Program Manager

Location:

Olympia, WA

Salary:

120K

Posted:

July 12, 2024

Contact this candidate

Resume:

ALEXANDRA V. ASBURY

***********@*****.***

*****@*********-****.***

Address: **** ********** **. **

Olympia, WA 98501

Phone: 360-***-****

OBJECTIVE

To be a fearless and unashamed advocate for equality and anti-discrimination solutions to promote acceptance, justice and integrity to The Washington State Office of Equity as their Disability Access Program Manager. I seek to guide the agency to challenge the status quo, and assist with designing a more inclusive future that aims to provide a new vision of equality and accessibility for people of race, color, disability, marginalized and LGBTQ communities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Worked with the Washington Federation of State Employees Union and the Federal Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to research State and Federal employment laws and statues for discrimination issues to promote equal opportunities and represented protections for persons with disabilities. Successfully raised awareness of shortcomings in the laws pertaining to persons with disabilities, in regards to implementing fair-practices when negotiating disability separation proceedings.

Worked closely with the Department of Natural Resources Safety Team to test and improve wheelchair accessibility practices and policies. Participated in a trial-run and training exercise to test wheelchair evacuation using an emergency evacuation stairway device, and recommended improvement for learning to use the head and neck support system designed for user safety. Recommended that the DNR agency purchases manual wheelchairs for employees to use in emergencies, and/or as needed for accidents, injuries and emergency evacuations. Recommended wheelchair employees be supplied with walkie-talkies to be able to communicate with agency assigned emergency contacts during earthquake and fire drills, and any other unforeseeable natural disasters. Explored restroom accessibility, and recommended installation of automatic door opening buttons for all agency restrooms. Contacted and informed Department of Natural Resources Recreation Division Manager regarding issues with posted wheelchair accessible trail signs that did not adequately provide accessibility, and were potentially dangerous for wheelchair users on State managed public lands.

Active member of the Here and Now Project https://hereandnowproject.org. This non-profit organization connects and empowers the paralysis community through private support groups, community activities and large gatherings. The exchange of experiences with others in common happenstance provides strength and hope as together we build increased accessible, and independent lives. Their motto to “Do Life” resonates and inspires persons with disabilities to get active and live their lives to the fullest.

In-depth understanding and application of Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Regulations ADA.gov, Home Section508.gov, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (w3.org), Accessibility WaTech to ensure compliance with State and Federal laws, and discover potential issues and conflicts pertaining to accessibility issues.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect are central to my personal core values. I strive to foster a workplace where sharing our authentic identities is valued. I have worked with individuals from many diverse cultures, countries, religions, sexual orientations, and physical disabilities throughout my career. I have an appreciation and respect people from around the globe, and am patient when those whose native language may make speaking English a challenge. I am a good listener, and speak slowly in an effort to allow others to understand me and to be understood. I am keenly aware of people who struggle both psychologically and physically. As a person with a disability, I appreciate being respected, and am respectful of others.

Acted as the volunteer Enrollment Chair for the Lincoln Option Elementary School Community Council for seven years. Successfully developed a new pay-what-you can program that enabled the school district with enough funding for families seeking to enroll their child(ren) in the full-day kindergarten program, regardless of their ability to pay. Was commended by the school Principal for my ability to manage the lottery program for out-of-district families seeking to enroll in the Lincoln Options Elementary school program, and to effectively and diplomatically discuss the lottery process which involved delivering both positive and negative lottery results to family participants.

Successfully campaigned for the City of Olympia to install a sidewalk in Unincorporated Thurston County to allow pedestrians, school children and persons with disabilities to safely cross a busy thoroughfare and Intercity Transit bus route at a critical crossway. The Olympia School District now uses this crosswalk as a bus-stop crossing for K through 12 bus routes.

Successfully championed a local dance school to install a ramp to allow wheelchair users to access dance studios for teachers, class participants and observers.

Advised an Oregon State University professor on building accessible trails for educating students engaged in the Environmental Studies Program, and have been invited to present my insight and encourage discussion with university students during a workshop.

Actively participated in voluntary lunch meetings organized by the WA DNR Human Resources Diversity and Equity Program, designed to educate and respectfully discuss current challenges agency employees are facing regarding race, color, disability, marginalized and LGBTQ communities.

PREFERRED QUALIFCATIONS

Extensive experience gathering, researching, and analyzing data for programs throughout the DNR for both internal and external stakeholders. Prepared and presented findings via reports and presentations to address requests made by multiple programs including: DNR Police, Executive Management, Senior Wildland Fire Investigators, Geoduck Compliance Dive Team. Recreation, Aquatics, and Safety Divisions as well statewide Wildland Fire Dispatchers.

Took the initiative to re-design an agency-wide software database at DNR called the Initial Incident and Accident Reporting Database (IRAD) to make the system more intuitive for users, and useful for managers needing to gather critical data for tracking incidents, accidents, vandalism and loss of property on DNR managed public lands. Collaborated with Division Managers and the Commissioner of Public Lands Chief of Staff to escalate the necessity and value for investing in system improvements.

Volunteered for the Olympia Area Rowing High School team to organize, purchase and prepare meals for over one hundred rowers and their families. Successfully implemented a pay-what-you can program for funding food expenses. Was an advocate for providing food that everyone could enjoy, regardless of food sensitivities and severe allergies, and adhered to scent-free policies in all work and school environments.

Have received training in use of Smartsheet and am familiar with MS Project. Applied project management techniques and strategies as Vice-President of Milestone Technology, Inc., and managed projects specific to WA DNR Police including SharePoint administration, Database Steward for the agencies internal IRAD system, and numerous specialized projects as they pertained to management of the DNR Police and Enforcement Programs.

Have personally engaged with persons with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities requiring use of specialized adaptive equipment and assistive technologies designed to comply with industry standards for improving the lives and careers of persons needing assistive devices and software.

Expert level competence using Microsoft Office and Excel for over 20 years.

Knowledge of Smartsheet through online subscription and tutorials.

Successfully work independently as well as in collaborating with teams to deliver quality leadership and project development results.

Excellent time management skills, and multi-tasking abilities to ensure project management deadlines are met and/or delivered ahead of schedule.

Flexible with shifting priorities to quickly re-focus attention on changing project urgencies.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Milestone Technology, Inc.

July 1999 – Current

Vice-President, Operations and Personnel

Managed all corporate operations including but not limited to:

As Vice President of Operations and Personnel, applied project management best practices, project management methodologies, process improvement activities, and conducting research and data analysis for numerous public and private industry information technology projects.

Prepared responses for RFQQs, RFPs, RFIs, and other procurement opportunities.

Developed company procedures manual, to ensure all employees and sub-contractors were treated equitably, and standard operating guidelines were adhered to.

Managed accounting, payroll, invoicing, and banking using QuickBooks.

Developed marketing materials, organized trade shows, and wrote and edited marketing communications for publication.

Acted as primary Human Resources Manager for personnel management, including on-boarding all new employees and sub-contractors.

Organized personnel training for improving employee career advancement opportunities.

Supervised administrative personnel which included training, performance reviews, and oversight of daily assignments and duties.

APPLICABLE SUCCESSES: Championed for company to acquire a handicapped accessible office space with an elevator when one of their employees was a wheelchair user. Worked with non-native language speakers to patiently understand and assist with editing grammar for writing and using plain clearly understood English. Successfully helped the company grow from 10 to over 25 employees within the first 3 years.

Washington Department of Natural Resources

December 2011 – January 2022

Administrative Assistant 4 and Project Specialist

Provided executive level administrative support to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Police Chief, Sergeants and Officers for ten years. Was the main program administrative support person for the DNR Police department within the DNR Executive Management Division. Responsibilities included:

Represented the Chief at meetings as requested, and/or for meetings that were specific projects that I managed independently for of the Law Enforcement Division.

Drafted policy amendments for all DNR Law Enforcement internal policy documents to ensure they remained current with evolving legislation changes newly enacted enforcement laws.

Managed and drafted internal and external agency contracts and tracking expiration and extension deadlines.

Routed contracts, policy amendments, and all other agency documents requiring review and signature from other Division managers and the Commissioner of Public Lands.

Managed and created complex monthly and quarterly performance and tracking reports.

Participated in Division budget tracking with the Chief and agency fiscal management personnel.

Reviewed and edited performance evaluations, and adhered to agency requirements for filing performance reviews with Human Resources.

Reviewed bills on behalf on the Chief, and escalated applicable bills to him for further review and participation when they involved bills which could potential impact DNR Police operations.

Responded to public records requests for DNR Law Enforcement which involved researching confidential emails, files, and other correspondence, and following State policy retention requirements maintaining records for Public Disclosure Requests.

Coordinated hiring logistics with Human Resources for recruiting and interviewing DNR Police Officers, including background checks, fingerprinting, drug and psychological competency testing.

Drafted and distributed agendas and participated in DNR Police meeting discussions, and enjoyed writing minutes to capture and assign action-items.

Coordinated all DNR Police training refresher logistics, including travel, room reservations, inviting speakers, and confirmed all arrangements were confirmed in advance.

Wrote letters for the Chief and other Executive Management Personnel, and proofread and edited all outgoing correspondence.

Acted as the SharePoint Administrator for the DNR Law Enforcement SharePoint site.

Tracked extensive inventory including firearms and Tasers and complied with bi-annual inventory reconciliation policies and procedures.

Acted as designated training coordinator for internal Division quarterly training refreshers, as well as required Law Enforcement training sessions for DNR employees who work in the field on DNR managed lands.

As Database Steward, trained personnel throughout agency on how to use an internal incident reporting database (IRAD).

Prepared required documents for authorizing issuance of Commission Cards from the Commissioner of Public Lands.

Also, provided executive-level support for the Senior Wildland Fire Investigators, and the Geoduck Compliance Dive Team.

In addition, this position provided support to the Recreation, Aquatics, and Safety Divisions as well statewide Wildland Fire Dispatchers.

This position handled highly confidential internal information systems such as Incident Reporting Database Agency Database (IRAD), Contracted Plate Search (Department of Licensing), and Accurint (subscription for background checks).

APPICABLE SUCCESSES: Worked closely with the Department of Natural Resources Safety Team to test and improve wheelchair accessibility practices and policies; Independently sought out and streamlined many internal procedures to improve efficiency of DNR Law Enforcement Division practices, including re-designing and formatting the DNR Law Enforcement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to include table of contents, and a complex color-coded Excel spreadsheet for tracking status and expiration dates of Commission Contracts with all 37 Washington state county Sheriff’s Offices; Took the initiative to re-design an agency-wide software database at DNR called the Initial Incident and Accident Reporting Database (IRAD) to make the system more intuitive for users, and useful for managers needing to gather critical data for tracking incidents, accidents, vandalism and loss of property on DNR managed public lands; Seamlessly accommodated increased workload associated with DNR Law Enforcement personnel growth as the number of police officers I supported more than doubled over the course of my ten-year employment.

COMPETENCIES

Proficient is MS Office Suite

SharePoint site management

Smartsheet training

Ability to learn new database and system applications quickly

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Excellent editing skills

Enthusiastic and organized

Team player

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Received award for “Providing Ten Years of Outstanding Contributions as Administrative Assistant 4 for the Department of Natural Resources Police”. – 2021

Received “Employee of the Year” award for providing “Excellent Administrative Assistant Support” to the Project Manager on the Licensing Application Migration Project (LAMP) at the WA Department of Licensing – 1997

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS

Here and Now Project https://hereandnowproject.org

Christoper and Dana Reeve Foundation https://christopherreeve.org

Safeplace Olympia https://safeplaceolympia.org

The Nature Conservancy https://nature.org

VOLUNTEERING EXPERIENCE

Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 2024

Thurston County Food Bank, 2024

Olympia Area Rowing Nutrition Coordinator, 2013-2016

Lincoln Options Elementary School Community Council Enrollment Chair, 2008-2015

Olympia United Soccer Club Uniform Coordinator, 2009-2012

Girl Scout Leader, 2005–2006