Project Manager

Services: Project Management, Assessments, Leadership Development & Facilitation, Strategic Planning, Coaching/Mentor in Leadership & Problem Solving, Business Development & Collaborations, Grant Writing

Under the direction of the President, the Strategic Planning Officer ensures multiple cross-functional teams meet strategic planning-related initiatives and special project timelines and deliverables effectively and efficiently. Determines project benchmarks and tracks, monitors, and measures progress and outcomes. Coordinates and facilitates communications with stakeholders, reports on activity. Performs outreach to external parties, consultants and stakeholders across the college service area and beyond.• Ensures the timely submission of deliverables from a diverse array of multiple cross-functional teams; • Develops and oversees measures/indicators related to outcomes of the strategic planning initiatives and special projects. Monitors project, program, and/or deliverables and assesses impact to strategic initiatives; • Identifies potential project risks and difficulties and designs strategies;• Maintains visibility of strategic planning process and initiatives throughout the college service area during the planning process to ensure meaningful collaboration, and comprehensive and effective implementation; • Coordinates resources across multiple departments in strategic planning and special project efforts. Liaison among consultants, faculty, administrative services professionals, paraprofessionals, and technical/support staff to keep lines of communication open and ensure meaningful collaboration;• Ensures integrity and fidelity to values of social justice, racial justice, belonging, and inclusion; • Researches, solicits, retains, schedules, and coordinates contractors and other external resources;• Collects and analyzes a variety of complex data and information.• Initiates project-related communication and requests for information and provides guidance to other departments, consumers, the general public, and/or outside agencies.• Coordinates communications, change management, and issue management efforts.• Reviews and tracks related budgets.

I continued to work with the Manufacturing & Textile Innovation Network with both colleges during the time that I was promoted to the Strategic Development Officer at Catawba Valley Community College. Provided support to North Carolina companies, particularly those in composites, textiles, and manufacturing, to engage the MTIN for product development, expansion, and research. Developed relationships with existing businesses to enhance regional and statewide economic sustainability by retaining and adding jobs, specifically in composites, textiles, and manufacturing. Established and developed business relationships, and collaborate with businesses to aid their growth in the local economy. Support educational development for Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) and Gaston College (GC) and beyond. Pursued additional testing and training for military partners. • Served as a regional liaison for MTIN with the NC Department of Transportation, NC Department of Environmental Quality, NC Community College System, NCSU Industry Expansion Services, NC Department of Commerce Workforce Development, NCCCS Small Business Centers, NCMBC, MEP, and other related partner organizations serving the same constituency of start-up and existing employers in the region and state;• Served as a regional representative for the organization (MTIN), such as through speaking engagements/presentations to various stakeholder groups;• Along with regional partners, assist in the creation of a flexible, efficient, strategic economic development “one-stop-shop” of information for composites, textiles, and manufacturing that will provide data/product development, testing, and research related to all local, state and federal resources that support economic development activities;• Assumed co-management responsibility for all services and activities of the MTIN (development and implementation of goals, objectives, policy and procedures administration).

• Responsible for management of SBC; including all services and events;• Counseled potential and existing small business clients, planned courses, offered resources and referrals;• Provided administration, marketing, and training programs for small business development and services of the college to business and industry; • Led SBC advisory board for the Small Business Center Alliance; • Planned and implemented events for marketing Small Business Center programs and services;• Served on the Economic Impact Committee for Downtown Morehead City;• Supervised SBC Administrative Assistant;• Managed budgets and maintained client database in Colleague, prepared and submitted annual report;• Analyzed market, employment, and economic trends to develop training needs for small business clients;• Worked with the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) to educate business and industry on how to do business with the military;• Completed Level III Small Business Center Network Credentialing Program;• Served Hurricane’s Florence/Dorian and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disaster Assistance Program.

• Contacted and scheduled meetings with business and industry for 12-county region;• Presented EDPNC services and assess and identify needs of the client;• Administered incentive grants for the North Carolina Department of Commerce;• Established federal, state, and local partners and worked collaboratively to establish resources and referrals;• Worked from a remote location, completed travel reimbursements, maintained a company vehicle, managed credit card expenditures, created monthly progress reports and success stories.

• Led blended division, curriculum and continuing education, for a diverse, rural, student-centered, comprehensive, multi-site college that included Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties;• Maintained budget and personnel for curriculum and continuing education programs within the division;• Coordinated relationships for advisement, training, internships, and 2+2 curriculums with business and industry, colleges, and universities;• Organized and implemented strategic marketing plan/events for recruitment of programs;• Hand selected by President (Dr. Gordon Burns) to lead the WCC Leadership Development Program;• Assessed FTE data and implemented plans to increase enrollments numbers in programs;• Assuming primary responsibility for development and implementation of curricula within the Division;• Scheduling courses in cooperation with the office of the Vice President of Instruction;• Approving textbooks recommended by the Lead Instructor;• Conducting all evaluations, including classroom observations, for all full-time faculty members within the Division, and for adjuncts, as needed;• Offering recommendations in areas affecting personnel, including appointments, promotions, salary increases, etc., to the Senior Vice President of Instruction;• Orienting and mentoring all new full-time faculty members;• Working with instructors in selecting and completing appropriate professional development activities, including recommendations for in-service education, educational leave, and/or return to industry, and plans for continued instructional and professional improvement;• Determining budgetary needs for the Division;• Coordinating the inventory, maintenance and procurement for instructional equipment and facilities within the Division with appropriate staff;• Assisting and developing grant proposals;• Provided administrative leadership as representative of the Senior Vice President of Instruction.

• Responsible for management of SBC; including all services and events;• Counseled potential and existing small business clients, planned courses, offered resources and referrals;• Provided administration, marketing, and training programs for small business development and services of the college to business and industry in the three-county service area;• Led SBC advisory board as VP of Small Business through the Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce• Planned and implemented events for marketing Small Business Center programs and services;• Supervised SBC Administrative Assistant;• Managed budgets and maintained client database in Colleague, prepare and submit annual report;• Analyzed market, employment, and economic trends to develop training needs for small business clients;• Worked with the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) to educate business and industry on how to do business with the military;• Served on Business and Industry Training and Development Team.

(Hospital layoff – position eliminated, invited to return after 6 months) • Managed awareness of hospital services and all public relations; • Increased patient utilization and community perception by marketing services, education, and events;• Served as Senior Manager on hospital leadership team;• Analyzed and planned strategies for Gallup Poll customer service results;• Representative and event planner for hospitals United Way, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, and American Heart Association campaigns.