Mrs. Laura Smith Email and Phone Number

I am an English major and will graduate in May of 2014 with a Bachelor Degree in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis. The Creative Writing program at Arizona State University is a competitive program, and I was selected on the basis of my portfolio submission. I am a Pre-Law student, and I intend to go on to law school to become a civil rights attorney. I plan on taking my LSAT tests in December of 2013. I enjoy legal research, writing, and poetry. I am involved in campus activities and volunteer in the community. I was the President of a student organization who was successful in raising over $4000.00 for a public service conference. I am enjoying my academic experience.

Duties include the planning, development, and implementation of the annual Prison Education Conference held on the ASU campus each spring. I am responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, and implementation of business development plans for the purpose of advancing the organization goals. Networking and outreach to various organizations for support and participation. Planning and development of cooperative projects designed to bring enlightened awareness to the issue of recidivism and positive solutions for change. I am responsible for leading other outstanding participants to achieve academic success while promoting community engagement to advance the organization's goal of education awareness, outreach, and development of prison education programs. Developing, implementing, and marketing innovative strategies to bring community members together to develop long range plans to implement education programs to incarcerated populations.I have learned how to be a successful leader. To be effective, I must offer my colleagues positive feedback on their work and their successful completion of assigned tasks. I must encourage, develop, and implement their ideas and their solutions in an effective and intelligent manner. I must not exert absolute control over everything because that may undermine my colleagues intrinsic ability to succeed. During times of failure, I must offer encouragement and hope. During times of success, I must praise and nurture the individual development of my team members. I should lead by example, and never expect more from my colleagues than I do of myself. And finally, I must be compassionate in my understanding of their right to assert their individuality.

As a manager of the women’s transition center, I was responsible for all aspects of the business of running an institutional setting for women who were dealing with the adverse effects of drug and alcohol additions. This responsibility was difficult, challenging, and fascinating. Lives are damaged, families are torn apart, and women get caught in a cycle of failure that makes success foreign and untenable. In my efforts to assist women with transitional living skills, community re-entry, and job search, I would make daily inquiries with job search programs, develop application lists for possible employment in the general area, develop relationships with various hiring managers, and assist with resume development and connections to community resources for developing interview skills. I was also responsible for the coordination of community service projects, including certification by the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department to certify the completion of Community Service Hours. I also was responsible for all accounts receivable, the coordination of charitable donations, and project management of projects to improve the property, including the installation of a new roof, 3 air conditioning units, 2 bathroom remodels, 4 bedroom remodels, and the planting of a meditation garden. In addition to the management duties, I provided client advocacy, with Probation, the courts, employers, and with family situations. Various agency relationships were developed with Parole, Probation, CPS, Terros and Tasc. I also developed and produced marketing materials to promote the facility in communities to provide alternative resources to incarceration and addiction. I also provided education mentoring, assisting clients with filling out FASFA forms, choosing general education classes, and career exploration. I planned, coordinated, and implemented self-esteem and communications workshops, acting as a leader facilitator.

Prior to his passing, My husband and I owned and operated Signature Leather and Upholstery. We did custom leather and vinyl upholstery, fabric burning, leather tooling and design, and custom leather and vinyl restoration projects on motorcycles, classic cars, boats, and helicopters. I performed all necessary business management, purchasing, accounting, marketing, collections, customer service, and taxation duties for city state and federal personal and business taxes. Annual net revenue approx $259,000.00.

Owner of a full service limo company including direct and sub contract hiring to perform industry related travel between destinations including airport arrivals and departures performing both full and curbside services, provided special 10 passenger services in a Lincoln stretch limo and sedan car service by Cadillac. Created speciality marketing campaigns for securing special occasion contracts such as proms, weddings, large commercial events such as concerts, Nascar events, bachelor and bachelorette parties. Excelled in designing custom season travel packages such as full catered Sedona/Slide rock picnic day trips, evening Christmas light your events, customized wedding proposal and honeymoon adventures. supervised up to 3 contract drivers and 3 commercial vehicles including all administrative, accounting, marketing, and customer service for the business.

Responsible for development, testing, and implementation of Microsoft Windows NT images for over 800 computers statewide. Responsible for investigation, resolution, and closing of help desk tickets elevated for advanced resolution. Worked in conjunction with other Network Administrators for resolution of email, network, connectivity, printing, imaging, software functionality, and other software - hardware issues. Responsible for running monthly reports as requested from databases using Crystal Reports for various Departments within the Agency. Responsible for the development, documentation, and implementation of Microsoft SMS technologies, to enhance and streamline delivery of application packages on the network, to facilitate and expedite the implementation of new technologies.

I was responsible for answering incoming calls to the help desk, opening tickets, resolving computer issues, assisting customers with technological issues, and other duties as assigned. Technology used was Microsoft Windows NT, Office 2000, and other Microsoft products. Attended training for Microsoft MOUS certification, including Word, Excel, Access, and Power Point. Also attended Microsoft SQL and Crystal Reports training. Responsible for keeping accurate records of help desk requests, resolutions, and customer responses. Responsible for workload advancement and ticket elevation for complex issues. I achieved superior quality reviews, and maintained the highest level of close rates on the help desk.

I was responsible for determining financial eligibility for elderly and disabled individuals applying for Long Term Care Services. I was responsible for maintaining up to 230 client case load, accurate and timely eligibility determinations, and for completing both office and home visits. I was required to maintain high levels of accuracy, data integrity, and quality. I was highly successful, and did not have any eligibility errors during my time as an E.I. II. I was also responsible for making complex quality evaluations, interpreting policy, and applying appropriate procedures according to both state and federal policy.