A few words to introduce... Mark Thornburg - HR Professional
I have a strong passion for HR and I've worked hard to acquire the
expertise to match! Having a true generalist background, I am very
familiar with most major aspects of Human Resources. Competencies of
particular strength include being an effective change agent, an
experienced facilitator, a successful coach and an insightful
strategist. Some highlights of my qualifications are as follows:
w a Masters degree in Human Resources Management.
w 20+ years of successful HR experience in specialist, generalist and
management roles.
w several opportunities to lead HR teams (of up to 7 employees).
w a great deal of recent experience in various high-tech industries.
w exposure to HR with companies of varying size and in diverse
industries.
I've repeatedly demonstrated work that is both innovative and of high
quality. For example, in my most recent position, several programs I
created/co-created were adopted as best practices on a national
level. In fact, the 3 initiatives that were selected ("Managing Low
Performers", "Succession Readiness" and "Retaining High Performers")
were the most from any of the 26 Areas within the company over a 3-
year period.
My career in HR has followed a progressive career path with increasing
responsibilities leading me to the mid-senior management level. This
includes several years as a contract professional, working both
independently and with two agencies. The combined experience has
helped me become a proficient and versatile HR practitioner.
I am very interested in exploring new HR opportunities at this time.
Please feel free to contact me at your convenience at my home email or
phone as listed above.
Sincerely,
Mark D. Thornburg
EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION:
Associate of Arts degree - North Seattle Community College
(General Studies, with Honors)
Bachelor of Arts degree - Seattle Pacific University
(major; Education, minor; English, Deans List)
Masters of Science degree - Seattle Pacific University
(Human Resources Management, 3.94/4.00 gpa)
SPHR Certification - SHRM/HR Certification Institute
(sitting for the spring 2010 exam)
WORK EXPERIENCE:
present - Rather than just being unemployed, I've managed to generate a
few short-term HR contract projects. However, this endeavor is only
temporary, allowing me to remain somewhat active in HR while I
search for a great position with a wonderful organization.
Area HR Manager - IKON Office Solutions
1/06- The lead HR position for the entire northwest region of a document
management provider (nearly 1,000
10/08 employees in 4 states). Accountable for all HR functions
overseeing a staff of 3 in a matrixes relationship with corporate
HQ. Areas of focus included; strategic planning, management
coaching, training & development, performance management and
employee relations. Several Area HR initiatives were adopted as
best practices on a national basis.
HR Manager - The Seattle Times Company
5/02- A mid-level management position providing all the HR services for
my client groups within a large,
1/06 regional multi-media news organization (nearly 2,500 employees).
Primary accountabilities consisted of employee relations
(unaffiliated plus 10 bargaining units), competency-based
performance management, team building, conflict resolution, and
coaching managers as well as company-wide contributions to both the
training and recruiting functions. Spearheaded the successful
implementation of several key initiatives. First 7 months on
contract status.
HR Contract/Consultant - HR Talent Source, The Cobos Group and Private
Practice
6/93 - Various agency and independent contract assignments in the Human
Resources field ranging
5/02 from special projects to temporary fill-ins to consulting to senior
management positions. Provided services for over a dozen clients
of varying sizes in diverse industries. This experience provided a
wonderful opportunity for accelerated learning and growth.
Specifics provided on next page.
HR Manager - SYSCO Food Services of Seattle, Inc.
6/91 - Served on the leadership team for a regional location (600
employees) of the nation's largest distributor
6/93 of wholesale food and related products. Heavily involved with
recruiting, coaching managers, employee relations, and policy
development. Worked closely with the Operations Division regarding
with performance management and employee engagement. Successfully
led a critical, major project when appointed as Strike Contingency
Coordinator.
CONTRACT CLIENTS:
June 1993 to November 2002 (most recent at top)
10 months HR Manager for HONEYWELL - Renton, WA
Aerospace Customer Support Division, repair center.
10 months Sr. Recruiter for GENERAL DYNAMICS - Redmond, WA
Aerospace, medical and other hi-tech electronics design/manufacturer.
8 months HR Manager for SEAMED (a PLEXUS Company) - Bothell, WA
Medical and other hi-tech electronics design/manufacturer.
4 months Employee Relations Specialist at AIRTOUCH CELLULAR (now
Verizon) - Bellevue, WA
Wireless phone/pager communications provider.
5 months Recruiter/Generalist for THE NEWS GROUP - Fife, WA
Wholesale distribution of books/magazines.
1 month Technical Recruiter for SPACELABS MEDICAL - Redmond, WA
Aerospace, medical and other hi-tech electronics design/manufacturer.
7 months Tech/Gen Recruiter for CRANE INTERPOINT - Redmond, WA
Hi-tech electronics design/manufacturer.
7 months HR Director for SPECIAL EXPEDITIONS MARINE (a LINDBLAD
Company) - Seattle, WA
Small cruise ship excursions.
2 months Recruiter for SEATTLE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION - Seattle, WA
Financial lending institution.
10 months HR/Quality Manager for PICKERING INCORPORATED
Manufacturer of office furniture.
3 months Sr. HR Generalist for REAL TIME DATA, INC. - Bellevue,
WA
Designer/manufacturer of wireless monitoring devices.
2 months Recruiter for PUGET SOUND BLOOD CENTER - Seattle, WA
Health research/services provider.
6 months Consultant for INTERMEC - Everett, WA
Provides supply chain information products, services, and systems
including bar code technology.
7 months HR Manager for LUNSTEAD FURNITURE (a Hayworth Company) -
Kent, WA
Manufacturer of office furniture and components.
8 months Consultant/Analyst for NINTENDO - Redmond, WA
Manufacturer of electronic games/entertainment programs.
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES:
Administration/Management: Supervisory responsibilities spanning over a
dozen years with up to 7 direct reports w Earned a Masters degree in
Human Resources Management w Developed 3 HR departments from scratch w
Oversaw departmental budgets (over $1.5 million annually) w Have a
working knowledge of computerized HR Information Systems (Powerpay, Abra,
Repertoire, ADP, Personic/Xeperius, Cyborg, Ceridian, Peoplesoft and SAP)
w Well-versed in the application of HR metrics to demonstrate ROI in
support of overall business objectives.
Benefits Administration: Oversaw all benefits functions for several
companies w Experience with HMO's and PPO's w Was a 401(k) and Section
125 plan coordinator w Participated in many "open bid" reviews.
Compensation Planning: Designed variable pay plans reflecting a pay-for-
performance approach incorporating stock options and incentive bonus
plans w Oversaw annual Merit Cycles w Participated in and resourced
numerous salary surveys w Served on Salary Committees.
Labor Relations: Was a primary negotiator during two collective
bargaining agreements (Service Workers Local 6) and acted as the employer
strike contingency coordinator (Teamsters Local 117) w Represented
employers in numerous grievances, arbitrations, mediations and lawsuits w
Have implemented union avoidance strategies and led a successful
decertification campaign (Teamsters Local 303) w Served as the HR liaison
to factory/warehouse operations and administered and interpreted labor
contracts (up to 10 bargaining units simultaneously).
Organizational Development: Facilitated strategic planning retreats w Co-
developed vision/mission statements and strategic models w Participated
in the due diligence process and cultural unification efforts with
mergers & acquisitions w Participated in a comprehensive efficiency
studies including job redesign and workflow process improvements w
Oversaw career pathing & succession readiness w Led organizational change
using contemporary change models w Utilized workforce surveys and focus
groups to elicit workforce feedback.
Performance Management: Designed competency-based performance management
systems w Created/monitored performance appraisal processes w Oversaw
corrective/disciplinary action w Spearheaded countless employee
engagement and morale enhancement programs w Utilized as a resource for
process consultation and small/large group intervention strategies.
Policy Development: Authored/revised numerous policy manuals and
employee handbooks to align with business model/company culture and to
assure legal compliance w Served on and/or chaired various policy review
committees
w Developed many departmental procedures and practices manuals.
Recruitment/Retention: Effectively recruited both exempt and non-exempt
positions (permanent, temporary, "in-house", agency and consultant) w
Well-versed in all aspects of the selection process including EEO/AAP and
employment law w Utilized a variety of Internet sourcing tools w
Experienced with foreign nationals, expatriates and work visas w Familiar
with a variety of assessment tools w Competent in the use of behavioral
interviewing techniques w Developed employee referral plans & promotions
w Coordinated out-placement services.
Safety/Health & Compliance (OSHA/WISHA): Served on many safety
committees, often as chairperson
w Authored comprehensive accident prevention plans w Successfully managed
Worker's Comp claims for over 12 years w Experience with "Jones Act"
claims w Implemented an employee wellness plan.
Training & Development: Earned a Bachelor's degree in Education w Held a
Wa. State teaching certificate
w Worked 4 years as a Senior Training Specialist w Designed/delivered
interactive training modules for salespersons, managers, laborers,
customer service reps, etc. w Specialize in team development and change
management w Facilitated new employee orientations w Coordinated
knowledge management including formal mentor programs.
Additional/Miscellaneous: Oversaw entire payroll processes w
Successfully managed unemployment claims for over 20 years w Strong PC
proficiency: Windows XP/Vista Office Suites w Implemented a Total Quality
Management (TQM) program w Authored/edited company newsletters.