Chris Jones: Making an IMPACT

Indiana INTERNnet celebrated internship excellence on Feb. 5, 2014, at the 8^th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon. Though the event is over and the winners have been announced, we are continuing to celebrate the nominees’ successes.

We aren’t huge fans of labels, but this is one we really like:

“Intern-to-Hire.”

And Chris Jones earned the label after graduating from Indiana State University in December 2013 and going to work immediately for Baldwin & Lyons following a successful internship with them.

Chris had his hands on many jobs within the company. He assisted in the development of the recently established project management office (PMO). He took over the management of the company’s top strategic project that changed the rating premiums for the largest account. Baldwin & Lyons also updated their ChangePoint system, and Chris co-managed that project.

“Chris is a motivated, personable project coordinator with strong management and organizational skills,” said Darren Page, director of PMO, Baldwin & Lyons. “He was very capable of thriving in a solo or group environment and also was not afraid to take the lead.”

And leadership was important on this job and continues to be in his new responsibilities. His first assignment was to assist the project manager; however, the manager left the company shortly after the top strategic project began. That left Chris to pick up the slack. When it came time for him to return to school, the project was on track and moving forward nicely.

“A team will want to do the work for someone who is willing to be in the trenches with them. Executives will respect the person who gets the job done,” Chris said. “Having the excellent team support and the determination to learn and absorb as much information as possible were my greatest assets.”

He was no stranger to leadership when this opportunity arose. He served as a building supervisor with ISU’s new recreation center. He served as vice president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity on campus; he was also the chief justice of the Interfraternity Council, the governing body of all fraternities on campus.

Chris is now working as a full-time project coordinator with Baldwin & Lyons. He is doing many of the same tasks, he said, but with greater expectations of quality and responsibility. He is still operating by words of wisdom from Page:

“If you can perform as a world-class project manager on your worst day,” he says, “the good days will be a walk in the park.”