Vice President, Regulatory, Legal, Governance
Resume:
KIM ELISE CHRISTIANSEN
Owasso, Oklahoma 74055
Home/Cell: 469-***-**** *********@*****.***
SUMMARY
Senior Management professional with experience in academia, public and private sectors. Areas of expertise include strategic planning, governance, governmental relations, project management, process improvement, human resource management, legal counseling, budget management and customer service. Proven leader with strong strategic, organizational, analytical, problem solving, communication and relationship management skills. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, Current, Managing Director, Governance, business and Product Strategies.
• Provided expertise and insight for over 900-member electric cooperatives in h Business and Technology Strategies Management Services, focusing on assisting NRECA’s membership with governance and related issues.
• Provides support, including continual and on-going governance conversations can support, improve and make the cooperative model stronger. Kim collaborates with several NRECA partners and external partners. Her focus is to make high performing governance second nature.
• Created and deployed leadership training in the five fundamentals of leadership developed pver years of experience.
• Created and deployed governance assessment strategies to improve governance in member cooperatives
• Created and deployed risk management programing across the nation, focusing on provided enterprise-wide risk management and assessment in a program that was scalable, systematic, comprehensive and continuous.
NEBRASKA RURAL ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION- 2017-2019- General Manager and Executive Vice President
• Overall Management of a 34 member-strong association of public power districts and electric cooperatives.
• Cultivated relationships with members, member boards, member employees.
• Cultivated relationships with external stakeholders and associations, both industry and non- industry; including, but not limited to, NPPD, OPPD, Farm Bureau, etc.
• Assess and create responsive strategies for the needs of the industry in rural Nebraska.
• Worked with RESMA and regional statewide managers for cooperative solutions.
• Created and presented to internal and external groups on issues of concern or interest.
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• Responsible for employee oversight, engagement and management. KANSAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES, INC. 2014-2017 Director of Government Relations and Legal Counsel
• Created strategies to meet legislative and regulatory needs of membership.
• Crafted and developed a program for election awareness and cooperative political influence across the state.
• Represented electric cooperatives in numerous aspects of legislative, policy and regulatory bodies.
• Worked extensively with state and federal legislative delegations on issues of interest to Kansas electric cooperatives
• Responsible for monitoring state and federal legislation and agency initiatives to ensure cooperative interests were served
• Worked with national cooperative organization for training, grassroots outreach and legal filing requirements
• Created and developed training opportunities
• Created new video platform for legislative updates to add to member service Worked with the 18-member Agricultural Alliance group to coordinate legislative efforts. Served in increasingly responsible leadership roles, culminating as President of the Alliance. KANSAS CORPORATION COMMISSION, Topeka, KS 2013 -2014 (retired) Executive Director
• Worked with industry leaders to develop strategies to address changing needs and addresses challenges.
• Appointed to Agency with well-publicized issues to ensure agency functions and operations returned to normal to serve Kansans Provided leadership for all aspects of management of a multi-million-dollar agency
• Responsible for agency agenda / inquiries/ response to Kansas Legislature.
• Coordinated response to and act with Federal agencies as applicable. Developed relationships with federal, state and local officials to provide timely and reliable legal and administrative insights and opinions. Headed legislative planning and action group for the agency.
• Assisted state, local and other groups to create new policy and ensure current policy is timely and meets state needs. Served as an appointee on various task forces for decision making and compliance for the state of Kansas.
• Created and provided a variety of highly effective presentations on legal and agency matters
• Responsible for employee oversight, engagement and management. KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Topeka, KS 2012-2013 Assistant Secretary / General Counsel
• Worked with internal staff and with external stakeholders to assess situations and develop strategic initiatives or new orders, roles or processes to address changing needs.
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• Served on the Secretary’s management team, making decisions and coordinate responses to agency needs Acted as the substitute for the Secretary as needed, including speeches, seminars, national and regional meetings, etc.
• Created agency regulatory response agenda and process, including settlement conferences, etc. under the Kansas Act for Judicial Review and Kansas Administrative Procedure Act.
• Coordinated legal advice and response on all aspects of agency needs. Co-lead agency governmental and legislative group, including working with stakeholders, drafting legislation, testimony, and appearing before legislative committees.
• Served as the supervisor for all Human Resource related issues for the agency. Developed relationships with federal state and local officials to provide timely and reliable legal and administrative insights and opinions.
• Assisted state, local and other groups to create new policy and ensure current policy is timely and meets state needs. Created and provided a variety of highly effective presentations on legal and agency matters.
• Responsible for employee oversight, engagement and management. KANSAS WATER OFFICE, Topeka, KS 2006 – 2012 General Counsel
• Provided legal advice on all levels and areas of administrative concerns.
• Advised concerning personnel, contracts, budget, hiring, legal mandates and polices for the Kansas Water Office and the State of Kansas.
Negotiated multi-million-dollar contracts. Coordinate legal services and response with other state agencies. Provided legal review and assistance to individuals, committees or groups, concerning employment, agricultural, telecommunications, contracts, real estate, student concern, labor, and Constitutional issues.
• Provided leadership and advice in all areas of Kansas Water Office, including personnel issues; governance issues; conflicts and issues; harassment and discrimination issues.
• Federal Congressional Liaison for the Kansas Natural Resources Subcabinet. Organized response to inquiries from the Congressional delegation. Organized and planned visits to delegation in Washington DC. Planned issue briefings with delegation staff in Kansas, including regular GLANCE sessions.
• Administered Kansas Natural Resources Subcabinet Dispute Resolution Program. Mediator and arbitrator for disputes across the state. Organized informational training on dispute resolution, including CLE credit for attendance.
• Developed relationships with federal state and local officials to provide timely and reliable legal and administrative insights and opinions.
• Assisted state, local and other groups to create new policy and ensure current policy is timely and meets state needs. Coordinated legislative “on-the-hill” meetings.
• Worked extensively with the reorganization of the Basin Advisory committee structure including revising or developing policy, visiting all committees to explain changes, developing reorganization strategies, and creating basic training for committee and committee leadership.
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• Made effective legislative presentations. Supervised, train and mentor four staff. Managed a
$21 million budget. Created tracking systems.
• Responsible for employee oversight, engagement and management. USD #443, DODGE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Dodge City, KS 2004 – 2006 Director of Human Resources
• Directed human resource activities to include employee relations, staffing, benefits administration and grievances for 1400 employees.
• Developed and implemented new processes for advertisement, recruitment and hiring. Resolved issues dealing with the District’s self-funded insurance program.
• Implemented, improved and provided training on worker’s compensation issues, decreasing overall costs and premiums.
• Represented District in unemployment related administrative hearings. Led implementation of new Human Resources software components.
• Created new procedures and cross-trained other areas to increase effectiveness.
• Advised senior management on personnel; athletic; governance; labor relations team management; student conflicts and issues; harassment and discrimination issues.
• Responsible for employee oversight, engagement and management. FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY, Hays, KS 1999 - 2004 General Counsel and Executive Assistant to the President
• Provided legal and administrative services and advise on all levels and areas of administrative concerns.
Advised executive concerning personnel; athletic; governance; labor relations team management; student conflicts and issues; harassment and discrimination issues.
• Provided legal review and assistance concerning employment, agricultural, telecommunications, contracts, real estate, student concern, labor, and Constitutional issues.
• Participated in legislative initiatives, including drafting legislation and worked with stakeholders for passage. Provided administrative advice concerning instruction, personnel, union activities and negotiation of contracts, budget, hiring and other related issues, legal mandates and polices for the University, Kansas Board of Regents and the State of Kansas.
• Fort Hays State University appointee for various community efforts, coordination or boards to develop economic or related issues for the City of Hays, and Ellis County area. Developed relationships with campus personnel and administrators to provide timely and reliable legal and administrative insights and opinions.
• Worked with community contacts to provide assistance to the University.
• Chaired Campus Crisis Response Team; and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Committee and response.
Developed and presented HIPAA training for both on and off campus groups. FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY, Hays, KS 2001 – 2018 Instructor: College of Business and Leadership.
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College Arts and Sciences; and College of Health and Life Sciences
• Taught Employment Law: College of Business and Leadership; Marketing and Management; Virtual College: Fort Hays State University Taught “Current Political Issues,” a general education courses open to all students in the Department of Political Science.
• Guest Lecturer in the College of Education’s course in Education or School law.
• Developed and taught Agricultural Law.
• Developed and presented, on behalf of or for the benefit of, Fort Hays State University, a series of training programs for FHSU personnel and to provide as a service to other interested groups and units, including, but not limited to, “Basic Employment Training for Administrators,” “HIPAA compliance,” and “Harassment and Discrimination.” Lecturer on various legal and educational issues.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, History, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS (6 minors) Master of Education in Education Administration and Supervision, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS
Juris Doctorate, Law, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS SELECTED CONSULTING / PRESENTATIONS
Frequent speaker at Kansas and Nebraska Annual cooperative meetings
Kansas Cooperative Attorney Continuing Legal Seminar: Coordinator and issues/topic presenter
Spring Conference of the Kansas Environmental Health Association
Kansas Association of Conservation Districts: Parliamentary Procedure
Kansas Water Authority: Parliamentary Procedure
Kansas Water Authority, Basin Advisory Committees; Making Meetings Meaningful
USD 281, Hill City, Child Abuse and the Internet
Kansas Association of School Boards: Recruiting and Retaining High Quality Teachers
Northwest Kansas Educational Cooperative: Child Abuse- It takes a Village
U.S.D. 443, Dodge City, Kansas: In-service: Teacher Evaluation U.S.D. 388, Ellis, Kansas, In Service, Harassment and Discrimination Fort Hays State University Senior Companion Program, HIPAA,
Northwest Kansas Administrators Association, Computer Security and HIPAA Kansas Association of County Treasurers, Legal Issues
Kansas Association of County Treasurers, Discrimination and Harassment
Kansas Association of County Treasurers, Computer Security
Kansas Association of Secondary School Administrators; HIPAA
Kansas Association of Secondary School Administrators; Computer Security Jennings Unified School District, Computer Security, Harassment and Discrimination Fort Hays State University, Campus wide HIPAA training
Northwest Kansas Educational Cooperative, Oakley, Kansas, Child Abuse and Neglect forum and training,
USD 395, La Crosse, Harassment and Discrimination issues
Kansas Department of Environment, Strategic Planning Meeting, facilitator
Kansas Wildlife and Parks, Public Forum Mediator PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
o Kansas Agricultural Alliance member. President-2016-7; Secretary-Treasurer 2014-15; Vice President 2015-2016 o Electric Cooperative
Bar member of Kansas Electric Cooperative
Bar Coordinator of Kansas Bar Association of
Topeka Bar Association
o Women Attorney Association of Topeka o Countryside United Methodist Church, Trustee o Countryside United Methodist Church, Vision Team of Phi Kappa Phi o Kansas Water Authority Planning Committee, Chair o National Association of College and University Attorneys
o Member: Committee on Continuing Legal Education and Training Moderated: Lawyers New to NACUA training sessions (2001-2002) Member: Committee on Membership and Service (2002-
2003) o Local Workforce Investment Board, Area One, Western Kansas o Local Work Force Investment Board Foundation Corporation, President
o Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development, Ex-officio member, Chair: By laws Review and
Revision Committee of Downtown Hays Development Corporation Board of Directors of Fort Hays State University Campus Crisis Response Committee, Chair
o Fort Hays State University Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Compliance Committee, Chair
REFERENCES
Mr. Pat Pope, President and CEO, Nebraska Public Power District, 1414 15th Street, Columbus, NE 68602;
Ms. Shelley Shaling-Zart, Vice President and General Counsel, Lincoln Electric Service, 1040 O St. Lincoln, NE 68508-0869; 402-***-****
Ms. Laura Maag Lutz, Senior manager of Government affairs, Evergy, 818 S Kansas Avenue, Topeka KS 66612’ 785-***-****
Mr. Tom Day, Legislative Administrative Services Director Kansas Legislature State Capitol Topeka KS;
Mr. Darin Lynch, Regional Vice President, CFC, Dulles, VA; 515-***-**** Ms. Morgan Smith, Government Relations Advisor, Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Westminster, CO; 720-***-****
Mr. David F. Holthaus KEC Vice-President of Government Relations (retired) 3636 SW Stonybrook Drive Topeka, KS 66614 **************@*****.***; 785-***-**** Ms. Mary McCall, Financial Officer, Nebraska Rural Electric Association; 402-***-****
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