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About Our Firm
Strategic Optimization and Research, LLC — known as SOAR — is a Tallahassee-based management consulting and professional development firm founded by Joanne Gallagher. SOAR was built to address a growing and urgent challenge: the shortage of skilled professionals in project management, change management, agile, and artificial intelligence is widening, and organizations can’t afford to fall behind.
SOAR tackles this through two integrated service lines — consulting and professional development — that work together to build capability and apply it at the same time. We bring hands-on expertise directly to government and private sector clients navigating complex transformations, while training professionals in the certifications and skills that matter most right now and in the years ahead.
As the only firm in Tallahassee recognized as both an authorized project management training partner and a qualified change management education provider, SOAR operates at the intersection of doing and developing. Our core belief is simple: technology is only as good as what people can do with it.
Our CEO
Joanne Gallagher, PMP, CCMP, HCS
Joanne Gallagher is a Human Capital Strategist (HCS) and Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 25 years of management consulting experience. She has held executive positions at Tier 1 firms — including Deloitte, Accenture, and KPMG — and has led multi-million-dollar projects supporting local, state, and national initiatives in health and human services across more than a dozen states.
Joanne founded SOAR with a commitment to delivering consulting and professional development that creates lasting impact. Known for her infectious positivity and genuine investment in client success, she centers every engagement on the long-term vision — helping organizations and professionals reframe what winning looks like and make bold moves toward it.
Meet the SOAR Team
Our team of seasoned professionals brings decades of real-world experience across diverse industries — and that depth is what sets a SOAR learning experience apart. Every instructor draws from their time in the field to make training more engaging, relevant, and immediately applicable to the challenges participants face in their own organizations.
Joanne Gallagher, PMP, CCMP, HCS
Joanne Gallagher is a Business Process Consultant and CEO of SOAR, with over 25 years of experience leading organizational transformation across public sector and enterprise environments.
She advises executive leadership on aligning business processes, human capital, and technology to support strategic goals and large-scale transformation efforts. Her work includes improving agency operations through change management, technology integration, and program modernization, with a focus on efficiency and measurable outcomes.
Joanne’s background includes experience with Big Four consulting firms and leadership roles within professional organizations, including the Project Management Institute and the Association of Change Management Professionals. She has received multiple recognitions for her work, including Entrepreneur of the Year (2023) and Woman of Distinction (2022). She holds degrees in psychology, criminology, and law.
Malinda Demps, MBA
Malinda Demps is a systems and strategy leader and the Founder of Cadre Collective, an advisory firm helping businesses build the operational foundations for sustainable growth.
With nearly two decades of experience across product development, data governance, and cross-functional operations, she specializes in turning ambiguity into structure—and ensuring that structure holds under real-world conditions.
That same approach drives her work in professional development, where she helps individuals and organizations move forward with clarity and a plan they can execute.
She also serves as a board member for Bethel Community Services, Incorporated in Richmond, Virginia, supporting community initiatives, including end-of-life care documentation for elderly populations.
Malinda has spent her career making complexity navigable—for organizations and, increasingly, for the people inside them.
Phillip Johnson, CCMP
Phillip Johnson is a change management practitioner and professional development trainer with more than 20 years of experience supporting public sector, workforce, and education organizations.
He specializes in people-centered transformation and brings experience from organizations including KPMG, Ernst & Young, and state and local agencies. He currently serves as Training Coordinator for SOAR, where he develops and delivers training programs, supports credentialing initiatives, and advances professional learning aligned with workforce development goals.
Phillip is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP®) and leads the Professional Development Committee for the ACMP Florida Chapter.
Steve Cardon, CAPM
Steve Cardon is a certified associate project manager with a background in technology services and solutions delivery.
He specializes in bridging the gap between technical teams and stakeholders, using structured planning and stakeholder engagement to support effective problem solving and project execution. His experience in tier 2 technical support has equipped him with the ability to translate complex technical requirements into clear, actionable plans aligned with stakeholder needs.
Yamilee Francois, CSM, CCMP
Yamilee Francois is a change management and organizational development leader with experience guiding organizations through complex transformation across financial services, nonprofit, higher education, and public sector environments.
She brings a human-centered approach to change, combining Prosci-based methodologies, organizational development, and agile practices to drive adoption, engagement, and sustained outcomes. Her work includes designing and executing enterprise-level change strategies, building organizational readiness, and supporting stakeholder engagement through training and enablement.
Yamilee’s background spans change leadership, workforce development, and learning strategy. She has led large-scale initiatives, developed training programs, and coached leaders to support organizational effectiveness. She holds certifications including Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, CCMP, Certified ScrumMaster, and Crucial Conversations Trainer.
Dr. Smriti Ingrole, Ph.D.
Dr. Smriti A. Ingrole is a data analytics and artificial intelligence professional focused on the responsible and practical application of emerging technologies within organizational and public sector environments.
She serves as Decision Support Lead at Emory University, where she leads the development of enterprise analytics and decision-support systems that support institutional effectiveness and strategic planning. She is also Co-founder and CEO of Cosmic Data Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in AI-enabled analytics, governance, and process improvement.
Her work emphasizes structured, accountable use of generative AI to improve operational efficiency while maintaining appropriate oversight and risk controls.
Dr. Aniket Ingrole, Ph.D.
Dr. Aniket Ingrole is an engineering and applied analytics professional specializing in data-driven problem solving and technology-enabled process optimization.
He serves as Assistant Research Faculty at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, where he leads precision testing and analysis of superconducting materials for advanced magnet systems. He is also Co-founder of Cosmic Data Solutions, where he contributes to AI-enabled analytics, workflow automation, and decision-support solutions.
Dr. Ingrole holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University and applies a structured, engineering-driven approach to translating complex data into actionable insights.
Kelly Johnson-Merrell, PMP
Kelly Johnson-Merrell is the Founder of Kelly Johnson-Merrell LLC and a Principal Project Manager with a background in information technology and public sector project delivery.
She began her career in IT with a focus on improving quality of life through technology initiatives. Through that work, she recognized a consistent gap—projects often lacked consideration for the people impacted by them. This realization led her to transition into project management, where she focuses on bringing structure, direction, and a people-centered approach to execution.
Kelly has supported projects across a range of organizations, including the City of Riviera Beach, the City of Miami, Florida Power & Light, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Social Security Administration, and Florida International University.
Her work is grounded in the belief that successful projects are those that prioritize people, purpose, and long-term impact. She brings a values-driven approach to her work, emphasizing respect, connection, and accountability in how projects are delivered and how teams are supported.
Michael Black, PMP, CSM®, FCCM
Michael Black is a project management leader with experience across government technology, enterprise oversight, and statewide program development.
He began his project management career at the Florida Department of Revenue in 2017, where he led a range of information technology initiatives, including data analysis, software development and testing, server security, and enterprise-scale change management efforts. He currently serves as the Program Management & Oversight Administrator at the Florida Digital Service, where he leads the development of statewide project management standards and provides independent oversight for government IT projects exceeding $10 million.
Michael has also contributed to building internal capability, helping establish a project management training program for state employees. He holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, is a Certified ScrumMaster®, and is an approved trainer for CAPM and PMP through the Project Management Institute. He continues to expand his expertise through ongoing certification and professional development.
Syed Khalil, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM
Syed Khalil is an Agile coach, Scrum Master, and project management professional with more than 16 years of experience leading enterprise transformation, technology modernization, and organizational performance initiatives.
He has successfully delivered major projects across Fortune 100 companies, public sector organizations, and complex enterprise environments, with experience spanning organizations such as Amazon, Apple, Publix, and multiple state agencies. His work focuses on helping leaders and teams maximize productivity through Agile frameworks, process optimization, and strategic delivery.
Syed specializes in business transformation, IT modernization, process re-engineering, and building high-performing cross-functional teams. His expertise covers the full project and software development lifecycle—from strategic planning and stakeholder management to implementation and continuous improvement.
He holds multiple industry-recognized certifications, including Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM), Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), and Prosci Change Practitioner.
Syed brings a structured, people-centered leadership approach to every engagement, helping organizations improve delivery outcomes while fostering sustainable agility.