Ashley N Cottom
Ellicott City,United States
Summary
EXECUTIVE ADMIN | ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST | ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL Over 18 years of experience in facilitating support services and office management. Administrative support professional offering versatile office management skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office Programs. Strong planner and problem solver who readily adapts to change, works independently, and exceeds expectations. Able to juggle multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
Core competences include:
- Executive Support
- Technical Writing Skills
- Technical Writing Skills
- Business Support/Planning
- Strong Spreadsheet & Presentation Skills
- Contract + Procurement Procedures Client Services
- Quantitive & Qualitive Research
- Training and Development
- Records Management
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
FOIA Analyst
Department of Homeland Security
02.2023 - Current
- Accomplishments and Related Skills:
- Review, analyze, and perfect FOIA requests; contact the requester either by phone, email or mail for clarifications about the request
- Collaborate with other staff members, including division chiefs, branch chiefs, team leaders, analysts, and Department contacts, to help ensure that the overall effort promotes the best interests of IPS and the Department
- Develope and maintain proficiency in the use of guidance and reference material, both substantive and procedural
- Prepare and transmit to the requester an acknowledgement letter using USAID templates as a guide
- Diligently and accurately review and process cases in a timely manner, recognizing the significant volume of complex and sensitive records subject to review, on average, reviewing approximately 1,000 pages per month
- Prepare and send "submitter notifications
- Analyze documentation for responsiveness and repeatability
- Implement statutory and policy directives in favor of disclosure while protecting information, the release of which could cause foreseeable harm to national security or other interests or violate statutory requirements
- Prepare draft Agency response to the requester for signature of the USAID FOIA Officer or his/her delegate
- Apply redactions and exemption codes as appropriate
- De-duplicate identical records
- Process and track requests in the Agency's official FOIA tracking database
- Redacting documents
- Case scanning
- Data entry for case and workflow tracking
- Provide additional administrative and programmatic support to the Government in execution of this task
- Responsible for processing appeals and researching of claims
Administrative Assistant
Washington Regional National Associates
11.2022 - 02.2023
- Accomplishments and Related Skills:
- Knowledge in maintaining calendars, setting up meetings and setting reminders
- Manages information flow in a timely and accurate manner
- Formatted information for internal and external communication
- Provided information to all new donors and leads about programs and services WRAG provided
- Followed up and followed through, and close donation lead prospects, campaign processes etc
- Expedited and received deliverables; assisted with facilities/building related issues on as as-needed basis or assigned
- Researched and resolved payment discrepancies
- Worked aged accounts on assigned payers prioritizing accounts that were approaching timely filing denial
- Conducted evaluation research to determine the efficiency of the current policies in place for board members assessing the board members performance and the extent to which they fulfill their roles and responsibilities
- Conducted market research by using the available data to perform customer surveys, established focused groups, and marketing experiments
Contracts Administrator Analyst /Administrative Assistant
Department of Energy
03.2020 - 07.2022
- Accomplishments and Related Skills:
- Prepared consolidated budget, expenditure, and contractor status reports to show the relationships between acquisition events, milestones, and collective accomplishments of the department
- Tracked multi-year, multi-million-dollar contracts to monitor the status of funds on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis
- Developed and implemented an activity tracking system with dates, schedules, and requirements, to assign contract changes to other divisions for feedback
- Conducted and participated in weekly status briefs for ship overhaul projects; documenting the status of deliverables and analyzing related expenditures, and the preparation of new work item budgets using Excel and Access
- To acquire engineering support staff in support of project extensions: I prepared statements of work, independent cost estimates, acquisition plans, and conducts market research for submission to the Contracting Officer for solicitation and award
- Managed active projects and activities by electronically uploading relevant documents and routing new tasks to contract staff based on the activity needs and the area of contractor specialty
- This method of routing tasks ensures that activities are completed in a timely and well documented manner
- Provided continued support and duties of that of the contract administrator position as well as supported CORs by tracking and prioritizing action items needed on pending contract modifications
- Provided written products, reports, suggestions, and analysis based on the task/deliverables
- Worked with customers, management, and program teams to resolve issues, secure approvals and ensure successful contract execution
- Consulted with management to determine goals and objectives of each contract
- Works closely with end-users to gain greater understanding and clarity
- Created and/or customized process designed around the specific requests and collaborates on project development and implementation
- Tracked requisitions and worked with procurement to ensure that appropriate documentation/information is provided to meet contract deadlines; Reporting Bi-Weekly Upcoming Contract Option Periods
- Processed CIMC funding actions:
- Created Historical Spend Spreadsheets for all ODC Pooled funding
- Verified funding ceilings for each Work Project, communicated changes needed and make changes to lower and/or raise ceiling for incremental funding if needed
- Prepared list of Sequential Order of STRIPES Requisitions for MA and send requisition numbers according to list for MA to Award
- Assisted with the preparation of weekly High Priority Reports for ODCs for distribution to the CO and to Red River
- Created FITARA request forms/memos; secured FITARA approval for order modifications including exercising option years, extensions, and ceiling increases
- Worked with Finance, Contracts and Business Teams to ensure proper Procurement value, funded value, timekeeping, billing, and any other financial requirements that are in compliance with internal policies and Government requirements
- Trained Newly Hired IM-13 Contractor Support Staff
- Created modification/option period documents for CBOSS task orders
- Provided contracting support and coordinated pre-award contract proposal functions
- Aid in support decisions regarding contract management approach as well as maintain database of contracts and supporting documents
- Assisted with tracking correspondence and memorandums on behalf of the COR’s
- Supported post-award subcontract management, ensuring compliance with required performance criteria and creates and implements effective acquisition strategies
- Created requisitions for new funding awarded on contracts through CIMC for approval
- Advised management of potential improvements or new approaches and implement process improvements to maximize productivity.
- Served as backup support specialist handling procurement actions for the Climate and Environmental Science Division
- Served as principal support specialist handling procurement actions for the Biological System Sciences Division (BSSD)
- Performed administrative tasks associated with BSSD programmatic communications, resource management, research management documentation and filing, and coordination with internal and external clients
- Scheduled and made internal / external meeting arrangements and/or video conferences on behalf of the Director
- Made travel arrangements using Concur
- Processed Procurement Requests in PAMS
- Drafts, prepared, and routed a variety of documents and internal memos
- Responded to inquiries and information requests in an efficient manner
- Analyzed agency administrative support policies and procedures for correspondence documents, brochure distribution, travel document preparation, and conference support demands to determine staffing needs to provide administrative guidance to interns and clerical staff as well as designed, devised, and implemented fiscal cost/control accounting mechanisms to ensure up to date and accurate real-time expenditures for the Office of Science
- Calculated and prepared government contract project invoices, including necessary invoicing schedules and back-up data as well as assisted in preparation and processing of final invoices using both a Cumulative Allowable Cost Worksheet and Cumulative Cost Reconciliation method
- Reviewed organizational billing practices to ensure invoice accuracy within contractual terms, Federal Acquisition Regulations and DOE requirements
FOIA Analyst
General Services Administration
Washington DC
10.2018 - 09.2019
- And Related Skills:
- Redacted and annotated identified data elements from 450 leases and LA’s making 450 leases and LA documents 508 compliant
- Was responsible for downloading and saving 450 leases and associated Lease Amendments from GREX
- Submitted redacted, annotated, and 508 compliant leases and Las to PBS for review, uploading 450 identified leases to GSA.gov
- Gathered documents identified by GSA from GSA online system G-REX;
- Redacted data elements identified pursuant to 5 U.S.C
- 552(b) from GSA lease documents
- Annotated redacted data elements, pursuant to 5 U.S.C
- 552(b); Compressed all redacted and annotated Las associated with an individual lease number into one PDF
- Ensured all documents and images uploaded onto GSA.gov by the Contractor are 508 compliant
- Served as the first point of contact for a wide variety of high-level relationships between the Chief Executive and external contacts/vendors
- Scheduled meetings and travel for all employees within my immediate division to include management
- Coordinated with and assisted government personnel in coordinating with other offices, agencies, or governments as required to ensure compliance with all relevant statutes, international agreements, and executive orders
- Electronically recorded review results; reviewer performance is tracked using approved management controls
- Ensured completeness of each FOIA case file to include but are not limited to incoming requests, search documentation, FOIA certifications, responsive records (clean, marked and redacted versions), email communication concerning the requests, response letter to the requestor and any other supporting documentations
- Effectively communicated with Department personnel, external points of contact, and the public regarding clarification of requests that facilitate the production and processing of responsive materia
- Reviewed NDA’s, TA.s (Teaming Agreements), procurements and Procurement Requests Proposals
- Monitored and evaluated changing federal Procurement requirements and industry trends to make recommendations/modifications to policies/procedures as needed.
Program Analyst
Department of Energy
Washington DC
01.2012 - 05.2018
- Assisted lead analyst in obtaining all documents and information needed to complete specified case files
- Assured accuracy of information and performed analytical computations needed to process data
- Maintained internal status information of all forfeited assets
- Extracted data from agency database for management and program reports
- Reviewed data of Equitable Sharing Request Forms (DAG-71) to enter into Consolidated Asset Tracking System for participating law enforcement agencies
- Assisted in preparing, analyzing, interpreting and editing statistical data for publications
- Assisted with the collection and analyzing of information from evidence, public or subpoenaed material, intelligence available from law enforcement activity, and various law enforcement databases
- Maintained statistical data on cases while analyzing and editing highly technical legal document
- Completed quarterly asset tickler report for all FIRE assets – procuring information from District and Resident offices within the division
- Conducted quantitive and qualitive research to provide insight into current problems and trends to best find patterns in the data collected to point relation
- Solicited information from local and Federal agencies databases – utilized to compose declarations and claims
- Prepared, analyzed, interpreted, and edited statistical data for the Quarterly Report
- Performed supplemental legal research to support special agents and legal staff in finding information
- Drafted legal documents pertaining to federal forfeiture cases
- Prepared and analyzed schedules for accounts receivable and unbilled receivables
- Calculated and prepared government contract project invoices, including necessary invoicing schedules and back up data
- Have familiarity with a variety of government contracting concepts, practices and procedures
- Worked closely with internal and external general counsel office on legal issues and concerns
- Developed recommendations for process chances and enhancements to improve efficiency.
Data Analyst
DEA
Washington, DC
06.2009 - 09.2016
Program Analyst
FEMA
Washington, DC
04.2009 - 06.2009
Executive Assistant
Patent and Trademark Office
Alexandria, VA
06.2008 - 01.2009
Data Analyst
Lockheed Martin
Arlington, VA
04.2007 - 07.2007
Office Automation Clerk
Department of Defense
Arlington, VA
12.2004 - 12.2004
Education
B.S - Information Assurance, Criminal Justice
University of Maryland University College
01.2017
2016, Computer Security Awareness via DEA – 2015, National Incident Management Systems via FEMA – -
01.2009
Software Microsoft (MS) Visio, MS Project -
Skills
- Documentation and Reporting
- Information Gathering
- Report Preparation
- Risk Analysis
- Knowledge of all 9 FOIA exemptions
- Data Entry
- MS Office
- Organization and Time Management
- Analytical and Critical Thinking
- Multitasking Abilities
- Clerical Support
- Problem-Solving
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Quote
I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.
John Cage
Timeline
FOIA Analyst
Department of Homeland Security
02.2023 - Current
Administrative Assistant
Washington Regional National Associates
11.2022 - 02.2023
Contracts Administrator Analyst /Administrative Assistant
Department of Energy
03.2020 - 07.2022
FOIA Analyst
General Services Administration
10.2018 - 09.2019
Program Analyst
Department of Energy
01.2012 - 05.2018
Data Analyst
DEA
06.2009 - 09.2016
Program Analyst
FEMA
04.2009 - 06.2009
Executive Assistant
Patent and Trademark Office
06.2008 - 01.2009
Data Analyst
Lockheed Martin
04.2007 - 07.2007
Office Automation Clerk
Department of Defense
12.2004 - 12.2004
B.S - Information Assurance, Criminal Justice
University of Maryland University College