Twenty-four employees of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake were recognized Dec. 9 for completing the Project Management 101 program; another 20 graduated at Point Mugu on Dec. 3.

These are the latest of more than 550 people who have graduated from the program since 2011. PM101 is a locally developed, command-sponsored program to teach key project management skills and tools. Participants come from across the entire NAWCWD organization and complete 80 hours of training in seven classes.

Keynote speaker Rich Burr, Threat/Targets Systems Department director, is a champion of the PM101 program and helped develop the curriculum in 2011. He spoke to why it’s such a worthwhile course.

“Project management is a skill,” Burr said. “It is a very necessary skill, and it’s a skill for every group. We all do project management. Even with something that may seem like a small project, it’s amazing how fast things can go downhill when you don’t think ahead.”

Burr referred to the graduates as “disciples” of project management, who he expects to help carry the message forward.

“What you learned is the standard,” he said. “So please, share that with your peers, educate them, teach them, because that is the way to be successful. And you are now the keepers of that knowledge.”

Fiscal Year 2019 PM101 graduates from China Lake were Philip Aberer, Cheryl Chambellan, Brenda Crosbie, Franco Fabile, Kevin Ford, Margaret Gean, Lena Gomez, Michael Hefley, Miriam Horning, Kelley McClean, Melody McNamara, Robin Mills, Clifton Mouliere, Clark Newbold, Michael Petersen, Janna Pippin, Steve Shultz, Michael Thompson, Kyla Vigneault, Kyle Wells, Ransom Whipple, Eric Williams, James Zheng and Hutton Zubiate.