Brandi Barnes
Cypress,TX
Summary
Proactive and goal-oriented professional with excellent time management and problem-solving skills. Known for reliability and adaptability, with swift capacity to learn and apply new skills. Committed to leveraging these qualities to drive team success and contribute to organizational growth.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Veterans Resource & Referral Specialists
Texas Workforce Commission (TVLP)
03.2021 - Current
- Make referrals and coordinate with different programs ranging from employment, education and training to medical care, mental health and counseling, veterans’ benefits, and other programs to address the varying needs of Veterans
- Coordinate with local organizations and resources within 13 counties, to ensure that they can overcome obstacles they may face, upon returning from deployment or transitioning from active military service
- Conducts a comprehensive assessment of training needs, education, experience, skills, interests, and other relevant data to deliver the appropriate level of services and assist Veterans with barriers to employment
- Assist in mentoring and providing the tools needed in a stable work life balance
- Review and analyze Veteran qualifications to make sure they meet requirements for employer's job opportunities
- Maintaining private and confidential information through company database
- Run reports as needed to seek out Veterans in need of services
- Outreached Veterans who could benefit from specialized services, while outreaching to community- based organizations, employers, labor unions, Veteran service organizations and other service providers to promote Veteran employment goals and objectives in finding suitable employment
- Conducts and participates in workshops that assist Veterans in job search activities including resume writing, interviewing, etc
- Outreach to employers and other service providers to promote Veterans employment goals and assist veterans in gaining employment
- Facilitate Veterans employment by coordinating and collaborating with Workforce partners to include Business Service Units to ensure optimum employment
- Organize job fairs, networking events, and workshops for resume building
- Referred Veterans to employment opportunities based on qualifications consistent with employer requirements
- Build strong relationships with local employers and their hiring managers via phone, text, email, social media, and in-person
- Effectively source, recruit, interview, and select candidates for employers
- Creating monthly reports with detailed information regarding outreach of community leaders and employers in support of the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP)
- Sourcing and building relationships with employers for available employment opportunities for Veterans and their spouses
- Event outreach in person and virtual
- Assist with finding stable and reliable housing options for homeless and those at risk of losing housing
- Create partnerships through various channels of communication to assist with the resources needed to provide stability to veterans and their families
- Completing and attending training within the organization as needed for on-the-job training
- Providing information at local veteran events to discuss the services and programs available to veterans
- May make presentations to groups.May enter and retrieve information to/from computer systems (workinTexas.com, Mainframe)
- General personal computer, Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Office experience
FEMA Housing Inspector
WSP USA Services Inc
10.2017 - 03.2022
- Provide support in the administration of Inspection Services contracts, such as assisting in the development of emergency response plans and assisting with quality control monitoring
- Assists in determining number of inspections needed at disaster field sites and provides guidance to other field inspectors
- Demonstrate the highest ethical standards in supporting FEMA’s mission of providing compassionate, quality, and timely housing inspection services for disaster survivors
- Able to demonstrate and maintain an extremely high regard for sensitive information
- Refer applicant to appropriate specialists or advisors to assist with questions that are beyond this area of responsibility
- Review, analyze, and verify applicant occupancy documentation, including mortgage contracts, deeds, and various insurance documents as well as ID, insurance status, ownership, occupancy, residency, and household composition
- Effectively plan and manage multiple projects Receive and respond to telephone inquiries and schedule inspections accordingly
- Help with application and enrollment
- Assists with the interpretation of guidelines and procedures
- Sustain strict adherence to all clauses of the organization’s code of conduct, safety policy, company training, and other policies; update deployment availability each month through the WSP USA-provided web interface
- Schedule and perform inspections to assess the damage of residences daily
- Use knowledge of construction techniques to document the damage sustained by each structure
- Determine the legal needs and requirements of applications
- Ability to initiate searches for miscellaneous travel-related information on the Internet
- Demonstrate ability to prioritize work to accomplish assignments
- Maintain issued equipment following FEMA policy and coordinate scheduled security system updates
- Work closely with the company supervisor to analyze and evaluate Inspection Service procedures and recommend and implement improvements
- Ability to work on multiple tasks simultaneously
- Effectively, schedule travel, create itinerary, and track schedule of important upcoming and pending events
- Ability to adhere to weekly deadlines
- Responsible for using automated devices (e.g., smartphones or laptop computers) to conduct job activities
- Review assigned work to determine organization of neighborhoods and locate households for verifying addresses and/or conducting interviews
- Conduct interviews with residents in assigned areas by following stringent guidelines and confidentiality laws
- Answers general information questions pertaining to laws and company procedures
- Maintain and submit records of hours worked, miles driven, and expenses incurred in the performance of duties
- Meet/talk with supervisor, as necessary, to review.
Administrative Assistant/Event Planner/Coordinator
BCE
02.2015 - 01.2017
- Responsible for providing administrative support to ensure efficient operation of the office
- Ability to organize, plan, administer special events and entertainment activities for numerus local organizations
- Supports managers and employees through a variety of tasks related to organization and communication
- Responsible for confidential and time sensitive material
- Responsible for every aspect of event planning, which includes selecting venues, determining the cost, arranging event services and monitoring client approval
- Plans and manages a variety of special events
- Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures
- Ability to handle highly sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism
- Ability to effectively communicate via phone and email ensuring that all duties are completed accurately and delivered with high quality and in a timely manner
- May direct and lead the work of others as needed
- Rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals
- Answer and direct phone calls
- Organize and schedule meetings and staff appointments
- Produce and distribute correspondence memos, letters, faxes, and forms
- Develop and maintain a filing system
- Ordering office supplies and issuing trouble tickets for inoperative office equipment
- Greet and assist visitors to the office
- General support to visitors, while providing information by answering questions and requests
- Handle multiple projects
- Maintain supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies
- Transmitting and receiving documents and messages electronically using computer workstations
- Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops and reviewing professional publications
- Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed
- Carry out administrative duties such as filing, typing, copying, binding, scanning etc
- Organize travel arrangements for senior managers
- Knowledge of office management systems and procedures
- Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize work.
Human Resources Specialist, 42A
United States Army
08.2007 - 02.2013
- Ability to work independently or part of a team, with flexibility and willingness to learn and take initiative on a variety of tasks and projects
- Respond to inquiries and interprets rules, regulations, policies, and procedures
- Possess strong decision-making skills to sufficiently handle and resolve customer inquiries
- Support management by interpreting HR policies and procedures
- Responsible for oversight of coordination of activities required to operate Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities, including special events, recreation information/resources, command events, trips, tours, outings, equipment rental, resale tickets, vacation options and outdoor recreation
- Ability to maintain records, compile and organize data reports, and perform research on topics for dissemination to individuals/families on and off base
- Monitor the progress of tasks and projects, while tracking data for recordkeeping purposes Provided customer service, information and support of community Recreation programs and activities
- Assist in the planning, coordinating, publicizing, marketing, and execution of MWR programs and special events
- Assist in day-to-day administration of multiple programs as assigned, while adhering to operational guidelines and procedures of the recreation programs/ facilities
- Assist in the creation of professional proposals, execution of agreements and follow-ups
- Provide administrative duties, all of which are accomplished through a variety of means, including computer software programs which track resource inventories, patron usage/comments, and program standards
- Ability to learn a variety of software and procedural information as well as the various computer systems supported
- Knowledge of computers, office procedures and print production
- Arrange training and personnel processing, in addition to requests for transfers, discharges, and transfers or reassignments
- Provide administrative processing and support for the manager, supervisor, and/or immediate office staff on behalf of the organization
- Maintain emergency notification data
- Assist in the development of administrative or technical assistance policies and procedures
- Review and edit reports to ensure compliance with rules and regulations
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of information and exercise good judgement and discretion in handling information
- Provide information and referrals to applicants unable to enlist and enroll due to holds, and testing requirements
- Manages and maintains schedules and travel arrangements for supervisors/managers
- Provided briefings related to current safety instructions, guidelines, and procedures to all incoming personnel arriving from varies countries such as Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Iraq during deployment to Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar
- Ability to stand for long periods of time in areas where there is potential exposure to physical, chemical, or biological agents
- Promote programs and provide leadership opportunities and training as required
- Correcting, deleting unnecessary data, or combining data from several sources before entering a file
- Approachable and appropriate when interacting with personnel at all levels in a quickly changing environment
- Answer phone calls, routes incoming calls, takes messages, greets visitors, and directs visitors to the appropriate staff
- Maintained confidential personnel files and additional HR recordkeeping systems, protecting the organization by maintaining confidentiality
- Provide benefit information regarding enrollment paperwork, the process, of enrollment, assist with selections, and available classes and schedules
- Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills and capability to work under stressful situations
- Schedule and Itinerary planning for department leaders
- Recommended individuals for specific job training programs based on individuals’ skills and barriers as well as personal goals
- Ability to operate various computer systems to include personal computers, laptops, scanners, printers, faxes, other network equipment and other general office equipment
- Ability to learn a variety of software and procedural information as well as the various computer systems supported
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize work to accomplish assignments
- Drafted, edited, and managed the standard operating procedures for the Human Resources department
- Maintained Sop’s as needed with up-to-date company policies and procedures
- Ability to work irregular working hours as required to include early shift, late shift, evenings, weekends, and holidays when the need arises
- Responsible for other reasonable related duties as assigned.
Customer Service Representative
AT&T
07.2006 - 08.2007
- Answers inbound calls from customers with billing issues, technical issues, or general services offered
- Experience with multi-line digital phone system, and various computer operations and programs
- Skills and knowledge to resolve customer inquiries each day concerning services, products, billing, equipment, claims, and reports
- Ability to type and/or use computer keyboard with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform the duties of the job
- Assist customers questions and concerns on all products and change
- Ability to comprehend and keep abreast of information pertinent to the job such as promotions, and new procedures
- Responsible for retail advertising sales development and sales team building
- Achieved aggressive daily goals selling a variety of services and products
- Assisted clients with general inquiries, complaints, and account issues in an efficient and timely manner
- Made great first impressions with clients by professionally describing the services offered as well as pricing and time frames
- Ability to efficiently switch between multiple computer programs and systems within the same call
- Demonstration of strong desire to assist customer needs in complex situations and during irregular operations
- Utilized operational systems to initiate and complete service orders, handle customer requests, and process purchases of products and services, including collections and payments for wireless bills and accessories
- Work the information desk, phone center, and data entry center
- Ability to maintain Department productivity and quality goals while balancing special tasks and/or other responsibilities
- Ability to work under time constraints to accomplish efficient sales of products and properly resolving customer concerns.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) -
Strayer University
05.2025
Skills
HR policies development
Customer Relations
Event Management
Complex Problem-Solving
Training development
Pre-Employment Screening
Confidential Document Control
Event Planning
Compensation and benefits
Attention to Detail
Multitasking
Veteranspreference
10 Veterans Preference
Personal Information
Citizenship: U.S. Citizen
Timeline
Veterans Resource & Referral Specialists
Texas Workforce Commission (TVLP)
03.2021 - Current
FEMA Housing Inspector
WSP USA Services Inc
10.2017 - 03.2022
Administrative Assistant/Event Planner/Coordinator
BCE
02.2015 - 01.2017
Human Resources Specialist, 42A
United States Army
08.2007 - 02.2013
Customer Service Representative
AT&T
07.2006 - 08.2007
Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) -
Strayer University
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