Stefani Gaede

About

With a robust educational background in Public Management and Health Services Administration from Upper Iowa University, I have cultivated a career focused on optimizing public sector operations. Currently serving as a Management & Program Analyst at the Federal Railroad Administration, I lead initiatives to enhance rail policy and project efficiency. Previously, as a Transportation Industry Analyst, I transformed the FRA's Policy & Performance Division, streamlining processes and implementing advanced analytics to optimize $1.14 billion in rail investments. My tenure as Executive Director at the Iowa Department of Public Safety was marked by strategic leadership over a $17 million transportation portfolio, securing significant federal grants, and pioneering automation to enhance operational efficiency. My efforts in reducing grant cycle times and improving inspection performance underscore my commitment to impactful public service.

Experience

• Management & Program Analyst · Federal Railroad Administration12-01-2023

  Serve as the advisory team to RRD Senior Leadership on business process improvements, optimizing rail policy, projects, and programs. Lead high-impact, enterprise-wide change management, establishing cross-functional working group teams to drive efficiency and maximize rail investments.

• Transportation Industry Analyst · Federal Railroad Administration12-01-2023 – 12-01-2024

  Transformed FRA’s Policy & Performance Division through standardizing processes, policy refinements, and advanced analytics. Engineered performance tracking and program evaluation tools that optimized $1.14B in rail program investments and cut internal evaluation review time from four months to five weeks. Pioneered full cycle procedural frameworks and process automation, reducing team coordination efforts by 50%. Automated data visualization using PowerBI, Tableau, or Excel dashboards delivering real-time organizational insights on project delivery, resource management, and staff capacity.

• Executive Director · Iowa Department of Public Safety04-01-2021 – 01-01-2024

  Directed Iowa’s $17M transportation portfolio, led 125 certified law enforcement staff, secured $10M in federal grants annually, and boosted overall inspection performance by 20%. Reduced the post-award grant cycle from 24 months to 9 months, accelerating fund utilization and avoiding reversions. Strategically deployed the Multi-Agency Strikeforce Operation to tackle high-crash corridors reducing crashes by 3% and 4% in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Led agency-wide automation increasing efficiency by 75%, reducing errors by 85%, and making real-time data the new normal. Launched the first-ever knowledge series targeting enhancing staff proficiency in grant activities, increasing reported grant activities from 34% to 72% within 24 months. Re-created agency documents, branding, and SOPs following a merger in June 2023.

Education

• Upper Iowa UniversityMaster of Public Administration - MPA, Public Management
• Upper Iowa UniversityBachelor of Science - BS, Health Services Administration

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