The Secrets to Leading High Performing Teams: Heather Smith Sawyer of Thrivence Artwork

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Leading Innovation

The Secrets to Leading High Performing Teams: Heather Smith Sawyer of Thrivence

May 22, 2023 • Dr. John Lowry • Season 1 • Episode 22

It's not easy leading high performing teams. There's complexity, pressure, stress, and performance milestones you're aiming to achieve. In this episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with one of our own senior consultants, Heather Smith Sawyer, to learn how she builds high performing teams all the while navigating complex projects.

More About Heather:
Heather Smith Sawyer has 20 years of experience in engineering, project management, and program management. She has extensive experience in managing complex long-term, fast-paced programs that require substantial interaction with multiple stakeholders and regulators. Her technical background combined with program management experience enable her to successfully organize and coordinate multiple, simultaneous projects for the benefit of an overall program.

Prior to joining Thrivence, Heather was the Program Manager for Barge Design Solutions' Mission Critical and Nuclear Power Hydrology and Hydraulics Programs. As program manager, she led the efforts to develop program strategies that provide structure for sustainable support and growth. The depth and breadth of Heather’s experience is demonstrated in the numerous and varied projects she has led across Barge’s Data Center, Federal, Land Planning and Design, and Water Markets.

An active member of the Nashville community, Heather is a current member, and former board member, of Impact 100 Nashville. She chaired the American Council of Engineering Companies Tennessee Leadership PE in 2019 and 2020. Heather has been recognized as a Nashville Emerging Leaders Award Finalist and an Athena Young Professionals Leadership Award Nominee.

Heather received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She served on the UAB National Alumni Society Board of Directors for three years and founded the UAB Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Alumni Leadership Council. In 2016, Heather was named one of the UAB School of Engineering’s 45 Engineers Making a Difference. She received a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and completed graduate work at Vanderbilt University. Heather currently has an adjunct appointment at Vanderbilt University School of Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.