Companies

Mindgruve | Raising Cane's

UT Arlington | US Army

Mindgruve

(Formerly Levelwing)

Full-service marketing agency with 60+ employees across 15 states and 2 countries and 2 office locations with 8-figure revenue. The agency serves clients in automotive aftermarket, automotive service, quick-serve restaurant and consumer packaged goods industries among others.

My Story at Mindgruve (formerly Levelwing)

When I joined Levelwing to lead Creative Operations, the department was facing high turnover, weak interdepartmental communication, and limited trust between Creative and Account teams. I focused on stabilizing the team by improving workflows, increasing transparency, and addressing team dynamics head-on.

Through targeted process improvements and stronger cross-team collaboration, we reduced voluntary turnover by nearly 60%, rebuilt trust between departments, and delivered more consistent, efficient creative output. These operational gains also opened the door for new organic social clients and improved pricing structures that directly boosted revenue.

As a result, I was promoted to lead operations across the agency. In this broader role, I implemented learning and development programs to grow leadership capabilities, applied Six Sigma principles to improve the employee lifecycle, and strengthened communication frameworks that broke down silos and fostered greater collaboration.

Director of Operations

January 2023 - Present

San Diego, CA (Remote)

• Part of a high-performing leadership team responsible for 35+% YOY revenue growth

• Planned and led multiple agency-wide Summits aimed at upskilling internal talent, building team cohesion, improving overall team member retention and organizational buy-in.

• Led a team restructuring initiative to align skills with client needs, resulting in improved service delivery and 50%+ reduction in team member turnover.

• Developed and led an Emerging Leaders training program for junior leaders, training 14 team members in a year with 93% retention rate for graduates.

• Created a manager-focused Standards of Operation document, establishing check-in cadences and aligning multi-level leadership expectations with overall organizational strategy.

• Designed a strategic framework for the employee lifecycle standardizing the candidate experience, onboarding, in-position management, and separation processes to improve efficiency and ensure consistency for all employees.

• Developed a critical response communications framework to standardize organization-wide emergency communications.

Operational leader reporting to president/founder; managing Operations, IT, HR, and office management functions and leading organization-wide management and operational initiatives.

Additional Roles

Director of Creative Operations

August 2021 to December 2022

Raising Cane's

Raising Cane's is one of the fastest-growing quick-service restaurant chains in the U.S., achieving 10-figure annual sales, consistent double-digit year-over-year growth, and recognition as one of Glassdoor's Top 50 Best Places to Work. During my time at Raising Cane's we grew from 250 restaurants to over 600 and were recognized by numerous organizations, including Gartner for Excellence in Communications.

Senior Manager, Communications (Multimedia)

March 2018 to August 2021

Plano, TX

• Instrumental in executing internal communications functions that contributed to a +49% increase in Average Unit Volume (AUV) over five years.

• Sourced, hired, and managed 50+ vendors for over 150 projects internationally.

• Produced and managed logistics for 20+ operations-focused conferences in 10 states, resulting in a 20% increase in organizational revenue and achieving an all-time high employee satisfaction.

• Implemented a safety video campaign that led to a 60% reduction in workplace injuries, saving over $1,000,000 annually.

• Collaborated with Founder/Co-CEO and COO/Co-CEO to effectively tell the organizational story and inspire crew members through video and in-person speeches, contributing to multiple company culture recognitions by Glassdoor, Dallas Top Places to Work, and Gartner.

• Oversaw the production of 200+ video and photography projects annually, ensuring brand alignment and successful creative development across multiple departments.

• Part of team recognized by Gartner Communications for Global Excellence in Communications in 2021.

One of three Senior Managers reporting to the Senior Director of Communications supporting operational communications for 40K+ employees across 2 corporate offices and 500+ restaurants in 29 states and 5 countries with weekly support to CEO/COO.

My Story at Raising Cane's

When I joined Raising Cane’s, the company relied on costly external vendors for video production, often resulting in long timelines and creative that didn’t reflect the brand’s internal vision. Within my first three months, I transitioned production in-house, delivering over $100K in annual savings, increasing speed of delivery, and giving leadership greater creative control.

As I built trust with the Founder/Co-CEO and COO/Co-CEO through consistent delivery and strategic insight, I expanded the scope of our in-house capabilities. My role grew to include live event production, and eventually broader support across Training & Development, Marketing, and other departments. These efforts led to my promotion to Senior Manager and the continued growth of the internal production team.

Additional Roles

Producer, Communications (Multimedia)

March 2016 to March 2018

The University of Texas at Arlington

UT Arlington is the second-largest institution in the UT System. During my time at UT Arlington, the university experienced significant growth, becoming one of the fastest-growing public universities in Texas, achieving record-high enrollment, expanding research expenditures, and earning recognition as a top-tier research institution.

Director, Marketing Communications (Multimedia)

November 2012 to March 2016

Arlington, TX

• Expanded the multimedia team from 2 full-time equivalents (FTE) and 2 part-time employees (PTE) to 5 FTE and 4 PTE over two years recognized with multiple awards.

• Led team to produce over 500 photography assignments and 250 video shoots for campus publications, web and social media usage, managing more than 1,000 non-professional talent across 500+ unique locations.

• Spearheaded multimedia content strategy and execution across multiple channels, ensuring brand consistency and alignment with organizational objectives.

• Managed technical direction and logistical planning for 70 live events, delivering 700+ video assets and graphics while ensuring effective message delivery for audiences of up to 5,000 attendees.

• Acted as departmental account manager leading project intake and management among organizational clients, production teams, and external vendors to achieve strategic brand messaging goals.

• Team recognized for excellence in production with numerous Council for Advancement of Secondary Education (CASE) and both Telly Bronze and Silver awards.

One of four director-level leaders reporting to the Associate Vice President of Marketing overseeing a team of 9 employees with monthly interaction with university leadership. Marketing Communications functioned as an in-house agency supporting the three main revenue driving functions of the university: student enrollment, alumni development and legislative appropriations.

Assistant Director, Marketing Communications (Multimedia)

August 2011 to November 2012

Content Producer, Marketing Communications (Multimedia)

May 2010 to August 2011

My Story at UT Arlington

At UT Arlington, I joined the Video Services department as a part-time, freelance producer during a period of organizational change. At the time, the VP of Communications and AVP of Marketing were evaluating a complete overhaul of how the team functioned. I collaborated with senior marketing and creative leaders to shift the team’s focus from event coverage to strategic, social-first content.

We began by shifting our focus from traditional news-style event coverage to online-first storytelling—producing engaging digital content for the university magazine. From there, we evolved into a content team focused on social-first, marketing-driven video that elevated UT Arlington’s brand and audience engagement.

This repositioning supported the university’s broader marketing goals, earned multiple industry awards and garnered widespread internal recognition. Ultimately, this strategic pivot and collaborative leadership approach led to my promotion to Director of the newly formed Multimedia Department within 2.5 years.

Additional Roles

US Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Officers lead mission success through strategic planning, effective resource management, and execution of large-scale operations that support national defense and community resilience. Officers receive extensive training in engineering principles, project management, leadership, and logistics to excel in both military and civilian applications.

Operations Officer (Operations Director Equivalent)

August 2008 to February 2010

Various International Locations

Directed daily operations and missions for a 25-member team at a combat outpost, including advising and training Iraqi Border Enforcement personnel. Focused on fostering operational efficiency, enhancing border security strategies, and building strong cross-cultural partnerships to achieve mission objectives.

Executive Officer (Deputy Director Equivalent)

January 2008 to August 2008

Served as second-in-command for a 100-member organization, overseeing $30M in assets. Drove improvements in operational readiness, ensured compliance with safety standards, and managed risk at training sites, resulting in enhanced efficiency and mission success.

My Story in the US Army

During my four and half years in the Army, I was selected for and successfully completed four of the military’s most rigorous training programs, each with pass rates as low as 20%, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and leadership under pressure. I led over 30 Soldiers in both Korea and the U.S., gaining valuable leadership experience. After training in counter-insurgency tactics, I deployed to Iraq, where I provided critical training to the Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement and oversaw operations at a combat outpost, further honing my ability to lead in high-stakes environments.

Platoon Leader (Operations Manager Equivalent)

February 2007 to January 2008

Led a 30-person unit, driving the team's operational readiness and overseeing the logistical coordination of up to 25 vehicles valued at over $26M. Focused on fostering accountability, optimizing operational efficiency, and ensuring compliance with safety and risk management standards. My leadership helped maintain high performance across the team, supporting mission success in complex environments.

Human Resources Manager

July 2006 to February 2007

Led a 5-person team of HR specialists in the review and auditing of 17 reporting units’ personnel strength reports for 10K+ soldiers across three installations optimizing HR reporting.