True North is an education management consulting firm working with colleges and universities to grow enrollment, retain students, and improve processes supporting the student experience. We specialize in military and veteran education strategy and programs; military and veteran education compliance; military education partnerships and brand awareness; enrollment management and student retention; process improvement and performance management; customer experience and quality control; and contact center technology and processes to support and optimize student enrollment and retention.

Assigned to the Higher Education Division (formerly HigherEducation.com). Responsible for the leadership, operational execution, and day to day management of a 50-person start-up contact center conducting a wide range of Online Program Management (OPM) services for higher education University partners. OPM services include lead to start enrollment management (B2C education sales), registration and retention support, and back office processes to include transcript order and fulfillment, document management, and SIS/CRM entry. Works directly with University partners to collaborate on initiatives to improve enrollment growth and student retention rates, increase student support and satisfaction, plan and launch new academic programs, and implement systems to ensure compliance to University admission and academic standards. Collaborates with key organization constituents to develop and prioritize strategic initiatives, establish key metric and financial goals, allocate and align resources, and implement new systems and technology. Accountable for employee management (hiring, training, performance management, and employee relations), facility management, tech vendor relations, and regulatory compliance of TCPA and Department of Education policies. Established and managed KPI’s (sales conversion rates, call handling, call quality), lead and call routing processes, partner system integrations, and contact center systems to include SalesForce CRM and the Five9 Contact Center System.

Responsible for business development strategies, relationship management, and day-to-day operations for a 16-person military outreach and field support team conducting B2B and B2C education sales and business development with military and veteran friendly organizations and corporations. Provided direction and support to marketing initiatives and public relations events creating brand awareness for Kaplan University and VSO partners. Served as subject matter expert on military and veteran education programs and initiatives, providing operational guidance and support for multiple departments and campuses. Managed three corporate education alliances, four veteran service organization (VSO) relationships, and nine military scholarship programs. Provided support to marketing initiatives and public relations events creating brand awareness for Kaplan University and VSO partners. Served as subject matter expert on military and veteran education programs and initiatives, providing operational guidance and support for multiple departments and campuses.

Responsible for planning and implementation of military student strategic initiatives, management of the military education compliance program, and execution of all military student scholarship programs for Kaplan University. Directly managed university relationships with Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Administration (VA); coordinated and launched best practices for military student customer service and support; and led a 6-person Military Ombudsman Group providing customer service and problem resolution to military students around the globe.

Responsible for the strategic direction and daily execution of online university admissions enrollment program management employing nearly 300 personnel conducting B2C education sales of certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs for Kaplan University online. Directly accountable for key metric management to include lead conversion rates, student enrollment process satisfaction, and education compliance to DoD & VA policies.

Responsible for planning, coordination, execution of call center operations, and client relations for a Fortune 100 company as a BPO. Directed operations for three lines of business (inbound telesales, inbound customer support, and outbound telesales) spanning 1,500 workstations and 1800 FTE in seven international and near-shore locations in Canada, Panama, Barbados, and the Philippines. Full accountability for driving company profitability through proactive management of processes and metrics, meeting client performance expectations, ensuring customer satisfaction, and by managing employee relations. Worked with senior leadership to ensure company strategic objectives of profitability, performance management, compliance, and client satisfaction were achieved.

Responsible for the operational performance, P&L accountability, and personnel management of outsourced contact centers ranging from 200 to 800 FTE performing B2C tele sales (inbound, outbound, inside sales), customer service, email, damage claims, and customer escalations. Clients included AT&T, Citibank, Capital One, and United Parcel Service (UPS); full P&L responsibility for centers ranging from $4 to $24 million in annual revenue.

Served on Active and Reserve duty as a Commissioned Officer, Non-Commissioned Officer, and Enlisted Soldier in a variety of duty positions in combat and non-combat units and environments around the globe. Key positions include Company Commander, Company XO, Battalion Operations Officer, Scout Platoon Leader, and Infantry Squad Leader.