To ensure that critical projects are managed consistently and successfully from initiation to completion, Austin Community College District (ACC) established a new Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). The office supports districtwide and cross-departmental projects to reduce risks, increase value, and promote collaboration and effectiveness.

As part of the Chancellor’s office, EPMO will guide projects from two main sources: ACC’s Theory of Change priorities and Cabinet-directed initiatives. By strategically narrowing the project pipeline, EPMO aims to prevent initiative fatigue and ensure greater focus and clarity.

The College named Sarah Lisenbe as the inaugural EPMO Senior Director. Lisenbe, who has served ACC for eight years in roles across Finance, IT, and Student Affairs, brings a philosophy focused on sustainable success. 

“Innovation is great, but it’s only as good as you can sustain it,” says Lisenbe. “Our success in EPMO is the College’s success… Ultimately, if we’re not moving ACC toward its 2030 North Star goal, then we’re not successful.”

We asked Lisenbe some questions to learn more about her vision, the projects already underway, and how the EPMO will work with the entire College community.

Can you tell us about the genesis of EPMO?
EPMO was formed through a reorganization that consolidated two project teams from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. This consolidation was intended to improve alignment across project resources in service to the College’s mission. While these two teams worked together for over two years on critical projects such as our Student Information System (SIS) implementation, Free Tuition, and Bats to Cats, they were formally consolidated into EPMO in May 2025.

What projects is EPMO starting with?
This team was initially brought together by the SIS Modernization Project in 2023, and modernizing our SIS ecosystem remains one of our top priorities. Additionally, we are tackling Theory of Change (TOC) projects based on priority and dependencies. Some TOC projects that are actively underway are the Meet Basic Needs portfolio, Upward Evaluation System, Values-Based Behavior, and Leadership Development. Other projects we are managing or supporting include the ACC Website Redesign Initiative, the Student Affairs Realignment, and various process improvement projects. 

How will the EPMO balance the need for centralized guidance with the specialized expertise that already exists within our various departments and divisions?
While we strive for consistency, we also understand the need to tailor our approach to the work at hand and the stakeholders involved. We work closely with departmental project management resources and our stakeholders to build and execute projects collaboratively. 

How long have you been at ACC, and what other roles have you had? 
I have been at ACC for eight years and have had the privilege of working in multiple departments during my tenure. I began in Finance & Administration before moving to IT, where I was a Project Manager before creating the Technical Business Analysis and Product Ownership unit. Most recently, I worked in Student Affairs as their Senior Director of Strategic Projects & Operations, where I led half of the core SIS team.

What is your vision for the office five years down the line?
My vision is that we are an adaptable service to the College that enforces the tenets of radical simplicity and transparency. We are working to develop tools, templates, and trainings that can provide self-service support for any employee at the College who is tackling project work. We are building a central repository of project artifacts from past projects as well as for lessons learned that will be accessible to all ACC employees, and we are working with project management resources across the College to improve project coordination and effectiveness, and eventually launch a project governance body and community of practice. Ultimately, my vision is project management as a service at scale for the College. 

How can people stay updated on the status of the projects you are working on?
We are launching an ACC project hub soon, where ACC employees can see which projects are active under EPMO and submit their own projects for listing on the hub. This hub will eventually link to the other project management offices at the College, giving ACC employees a single, centralized hub for all large and cross-departmental projects. The official hub is expected to launch by the end of October.