Kevin Gadzala, Mba Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

• Responsible for maintaining an overall management action plan for the curation of a constructive operational environment through positive community relationships with local government officials, business and other influential stakeholders, operating and documenting in Salesforce CRM• Working to ensure Nicor Gas’ brand awareness and community reputation throughout defined territory of approximately 220 incorporated municipalities in northern Illinois• Maintaining consistent communication with municipal constituents throughout defined territory to address escalated and potentially escalated complaints and concerns, renew expired and nearly-expired franchise agreements, and communicate municipal planning/growth objectives with Nicor Gas planning leadership to facilitate efficient coordination and mitigate potential conflicts• Providing regular in-person communication and visits with local government officials and other community stakeholders, including public works and fire service personnel• Engaging with local Councils of Governments (COGs)/Mayor’s and Manager’s Associations and chambers of commerce as well as regional MABAS and other Fire Chief’s Associations• Coordinating with fire service, police and public works personnel to support utility-related emergency responses and deliver fire safety presentations throughout defined territory• Preparing and executing presentations to community groups highlighting key Nicor Gas initiatives, pipeline projects and other activities• Supporting Nicor Gas community engagement efforts/reputation management initiatives• Supporting energy efficiency and energy assistance activities• Responsible for supporting Nicor Gas operations by effectively communicating planned and existing utility community infrastructure and other special projects throughout defined territory• Coordinating with media relations staff and engaging with local media, serving as company spokesperson when needed*Registered Illinois Lobbyist

Naperville, Il

• Leading the program facilitation and management for Nicor Gas Career Academy, the company's award-winning job readiness program developed in partnership with Quad County Urban League, NPL, INTREN, KS Energy Services and Pipe Strong, with the goal of developing a diverse pipeline of talented energy professionals and preparing them for entry level work in the utility industry• Supporting the execution of the Nicor Gas Community Affairs public presence/outreach efforts• Orchestrating the planning and execution of communications and community outreach initiatives supporting Nicor Gas’ natural gas infrastructure modernization program, Investing in Illinois, the company's Meter Modernization program and other gas construction projects and operational activities• Providing project and program management and execution in support of the Community Affairs team’s internal and external engagements to ultimately enhance the company’s brand reputation• Managing reports and tracking mechanisms to monitor and enhance Nicor Gas' community outreach initiatives• Managing the company's workforce development initiatives and external partner relationships, volunteer and outreach event staffing, branding logistics and metrics tracking• Analyzing workforce development, volunteer and outreach event related data, proposing strategies and process improvements• Seeking out internal- and external-facing opportunities to heighten awareness about Nicor Gas, the company’s community engagements, including workforce development and other corporate volunteer efforts as well as fire department open houses• Planning and executing programs and projects related to internal company engagements, including employee engagement programs and events, corporate and local philanthropy, employee volunteerism and workforce development

Naperville, Il

• Supporting the execution of the Nicor Gas Community Affairs public presence/outreach efforts• Orchestrating the planning and execution of communications and community outreach initiatives supporting Nicor Gas’ natural gas infrastructure modernization program, Investing in Illinois, the company's Meter Modernization program and other gas construction projects and operational activities• Providing project and program management and execution in support of the Community Affairs team’s internal and external engagements to ultimately enhance the company’s brand reputation• Managing reports and tracking mechanisms to monitor and enhance Nicor Gas' community outreach initiatives• Managing workforce development, volunteer and outreach event staffing, branding logistics and metrics tracking• Analyzing workforce development, volunteer and outreach event related data, proposing strategies and process improvements• Seeking out internal- and external-facing opportunities to heighten awareness about Nicor Gas, the company’s community engagements, including workforce development and other corporate volunteer efforts as well as fire department open houses• Planning and executing programs and projects related to internal company engagements, including employee engagement programs and events, corporate and local philanthropy, employee volunteerism and workforce development• Collaborating with Corporate Communications, Employee Engagement committee, Connect leadership and representatives, other business unit leadership and special project teams as well as a variety of external stakeholders• Leading the program facilitation and management for Nicor Gas Career Academy, a free, six-week job readiness program developed in partnership with Quad County Urban League, NPL, INTREN, KS Energy Services and Pipe Strong, with the goal of developing a diverse pipeline of talented energy professionals and prepare them for entry level work in the utility industry

Naperville, Illinois

• Orchestrating the planning and execution of communications and community outreach initiatives supporting Nicor Gas’ natural gas infrastructure modernization program, Investing in Illinois, the company's Meter Modernization program and other gas construction projects and operational activities• Developing and executing project-specific communication plans for natural gas distribution and transmission line construction projects to keep impacted community members and elected officials properly informed of work• Leveraging strong customer service and conflict resolution skills as a point of contact for escalated customer inquiries regarding Meter Modernization and Investing in Illinois programs• Building and maintaining strong relationships with nonprofit and partner organizations to advance corporate volunteerism and philanthropy initiatives• Driving marketing communication and event planning support for regional Community Affairs managers in the field• Providing communication and customer service support to PMO, Construction Operations and other stakeholders to help clear the way for safe and efficient natural gas infrastructure modernization work• Coordinating, recruiting for and successfully executing 70-80 workforce development outreach events annually to educate students about careers with Nicor Gas and in the energy industry to promote a strong future energy workforce• Managing Connect employee engagement program facilitation and communications in cooperation with Nicor Gas' employee engagement committee to cultivate an engaged and connected workforce, serving as one of two chairs for the Connect leadership committee• Administrative project manager and communications specialist for the Illinois Energy Workforce Consortium, the Illinois chapter of the Center for Energy Workforce Development

Naperville, Il

• Supported the planning and execution of communications and community outreach around Nicor Gas’ natural gas infrastructure modernization program, Investing in Illinois, and the company's Meter Modernization program• Planned, wrote and edited copy for program communications directed at all internal and external stakeholder groups including customers, municipalities, elected officials, community groups, employees and contractors• Tracked impacted customer inquiries to ensure resolution by routing inquiries to the correct departments and reached out directly to address escalated customer concerns• Coordinated and recruited volunteers for approximately 70-80 workforce development outreach events annually to educate students about careers with Nicor Gas and in the energy industrySpecial Projects:Connect• Managed Connect calendar and scheduled meetings, rooms and prepared related communications to representatives and supervisors for approximately 70 meetings to date• Developed and maintained the Smartsheet database and metrics dashboard which measures the effectiveness of employee engagement• Provided ongoing coordination with Corporate Communications to communicate ongoing resolved topics in meeting summary notes for distribution• Wrote Connect articles for Connections magazineNicor Gas Mentorship Program• Issued individualized pairing emails to over 150 employee participants• Assisted with creating Mentoring Circles; sent appointments to participants with options to attend on varying days

Crestwood, Il

• Implemented direct marketing initiatives to promote energySMART brand and offerings• Attended energy fairs, home and business expos and community events to promote Nicor Gas energy efficiency rebate programs for commercial, industrial and residential customers• Gave internal presentations to Nicor Gas employees about program offerings using PowerPoint• Fielded inbound customer and contractor calls in a queue regarding rebate requirements and statuses, program offerings and potential project opportunities• Leveraged strong conflict resolution and customer service skills to deescalate upset customer interactions when necessary• Maintained positive business relationships with participating HVAC companies• Exceeded monthly quantitative upselling goals and tracked them using Salesforce CRM tool• Completed additional data gathering and analysis projects for trade ally data and paid incentives• Performed quality control and quality assurance for thousands of residential and commercial incentive data records energySMART, a Nicor Gas program.

Chicago, Illinois

Responsibilities included sourcing, screening, and hiring highly qualified candidates for clients in the Chicagoland area.As a Recruiter in our Professional Services Division, my Specialties included: • Inside Sales• Administrative Healthcare• Medical Billing & Coding• Contact Center / Customer Service• Collections• Administrative• Purchasing• Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable• Claims Processing• Mortgage• Data/Order Entry• Human Resources / Recruiting / Payroll / Benefits• Office Support

Chicago, Illinois

• Built and continuously grew a corporate book of business through cold-call sales process using Salesforce CRM, Google Maps, Hoovers, and other resources while exceeding daily call metrics (minimum of 60 outbound calls per day)• Prospected, called and closed new business accounts while managing others that were inherited from past employees• Shipped a diverse mix of products including designer shoes and apparel, raw materials, chemicals, musical instruments, snacks and foods, automotive parts, electronics, construction equipment, and hazardous materials• Improved client logistics and shipping processes through industry consultation• Completed customer invoicing and accounting process for each load booked• Communicated with carrier dispatch and customer service to receive and provide accurate load information• Analyzed data and volatile truckload market information in order to competitively price shipments while also gaining profit

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Business Administration And Management, 4.0 Gpa

Dunham School of Business and Public Policy Elective coursework in project and communication management, persuasive writing, team.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Business, Integrated Marketing Communications

Activities and Societies: Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Emergency Services Club, American Marketing Association, Intramural Flag Football.

High School

Activities and Societies: Varsity Football, Junior Varsity Wrestling, Club Rugby, Wall Street Society