About
Professional Biography
The epitome of what a Project Management Professional (PMP) should bring to the table. A must-have . . . to ensure positive outcomes. His talents (are the) best out there. Strategic vision and sense of humor are key ingredients for successful projects. Well connected, sees an opportunity, goes for the brass ring.*
The story of Taz Lake’s twelve-year career is shown through the words of many Information Technology professionals—peers, hiring managers, and his students at Georgia State University (GSU) and the Art Institute of Atlanta. He has built a reputation for a proclivity to think analytically, form a clear organizational picture, find and follow the “voice” of a project, examine detail, and effectively communicate what needs to happen at all levels.
Taz’s formidable recommendations are testimony to the contributions he has made in technology management as it relates to PM, knowledge management, information architecture, and interface design and integration. His portfolio of projects includes enterprise Web sites and intranets, search engines, document management systems, Web analytics modeling, information re-architecture and design, business process re-engineering, system integration, and custom tool development.
Today Taz Lake is Technical Business Analyst at McKesson Corporation. His professional repertoire derives from advanced education, consulting, university teaching, as well as numerous industry roles. These roles include Technical Project Management at Definition 6, and Managing Consultant at Neuthink, where he orchestrated operations to effect delivery of exceptional client and customer experiences. He led all intranet and maintenance activities over five years as Sr. Web Developer at ARRIS, and provided project leadership at Intellimedia Commerce as an Interface Developer, fulfilling the needs of new and established companies. Further, Taz was a lead interface developer at a division of MCI, held consulting posts with UPS and Vanstar, and served as adjunct professor at Georgia State University and in The Art Institute of Atlanta’s multi-media department.
He frequently advises on Internet-centric technologies and speaks at privately sponsored “lunch and learns.” The education of John Taz Lake, Jr., comprises the MBA, Computer Information Systems, J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University; MA, Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in communications and intercultural studies, Wheaton College Graduate School; and BA, Chemistry, Duke University, where he was also awarded an interdisciplinary Certificate in the Arts. A member of the Technology Association of Georgia, a certified PMP, CIW Professional, Master CIW Designer, and Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist, Taz is also a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Taz lives in the Atlanta area with his wife, Adeline, and daughter, Annika.
*Source: Paraphrases, Taz Lake, recommendations, LinkedIn.
You can also find me on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Did you Know?
- I went to high school in Hawaii.
- I played basketball (poorly) in high school.
- I was voted most creative in my high school class.
- I have sung in numerous choirs and one a cappella group.
- I have painted since I was 12, usually in watercolors, and have sold numerous paintings.
- My major in college was Chemistry, my “minor” was Art (Duke didn’t have minors, just certs)
- My name is actually a family name that started with my Great Grandfather, Taz Whitaker Lake.
- My Dad was in the U.S. Marines.
- I have flown military simulators for the F-18, P3, and CH-53.
- My wife is from Singapore.
- I used to sail in Hawaii.
- I’m a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do.
- I juggle.
