Robert Rak Email & Phone Number

Responsible for managing and directing the financial and administrative functions of the organizations, as well as the planning and execution of the organizations strategic plan; supporting stakeholder engagement with the organization's board, donors, partners, and community members; oversee grant and fund management; manage special projects; and contribute to the development and execution of organizational growth strategies.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

• Took proactive leadership role before the Covid19 became a crisis by quickly and effectively formulating a three-pronged approach to ensure: 1. Staff Safety: Developed an organization-wide plan to transition staff safely from traditional, in-office working environment to a new teleworking environment. This included working with IT provider to ensure the readiness of the network infrastructure, prepared instructions and processes for each employee to remotely and securely connect to networks and conducted trial-run testing ahead of transition. 2. Business Productivity: Coordinated all departments to hold meetings and review their day-to-day business processes to assess work-from-home hurdles and challenges. Held meetings with senior staff to review all processes to develop policies for those processes to be met in a work-from-home environment. Also researched, tested and incorporated Zoom meetings to ensure meetings and staff communication would continue uninterrupted. 3. Business Viability: Worked with Board Treasurer to amend check-signing policies and procedures to ensure that all payments could be received in a timely and safe manner while following telework and physical distancing guidelines and mandates. Also secured first-round PPP loan to ensure staff payroll would continue to be met during financially unstable times. • Designed and implemented multi-dimensional, predictive cash flow forecasting system to support the organization's three year proactive budgeting cycle. This has allowed the organization to maximize the return from their endowment funds and minimize interest costs from their credit facilities by predicting short term cash needs and modeling the most effective ways to meet them.• Reduced the monthly financial closing cycle for the organization from 40 days to 10 days, providing the management team and board of directors with timely and actionable financial information.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

* Recruited to GPAC board of directors to step into the Treasurer's role* Responsible for board oversite for organizations fiscal policies and activities

Washington County

• As head of the Finance Committee, I’ve helped the organization improve their financial reporting and adopt best practice non-profit accounting standards.• Support the organization by attending and participating in quarterly Washington Opioid Coalition meetings.

Washington County

President, Board of Directors - January 2019 – Present• Lead the organization in their first strategic planning process in 20 years. The process centered on gaining insight and input from civic, business, and non-profit leaders in Washington County to gauge the needs of the community and how LWC could help meet those needs. The resulting multi-year plan focuses on developing new programming to better meet the needs of our community, and strengthening our flagship program, finances, and organizational resources to meet those challenges.Treasurer, Board of Directors - January 2017 – December 2018•Introduced comprehensive functional budgeting that addressed the areas of earned revenue, contributed revenue, programming expenses, and marketing expenses for the organization.•Instituted a predictive cash flow modeling tool to support the budgeting cycle.•These initiatives provided the focus to allow the Executive Director and the board to go from multiple years with deficit financial results to 3 straight years of surplus results and a twenty-five fold growth in available assets.

Canonsburg, Pa

• Led the financial, administrative, marketing, development and facilities functions for this nonprofit community theater that produces live theater consisting of 11 Main stage, 3 Looking Glass Theatre for young audiences and 2 Fall Family Matinee productions totaling over 150 performances in our eight-month season.• Implemented electronic ticketing system for all productions allowing patrons 24 x 7 access to box office functions. This resulted in shifting 30% of our sales activity online in the first year, reducing box office operational expenses while increasing customer satisfaction.• Introduced new programs and offerings into the food and beverage program, resulting in a 17.5% increase in revenues and a 22% increase in profitability within just one season.• Established partnerships with the Chambers of Commerce, Washington County Tourism Bureau and Washington County Community Foundation, all resulting in $28k of grant revenues for the Theatre.

• Led the financial, information technology and facilities functions for this nonprofit organization with 3 pre-schools and an itinerant infant & toddler program serving over 500 individuals with an operating budget of $5.2 million.• Prepared strategic information technology assessment and have successfully implemented first stage of the plan in securing 24 x 7 helpdesk and network monitoring services to bolster IT infrastructure.• Implemented cultural change within the organization to indoctrinate the program directors into the budgeting and strategic financial planning of the organization. Part of this task included mentoring staff in the meaning and usefulness of financial statements.• Working with the Executive Director, developed and implemented a fiscal and operations plan that centered on cost containment, increased employee efficiency and cash flow management. This plan resulted in the organization’s first positive operating results in 4 years and eliminated $900K in short- term financing.

• Led the financial, operational, and administrative functions for this nonprofit organization, along with 38 of its affiliated homes and 162 individuals with an operating budget of $11.5 million.• Devised and implemented the fee-for-service rate setting methodology for Mainstay’s 58 service locations in preparation for the change contract structure as a result of federal mandates. • Led a cultural change within the organization to convert from a fund accounting approach to GAAP basis reporting. Part of this task included mentoring and educating executive staff and board members to ensure a seamless transition in the presentation of financial results.• Spearheaded a major IT infrastructural overhaul which comprised server upgrades; development and deployment of a virtual private network throughout all 38 remote sites; selected and contracted 24x7 help desk IT support; and the deployment of new accounting system.• Lead the design team that worked with Mainstay’s architectural firm to develop a vision of accessibility in the design of capital improvements to corporate headquarters.

• Led the financial, operational, and administrative functions for this nonprofit organization. • Institute financial control and analysis to the strategic planning process, working in conjunction with the CEO, outside funding organizations such as Pittsburgh Social Accelerator and the Center’s board of directors. • Create and implement a turnaround plan that changed the fiscal performance of the Center from losing $25,000/month to regaining net proceeds of over $20,000/month.• Direct the Center’s hiring managers in obtaining/allocating employment resources and ensuring all HR policies and procedures are consistently achieved throughout the organization. Responsibilities include creating the system for managing and scheduling resources for the Center’s play floor (the main revenue generator), reducing employee turnover by more than 50%.• Manage and direct a $250,000 construction/expansion project that resulted in 2,000 square feet of revenue-generating (lease) space. This project was started on my first day at work and, under my leadership, was completed within 60 days. Also built facilities management strategy that encompasses a three-story, 45,000 square-foot facility that includes six tenant spaces, in addition to overseeing the Center’s financial, human resources, and general operations/administrative functions.• Responsible for financial and operational strategy in developing a consulting practice that takes the Center’s mission of inclusive play and franchises it nationally.• Develop the financial strategy for the Center’s consulting practices submission to the Yale Goldman Sachs Social Enterprise Business Plan competition.

• Direct financial policies and procedures for leading Pittsburgh-based marketing firm. • Transformed the company from a basement startup (sole proprietorship) to an LLC.• Established e-Marketing service line, Web development and digital/interactive services, resulting in 20% increase in revenues.• Implemented integrated business development process responsible for achieving 90% growth rate for the firm in 2003.• Researched, developed and implemented information and telecommunications infrastructure to support marketing firm.• Successfully managed front and back operations of the firm.

Mba, Business Administration

Mis, Information Systems

Bs, Business/Accounting