Benjamin Kruse Email & Phone Number

Jacksonville, Fl, Us

• Preform daily stand-ups/scrums and participate in weekly retrospectives• Monitor declining budgets and burn-down charts• Develop a detailed weekly profit and loss statement, providing critical data used to benchmark sales and constrain controllable costs at unit generating more than $5 million in gross annual sales• Administer biweekly payroll and other human resource obligations, including the accurate and real time maintenance of all employee records, for staff of approximately 50 people• Utilize customer collaboration to create a tight feedback loop, perfecting products and processes• Oversee all invoicing and accounts payable, ensuring strong long-term relationships with all vendors• Accountable for the construction and upload of Daily Sales Reports to corporate senior management using a combination of the Aloha and Coconut Code data management systems• Perform daily labor analysis and make appropriate staffing level adjustments• Drive sales increases through strategic planning and consistent exceeding of consumer expectations, never missing an opportunity to solidify positive user experience and future patronage• Served as training coordinator, running classroom style training sessions determined to equip all staff with the tools needed to successfully generate sales and prosper personally

Minnesota

• Help lead an alliance of educators, parents, and community members promoting student success, fiscal responsibility, practical policies, and local control.• Assist MEA President in the development of the organizations legislative agenda as well as selection of endorsed candidates• Lobby in St. Paul on behalf of or against MEA’s targeted legislation• Played critical role in the creation of founding documents as one of the organization’s original officersPrinciples:Student success – what does the policy/funding do to improve a student’s success? Will it close the achievement gap? Will it increase the graduation rate? Will it increase test scores? Will it better prepare students for college or career?Fiscal responsibility – how does the policy/funding use tax dollars? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Are we getting the best “bang for the buck”? Does the funding of one program harm another program?Practical policies – is the policy beneficial to students? Is it necessary? Can the policy be implemented in real classrooms with real students?Local control – “local” refers to family, school, district/community. The “local” knows best what the needs of students are. Statewide policies and mandates should be limited.

St. Paul, Mn

• Chief authored and passed 9 significant pieces of legislation as a freshman Senator, with an opposition Governor, during multiple contentious and partisan sessions• Selected as the Minnesota School Board Association’s “2012 Legislator of The Year”• Awarded the 2012 National Federation of Independent Business “Defender of Small Business”• Awarded “Certificate of Appreciation for Legislation Passed” from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Minnesota• Served on Senate Education, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Transportation, and Local Government and Elections Committees• Appointed by the President of the Senate to serve on “Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board”• Selected by Senate Majority Leader to serve as member of “Legislative Commission on Metropolitan Government”• Aided “Students Supporting Israel” at the University of Minnesota.• Legislation successfully passed has covered a wide range of topics; commerce, education finance, education policy, real estate law, medical device law, and judiciary policy benefiting nonprofits. For a comprehensive list of legislation passed in 2012 with detailed explanations, please see attached file.

Osseo, Mn

• Founding member of the North Hennepin Area Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Committee• Facilitated increased interaction between members and their elected officials• Utilized community collaboration to shape an aggressive and broadly successful government advocacy agenda• Recruited and scheduled subject matter experts to educate the chamber’s decision makers• Leveraged business to business contacts as well as extensive regional relationships to build sales• Member relations and retention

Plymouth, Mn

• Obtained both GRI and FSR designations• Member of the Minnesota Association of Realtors Government Affairs Committee• Member of the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors Public Affairs Task Force and Government Affairs Committee• Member of Coldwell Banker Burnet President’s Advisory Council• Member of the National Association of Realtors, Minnesota Association of Realtors, and Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors• Awarded “Top Sales Agent” honors

Bloomington, Mn

• Accountable for day to day operations of largest and most profitable unit in region• Handled all “front of house” staffing and scheduling• Responsible for the creation of budget and sales goals• Oversaw the inventory and ordering of all product• Simultaneously managed restaurant and catering facility

St. Paul, Mn

Legislative Assistant to State Representative Bob Gunther. Responsible for constituent relations, press inquiries, bill tracking, and scheduling.