Michele Blackwell

Highly accomplished Business Analyst, Quality Assurance Analyst, and Administrative Assistant with over 15 years of success implementing and maintaining Integrated Eligibility Systems (IES) for the Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) enrollment and eligibility systems. Proven history implementing Agile/Scrum and SAFe methodologies, managing end-to-end SDLC, and ensuring strict CMS, HIPAA, ACA, and Section 508 compliance. Expertise includes developing QA strategies, establishing executive dashboards, performing complex root cause analysis, and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams.

Exceptional communicator experienced in presenting to leadership, federal stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to deliver compliant, reliable applications on tight timelines.

Administrative Assistant (Part-time) at FlightFab Inc. (2026-03 – Present)

• Execute end-to-end fulfillment logistics, material distribution, and order verification; pull job pick lists with high accuracy and pack merchandise securely to eliminate transit damage.
• Administer timecard compliance and labor tracking via Industrial Manufacturing ERP, ensuring seamless integration with payroll and project timelines.
• Orchestrate end-to-end inventory lifecycles within an ERP environment to maintain 100% accuracy, prevent stockouts, and streamline day-to-day site operations.
• Lead comprehensive documentation management initiatives, successfully transitioning legacy physical records into organized, searchable digital assets to improve team accessibility.
• Audit and maintain site-wide medical and emergency equipment to ensure 100% compliance with strict safety standards and immediate availability.

Lead Business Analyst / Quality Assurance Analyst at Sparksoft Corporation (2021-03 – 2024-08)

• Tested the mission-critical CMS Enterprise Portal System (EPS) consisting of fifty applications supporting over 70,000 active users.
• Implemented automated regression testing frameworks that drove a 30% reduction in manual testing time while maintaining strict compliance with CMMI Levels 3 & 5 standards.
• Designed and executed comprehensive test plans ensuring strict adherence to Section 508, HIPAA, and federal CMS compliance guidelines.
• Led root cause analysis and corrective action workflows, successfully reducing recurring system defects by 25% across primary applications.
• Established and monitored QA metrics and executive dashboards to provide leadership with real-time visibility into software quality, team velocity, and regulatory adherence.
• Coordinated large-scale, multi-team User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sessions for major CMS portal upgrades, directly impacting 70,000+ users with zero system downtime.
• Improved overall EPS usability by 20% through targeted process optimization and seamless integration of stakeholder feedback loops.
• Created standardized QA documentation, process flows, and testing standards that reduced team onboarding time by 20% and ensured audit readiness.
• Maintained an active, federally cleared Public Trust position.

Senior Functional Analyst / Lead Business Analyst / Testing Team Lead at General Dynamics IT (GDIT) (2009-05 – 2021-03)

• Delivered end-to-end testing and requirements management for the CMS Medicare Advantage Prescription (MARx) system for Medicare Part D, supporting over fifty million beneficiaries' enrollments, payments, and premiums data.
• Ensured absolute data accuracy for federal healthcare programs by performing critical data validation across complex upstream and downstream integrated eligibility systems (HPMS, EDB, MBD, SSA).
• Developed and maintained comprehensive test cases, regression plans, and Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTM) utilizing HP ALM/Quality Center and TestRail.
• Conducted exhaustive manual testing including system, integration, UAT, stress, and performance testing across cross-platform mainframe databases (DB2) and user interfaces.
• Contributed directly to critical end-of-year testing cycles affecting 50M+ users, resulting in zero critical post-release defects.
• Managed, mentored, and coached cross-functional teams of 7 to 10 Business Analysts, promoting consistent QA standards, clear requirements mapping, and professional development.
• Maintained a federally cleared Public Trust position.

Healthcare Studies Portfolio – Essex Community College (1990 – 1991)

High School Diploma – Chesapeake High School, Baltimore County, MD