 I began my American Achievement journey in 1997. (The year of the Balfour Merger) I was hired as a Production Supervisor in manufacturing for my first decade. I personally managed college group orders to ensure the rings met our high-quality standards while shipping on time. I was proudly recognized with the Shining Star Award of Excellence while in that position.  In 2007 I became the Lean Manufacturing Coordinator facilitating several Kaizen Events for 4 years. Those Kaizen Events helped several departments reorganize improved efficiencies while enhancing workflow and stablishing 5S improvements resulting in increased quality with a better lead time. In 2011 I began managing the Stone Department overseeing the purchasing & inventory of Stones, Gemstones and Diamonds. During those 12 years I had the opportunity to be more involved with Product Development as stone choices evolved. I became more involved with the West Point order taking process helping Cadets with their stone options while making the stone process fun more efficiently with manufacturing.  2019 Balfour ADDED the Art Department to my responsibilities. The artists had a reputation of creating fantastic art showcasing our products allowing for continued growth for Balfour. I worked with the sales team utilizing and navigating the programs which had been put in place to help streamline the art request process. I achieved my goal of improving the department’s efficiency and built a team which shares my passion & pride for our accomplishments.