Get to Know: Project Manager, Jacinda Bevilacqua

Jacinda Bevilacqua knows a little bit about everything.

CSS and MySQL, among other things, which she utilizes during her day-to-day as a Project Manager. Photography and Tae Kwon Do – two things she was heavily involved in while in high school and college.

But she also knows about things that are bit less tangible too.

Hard work, which she learned as a 10-year-old, helping her grandparents with their family business doing payroll and dispatching calls to employees out in the field.

The cost of commitment, which she learned while cutting weight to drop down a whole weight class when she participated in Tae Kwon Do at the Junior Olympics at 17.

Read more about Jacinda, a Visionary since 2006, who talks about her transition for a project lead to a project manager, her love for photography, and the impact Tae Kwon Do had on her life:

What’s your favorite thing about working at Visionary?

The atmosphere is nice as I like everyone in the office to talk to as well as the clients I communicate to daily. I enjoy the small company as I can go and talk to the owner about anything just as much as I talk to the peers around me.

A lot of the people in the office like to put on their headphone and listen to music while they’re working. What are some of the songs you listen to when you need to get ‘in the zone’ and hammer out a project?

Ha! Well I like certain types of music depending on how hard I need to concentrate. I listen to a variety of music. Casual music, I like Billy Joel, Bastille, Live and Muse, but my favorite band is Incubus as this is the first CD I got when I first started dating my husband, the first concert we went together to see, and it is easy to listen to during a normal day of work. If I am needing to concentrate or under pressure at work, I like to listen to some heavy music … Tool, Slipknot, In this Moment, Breaking Benjamin, and Killswitch Engage.

What have you learned while working at Visionary?

A lot! I started in 2006, and I did not know anything about web development. I went to school for Graphic Journalism, and they did not teach us anything about web development or design as I was strictly a print designer. So I took an HTML book and read it the first two weeks, and then I was on my way to designing and developing small web systems. I taught myself and had great developer friends along the way to help get me familiar with web development techniques. A little bit of everything, PHP, MySQL, Oracle, CSS and so much more … I have to understand how everything works from the ground up to make sure I can articulate to the client what is needed, and I like to help when needed for any part of the process.

Last year you were promoted from Project Lead to Project Manager. How big of a transition has it been, and what was it like to make the leap?

I have been working with the clients and team for many years, so it was not a surprise, but it was exciting to have a new role and challenge. I am still learning the ropes, but I think it is going well. It will be a year in May. I enjoy the change of knowing everything about the project and what is coming next from the client.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into this industry?

Try to learn all parts of the process, meaning how to create a project from start to finish. Accept change; there is always a change in technology, and change is hard for some. But I am excited to see what the next best thing is out there.

How did you meet your spouse?

I met my husband (Frank) while doing Tae Kwon Do in 2001. I was teaching classes as a black belt, and he would attend the classes to assist me.

What do you do for fun?

I like to paint, play games with my family, take photos and watch movies.

You have your own side business as a photographer, JB Photos Online, how long have you been doing that for, and why have you kept at it for so long while working a full-time job and raising a family?

I originally wanted to be a photojournalist. I have been taking photos for events or portraits since I was a sophomore in high school in 1998. I was the photographer for my high school and college newspapers. I then did freelance photography in college for Jolesch Photography. I would go to class all day and night and do photo events for my college weekly newspaper and then on the weekends work at high school dances and graduations. Then I graduated college and still wanted to keep up photography, so I kept it as a hobby. I do a lot of events for my daughter’s school, St. Anthony’s Catholic School, as well as my brother’s hockey team. Occasionally, I do a wedding or senior pictures, but I just do this for fun on the side.

What’s your favorite joke?

Q: What did the farmer say when he lost his tractor?
A: Where’s my tractor?
A kid told me this joke on Halloween, and I giggled about that for months. It is a terrible joke…

What is one thing that makes you really happy?

Well two things, my husband and my daughter. They are my highlight every day and night. We do a lot together as a family but I like to spend time with one or the other alone as well. They are both funny and cute to look at so that makes me smile every day.

What’s the best decision you’ve ever made in life?

There are a lot of things I am very grateful for in my life. I would say the best decision would be Tae Kwon Do as this has helped me a lot in my life. I am confident, respectful and I met my husband in my later years doing Tae Kwon Do.

Who do you look up to and why?

My mom and dad, as they both have great qualities that together makes them great people/role models. My mom and dad have always worked hard at work and at home to provide a wonderful life for my siblings and me. They devote so much time to whatever my siblings and I want to do in life, and my way to repay them is by trying to do as much wonderful things for my daughter as they did for me.

Other fun facts about Jacinda:

• Graduated high school at 17 and finished college in three years at 20 years old.
• Traveled all over the Midwest to participate in Tae Kwon Do tournaments winning more than 30 medals. Was also in the junior Olympics at 17.
• Married her husband, Frank, at 21 and bought the house they live in now in the same year.
• Will celebrate her 10-year wedding anniversary this year. Her and her husband are planning to go to Disney World with their daughter, MariaBella.
• Loves France. Visited in 2000. Wants to go back some day.
• Her great-grandmother is 92, making Jacinda one of five generations still alive in her family – all of whom are all really young.