DARA GRIMES

Mobile: 818-***-**** * Email: paesen@r.postjobfree.com

TOUR MANAGER/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/PERSONAL ASSISTANT

A dependable professional team player with more than 10+ years of experience in providing well organized, effective coordination and comprehensive support to musicians, actors, directors and tour managers in music, television and film industries. Highly adaptable, discreet, loyal, thorough and detail oriented. Will travel. A team player that can work independently. Accustomed to meeting tight deadlines.

Technical Skills

65 WPM, Fast Notes, PC literate/MAC proficient: Windows, Microsoft Word, Excel, FileMaker Pro, Entourage, Now up to Date, Palm/Blackberry/ iPhone, QuickBooks, PowerPoint, MS Outlook, E-Mail, Internet savvy and MAC laptop owner.

ARAD, INC., Los Angeles, CA (various locations) December 1998 - Present

Tour Manager/Road Manager: (Jennifer Lopez, Babyface, Boz Scaggs, Usher, ELO,

LeAnn Rimes, Eric Benet, Billy Idol, Heather Headley, Talib Kweli, Jamie Foxx, The Colors of Christmas, R. Kelly, Angie Stone, Mary Mary, Patrice Rushen & Friends, The Cult, Michael Forever Tribute (A Tribute to Michael Jackson, Cardiff Wales) (Detailed touring resume attached)

• President of tour related services in the music entertainment field.

• Serves as project manager for special projects (plan, coordinate and oversee all logistics with various vendors regarding travel, hotel accommodations, private jet charters and bus charters and local ground transportation.

• Provide direct and administrative services to various artists and artist representatives.

• Responsible for the creation and dissemination of communication to all tour personnel.

• Oversee day-to-day operations of the tour while on the road.

• Provide procedural changes and updates.

• Create budgets, accounting, and box office settlements.

• Perform light production and promotional duties when necessary.

• Coordinate supervision of catering, dressing room and security arrangements on site.

• Recruit and hire, train and supervise touring staff.

• Manage touring staff.

Babyfingers, Inc., Pasadena, CA September 2002- Present

Executive Assistant to Musical Director/Keyboardist Patrice Rushen (Employed per project basis)

• Provided full administrative and personal support to music director during various award and tribute shows (2011 Mary J. Blige/FFAWN Honors NYC, 46th & 47th Annual Grammy Awards, 25th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival, 2002 & 2004 BET Awards, BET Walk of Fame (Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & Aretha Franklin) 2002-2004, A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at the Hollywood Bowl –2003).

• Served as a liaison to producers, talent coordinators, script supervisors, musicians and network production staff.

• Scheduled, coordinated and attended all studio-recording sessions, music rehearsals.

• Provided daily administrative support to include but not limited to (creating and modifying documents in Microsoft Office, photocopying, faxing, mailing, and filing.)

• Prepared, managed and reconciled all project receipts.

Azoff Music Management, Los Angeles, CA August 2004- September 2004

Executive Assistant to Christina Aguilera

• Served as a day-to-day management point person to include but not limited to serving as a liaison to (business manager, publicists, personal manager, travel agents, designers, stylists, record label executives on client’s behalf).

• Responsible for scheduling and coordinating all travel arrangements (private charters), hotel reservations and ground transportation. Traveled with client to various destinations.

• Prepared specific project budgets (promotional tours) and reconciled all petty cash receipts.

• Answered and screened all business calls. Responded to calls on behalf of the client.

• Responsible for researching industry trends and updating client with information.

Tennessee Bloom, Los Angeles, CA October 2000 – June 2001

Executive/Personal Assistant to Actress Elise Neal (UPN’s “The Hughley’s” and “All of Us”)

• Provided daily personal errands to include but not limited to (shopping, dog walking, picking up dry cleaning, light banking, mailings).

• Worked from home office and studio (UPN) locations.

• Provided daily administrative support (answering telephones, filing, light typing, generated memos and other correspondence

• Served as a liaison to business managers, talent agent, manager, attorneys and UPN studio staff.

Nucleus Entertainment. Los Angeles, CA May 2000 – September 2000

Executive Assistant to feature Director F. Gary Gray (The Negotiator, Man Apart, The Italian Job)

• Managed a household staff in an estate office and organized household duties to include but not limited to (generating grocery lists, scheduling house hold maintenance repairs, catering business meetings).

• Created filing systems, script- logging system, production projects board.

• Served as an office manager (tracking and ordering office supplies and ordering office equipment and furniture.

• Took initiative in CEO’s absence.

• Responsible for all scheduling and the generation of correspondence.

• Supervised two office staff assistants and several household staff.

• Responsible for creating invoices and tracked expenses.

• Provided daily administrative support (creating hard and electronic filing systems, answering heavy telephones, faxing, emailing, mailing and photocopying).

FM Rocks, Los Angeles, CA April 1999- May 2000

Assistant to the Director (Tim Story):

• Responsible for preparing daily schedules.

• Attended casting sessions and production meetings.

• Responsible for all personal tasks.

• Returned telephone calls.

• Prepared visual concepts for music videos.

• Coordinated meetings between art directors and story board artists.

• Attended production meetings, telecine, editing and online sessions.

John Levy Enterprises, Inc., Altadena, CA January 1998 – November 1999

Assistant (Client roster: Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, NicoleYarling and Vanessa Rubin

• Reviewed and prepared contract and technical rider for clients.

• Placed information calls to various booking agents.

• Responsible for updating computers with client appointments and meetings.

• Prepared press kits for new artist distribution.

• Prepared client billing statements.

Sager Management, Los Angeles, CA October 1997 – May 1998

Assistant

• Answered heavy phones.

• Confirmed client’s appointments.

• Maintained daily records of client projects.

• Coordinated all travel.

• Performed daily administrative tasks (typing, generated all correspondence, filing, faxing, photocopying and receipt tracking.)

Other Production Experience

The 54th Emmy Awards

Talent Assistant

9/19/02 – 9/22/02

Contact: Caprise Areola

2002 Latin Grammy Awards (Cossette Productions)

Staff and Crew Credentials

9/15/02 – 9/18/02

2002 Lady of Soul Awards – (Don Corneilus Productions)

Talent Credentials

8/22/02 – 8/24/02

Education

1997- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (MSW Social Work)

1995 – Howard University, Washington, DC (BS Psychology)

DARA GRIMES

Mobile: 818-***-**** * Email: paesen@r.postjobfree.com

Handled tours for various artists, arranged all travel (domestic and international), hotel accommodations, transportation, green room, private jet reservations to ensure smooth tours and travel for a variety of artists; created budgets, accounting, box office settlements, prepared call sheets, arranged per diems, provided personal and executive assistant duties, management liaison, coordinated supervision of catering, dressing room and security arrangements and assisted with travel, hotel and ground transportation in accordance with artist requirements.

• Tour Manager, Michael Forever Tribute (A Tribute to Michael Jackson) (Global Live) – August 2011 – October 11, 2011

• Tour Manager, The Cult, European Tour (London & Co) – June 2010 – November 2010.

(Employed per project basis)

• Tour Manager, Patrice Rushen & Friends (Babyfingers, Inc) – April 2010 – Present

(Employed per project basis)

• Tour Manager, Mary Mary (A Song for Mary Mary, Inc) - June 2009 – July 2010

• Tour Manager, Angie Stone (Halo Ink, Inc) - (October 2007 – June 2009)

• Tour Manager, Usher (J Patton Ent.) – January 2009 (Sony Event Las Vegas, NV)

• Asst. Tour Manager & Production Assistant, R. Kelly “DOUBLE UP TOUR” (R. Kelly Touring, Inc) - (11/21/07 – 01/ 13/08)

• Tour Manager, Talib Kweli (Talibra, Inc) - (11/15/06 – 06 /30/ 07)

• Tour Manager, Heather Headley Azoff Music Mgmt/ (OSSUM ONE, Inc) -

(12/1/05 – 7/30/07) (Promotional Tour/Showcase/Change Your World Tour w/ Anthony Hamilton (Employed per project basis.)

• Tour Manager, Eric Benét (Smitty Boykin, Inc) - (11/14/05 – 02/28/06)

• Road Manager, Jamie Foxx (Minor Productions, Inc)

(Mix Power Summit Show & Oprah Winfrey Show) Employed Per Project Basis.

• Tour Manager, Babyface (ECAF, Inc)

(Japan Tour (9/04 – 11/04) including Zepp Tokyo and Blue Note – Tokyo/Osaka, Summer Fest Tour in Indianapolis, Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit, (7/04), St Lucia Jazz Festival, (4/04 – 5/04) NBA All Star Magic Johnson Event

• Asst. Tour Manager, Babyface (ECAF, Inc) (08/97 – 05/04) Managed Face2Face Japan Tour/U.S. Promo Tour (6/01 – 2/02) which included 4 trucks, 5 buses and 55 tour personnel and special events performances featuring Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder which had 37 tour personnel and 3 trucks. (8/97 – 6/98)

• Road Manager, The Color of Christmas - (11/03 – 12/03)

(Managed U.S, Tour featuring Peabo Bryson, Natalie Cole, Christopher Cross, Sheena Easton and Jon Secada)

• Road Manager, Billy Idol - (6/03 – 10/03)

(Managed U.S, tour including 3 buses, 2 trucks and 25 tour personnel.)

• Road Manager, LeAnn Rimes, Twisted Angel Tour: (9/02 – 2/03)

(Managed the U.S, and European promotional tour.)

• Road Manager, ELO: Tour (4/01 – 7/01)

(Managed Electric Light Orchestra’s VH1 Storytellers and PBS Concert Event/Spring)

• Road Manager, Boz Scaggs: - (5/00 – 7/00)

(Managed Summer Tour with 28 tour personnel)

• Road Manager, Jennifer Lopez: Managed MTV, VH1 Fashion Awards, Billboard Awards and European Tour including one private jet and 28 tour personnel (9/99 – 12/99) and On the Six Promotional Tour including 20 tour personnel. (5/99 – 6/99)

Education

1997- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (MSW, Social Work)

1995 – Howard University, Washington, DC (BS, Psychology)

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