The HR Policy Association is the lead public policy organization of chief human resource officers from large employers. The Association brings together HR professionals at the highest level of corporations not simply to discuss changes in public policy, but to lay out a vision and advocate for competitive workplace initiatives that promote job growth and employment security. I am responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the organization.

I am responsible for ACCCE’s business operations including human resources, Board meeting planning and preparation, information technology and systems, and facilities management. My strengths include: 1) aligning Operations to organization business plans; 2) managing complex organizational projects; 3) identifying skills in others and building on those skills; 4) improving organizational efficiencies; and 5) achieving results. I am committed to delivering quality service and support throughout ACCCE.

Deputy Executive Director & COO of international society for optics and photonics professionals, providing members and scientific community with educational resources.I led all aspects of daily operations as COO, from finance, legal, IT, and HR, to building services, customer service, conventions, and meetings. My work required excellent communication skills and disciplined attention to details as I reported to the Chief Executive Officer while managing four departments, four department heads, and a 70-member staff. The society grew and met its strategic objectives as I led internal restructuring, established best practices for each unit, and improved operational functions. Communications among departments also improved under my leadership as I instituted cross-organizational initiatives and led weekly senior management team meetings to break down organizational silos.In the first six months, I guided the organization to improve work quality, productivity, and departmental/organizational bench strength, in addition to hiring a new CFO, CIO, and senior director of meetings and conventions. Implementing new selection processes allowed us to attract and retain a strong staff and reduce turnover by 8% within 12 months. In addition, I decreased the cost of benefits programs by negotiating competitive pricing and cutting organizational expenses by $40,000 while maintaining level and quality of employee benefits. Operations became more efficient once we better aligned our talent with organizational objectives and created more efficient processes throughout the organization.Following my strategic vision, the Board also unanimously approved a $2.4 million strategic investment plan for technology infrastructure and software systems; it was the first board-approved draw from reserve funds in the organization’s history. Financial processing improved as well after I created new financial practices that supported board reporting deadlines and other efficiencies.

Senior VP of Operations at a national trade association for the real estate finance industry; 200 employees and 3,000+ member companiesI was recruited by the new President to take the lead on an organizational restructuring effort and deal with a $12.5 million budget deficit. During my tenure, I consistently delivered balanced budgets ahead of schedule and the Association experienced a $15 million positive swing. Among other successes I delivered an 18-month restructuring initiative to reduce costs by eliminating 35 positions and a data integrity initiative that eliminated 26,000 duplicate records in our database system. Under my leadership, the efficiency of Operations improved by 10% as we updated technology and training in addition to shifting operational priorities. Empowering leadership and a fresh approach to HR helped me increase our talent retention rates and staff satisfaction. We developed employer-of-choice initiatives and career path guidance as well as launching new compensation structures that included classification, salary bands, and guidelines for management. Our employee development and succession-planning program also became a great success.The Association entrusted me with coordinating the overall strategic planning efforts for all departments, ensuring that all stakeholders were engaged including the implementation of new data mining technology to determine demand, identify needs, and allocate resources for current programs and services and address long-term projections. When it was time to establish a new headquarters, I set up procurement functions and directed all aspects of establishing our new 170,000 square foot home. My daily work also included managing a 40-member operations staff, a $50 million organizational budget, and all operations vital to the Association. I was also identified by the Board to serve as interim CEO if the CEO was unable to perform for any reason.

VP of Operations for a national trade association representing the interests of large, prominent apartment firms.I was recruited to create an infrastructure that could support the Association's rapid growth, address membership demands, and both expand and diversify our Board of Directors by restructuring governance bylaws. I reported directly to the CEO and was accountable for HR, finance, technology, meetings, and production. Under my leadership, the association:• Expanded our services• Doubled the staff• Doubled the annual budget• Increased our reserve fund from $2.5 million to $5 million • Increased our membership more than 50% within five years • Transitioned from manual to automated systems, increasing efficiency and accuracyGrowing quickly necessitated many adjustments and allowed me to develop my strategic vision as well as my commitment to transparent leadership. For example, I partnered with legal counsel to develop and execute a key business unit’s terms for separation, resulting in a smooth transition and positive working relationships among the major stakeholders. I also established cost-effective operating procedures and policies to support print production, human resources, IT, finance, and special events.Under my leadership, annual revenue increased from $4 million to $8 million and the association grew from 650 to 1,000+ members.

At time of employment, I worked for the Electronic Industries Association. The Consumer Electronics Association was a subsidiary of EIA.Senior Director of Operations for a national trade organization representing global manufacturers of electronic components, systems, and equipment.After serving as Director of Operations and Quality Improvement at the Association from 1988-1990, I was promoted to Senior Director of Operations. Transparency, the ability to envision process improvement, empowered leadership, and an ability to call out the best in people were all essential qualities that I consciously developed to support my success as I changed roles within the Association.I also led a cutting-edge overhaul of Human Resources by establishing a multidimensional department to handle a wide range of personnel policies, programs, and systems including performance appraisal, training and professional development, as well as a comprehensive compensation and benefits program.

Executive Assistant to the President at a national trade organization representing global manufacturers of electronic components, systems, and equipment.My management style and leadership earned me the trust and respect of the executive management team early on and I was invited to participate in weekly senior team meetings. I was promoted to Manager of Employment programs and assumed employment program initiatives.During my tenure, I quickly stabilized operational functions by implementing total quality management practices and keeping operations efficient. My Operations responsibilities included managing a $4.8 million budget and both developing and implementing efficiency improvements in general office administration as well as managing information systems, building facilities, and production services. Thanks to superior attention to detail and a keen ability to cut through the clutter of day-to-day operations, my work was rewarded with an internal promotion to Senior Director of Operations 1990.