Service Staff

James A. Olive, Jr.

**** *. ********* ** • Tucson, Arizona 85712 • 205-***-**** • *****.*.*****@*****.***

OBJECTIVE

To obtain a position in teaching, administration, or community / non-profit service by bringing to a

prospective employer more than 14 years of experience in a wide variety of service, administrative, and

educational environments, and a wealth of knowledge in counseling, history, religious and cultural

diversity, and civic involvement.

QUALIFICATION HIGHLIGHTS

• Warm, reassuring approach to dealing with others.

• Extensive experience in working with persons from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic

backgrounds.

• Noted excellence in public speaking, engaging audiences, and imparting enthusiasm to learners.

• Effective, energetic track record in a wide variety of educational venues: small groups, one-on-

one mentoring, classroom, seminars, and large audience settings.

• Broad-minded and disciplined dedication to the well-being and interests of mentees and students.

• Proven track record of competent, impactful counseling in crisis situations, life-coaching, and

relational difficulties.

• Successful administrator of staff and volunteers both in quotidian matter and in crisis situations.

• Wide-ranging regional, ethnic, and cultural background.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Chaplain, Arizona State Prison (Tucson), 2010-2011

Tucson, Arizona

• Oversaw administration of all religious and multi-ethnic cultural programming at the

Winchester Unit (housing approximately 900 inmates).

• Assisted inmates in preparation for release through counseling, reconnecting inmates with

their families, meeting with spouses and children (during visitation), and mentoring.

• Successfully won respect and trust of inmates who were adherents of Muslim, Jewish,

Native American, Pagan, Catholic, and Protestant religions.

• Led in all Protestant / Non-denominational Christian services and educational activities.

• Went above and beyond expectations to ensure that Native American inmates had access to

all lawful resources to pursue their cultural and religious activities, which had until then

been unavailable to the men.

• Managed a ‘staff’ of two inmate clerks, an inmate music program, and miscellaneous

outside volunteers to accommodate the needs of inmates.

• Crafted a carefully balanced mix among the staff of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian inmates

to facilitate inmate activities.

• Assisted security staff through mediating conflicts between inmates and staff, de-escalating

tension in the unit, and building an atmosphere of peace and moderation in attitudes.

Pastor, Stonebridge Presbyterian Church, 2008 – 2010

Perrysburg, Ohio

• Recruited, trained, and mentored leadership.

• Initiated and expanded educational programs in new directions.

• Developed curricula for all levels of church programming: children, youth, adults, and senior

adults.

• Inspired students and parishioners to integrate learning into practical, daily activities.

• Restructured student attitudes regarding purpose of imparted material.

• Led congregation into increased community service and service to elderly communities.

Senior Pastor, Faith Presbyterian Church, 2003-2008

Covington, Louisiana

• Redesigned educational structures to better fit new paradigms and goals.

• Initiated, scheduled and led small group training sessions for leadership programs (women’s and

men’s leadership, officer recruitment and training, family / parenting).

• Expanded and enhanced existing educational programs to children, youth, adults, and families.

• Guided leadership in million-dollar physical plant construction.

• Broadened ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural diversity in congregation through outreach and

open-minded, welcoming approaches to changing demographics.

• Took initiative to spearhead denominational response to Hurricane Katrina in metro-New Orleans

and Mississippi Gulf Coast at great personal and professional risk.

• Worked effectively to coordinate suburban and rural Southern communities with devastated

inner-city neighborhoods and community development agencies needing reconstruction.

• Successfully negotiated severe dislocation in the community in the aftermath of unprecedented

natural disasters of 2005.

• Identified and solved difficult interpersonal problems among subordinate staff and leadership.

• Proven track record of counseling hurting people in an incredibly wide range of personal,

professional, and relational struggles.

• Led, resourced, and motivated pastoral, professional, and volunteer staff.

Associate Pastor, Wellington Community Church, 2001-2002

Wellington, Colorado

• Set up new educational activities for men and young professionals.

• Supervised and restructured teaching programs for children (1 st through 6th grade).

• Initiated planning for physical plant expansion to accommodate expanding educational programs.

• Expanded awareness of needs and opportunities in cross-cultural and foreign settings.

• Led youth education through adventure in week-long hiking trek in Rocky Mountain National

Park.

Assistant to the Pastor, Mt. Salus Presbyterian Church, 1997-2001

Clinton, Mississippi

• Led educational program for senior adult ministry, including classroom instruction and

community development.

• Assisted Associate Pastor in reorganizing and expanding recruitment and instruction of children

and youth (kindergarten through 12th Grade).

• Invested considerable mentoring efforts in children and senior adults, with rewarding results.

EDUCATION

Master of Divinity- Reformed Theological Seminary – 1997-2001

Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science (Double Major) – The University of Arizona – 1992-

1996

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Hardware: Computer Set Up, Memory Install

Software: Word Processing (Microsoft Word/Office), Spreadsheet (Excel), Multimedia Presentation:

(Power Point)

Operating Systems: Windows

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