen. Under the guidance of Melissa Ryan, five midshipmen participated in two expeditions to search for the Bonhomme Richard in the North Sea. One midshipman remarked that “this experience has certainly been the best hands-on experience I have had while at USNA.”
