In this episode of The AV/IT Amplifier Podcast, Ryan Gray sits down with Zach Moss, Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai College, during a live recording at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in Tucson, Arizona. Zach talks about what project management actually means inside higher education IT, where the work can stretch from campus remodel conversations to ERP replacement, portal launches, vendor coordination, and the daily challenge of keeping complex work moving across teams. The conversation quickly moves beyond timelines and task lists into the reality of leading projects when the technical answers live with subject matter experts, the stakeholders all have different needs, and the role often becomes less about having every answer and more about knowing how to remove the next barrier.
Ryan and Zach also dig into transparency, ambiguity, risk tolerance, and the emotional intelligence required to manage technology projects without turning every issue into a crisis. Zach explains how taking good notes, focusing on the problem directly in front of him, building enough runway for timelines to shift, and meeting people where they are helps him keep work moving even when plans change. The episode closes with a wider conversation about accountability, trust, celebrating wins, choosing the right people for the work, and why successful project management in higher education often comes down to taking something that does not exist yet and bringing it together for students, faculty, and staff.
Topics Discussed
Recording live at the Arizona Community College Technical Conference in Tucson
Zach Moss’s role as Project Manager in the IT department at Yavapai College
Why project management looks different depending on the project
Building a project management role when the position is new to the department
Coordinating work across ERP, portal, campus, and IT projects
Leading projects when the subject matter experts know the technical details
Removing blockers without personally knowing every system or acronym
Living in a constant state of emergency without treating every problem as a crisis
Taking good notes and focusing on the problem directly in front of you
Knowing when something is a Thursday problem instead of a Tuesday problem
Creating enough runway so timelines can shift without panic
The difference between real imperatives and invented urgency
Recalibrating expectations when plans, features, or deadlines change
Using transparency to build trust with teams and executive stakeholders
The “you know everything I know” approach to project communication
Working through forever projects and vendor implementation challenges
Whitewater rapids as a metaphor for constant technology change
Building the right project team with the right ownership
Meeting people where they are in communication and work style
Defining project management as taking a scope or goal and bringing it together
Connect with Zach
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-moss-mba-pmp-4732b1290
https://www.yc.edu
Connect with Ryan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanagray/
ryan@higheredav.com
Voiceover by Chris Dechter
Have feedback or guest ideas? Let us know!
This show is a production of Higher Ed AV Media. Visit www.HigherEdAV.com for fresh content every day!
