PROFESSIONAL WORK HISTORY

Nextier Advisors, LLC  and Switchback, LLC – Saint Joseph, IL December 2018 to Present – President/Co-Founder

Nextier Advisors, LLC is a privately held limited liability company (LLC) located in St. Joseph, Il and  founded in 2018. In February 2023 I leveraged a strategic partnership and created a new consulting firm called Switchback which enhanced the service offered to our clients. My firm’s service approach is focused on enhancing teamwork and performance through intentionally transparent conversations and solutions so we can help transform the world of work. We offer a variety of services designed to enhance the professional culture and impact of any organization while leveraging their current and past success. As the owner and co-founder, I focus on working with organizations who are dedicated to relationship building, continuous improvement, transparent solutions, and a culture committed to communication, execution, and trust. Using proprietary intellectual property developed throughout my career and through various strategic relationships, we provide services to both non-profit and for-profit clients. These services include strategic planning, team development, succession planning, business culture assessment and enhancement, executive coaching, executive level hiring support, workshop facilitation and training.

 orgSource – Chicago, IL January 2018 to Present – Senior Consultant (Contractor) 

.orgSource works directly with association leadership teams, providing strategies and data-driven solutions that reflect deep understanding of association challenges and approaches for overcoming them. As a Senior Consultant I am responsible for providing consulting services to a variety of clients in the areas of strategic planning, board development, governance, policy creations, learning management system selection and implementation, and general project management. Clients are primarily in the medical association and manufacturing sectors. The opportunity to join the team at .orgSource as a Senior Consultant was due to a relationship I forged when the company provided consulting services to my previous employer.

International Society of Arboriculture, Champaign IL – Director of Credentialing 2014 – December 2018

Director of Credentialing responsible for providing the direction and oversight of an internationally recognized ANSI/ISO accredited portfolio of professional credentials and programs. Reporting to the Executive Director and leading a team of nine employees, my responsibilities included translating organization and board directed goals into a global credentialing strategy and solution focused on enhancing the professional image of more than 44,000 global credential holders. I was a member of the ISA Executive Leadership team who worked directly with the ISA Board of Directors on strategic planning, budget development and the future direction of the organization.  Specific accomplishments included:

• Development and implementation of operational process improvements that decreased expenses by 7% while increasing revenue 22% year over year
• Contract negotiation and implementation of a third party off-site international printing solution which saved 20% of internal labor costs per year
• Served as the secretariat for the ANSI Z133:2017 – Safety Standard for Arboricultural Operations which included following proper ANSI requirements and the providing leadership to a global volunteer committee
• Developed the strategic direction and provided oversight for three global operational teams responsible for the implementation of tree climbing competitions in Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America
• Built relationships with ISA’s 65 global affiliates while providing oversight and guidance
• Developed necessary policy and procedures to enhance the professionalism and oversight of the department while building a sustainable foundation for the future
• Led a volunteer-based ISA Credentialing Council who had fiduciary responsibility for the oversight of all ISA global credentials
• Completed extensive international travel and speaking engagements
• Attended various international and domestic conferences as the representative of the International Society of Arboriculture Executive Leadership Team

FedEx Office, Champaign, IL – Lafayette, IN – Nashville, TN 2003 – 2014

Held progressive levels of Senior Leadership with responsibilities of leading up to 50 full-time and part-time employees as they exceeded center level sales and operational goals. Key responsibilities included training and supervising team members focused on delivering a great customer experience and operational excellence. Specific responsibilities included overseeing all aspects of human resources involving sourcing, hiring, team development, performance improvement, and coaching, being a member of the District Audit Team responsible for assessing and improving standard operating procedures, teamwork, and audit compliance across fifteen centers located in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and ensuring overall center and district operational and sales requirements were met. Overall performance resulted in receiving a Beacon Award for operational excellence from the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Office.

Specific positions held at FedEx Office: included:

• Interim District Manager – Nashville, TN – January 2014 – July 2014
• Senior Center Manager – Champaign, IL – October 2004 – January 2014
• Center Manager – Lafayette, IN – October 2003 – October 2004

Bowne Business Solutions, New York, NY – National Customer Service Manager 2000 – 2003

National Customer Service Manager responsible for the operational leadership of eight print centers across the United States. Directed a team of eight managers to ensure contractual obligations were exceeded while proper internal controls were developed, followed, and maintained. Was given the opportunity to join Bowne Business Solutions by building a professional relationship with my direct supervisor who recruited me to join Bowne when he left my previous employer, Xerox Business Solutions, in early 2000. Specific accomplishments included:

• The development and implementation of a print production model designed for overall process improvement and profitability
• Improving overall efficiency and profitability by 25% through team development, training, and leadership
• Helping to secure a contract renewal with a top investment bank that included the implementation of three new print centers in New York City
• Receiving the Shining Star Award for Team Member Retention while managing the largest print contract for Bowne Business Solutions in New York City.

Xerox Business Solutions, Indianapolis, IN – Client Services Manager 1998 – 2000

Client Services Manager leading twenty-five employees, at three different print centers, supporting the Eli Lilly account for Xerox Business Solutions. Was responsible for the printing and quality control of all materials and submissions to the Food and Drug Administration. This included meeting with key client executives daily to build the relationship and provide production updates, quality issue resolution, and ensure overall team performance against contractual obligations. Also directed the daily production process while identifying and implementing numerous process improvement opportunities.

EDUCATION

• Indiana University, Bloomington, IN – B.S., Kinesiology 1996
• Certified Myers Briggs Practitioner – February 2019
• Certified Myers-Briggs Strong Interest Inventory Practitioner – August 2019

Volunteer Leadership Opportunities

• Advisory Council Member – IndyCar Ministries – January 2023 – Present
• Head Varsity Tennis Coach – St. Joseph Ogden High School – August 2019 – Present
• Assistant Soccer Coach – St. Joseph Ogden High School – St. Joseph IL 2016- present
• President – St. Joseph Soccer Club – St. Joseph IL 2013- 2017
• Volunteer Coach – St. Joseph Soccer Club – St. Joseph IL 2010 – 2016
• FedEx Cares United Way Ambassador 2010 – 2014

Publications

• Western Arborist – Spring 2021 pp 20-22 “Harnessing the Passion of the Western Chapter Through Strategic Planning”

• Arborist News – February 2017 pp 36-39 “New Territory for Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Championship”

• Arborist News – October 2017 pp 55-57 “2017 ETCC – Safety and Education A Feature in Deventer”

• Arborist News – December 2017 pp 50-53 “Tree Climbing Along the Shore”

International and Domestic Public Speaking Opportunities

• Malaysian Society of Arborists, September 2018 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  “The Importance of Credentialing in Professional Arboriculture”
  “ISA Climber Specialist Credential Review and Updates”
• Trees and Utilities Conference, August 2018 Omaha, Nebraska
  “ISA Certified Arborist Utility Specialist Job Task Analysis Summary and Trends”
• The Arb Show, May 2018 Gloucestershire England
  “International Society of Arboriculture Update”
• ISA Western Chapter Annual Arboriculture Conference, April 2018 Santa Rosa, California
  “International Society of Arboriculture Update”
  “International Society of Arboriculture Credentialing Review”
• ISA Asia Pacific Tree Climbing Competition, November 2017 Perth, Australia
  “ISA Certified Arborist Climber Specialist Review and Program Update”
• ISA Hong Kong Tree Climbing Championship, November 2016 Kowloon, Hong Kong
  “Review of ISA Safety Standards and Credentialing”
• Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE), November 2016 Singapore
  “Overview of the ISA Z133 Safety Standard for Arboricultural Operations Development Process”
• ISA Western Chapter Annual Arboriculture Conference, April 2016 Anaheim, California
  “International Society of Arboriculture Update”
  “International Society of Arboriculture Credentialing Review”
• Taiwan Arborist Association (TWAS), May 2015 Taipei, Taiwan
  “International Society of Arboriculture and TWAS Partnership Review”
• Taiwan Arborist Association (TWAS), May 2015 Kaohsiung, Taiwan 
  “International Society of Arboriculture and TWAS Partnership Review”
• ISA Southern Chapter Annual Arboriculture Conference, March 2015 Biloxi, Mississippi
  “International Society of Arboriculture Update”

BLOG ARTICLES

 Arborisk Insurance – January 3, 2023 “Succession Planning”

 Arborisk Insurance – January 14, 2022 “Outlining A Career Path for Your Team”

 Arborisk Insurance – March 2022 “What is Company Culture Anyway?”

 Arborisk Insurance – March 2022 “Building Trust with Transparent and Intentional Communication”

 Arborisk Insurance – September 30, 2022 “Taking Your Team to New Heights by Planting a Tree”

 Arborisk Insurance – October 24, 2022 “Keeping Your Strategic Plan Alive”