Devon Willis

Lindale, TX 832-***-**** ad4ca2@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Personable and customer-service driven with experience in event planning and Guest Services. Excellent verbal and written communication skills honed through research projects for undergraduate program and through leadership roles within the college.

EDUCATION

Grove City College – Grove City, PA

Bachelor of Arts in English, Minor in Spanish

Graduated Cum Laude with High Honors - 3.54/4.0

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

● Creative and Research Writing – Semester-long capstone project that culminated in a presentation and a class proposal; scholarship essays that encompassed multiple genres from poetry to creative nonfiction to short stories to personal essays; research papers on topics including literature, art and music, and religion

● Professional Writing – Published an editorial on the effects of the freeze in Houston to The Collegian, Grove City College’s award-winning paper; submitted various forms of written communication for a class focused on Media Writing such as PR statements, press releases, interviews, and media reviews

● Scholarship Awards – Applied for and successfully won more than $4,000 worth of educational scholarships from institutions such as the Tagore Society of Houston and VFW

● Donor Relations – Prepared well-attended donor events for Grove City College with Bon Appetit Management Company and communicated through phone and email with Grove City College donors

● Organizational Leadership – Held multiple positions within the Sigma Delta Phi Sorority at Grove City College, including president, historian, athletic chair, and social rush chair; planned and decorated events for the Poetry Club

EXPERIENCE

Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Van, TX September 2023 – Present

● Calendar Management - Managing multiple events, meetings, and other important tasks for the VP of Sales and Marketing across professional and personal life, which includes looking forward to the next year and helping determine where time is best spent

● Note Taking - Attending meetings and taking clarifying and succinct notes for the VP of Sales and Marketing to refer to by gleaning important information as it is shared

● Donor Relations - Setting up donor events including catering, floral arrangements, and gift bag curation

● Donation Management - Collecting information from various organizations that request Sky Ranch’s participation in charitable events, being liaison and primary contact with outside organizations, and presenting requests to the Donation Committee for deliberation, which involves research about the organization and the ability to sort through relevant information in past records

● Editing Marketing Materials - Reading through promotional material, including newsletters, e-blasts, and advertisements, to ensure correct grammar and consistency to the Sky Ranch brand while adjusting and rewriting sentences and offering suggestions for flow and readability for the intended audiences Caterer, Bon Appetit Management Company, Grove City, PA February 2023 – May 2023

● Improved Dining Experience - Curated upscale dining experiences for local business, department chairs, and donors of Grove City College through décor, assisting chefs with plating meals, and serving

● Creative Dining Displays - Creatively decorated tables and event spaces, including food displays and linen selections

Crimson Caller Team, Grove City College, Grove City, PA September 2019 – December 2022

● Donor Outreach - Cold-called alumni to request donations on behalf of Grove City College

● Fundraising Supervisor - As supervisor, encouraged my coworkers through a welcoming workplace environment by creating achievable goals for them, including reaching required fundraising goals

● Donor Relations Mentor - Guided coworkers in their responses to challenging interactions with donors Guest Services Associate, Space Center Houston, Houston, TX April 2022 – August 2022

● Enhancing Guest Experience - Provided over 3,000 guests a day with the best experience at Space Center Houston by connecting guests with important information about the galleries and experiences they could find at the museum

● Problem Solving - Listened to guests’ concerns and responded in the way that most benefited them

● Increased Revenue - Successfully encouraged guests to upgrade their memberships

● Promoting Tourism - Recommended local businesses to out of town tourists to support the city and enhance their Houston experience

Guest Services Associate, Sky Ranch, Van, TX May 2021 – August 2021

● Parent Relations - Responded to the concerns of hundreds of parents through phone calls and e-mail

● COVID-19 Pandemic Protocol - Communicated with parents about the health and safety procedures following medical emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic

● Conflict Resolution – Worked with parents and staff to come to acceptable terms for cabin placements of children, payment plans, camper drop offs and pick ups, and COVID-19 pandemic responses Recruitment Assistant, Grove City College, Grove City, PA August 2019 – December 2020

● Recruitment Communication – Sent emails to potential students with information about Grove City College, including advertisements for dates to visit the campus; wrote personalized thank you notes and invitations for potential students

● Calendar Coordination – Arranged times and dates for interviewees on behalf of Tristan Slater Transcriptionist, Taylor Lake Village, TX July 2020 – August 2020

● Transcription – Typed book as my employer dictated his experiences and advice for fellow entrepreneurs

● Copywriter – Adjusted employer’s sentences for grammar and flow while maintaining his voice throughout the book

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

President, Sigma Delta Phi Sorority, Grove City College January 2021 – December 2021

● Mediator - Initiated one-on-one meetings to manage and resolve inter-group conflict

● Leadership - Led and organized weekly meetings with the sorority to discuss various events and decisions, along with casting deciding votes and designating roles among the women for tasks they were well-suited for

● Student and Administration Liaison - Acted as liaison between Student Life and Learning and Sigma Delta Phi to ensure our continued presence on campus

PR and Marketing Committee, Special Events and Promotions Course January 2021 – May 2021

● Online Strategies - Responsible for online ticket sales for the first annual Grove City College Lux Mea Film Festival, including the development of the Eventbrite page and distribution of physical tickets on the day of the festival

● Design and PR Collaborator - Collaborated with Design Committee and Print Services to create eye-catching tickets that distinguished the roles of filmmakers, guests, and faculty ADDITIONAL SKILLS

● Sales and Promotions – Has 3+ years’ experience with sales and donor drives through Guest Services at non-profit organizations and Crimson Calling at Grove City College

● Microsoft Office 365 – Proficient in the Microsoft Suite including PowerPoint, Word, and Excel and their Google equivalents

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