Our Insights

Sabra Gardener provides PMO leadership/management for Maximus IRS customers and Proposal Operations/Capture support. She previously served Maximus as Vice President for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Programs, Vice President for the Capture Program, Director for the Social Security Administration (SSA) 's Ticket to Work Program, and Deputy Project Director for the San Diego County CalWORKs Program (US Human Services).

Prior to joining Maximus, Sabra served as the Associate Executive Director for the YMCA of San Diego County. Her prior YMCA roles include Department Head, Operations Director, and Group Fitness Director.

Sabra has earned PMP, ITIL, and SAFe certifications. She holds a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from San Diego State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of California, San Diego.

What do you love most about your work?

I love helping people by providing support to government agencies through interesting, fast-paced work with truly amazing colleagues.

What inspired you to dedicate your life to improving public services?

In my first year working at the YMCA, I had the opportunity to be a camp counselor to 11-year-old girls for a week of sleep-away summer camp, where our fundraising provided scholarships to at-risk youth so they could experience a week side-by-side with full-pay participants. Seeing the impact this experience had on those girls changed my life forever. It became clear that I had to do something that impacted people's lives for the better, and that's what I am lucky enough to do at Maximus.

What is your approach to leadership and mentoring?

Be transparent and overly communicative to engage your team, making sure they understand their role and how important they are to reaching team objectives and goals. Provide tons of positive feedback (public and private), give constructive criticism in private, and never assume a limit to what people are capable of doing with the right guidance and support.