Jen Dugan was recently promoted to serve as one of the operational leaders of Tria’s Information Technology & National Security (ITNS) Division. She is one of Tria’s longest-tenured employees, with a 22-year history with Tria and legacy company Universal Consulting Services (UCS).
She has climbed the ranks from business analyst to site lead to project manager to program manager to director, and finally to her new role as vice president.
What’s your favorite part of working at Tria?
It is 100% the people. I had been at UCS for nearly two decades; at first, merging into a big organization was intimidating. We went from 200 employees to 1,000. But everyone has been so welcoming and great about collaborating and working together, including ITNS leadership.
What accomplishment during your time at Tria are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the good relationships I’ve built with my team, partners, and clients. If you look at my whole career, I think people would say I’m engaged. I consider it a big accomplishment that they think well of me.
What’s an interest or hobby you pursue in your free time?
I’m a weightlifter; I work out in my garage gym. I am only 5 feet tall, but I can deadlift almost twice my weight. I also love hiking and being active with my husband and two daughters.
What is something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a huge advocate for science–based reading instruction and proper reading intervention for dyslexic learners. Proper reading instruction is not always taught in college to our teachers. Instead, they learn a technique that’s not rooted in science. It is a systemic issue. Many teachers also don’t understand dyslexia.
Through an online group, I guide parents on how to help their children who’ve been diagnosed with dyslexia so that they can become competent readers and excel at school.
How do you hope to grow in your role in the months or years to come?
I’m very focused on doing a lot more with business development and capture to help Tria grow.
How do you find purpose in your role?
I enjoy helping people achieve their goals. I really want my teams to be successful, and I want my clients to be successful. I try to be an enabler of action.
