Calvin Harden
Auburn,Illinois
Summary
Experienced public administration professional prepared for leadership in regulatory and community-focused roles. Skilled in policy development, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. Strong focus on team collaboration and achieving impactful results. Reliable, adaptable, and possess excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Road Commissioner
Auburn Township
Auburn, IL
05.2021 - Current
- Oversees the maintenance and repair of 50 miles of township roads, ensuring safety, accessibility, and compliance with state and local regulations.
- Negotiates contracts with vendors to secure favorable terms while maintaining high-quality products or services via bid-lettings.
- Directs snow removal, storm cleanup, and flood mitigation efforts, maintaining 24/7 readiness to respond to severe weather and road hazards.
- Performs excavation, grading, ditching, and culvert installation to support proper drainage and road stability.
- Secures state and federal funding through successful grant applications, supporting major road reconstruction and safety initiatives.
- Oversees budget formulation, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring optimal allocation of resources.
- Monitors compliance with legal requirements, minimizing potential liabilities for the organization.
- Recruits, interviews and hires employees and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
- Evaluates employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills, including safety meetings and trainings.
- Controls resources and assets for department activities to comply with industry standards and government regulations.
- Leads community outreach efforts, attends public meetings and addresses resident concerns regarding road safety, drainage, and traffic control.
- Analyzed policy impacts, providing strategic recommendations for improvement to the Board of Trustees.
- Conducted regular maintenance checks on equipment to ensure optimal performance and safety compliance.
- Operated excavators, bulldozers and dump trucks to transport heavy materials, practicing safety measures.
- Oversaw daily site operations, ensuring adherence to safety protocols and project specifications.
Owner/Operator
Hardens Lawn Care
Auburn, IL
03.2019 - Current
- Managed daily lawn care operations, ensuring timely service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Implemented efficient scheduling systems to optimize job assignments and reduce downtime.
- Conducted site assessments to determine specific client needs and create tailored maintenance plans.
- Trained and motivated employees to perform daily business functions.
- Conducted inspections and repairs on equipment to uphold operational efficiency and safety standards.
- Managed operation of diverse lawn mowers and trimmers to ensure efficient landscaping services.
Highway Maintainer/Operator 2
Sangamon County Highway Department
Springfield, IL
06.2015 - 10.2021
- Operated a wide range of heavy equipment—including excavators, bulldozers, graders, front-end loaders, oil distributors, paint stripers and backhoes—for road construction, maintenance, and emergency response projects.
- Operated various types of machinery, demonstrating versatility and adaptability in diverse work environments.
- Maintained a safe working environment by enforcing strict adherence to safety guidelines and protocols.
- Assisted in training new operators, sharing knowledge of best practices and promoting a culture of teamwork amongst peers.
- Provided on-the-job training to newly hired workers and team members.
- Handled adjustments or modifications to machines as needed based on product specifications or changes in operational parameters.
- Conducted routine maintenance checks to prevent unexpected machinery downtime, ensuring continuous production flow.
- Used problem-solving and issue-resolution skills to promptly and successfully address production problems.
Education
Highschool Diploma -
Glenwood High School
Chatham, IL06.2015
Skills
- Organizational leadership
- Government relations
- Good judgment
- Budget administration
- Crisis management
- Board relations
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking
- Reliability
- Decision-making
- Problem resolution
- Work Planning and Prioritization
- Self motivation
- Hiring and training
- Strategic planning
Timeline
Road Commissioner
Auburn Township
05.2021 - Current
Owner/Operator
Hardens Lawn Care
03.2019 - Current
Highway Maintainer/Operator 2
Sangamon County Highway Department
06.2015 - 10.2021
Highschool Diploma -
Glenwood High School