Rhett Ponder, PMP, LSSGB

El Paso, TX | 915-472-1250 | RhettDPonder@Outlook.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhettponder/

SUMMARY

Program & Project Manager with 15+ years of progressive experience in site openings, retail operations, project lifecycle management, stakeholder engagement, vendor coordination, and operational governance. Proven record leading 100+ new store openings, managing cross-functional execution across 22 departments, reducing opening timelines by 30%, lowering project costs by 15%, and delivering multimillion-dollar operational improvements. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and PMP-certified project leader.

CORE SKILLS

Stakeholder & Vendor Management: Cross-Functional Communication | Stakeholder Engagement | Vendor Coordination | Third-Party Labor Management | Executive Readiness Reporting

CERTIFICATIONS

- Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute

- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt - Go Lean Six Sigma

- Prompt Engineering for Project Managers - Project Management Institute

- Data Landscape of Gen AI for Project Management - Project Management Institute

- Generative AI for Project Managers - Project Management Institute

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Store Planning Manager - New Store Opening Program & Projects

Michaels | El Paso, TX | April 2023 - January 2026

- Managed a multi-year retail store expansion portfolio involving 70+ stakeholders and 22 corporate departments while aligning project execution with strategic enterprise priorities

- Produced over $3.5 million in incremental sales and operational savings after cutting store opening lifecycle timelines by 30% and project costs by 15%

- Directed 100+ new store openings spanning $5-$12 million in annual operating scope across North America while steering end-to-end program management and operational execution

- Deployed and led over 7,500 setup team members while partnering with store leaders on hiring, scheduling, and hands-on people leadership

- Introduced an operational scorecard to identify and support underperforming stores, then led a 2-week inventory accuracy reset that contributed to an $18M sales improvement in Q3-Q4 compared with the YTD baseline

- Executed competitive bids across 40 markets to negotiate cost savings and optimize third-party contract value with a 40% cost reduction

- Drove enterprise initiatives collaborating with field operations, merchandising, and technology teams to bring new initiatives to market under budget and ahead of schedule

- Built standardized processes and documentation driving operational and merchandising consistency across new store openings

- Managed scope, timelines, dependencies, and critical path across seven cross-functional teams

- Delivered executive readiness reporting and risk mitigation while maintaining launch timelines and budgets

- Translated enterprise strategy into scalable, repeatable processes that improved operational consistency across stores and district teams

Store Manager / Market Captain

Michaels | El Paso, TX | June 2015 - April 2023

- Achieved 96% employee engagement to rank in the top 1% company-wide while managing teams of up to 50 associates and providing professional development and performance management

- Captured 16% growth in 2020 and 3-6% year-over-year sales growth during tenure through an emphasis on operational excellence, customer experience focus, and execution consistency

- Joined forces with District and Regional leadership to launch initiatives, reinforce standards, and enable multi-unit performance improvement

- Maintained shrink below 1.3% for 5 consecutive years while improving controls, accountability, and team engagement

- Contributed to the elevation from mid-volume E to high-volume B tier store classification by launching key process improvements and talent development initiatives

- Selected as a Center of Excellence to onboard and train all new Store Managers and leaders on execution standards, operational compliance, and process adoption

- Delivered consultative selling and production training across 16 stores to optimize execution, productivity, and customer outcomes while serving as Market Framing Captain

Specialty Store Manager

The Home Depot | El Paso, TX | November 2012 - June 2015

- Served at the helm of 4 specialty departments generating over $70 million in annual sales in the highest-volume store in the Gulf Coast region while driving operational improvement initiatives

- Earned a Servant Leader of the Year award after ranking #1 in Total KPI Scorecard according to sales, operations, customer experience, and people metrics

- Raised performance outcomes and operational consistency at 18 locations by training district teams on consultative selling behaviors and execution strategies

- Partnered with COS teams to resolve complex customer and operational issues while protecting revenue and customer experience and supporting all installation services

Store Manager

Starbucks | El Paso, TX | February 2010 - November 2012

- Coached the 1st drive-thru operators in Asia in corporate history as the District Trainer and Program Lead for the Korea training initiative

- Honored with a Store Manager of the Year award for surpassing expectations in operational performance, people leadership, and overall results

- Led the region to rank #1 company-wide for labor efficiency while steering the regional rollout of the GLS labor system and completing required exception analysis and follow-up

- Emphasized operational consistency while mentoring staff members, optimizing schedules and standardizing procedures

- Demonstrated frontline leadership by managing operations, staffing, and performance execution

TECHNOLOGIES