Adonica Davis
Associate Business Manager
New Orleans,LA
Summary
Essential contributor, analytically driven extensively experienced budgeting, financial reporting, grants & contracts specialist.. Over a decade of high producing, tactical skills that scale. Proactive and experienced in cancer research clinical trial lifecycle management, increasing strategic processes and efficiency, acquisitions, contracts, compliance, and legal environments. Ensures seamless processes with emphasis on in risk mitigation and compliance. Institutional regulations and policies at the forefront, having extensive negotiation expertise, communication and creative skills required to complete complex projects and transactions. Extremely adaptable to cross functional workloads and settings, with a strong background in business and science, conveying a multifunctional talent necessary in a robust, ever changing world.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
Work History
Grants & Contracts Specialist
LSU LCMC Cancer Center
2024 - Current
- NCI Designation oursuit individual contributor, under direct supervision and working alongside the Director of Contracts Management.
- Re-engineered business processes from predecessor, the Associate Business Manager and specifically assigned their tasks by previous Chief Administrative Officer due to LSU's assessment of my capabilities, initiative, and interest in the role. Clear ability to lead and excel in this role with minimal assistance, streamlined and made processes, communication, turn-around-times, and decision making more efficient, increasing production and collaboration with stakeholders.
- Clinical trial lifecycle project management from study start-up through activation to close-out with 37 currenty being managed
- Overseeing all pharmaceutical industry sponsored clinical trials including 29 currently activated trials with a Sponsored Project budget valuation exceeding over $8,000,000. Overseeing 3 clinical trials in study start-up and 5 trials in routing.
- July 2025 alone, developed/submitted 8 clinical trial close-out packets for Director and Chancellors Office execution, ran financials/reconciliation reports for a combined total of over $65,000 being transacted to the residual account stemming from years 2023-2024 that went unprocessed.
- Contract analysis, UMC subcontract development and analysis
- Study protocol analysis, Informed consent & investigational brochure analysis
- Clinical Trial Budget development, negotiations, and finalization with Pharmaceutical Sponsors for favorable and risk mitigating terms, ultimately contributing to success of the NCI designation financial goal criteria.
- Clinical trials sub-budget development and negotiations with partner site UMC
- MCA analysis and editing, detailed and complex comparison to sponsor budget to align with NCD 310.1 compliance regarding billing.
- Sponsored projects account setup, Purchase Order number initiation, contract database input
- Maintain open lines of communication with all stakeholders throughout the clinical trial activation/contracting process to ensure transparency and alignment on expectations including but not limited to the LSU CTO regulatory department, principal investigators, clinical research coordinators, sponsor contracts and budgets team as well as the LSU sponsored projects, accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivables, and contracts managements department.
- Re-organized shared drive folders for sponsored projects, invoicing and accounting reconciliation.
- Developed a data source/project management tool alternative within Microsoft Teams for C-Suite management to have easily accessible, shareable real-time financial reporting.
- Monthly invoicing for partner sites and sponsor, monthly financial reporting utilizing Peoplesoft Financials queries and BI reports.
- Assisting with HURON for SOP's for department and work instructions
Contracts, Acquisitions -Contract/Project Basis
DRES Affiliated With Keller Williams Realty Nola
03.2017 - 08.2024
- Part Time Contract Remote Role September 2023-August 2024
- Full Time Contract Remote Role March 2017-September 2023
- Over 7 years in private and public asset acquisition & sales of real estate with international large scale brokerage
- Project manage, delegate with transaction coordinator using COMMAND systems
- Commercial lease procuring for business clients
- Government research, tax sale deeds, and foreclosure properties to go through remediation process and bring properties back into commerce. Court case analysis, successions prep. Personal escrow account with Notarial Archives for the city records for research and judgment analysis.
- Maintaining back office accounting and financials, CRM and marketing campaigns including email drip campaigns, social presence management, social engagement, postal mailers, telephone cold calling, brand building.
- Legal documentation drafting & qualifying, managing successions, city tax bill payoffs with Treasury and Code Enforcement Departments, escrow research with Notarial Archives and CDC, feasibility analysis of properties.
- Property management systems, experience with compliance and guidelines governmental policies required for HUD housing, HANO, NORA, HCVP, RTA, FMR, HQS requirements advising landlords, Jefferson Parish & Kenner HCV programs. Non-profit organizations such as UNITY for the homeless.
- Project management involving 3rd party attorneys, title agencies, inspection companies, surveying companies etc..
- Procurement of off market properties for contracting, advising on creative financing, advising investors, advising on building portfolios, creative solutions bringing properties into commerce
- Knowledgeable of government, City of New Orleans incentive strategies for affordable housing, processes for bringing properties back to commerce such as NORAs lot next door, Soft Second Funding etc...
Sourcing & Contracts Specialist
DRES
04.2013 - 09.2023
- Full Time Contract Remote Role May 2017-September 2023
- Part Time Contract Remote Role April 2013-MAY 2017
- Over 10 years consulted and conducted regular contract assessments for performance gaps and identify key areas for improvement.
- Reduced contract approval times by conducting thorough reviews and promptly addressing any discrepancies or concerns.
- Collaborated closely with legal counsel to draft, review, and finalize contractual agreements that met both parties' needs.
- Contributed to business growth by identifying potential partnership opportunities and negotiating strategic alliances.
- Established clear performance metrics to evaluate supplier performance regularly, leading to increased efficiency in supply chain operations.
Cohort & Member
Urban Land Institute Louisiana
05.2023 - 08.2023
- 2 Month seasonal program 1 night a week in the evening
- Selected to be 1 of small group of entrepreneurs to be part of ULI's New Orleans location #1 oldest, largest network of cross disciplinary real estate, land use experts internationally.
- Developed planning, execution for city commercial development project as cohort member for international land development organization, construction management
- Managed processes that would be required to obtain jurisdictional permits and approvals.
- RFPs, RFI analysis & responses, feasibility analysis
- Cost analysis, Construction costs structuring, gross profits, NOI, federal funding strategies for affordable housing
Manager, Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Remember Katrina 2005
05.2020 - 03.2023
- Full Time Remote Role September 2022-March 2023
- Part Time Hybrid Role May 2020-September 2022
- Over 3 years managing operations. Reporting to, supporting Founder/CEO, For Profit & Non Profit entities
- Managed assets over 100 piece large scale collection of oil and or acrylic on canvas, digital art, and published book
- Managed, streamlined end-to-end word orders, proposals, inventory management & logistics. Maintain efficient, effective financial information systems, procedures.
- Assisted with funding & grant research, pre/post award processes
- Sourced small vendor and gallery contracts, prices, purchase orders with suppliers, publishing companies, gallery owners to acquire mutually beneficial contracts, effectively decreasing expenses, monitored budget, improving profits. Indirect & direct procurement.
- Managed CRM, database of customer accounts, communication. Accounting assessments, verified billing invoices, supply & product inventory, expense reports.
Client Relations Specialist
Harrah's Casino / Caesars Entertainment
03.2006 - 07.2017
- Part Time Evening Shift Role
- Over 10 years as leading client specialist in department at US major gaming and hospitality company, customer service
- Offering premium services and complimentary incentives to guests
- Worked in High Limit Areas of casino, sales, worked Poker tournaments, processed payments, worked special events
- Analyzed customer service trends to discover areas of opportunity and provide feedback to management.
Newspaper Sourcing & Assembly Assistant
The Times Picayune
06.2004 - 01.2006
- Trained new employees on proper handling of equipment and materials, promoting safety and efficiency.
- Managed inventory of supplies for the assembly process, ensuring adequate stock levels at all times.
- Ensured seamless integration of advertising inserts while maintaining a high level of quality control throughout the process.
Education
Certificate - Purchasing, Procurement, And Contracts Management
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA09.2024
Sales License - Real Estate
Donaldson School of Real Estate
Metairie, La05.2017
Bachelor of Science - Pre-Med Biol. Sci.
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, La05.2016
Certification Medical Assistant - Certification
Bryman Technical College
Metairie, Louisiana11.2003
Skills
- Peoplesoft financials, account reconciliations, BI publisher reports and query reports, invoicing
- Contract lifecycle management
- Budget development negotiations, finalization
- Contract Research, Policy & Law, Legal Documentation Drafting & strong Negotiation strategies
- ERP Systems, Business process re-engineering
- Sourcing, Reducing Costs, Price Analysis, Improving Margins, Risk Mitigation Forecasting
- CRM, Marketing campaign strategies, Drip Campaigns
- Inter-department collaboration, Team building, Trust building
- Policy Analysis & Government Compliance
- Sourcing, Cost analysis/Improving Margins, Risk Mitigation, Negotiating, RFPs, RFIs knowledge
- Inventory management, Lead to Order processes
- Database Analytics & Management, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams & Sharepoint
- Medical terminology & familiarity of research and procedures
- Strategic planning & execution, forecasting, Account management, Budgeting
- Social & Community Engagement, Communication Experience
- Asset management, Acquisitions, investment consulting
Employment Gap - Seeking Employment
- Unemployed, New Orleans, La
- Graduated high school May 2003 at 18 years old.
- Seeking employment until May 2004
Education Gap - Decided to Be Employed Only.
- Not a Student, New Orleans
- Graduated high school May 2003
- Bryman College Medical Assistant Cert. Full Time) May 2003-Nov2003
- +++EDUCATION GAP - Dec 2003-May 2006 (employed only)
- University of New Orleans (Part Time)May 2006-July 2012
- +++EDUCATION GAP July 2012-Dec 2015 (employed only)
- University of New Orleans Jan 2016-May 2016 graduated Bachelors
- +++EDUCATION GAP May 2016 - March 2017 (employed only)
- Donaldson School of Real Estate Mar 2017 - May 2017 Sales License
- +++EDUCATION GAP June 2017-Sept 2024 (employed only)
Timeline
Cohort & Member
Urban Land Institute Louisiana
05.2023 - 08.2023
Manager, Strategic Sourcing Specialist
Remember Katrina 2005
05.2020 - 03.2023
Contracts, Acquisitions -Contract/Project Basis
DRES Affiliated With Keller Williams Realty Nola
03.2017 - 08.2024
Sourcing & Contracts Specialist
DRES
04.2013 - 09.2023
Client Relations Specialist
Harrah's Casino / Caesars Entertainment
03.2006 - 07.2017
Newspaper Sourcing & Assembly Assistant
The Times Picayune
06.2004 - 01.2006
Sales License - Real Estate
Donaldson School of Real Estate
Bachelor of Science - Pre-Med Biol. Sci.
University of New Orleans
Certification Medical Assistant - Certification
Bryman Technical College
Grants & Contracts Specialist
LSU LCMC Cancer Center
2024 - Current
Certificate - Purchasing, Procurement, And Contracts Management
University of New Orleans
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