An Interview with Malvis Tarney

Malvis Tarney is a United States Army veteran, where she served in the Medical Service Corps. After leaving the armed forces, Malvis took the work ethics she adopted in the army and positioned them toward her career in tech, working at SolutionsATI.

Julia Miglets (JM): I understand that you are a United States Army veteran. Tell me about that part of your life.

Malvis Tarney (MT): I started West Point in 2004. After graduating, I became an army officer in the Medical Service Corps doing medical administration, operations, and logistics. I enjoyed my time in the military, and I had a lot of leadership and management experience.

I was lucky that I had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of people given my roles and had the chance to deploy and serve overseas. The only negatives were the long hours, and of course, time away from my family, which is difficult for all service members.

However, I was able to work in different roles and learn from some of the best military leaders and enlisted personnel. My experiences in the military shaped me into the person I am today and taught me skills such as problem-solving, attention to detail, working under pressure, and collaborating across groups.

JM: What brought you from the military into tech? How did you get your foot in the door?

MT: After my girls were born, I decided it was time to leave the military since I did not want to be away from them for long periods of time. At first, I taught high school science and enjoyed the experience and lessons I learned from teaching. However, I missed being in leadership roles and working on projects. I came across the opportunity with SolutionsATI through a military recruiting firm. I started as a senior consultant and moved up from there using the same skills that made me a successful military officer.

JM: What kind of work have you done in tech so far?

MT: All of my work has been in IT consulting. I started as an analyst on our change management team, which is a team that prepares individuals and teams working for the company for changes our organization undergoes.

I also wrote and published internal and external communications for our main client. After taking a lead PM role within the change management team, I focused on strategy, leadership, and recruitment for the team and SolutionsATI.

I'm working on a B2B program helping to transition employees over to new protocol that we implement. I love that I'm always learning something new and I can contribute to our client's success.

JM: How would you pitch a career in tech to a woman who is unsure?

MT: I am fortunate. I work with an amazing group of people that have been dedicated to my success from the beginning. If someone is on the fence, I would tell them to find a job they love and a company that is dedicated to their success. It took me a while to find SolutionsATI, but I'm grateful I waited and did not accept the first opportunity that came my way. Careers in tech are rewarding, and the opportunities are there. You have to find what works for you.

Malvis has over 10 years of experience managing complex projects for high-tech clients and United States Federal agencies. She has extensive experience in leading teams in fast-paced environments and managing competing needs to successfully deliver quality project management support. For SolutionsATI clients, Malvis has provided both change management planning and support, ensuring business readiness after quarterly and continuous IT releases.

Julia Miglets is a graduate of Youngstown State University. She studied Professional and Technical Writing and wishes to pursue a career in editing.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.