AK LACROSS
Contractor, Weichert Realtors
Elizabethton,TN
23
years of professional experience
Detail-oriented Project Manager specializing in enhancing process integrity and compliance across regulated environments. Improved on-time delivery by 30% for multimillion-dollar projects through effective stakeholder communication and analytical problem-solving. Focused on guiding teams, managing complex projects, and aligning processes with organizational goals.
Work History
TN Licensed Real Estate Agent
9 Months- Managed full lifecycle transaction processes, ensuring documentation accuracy and compliance for audit-ready records.
- Managed full lifecycle transaction processes, ensuring accurate documentation and compliance for seamless audits.
- Created training materials, including market analyses and pricing strategies, producing actionable client proposals.
- Enforced regulatory and brokerage standards, maintaining disciplined documentation practices aligned with FAR/DFARS environments.
Director, Client Execution
3 Years 9 Months- Managed Fortune 50 client accounts (Lowe's, Home Depot), coordinating project requirements, documentation, and compliance across stakeholders to ensure contract adherence and timely bid responses.
- Developed project processes and reporting structures that improved on-time delivery by 30%, demonstrating strong analytical and process-optimization capability.
- Partnered with engineers, inspectors, municipal officials, and client leadership to resolve issues, interpret requirements, and maintain execution standards.
- Trained project teams to align with client expectations, strengthening communication between corporate partners and field operations.
- Analyzed downstream impacts of project specifications, identifying risks and communicating them to leadership for proactive mitigation.
- Conducted site visits to assess program effectiveness and gather field intelligence, improving accuracy of project assessments and risk identification.
Strategic Project Manager
10 Years 8 Months- Managed 12+ concurrent capital projects and multiple re-merch initiatives, coordinating resources, timelines, and documentation; foundational skills for managing multiple bids simultaneously.
- Established program objectives, priorities, and performance expectations while maintaining accountability for cost, schedule, quality, compliance, and customer commitments.
- Created and maintained project plans, blueprints, schedules, and risk controls to ensure structured execution aligned with government contracting standards.
- Lead end-to-end program planning, integration, and execution across engineering, operations, supply chain, quality, ensuring alignment with contractual, technical, and business requirements and processes across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, driving cross-functional alignment.
- Develop and maintain integrated master schedules with realistic sequencing, dependencies, milestones, and critical-path analysis to ensure disciplined execution.
- Directed recovery strategies for performance deviations, assessing impacts and restoring schedule, cost, and operational stability.
- Serve as primary customer interface, managing communications, expectations, commitments, and recovery strategies while strengthening long-term relationships.
- Led and coached cross-functional program teams to establish clear expectations, enable escalation pathways, and promote collaboration.
Veterans Officer
2 Years 6 Months- Served as primary point of contact for veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard, Reservists, and military dependents, providing individualized guidance on educational benefits, academic resources, and campus support services.
- Assisted students with navigation of VA education benefits, including GI Bill, Chapter 33, Chapter 35, Chapter 30, Chapter 1606, and Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) programs.
- Collaborated with admissions, financial aid, registration, academic advising, and student affairs departments to ensure timely enrollment, retention, and graduation of military-affiliated students.
- Interpreted and applied federal, state, institutional, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs regulations to maintain program compliance and accurate student records.
- Guided prospective and enrolled students on eligibility requirements, benefit utilization, degree planning, and institutional policies to ensure informed academic pathways.
- Established partnerships with veteran service organizations, community agencies, military installations, and workforce development organizations to enhance support networks and referral resources for military-affiliated students.
- Executed outreach initiatives, orientations, workshops, transition programs, and campus events to foster veteran engagement and facilitate student success.
- Maintained confidential student records and sensitive information in compliance with FERPA, VA regulations, and institutional guidelines.
- Prepared reports, tracked service outcomes, and maintained accurate documentation supporting institutional accountability and regulatory compliance.
Executive Director
5 Years- Led organizational change initiatives, enhancing workflows and optimizing resource allocation for increased operational efficiency.
- Directed multiple programs simultaneously, coordinating schedules, resources, and personnel — mirroring multi-project bid and proposal management.
- Directed multiple programs simultaneously, coordinating schedules, resources, and personnel to ensure successful project execution.
- Researched, drafted, and submitted multiple grant proposals annually to secure funding, showcasing expertise in cost justification and persuasive documentation.
- Performed financial analyses to identify efficiencies and reduce costs, supporting transferable skills in cost evaluation and pricing strategy.
- Developed training content and presentations for diverse stakeholder groups to enhance communication and facilitate knowledge transfer.
Education
Master of Science - Industrial Management
Bachelor of Science - Human Resource Development
Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts
Skills
Cross-functional leadership
Master scheduling
Quality assurance
Risk management
Team leadership
Contract Negotiation
Workflow optimization
Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration
Team Leadership
Coaching & Talent Development
Cost control
Military Service
United States Air Force: 1982-1991 | United States Army: 2010-2013
Timeline
TN Licensed Real Estate Agent
Contractor, Weichert Realtors
02.2026 - CurrentRead More
Director, Client Execution
SPAR Group
02.2022 - 11.2025Read More
Strategic Project Manager
Lowe's Companies
06.2011 - 02.2022Read More
Veterans Officer
Trinity Valley Community College
01.2008 - 07.2010Read More
Executive Director
United Campus Ministry
01.2004 - 01.2009Read More
Trinity Valley Community College
Associate of Arts from Liberal Arts
Read More
University of Texas
Bachelor of Science from Human Resource Development
Read More
Technology University of Texas
Master of Science from Industrial Management
Read More