Education & Associations
M.B.A., Business Administration, Texas Woman’s University, Houston, Texas, 2008 [GPA: 4.0]
B.A., Business Administration, LeTourneau University, Houston, Texas, 2006 [GPA: 3.93]
A.S., Accounting, Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, Massachusetts, 1993 [GPA: 3.52]
Association of Legal Administrators – National, Member 2016
Association of Legal Administrators – Houston, Member 2016
ARMA International, Member, 2014-2015
State Bar of Texas, Member, 1996-2011
HMPA [Houston Metropolitan Paralegal Association], Member, 1996-2011
Experience
Smyser Kaplan & Veselka, LLP, Houston, Texas 10/2015 – 11/2016
Assistant Administrator/Paralegal
Oversee administrative functions of Litigation Law Firm
Supervise all attorney and office personnel
Implement HIPAA requirements and policies
Oversee the 401K administration conversion
Interface with attorneys regularly regarding assignments and staffing needs
Screen, interview and hire secretaries and support staff
Supervise secretaries and support staff and oversee workflow
Oversee the operation of the third-party office services/facilities management vendor
Work closely with the Firm’s Finance, IT and Marketing Departments to ensure conformity with all policies and procedures
Responsible for overall space planning and design, maintenance, service contracts, office systems, inventory, and equipment procurement
Serve as a liaison with building property management in matters relating to the firm’s lease, security, emergency response, and parking
Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, Houston, Texas 2/2015 – 10/2015
Records Information Officer
Implement software modules covering all aspects of companywide projects.
Developed and implemented the Records Information Management (RIM) strategy and associated projects or initiatives
Managed the RIM functions and staff to ensure consistent delivery of services including:
oRecords Retention Schedule maintenance
oRIM policy and procedure maintenance
oStorage management of physical records
oInformation preservation support activities for litigation, audit and investigation
oLifecycle management of information and records, including disposition
Worked with IT to develop or enhance the information architecture to support the management of physical and electronic content across the company Document Control Interface with clients and third parties
Advocated for the value of RIM policies, practices, and services to management and employees to ensure their understanding of the interrelationship of records and information assets and business processes and reviewing and recommending revisions to the company’s policies related to RIM requirements
Identified RIM roles and responsibilities based on the company’s needs and facilitating the development and maintenance of support networks, communities of practice, and processes to support learning and performance improvement
Defined current and future staffing requirements for the RIM functions
Maintained an in-depth understanding of both corporate and industry principles, practices and trends, including emerging enterprise products, methods and techniques, and assessing their relevance and potential value to the company
Water Standard, Houston, Texas 9/2012 – 10/2014
Document Control Lead
Implement software modules covering all aspects of worldwide projects.
Lead implementation of project management software suite (EDMS) and training of same
Ensured EDMS adequately support operations team's access to and tracking of documents, track documents that require review or response, security to view or edit based on project roles both domestically and internationally
Developed Document Control Procedures and Best Practices; update documents ad hoc
Document Control Interface with clients and third parties
Developed new Document Control work processes
Supervised Document Control Department
Processed all incoming/outgoing Project Technical Documentation accurately and timely into EDMS
Maintain MDR and DDM
Prepare and send routings, transmittals and distributions as needed
Understood and applied the requirements of the Project Information Management
Supported the sustainment of all Project Document Control Processes, Workflows, and Procedures
Adhered to all Company policies and procedures
Trained Engineering Group on process flow and commenting and reviewing tools
Interfaced with Project Team and Project Manager to identify process improvements
Ensured compliance with policies, guidelines, and standards regarding Information Management
Performed Quality Assurance on outgoing transmittals and documents against PEQP requirements
Supported Quality Management in the performance of quality reviews and audits
Implemented Project Lessons Learned and subsequent Action Items for improvement
Assisted ISO 9001 certification
Maintained a high degree of security, version, visibility, availability and reliable audit trail
Actively participated in the review, evaluation and implementation of new processes in support of the Company’s Continual Improvement efforts
Wison Offshore & Marine (USA), Houston, Texas 9/2010 – 9/2012
Document Controls Manager
Member of Global Project Management Team charged with selecting and implementing software modules covering all aspects of worldwide projects.
Led research and implementation team in assessing company needs for EMDS
Led implementation of project management software suite and provision of training for all modules
Ensured Document Control tools adequately support team's access to documents, tracking of documents that required review or response, security to view or edit based on project roles, and capturing of metadata required during the project and at project turnover
Coordinated the evaluation, selection, configuration and implementation of Document Control applications to meet project team objectives
Developed Best Practices
Supervised Document Control Department
Trained and maintained Document Control Interface with clients and third parties
Served as the SharePoint Administrator for QMS
Evaluated Document Control work processes, edited and developed new processes as required
Interfaced with Project Team and Project Manager to identify process improvements
Processed all incoming/outgoing Project Technical Documentation accurately and timely into EDMS
Prepared and sent routings, transmittals and distributions as needed
Ensured compliance with policies, guidelines, and standards regarding Information Management
Performed Quality Assurance on incoming transmittals, RFIs, and memos, against project Information Management requirements
Schlumberger, Houston, Texas 10/2006 – 9/2010
Senior Intellectual Property Litigation Paralegal/Matter Management Administrator
Provided support to General Counsel; Senior Counsel Licensing and Litigation; and Managing IP Counsel.
Researched legal matter management needs for worldwide use
Researched most appropriate legal matter management database, made recommendation [eCounsel]
Served as SharePoint Administrator for the IP Section of the Legal Department
Implemented and customized worldwide matter management database
Served as liaison with database vendor
Developed Best Practices
Assisted with contract negotiation
Drafted and distributed discovery hold letters
Participated in review of legal hold service providers
Trained end users at outside counsel in use of Document Interface
Liaised with project team on matters pertaining to document control
Anticipated information management needs
Maintained document register
Prepared document and project status reports
Prepared lessons learned demonstrations
Implemented electronic billing and budgeting from outside counsel
Assisted in worldwide training of legal matter management database
Served as the Lead of three administrators for worldwide legal matter management database
Assisted in development of reports for worldwide legal department
Finalized IP outside counsel list and published to legal department
Porter & Hedges, L.L.P., Houston, Texas 9/1996 – 10/2006
Senior Paralegal
Provided support to Managing Partner, Partners, and Associates specializing in contracts, commercial litigation, intellectual property and construction law.
Conducted monthly in-house paralegal CLEs
Maintained and controlled filing system
Created and maintained databases
Managed large document production
Managed large e-discovery databases
Developed e-discovery protocols and best practices
Standardized document control procedures for all projects
Determined best way to electronically store and use documents for trial
Maintained effective working relationship with document management/storage vendors
Performed electronic court records research at the Federal and State levels
Drafted memos, correspondence and reports
Drafted pleadings for both Federal Court and State Court; processed wide variety of court documents
Assisted with all aspects of trial preparation and attended trial
Coordinated and supervised set-up and operation of satellite office for a six-month trial held in south Texas, including office equipment and telephone lines. Oversaw scheduling of witnesses, graphic presentations, document control of over 3,000 exhibits
Skills
Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Coreworx, ProjecTools, eCounsel, iPro, Sharepoint, ShareFile, FileNet,
Legal Research, Lexis-Nexis, Westlaw, Concordance, Relativity, Ringtail, Summation, Webex