EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I enjoyed a successful career as a business consultant and financial executive before I chose to go back to school for my graduate degree and re-focus my career on consulting and community service. I am an energetic self-starter with an exceptional work ethic and am well-known for my expertise and creativity in handling ad-hoc projects. I have over fifteen years of experience working in fast-paced, demanding environments and my wide range of skills enables me to contribute in ways that are uniquely valuable.

EXPERTISE

Non-Profit

Designed marketing materials, press releases, publicity;

Designed and presented presentations to corporate donors;

Organized community outreach programs;

Fundraising, major event management;

Lead executive committee in strategic planning the merger of multiple non-profit organizations;

Taught adult literacy and GED preparation.

Marketing

Designed and edited marketing and promotional materials using InDesign and MS Publisher;

Designed and implemented marketing plans;

Organized and managed major fundraising events;

Negotiated advertising contracts;

Managed web content using SEO (Google Analytics, Google Adwords) and HTML;

Taught Powerpoint and trained presenters on creating sophisticated animated presentations.

government

Worked with city and county officials as well as with community leaders in the planning of master-planned community development projects;

Researched, wrote, and edited executive summaries for large-scale development projects including a 9,000-acre master planned community in Bakersfield, California and a revitalization project for an abandoned airbase in Clinton, Oklahoma;

Lobbied municipal governments for environmentally sustainable master-planned community projects;

Lobbied state government on behalf of homeowners associations;

Researched such community issues as utility provider policies and procedures, tenant/landlord legislation, municipal grants for community revitalization and historical preservation, and made presentations before city councils that included short-term as well as long-term program proposals.

Education

Prepared digital learning modules and presentations for college coursework;

Taught GED preparation courses and ESL to adult/alternative students;

Tutored and mentored students on research, writing, and presentation skills.

Business Development and Management

Collaborated on, provided content for, and edited business plans and executive summaries with 2, 5, and 10-year financial and operational projections;

Reviewed business contracts including general and limited partnership agreements, master-planned community development projects, and preferred provider agreements;

Authored and edited policy and procedure manuals;

Implemented cross-training programs;

Managed a staff recognized for their high morale and productivity, 80 percent of whom were promoted to senior positions while under my supervision.

writing and editing / communications

Award-winning author of over 600 published articles on business management, business finance and accounting, economics, small business operations, and other business related topics, as well a wide variety of other subject areas including history, literature, science and travel for print and online publications (links to sample published articles are listed below);

Edited and supervised the publication of a semi-monthly magazine and wrote content for a regular column;

Website design and content writer (see: oxfordhistoricalsociety.org );

Authored and edited executive summaries for environmentally sustainable land development projects.

Financial Management

Managed all accounting functions including A/P, A/R, payroll, account reconciliation, G/L, budget preparation and review, budgeting, financial statement review and analysis;

Designed analytical spreadsheets and flowcharts for financial analytics;

Prepared and presented financial reports to the board of directors including balance sheet, P&L, budgets, budget-to-actual, and cash flows;

Negotiated lines of credit;

Represented a major global motion picture production studio (Paramount Pictures) in the bank selection process by interviewing bank executives competing for the primary banking relationship with parent company (Viacom) and made recommendations concerning potential candidates;

Researched emerging technologies concerning fraud prevention;

Designed and implemented business practices and procedures;

Negotiated vendor contracts.

Treasury

Responsible for cash management functions for a major motion picture studio;

Designed and executed monthly cash position report;

Managed bank reconciliation department, overseeing over 180 accounts;

Designed and implemented cash float analysis report - daily volume between $30M and $60M;

Designed and executed a monthly foreign currency cash flow report of overseas subsidiaries and affiliates in 16 currencies for hedging purposes (resulting in a realization of $11.4M is eight months).

Financial Analysis

Assessed and evaluated complex financial reporting models;

Designed reporting mechanisms for multi-level cash positions (resulting in a savings on the interest on debt of $1.6M in six months);

Analyzed long and short term debt positions and cash management positions.

Accounting

Set up and managed small to medium size business accounting systems;

Conducted troubleshooting on distressed accounting departments;

Managed accounting departments, including A/R, A/P, cash disbursements and bank reconciliation functions;

Certified Motion Picture Production Accountant.

Community Involvement - Volunteering

Vice President of the Oxford Historical Society (currently serving second term).

Editor, researcher, and writer of the city of Oxford’s 175th Anniversary Book, Deep Running-Roots, Far-Reaching Branches: The Story of the City of Oxford.

Former Board Member and Corporate Secretary of Newton County Reads - a non-profit organization promoting adult literacy in Newton County, Georgia. Volunteer teacher of adult literacy.

Career History

2005 to present Freelance Writer / Editor / Communications Specialist

2005 to 2008 Graduate School / Mentor / Teaching Volunteer (Literacy & ESL)

West Virginia University

2003 Assistant Professor

Santa Barbara Community College

Santa Barbara, California

2002 to 2005 Executive Director

Community Associations Institute, a Non-Profit Corporation – Greater Los Angeles Chapter, Los Angeles, CA

http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?personId=36305492 6&targetid=profile

1999 to 2002 Controller

NeTune Communications, Culver City, CA (a $40M high-tech start-up satellite technology company for the film industry)

1996 to 1999 Business Consultant – Accounting, Finance, Strategic Planning

Davis Panzer Productions, West Hollywood, CA

(motion picture production & merchandising)

Teklogic Systems, Woodland Hills, CA

(television broadcast engineering start-up company)

1994 to 1996 Director of the Treasury

Paramount Pictures, Hollywood, CA

(a major motion picture studio)

1988 to 1994 Director of Accounting & Finance

Concord Development, Los Angeles, CA

(a land and master-planned community development firm)

1990 to 1994 CFO / Corporate Secretary/ Co-Founder

S.O.S. Children, Inc. a California Non-Profit Corporation, Los Angeles, CA (a philanthropic organization)

Software / Web Proficiencies

Expert in Microsoft Office Suite

(Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook & Publisher)

HTML, SEO

InDesign

Google Adwords and Google Analytics

QuickBooks

Education

MFA: English / Creative Writing, West Virginia University G.P.A: 3.95

BA: English / Creative Writing, California State University Northridge G.P.A: 3.8

Certified Production Accountant – Axium Entertainment Services

Writer’s Program: University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) G.P.A: 4.0

Screenwriting & Media Arts Program: Los Angeles Mission College G.P.A: 4.0

Scholastic Honors

Phi Theta Kappa

Alpha Gamma Sigma

Sigma Tau Delta

International Scholar Laureate Program: Delegation on Diplomacy and International Relations

Presenter at the Annual Advancement of Graduate Education Conference

Strum Writing Scholarship Award

National Dean’s List

Honors Program

Dean’s List

Links to Sample Publications

Website Design

www.oxfordhistoricalsociety.org

Print Media

http://www.covnews.com/archives/32095/

Portfolios of Work

http://oxfordian.hubpages.com/

http://www.ehow.com/contributor/lisa_dorward/

http://www.demandstudios.com/profile-f7b240ba-Lisa-Dorward/

Business Related Articles

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/multivariate-techniques-business-25929.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/positive-negative-effects-hipaa-employment-laws-18500.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-retail-store-improve-21746.html

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-being-privately-owned-company-22147.html

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