Program Assistant Paralegal
Resume:
BARNEDIA T. NICKERSON
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
********@***.***
PROFILE
Nineteen plus years experience as a Federal Government Paralegal Specialist. Manage the Financial Disclosure Management (FDM) system to provide advice and counseling to employees on a limited basis, to include Financial Disclosure Reports (OGE 450 and OGE 278), to include reviewing and certifying the reports (New Entrant and Annual), Implements the policies and procedures for the financial disclosure report program, Offer procedural guidance to personnel to ensure compliance with law practices (ethics and standards of conduct), Advise management and employees on policies and procedures related to Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Detail oriented and skilled in strategic processes to manage daily operations in an ethics legal office, High working knowledge of ethics legal office, as well as maintaining excellent written and oral communication skills and understands the high level of confidentiality. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA) Office of General Counsel, GS-0950-12
Falls Church, VA
Paralegal Specialist (7/2001 - Present)
● FDM and Integrity point of contact (POC) for the DHA's approximately 900 filers, Register the supported organizations and manage the organizational filers and supervisors, Inform filers and supervisors of the initial and annual filing requirements, provide extensions to filers, notify filers, supervisors and agency directors of delinquent filers within their directorates, complete the initial review of filer reports.
● Process, reviews, and analyzes confidential financial disclosure reports (OGE Form 450s and 278) that are submitted by Department of Defense Employees, as well as Special Government Employees, in accordance with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) financial disclosure regulations. This requires researching activities and companies listed on the reports. Contact filers and ask questions for missing or inconsistent information, and recommend ethics remedies for problems discovered. Certifies complete and accurate reports.
● Recommends and implements policies and procedures for the functioning and maintenance of the financial disclosure report systems.
● Provides technical assistance to management and administrative offices regarding coverage of the financial disclosure requirements, the distribution and collections of reports, and other elements of the ethics program.
● Out-process department employees who are retiring, resigning and/or PCSing.
● Research legal issues, gather data on corporations, mutual funds, and other financial interests.
● Assists in implementing programs for training Department employees in the ethics laws, regulations and policies
● Perform other related functions of the office, as assigned.
● Provides technical advice and oversight to employees on a variety of matters including civilian pay (ATAAPS), Government Purchase Card (GPC), and follows issues through resolution.
● Served as government functional oversight official for OGC FC contractor employees.
● Exhibits excellent eye for detail skills to prepare and disseminate information which includes preparing 1353 Report, Semi-annual reports of payment for travel and related expenses received from non-federal sources, Office of Government Employment (OGE) Annual Agency Ethics Program Questionnaire to Standards of Conduct Office (SOCO), Extensive information about DHA's ethics program
● Ensures all reports are submitted timely.
● Manage Annual Ethics Training (AET) in FDM
● Ethics training POC for DHA, inform filers and supervisors of the initial and annual filing requirements, Notify filers of mandatory need to complete AET, Assist with registering and notifying filers, provide dates of in-person training.
● Dealing with PII daily, Financial Disclosure reports are viewed and talked about behind closed doors, reports are locked away in a secure location at the end of the day United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources and Conservation Service
Program Assistant, Budget Division (June 2000 - July 2001) Washington, DC 20250
● Expert in providing guidance, training, task delegation and oversight to administrative staff
● Prepare, submit, and maintain copies of employee travel card application
● Timekeeper, input time for staff
● Independently managed and paid vendor invoices
● POC for mailroom, sort and distribute mail to staff United States Department of Agriculture
Office of General Counsel, General Law Division
Paralegal Specialist (1999 - June 2000)
Washington, DC 20250
● Project Leader in the development and design of the case tracking system
● Ensuring all cases and complaints were logged and accounted for
● Provided written and oral assistance to staff
Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
CASA - Volunteer (1996 - 2001)
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
● Advocate for abused and neglected children in the family court system.
● Expert in analyzing information and drawing conclusions
● Worked in the best interest of the child/children, researched and summarized factual aspects of cases, analyzed reports, gave testimony, interviews, and responses to complaints
● Conducted investigations, examined records of the court and accounts by social services, doctors, and lawyers
● Was instrumental in having biological father's parental rights terminated, to keep his children together to be adopted by their current foster parents United States Department of Agriculture
Office of Finance and Management
Budget Assistant (1994 - 1999)
Washington, DC 20250
● Assistant to the Department's Budget Officer and 11 Budget Analysts
● Managing, reviewing, and maintaining budget files
● Prepared spreadsheets, tables, and narrative data on budget execution, formulation, and presentation.
EDUCATION
Germanna Community College, Locust Grove, VA (May 1987) Miscellaneous courses (Computer classes, English, Math) Spotsylvania High (graduate), Spotsylvania, VA (June 1984) REFERENCES
Available upon request
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