How a Project Manager Embraces Work & Life Through Strong Organization
Picture a kayak gliding across the glassy water of a peaceful Norwegian fjord. Steep cliffs rise on both sides, mist curls off the peaks, and each dip of the paddle sends soft ripples across the surface. In the boat, Sarah Lee can’t stop smiling as she adjusts her sunglasses and takes in the scenery.
Now trade the calm, open water for crisp mountain slopes blanketed in fresh powder. Cold air fills her lungs, skis carve fresh tracks, and a beloved family tradition continues with an annual downhill ski trip. It takes a little more coordination now that the kids are grown and out of the house, but it’s a tradition the family has no intention of giving up.
Whether she’s kicking up dirt on a hiking trail near Bismarck or spreading a map of Europe across her kitchen table to plan the next big getaway, one thing is certain: Lee lives for adventure.
And as manager of NDIT’s Project Management Office (PMO), she brings that same spirit to her work. She enjoys taking big ideas, figuring out how the pieces fit together, and helping people move toward a common goal. After all, good planning helps turn a vision into reality—but the journey itself can be just as rewarding. Lee even has a phrase for that feeling.
“The joy of project management.”
Whether exploring new places or bringing people together around a shared goal, Sarah Lee finds joy in the journey.
The Making of a Project Manager
As PMO Manager at NDIT, Lee has spent more than 20 years helping the state turn ideas into working technology. NDIT recently celebrated that milestone during an all-team gathering. While Lee was honored and grateful to be recognized, “like any good Gen Xer,” she doesn’t love the limelight. (But her colleagues definitely love her!)
Originally from Bismarck, Lee began her college career at North Dakota State University before transferring to Minnesota State University Moorhead to complete her degree. (Though she’s always been a Bison at heart.) She likes to joke that she earned a communications degree with a focus on advertising…but never actually advertised a day in her life.
Instead, Lee eventually landed in Minneapolis, where she spent 13 years working for a company that designed burglar, fire, and camera systems for major retail chains. She started as an account representative before moving into project management, working with well-known names such as Target, Best Buy, Payless, and Sears. That’s where she officially caught the project management bug.
Then an opportunity opened up at NDIT.
Lee remembers it like it was yesterday. Her mom, who still lived in Bismarck, couldn’t stop raving about working for the state and how nice it would be for Lee to move back to the area. Friends quickly joined the chorus. And with newborn twins at home, a shorter commute sounded pretty wonderful, too.
“It wasn’t too big of a leap,” Lee says. “It was time to go from fire alarm systems to IT.”
Dabbling in a Bit of Everything
After joining NDIT, Lee quickly learned that no two projects look alike. Some involve internal applications that help state employees do their jobs, while others support public-facing services that North Dakotans rely on. Each comes with its own challenges and priorities, which keeps the work interesting.
Lee’s work has touched multiple initiatives. For example, she’s helped provide oversight for the Statewide Interoperable Radio Network (SIRN), which helps public safety agencies communicate across jurisdictions using a shared radio system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped facilitate conversations with an executive team deciding which projects to prioritize in support of the governor’s initiatives. She’s even worked on the state’s criminal background check system.
Without a doubt, Lee has an impressive portfolio, but she’s incredibly modest about it.
“I like to think of myself as a Jack of all trades and master of none,” she chuckles.
Lee’s real expertise lies in working with people. She understands the technology, but she also knows how to bring the right stakeholders together, understanding their needs and helping them navigate the complexities of a project. That combination of technical knowledge and people skills helps her connect the dots between what a system can do and what an agency actually needs it to accomplish.
The First Question
Ask Lee for her best advice on project management, and the answer is always the same: ask the right questions up front.
“The first question I always ask on a project is, ‘What problem are you trying to solve?’” she says. “And if the stakeholder can’t answer that question, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board.”
Lee has heard plenty of requests along the lines of, “We just want it to be more user-friendly.” While improving the user experience is a worthwhile goal, she helps stakeholders dig deeper to understand what that really means. What isn’t working today? Who’s experiencing the problem? What would a successful outcome look like?
Those conversations help establish clear goals from the beginning, giving everyone a shared understanding of what the project should accomplish and how they’ll know if it succeeds.
Finding a Better Way
Lee’s team has a great process in place, and she trusts it because it’s built on years of experience. That doesn’t mean the team stops learning or adapting. In fact, she’s seen firsthand the value of embracing new approaches as technology and project management practices evolve.
For example, Lee’s team was exploring Agile practices before they became common across the state. Rather than trying to plan every detail of a project from start to finish, Agile emphasizes breaking work into smaller pieces, gathering feedback, and adjusting along the way. It’s another example of how the right approach can help teams solve problems more effectively.
Of course, even the best processes can’t prevent every misstep. Lee knows that experience is often earned by learning what doesn't work, recognizing what could be done differently, and carrying those lessons into the next project. Sometimes, a mistake can be just as valuable as a success.
A Beautiful Adventure Ahead
Lee believes successful project management is about 90% people. She loves seeing what a skilled project manager and a passionate team can accomplish together, especially when a proven process helps navigate challenges.
Indeed, it’s the people—and the purpose—that keep her at NDIT.
“I just have this amazing feeling at the end of so many days, knowing that what I did that day helped serve my friends, my family, my neighbors, and my community,” she says. “It brings me joy.”