I am responsible for Talent & Workforce Development at MGM, where I develop and create sustainable pathways for sourcing highly qualified candidates for MGM properties in regional and Las Vegas locations. My work supports business strategy by identifying key gaps in the current workforce and creating innovative reskilling strategies.I build and implement creative programs, events, and campaigns that generate awareness, build candidate pipelines, and drive recruiting efforts leading to candidate conversions. I foster collaborative relationships with workforce and education institution partners, staffing agencies, industry groups, economic development agencies, government agencies, and community-based nonprofits that lead to employment-driven solutions for unemployed or underemployed workers.As part of my role, I also consult and partner with academic institutions to identify and implement opportunities for enhanced collaboration. My focus is on building robust internship and experiential learning opportunities for college students and recent graduates interested in working within the many departments at MGM Resorts International.

Throughout my tenure with The Art Institutes, I have demonstrated positive business and student impact, advancing through several roles of increasing scope, accountability, and influence.---------------------------------------------------I was promoted into executive leadership amid the transition from a for-profit to nonprofit higher education institution to lead and execute career services strategies for a condensed, more focused academic footprint.As the VP of Student Mentorship & Career Readiness, I lead 17 career services and academic advising staff across 8 campuses while collaborating with campus presidents and leaders to propel strategic initiatives, community partnerships, and employee development opportunities. ❖ Reinvigorated the student success department, individually providing and maintaining student-facing services while rebuilding advisor staff, community partnerships, and defining the strategic foundation for career services.❖ Spearheaded the successful pivot from traditional in-person learning to leveraging and streamlining staffing to bolster virtual student engagement while maintaining student satisfaction.❖ Conceptualized and implemented workforce development programs comprising bootcamps and short training courses to match businesses and community organizations with unemployed / underemployed individuals for employment and job training.❖ Identify funding sources through grants and local workforce development and subsequently collaborate with AI faculty to develop workforce program to propel on-the-job training and upskilling of employees with local employer partners.❖ Guided students from orientation to transitioning to their career, overseeing registration of new and returning students, and ensuring completion of class schedule requirements and satisfaction of financial aid requirements.

In 2013, I was promoted to oversee, train, and manage a team of 70+ who directly supported career services and the professional advancement of ~40K students at 31 locations across the US and online. ❖ Cultivated a vast network and recruited community partners and employers for on-campus interviews, workshops, internships, and employment opportunities while also building strong talent pipelines well-suited to these opportunities.❖ Launched 2-level leadership training program to support employee growth and movement into desired career tracks; collaborated with HR to create talent maps for high-performance leaders and prioritize their internal promotion for open leadership positions.❖ Spearheaded compliance efforts by training more than 300 staff on how to accurately track, monitor, and report employment data.

As the Director of Career Services for the Las Vegas, NV and Austin, TX campuses, I collaborated with fellow members of the Executive Committee to develop and manage campus-level strategic initiatives and local partnerships that created entry-level employment opportunities for students.❖ Developed and facilitated career-readiness workshops for students, graduates, and alumni to support the transition from student-to-professionals through job search, interview, networking, and resume coaching.❖ Led a ~10-person team comprising student advisors and student staff while driving marketing and value proposition by building local components into the curriculum that further appealed to prospective students.❖ Directed event planning for large-scale events, including commencement ceremonies, internship and job fairs, industry portfolio reviews, alumni mixers, gallery shows, and guest speakers, among others.

Joining The Art Institutes in 2002 as a Career Advisor & Job Development Coordinator, I supported graduating students’ job-placement efforts through individual and group coaching, job search assistance, interview prep, and resume-writing guidance.❖ Leveraged a strong network of professional creative and design industry partners to develop opportunities for graduate, coordinate interviews, and assist in the negotiation of employment offers.

❖ Sourced, recruited, and onboarded art directors, graphic designers, web designers, and other corporate creative talent for large clients, including Turner Broadcasting, Cartoon Network, Coca Cola, Vanity Fair, Arby’s, and more.