Carlos Luna
Ankeny,IA
Summary
Dynamic business professional with a robust background in operations, program management, and business analysis, complemented by five years of teaching experience. Leveraging a military foundation in strategic intelligence analysis, an MBA graduate is poised to drive the development and implementation of innovative initiatives focused on business engagement and growth. A skilled leader recognized for excellence in strategic planning, project execution, and technological integration, consistently delivering solutions through analytical thinking and effective communication. Committed to fostering collaboration and enhancing organizational performance through a results-oriented approach.
Overview
39
39
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Future Pathways Teacher
Des Moines Public School District
08.2024 - Current
- Lead teacher for Future Pathways, a post-secondary planning course taught across grades 6, 7, and 8, to provide planning concepts and ideas for middle school students to begin thinking about their post-high school plans, including examining college, trade school, vocational school, apprenticeships, internships, workforce, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, the course also provides direct instruction on the fundamentals of financial literacy.
- Academic Support Lab Teacher: Provided direct support to students requesting additional academic support in a variety of subjects, including English, math, science, social studies, and business technology.
- Girls Head Track Coach: Plan, train, and coordinate a team of 50 plus 7th and 8th grade girls in over 25 events for a 6–7-week season. Assist the Head Boys track coach in developing, planning, and training teams for all field events, as well as coordinating with North H.S. track coaches to develop athletes for next-level skills and competitive endeavors.
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: Plan, train, and supervise a variety of workouts for a section of 12-15 students to develop all-around body strength and cardiovascular conditioning in a safe environment during off seasons to assist in developing said athletes to gain and maintain their all-around fitness and lifelong learning safely and securely.
Business Teacher
Johnston Community School District
01.2024 - 06.2024
- Lead teacher for Post Secondary Planning, a course taught to 8th graders across six sections quarterly, to provide planning concepts and ideas for middle school students to begin thinking about their post high school plans, including examining college, trade school, vocational school, apprenticeships, internships, workforce, and entrepreneurship. Taught two sections of business applications, a survey course for 9th-grade students to inculcate a rudimentary understanding of various business applications, including Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
- Strength and Conditioning Coach: For after-school conditioning from late January to the end of June.
Day Trader
Day Trader – Self-Employed
05.2019 - 04.2022
- Utilizing financial skills from MBA studies, I have been trading on U.S. and International Equity Markets mostly under the CME and SGX derivative exchanges.
- Analyzed market trends to identify profitable trading opportunities.
- Developed and executed trading strategies based on real-time data analysis.
- Monitored stock performance and adjusted positions to manage risk effectively.
Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Family Sentinel
07.2017 - 01.2020
- Conceived business model, core values, staff structure, and day-to-day operational programming for service-oriented business to include annual and quarterly budgeting, liaison between State and County social services offices, as well as policies, best practices, and monetizing concepts for start-up business with zero outside investment. Family Sentinel provides neutral third-party personnel during supervised visits for parents and their families during separations and divorces in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area and its surrounding counties. First-year revenue projections over $170K. Lead operations manager for developing business and vertically integrating organizations' cash flow models.
Investigative Analyst, Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration Contractor
07.2018 - 03.2019
- Senior Intelligence Analyst for DEA's Resident Office on the Texas-Mexico Border. Responsible for day-to-day collections of intelligence data and subsequent analysis in support of over 35 Special Agents and Task Force Officers. Other duties included supporting Special Agents and Officers in strategic debriefings of confidential informants and sources. Provided input on drug-related aspects of political, social, or economic trends or situations, such as the common methods used to smuggle narcotics into the country. Utilized national and international information systems and databases, as appropriate. Evaluated all available intelligence information about a complete but limited topic or assigned area of study, or contributed to a larger study in an area, especially in drug law enforcement, but also in areas such as one related to political, economic, social, technical, or military conditions in one or more foreign countries. As needed, alerted supervisor or higher-grade Special Agent to new information or emerging trends that required further analysis. Produced written strategic, operational, and tactical intelligence products as required. Provided oral briefing to senior-level managers and policy makers. Consulted with Law Enforcement Officials in linking OCDETF (Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force) cases and provided timely intelligence and financial analysis of findings to case officers.
Long Term Substitute Teacher
West Des Moines and Van Meter School Districts
W. Des Moines, IA
10.2017 - 05.2018
- Plan, direct, lead, supervise, and teach six sections of Spanish Language years 1 and 2 to over 180+ students in an all-Freshman (9th grade) building. Other duties included one-on-one development, career, and educational counseling during the advisory period once per week, as well as participating in lesson plan and curriculum development and professional development with staff twice per month. Assignment concluded at semester’s end.
- Spring Semester: Substitute Teacher: Direct, lead, supervise, and teach various sections to over 180+ students in an all-Freshman (9th grade) building. Other duties included one-on-one development, career, and educational counseling during an advisory period once per week. On Call as required. Classes subbed for include history, social studies, Spanish, math, and P.E.
- Spring Semester, 2018: Van Meter Community School District, Van Meter, IA
- Substitute Teacher: Direct, lead, supervise, and teach various sections to students in a K-12 building. Other duties included one-on-one development, some career and educational counseling during the advisory period, once per week. On Call as required. A variety of courses subbed include history, business education, Spanish I & II, math, English, and home economics.
Financial Representative
Northwestern Mutual
01.2017 - 07.2017
- Solicit, schedule, and provide appropriate financial and insurance information to prospective clients. Committed to joint work projects with the wealth management team to conceptualize appropriate financial plans based on an analysis of the client’s current financial position and make appropriate recommendations that were best suited for the client within their budget and risk-profile. Proficient with CRM for client support activities and prospecting for new clients and interested profiles.
SUPERVISOR, MEDICAL SCHEDULERS (GS-7)
Veterans’ Health Administration
10.2014 - 12.2016
- Supervisor for Primary and Specialty Care Medical clinics, responsible for 8 different specialty clinics with 20 direct reporting employees, along with co-supervisory duties in Primary Care. Aided in reducing bottleneck in reporting and scanning procedures in Telemetry/ICU/Post-Op wards to reduce expenditures by 11% in the first three months due to reduced paperwork and increased scanning capabilities. Streamlined reporting analytics and provided actionable information from data sources to co-author two projects that increased patient throughput by about 7% within the first 30 days of implementation and 11% overall. Liaison across departments with the business office and quality management on correcting bottlenecks in the admissions process from the Emergency Department to the In-Patient Wards. Liaison to HR for Employee/Labor relations. Aided department supervisors and other service lines in reducing Union grievances by 10% in 2016. Service line editor for performance evaluations. Selected for the VA leadership program for 2016. Acting Project Manager for the redesign and reconstitution of the radiology department from April 2014 to re-opening in April of 2016.
SENIOR INTELLIGENCE ANALYST/PLANNER
Six 3 Systems/CACI International, Inc.
03.2013 - 08.2014
- Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all joint intelligence operational planning and coordination with multi-agency and international coalition partners in SW Afghanistan, and then Eastern Afghanistan. Lead analyst for technical operations and database management. Responsible for intelligence problem-solving and development in clarifying biometric analytic issues. Provided financial analysis support to the Afghan Threat Finance Cell.
- Lead intelligence planner for contingency operations related to Central Asia.
- (A multinational professional services and information technology company that provides information services in support of national security missions and government transformation for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers.)
- Purchasing coordinator for personnel, systems, and life-cycle needs, and day-to-day operations of all vehicles, technical supplies, and sundries for a 60-person camp of intelligence contractors. Seconded to the program manager and was able to ensure cost benefit savings of over $750k for the last two quarters of FY 2013.
- Intelligence and financial analysis led to the seizure of over 37 tons of lethal aid and narcotics, as well as over $17.5 million in lethal aid monies seized, a gain of over 37% from the previous year.
- Selected as Intelligence Employee of the Month, July 2013.
- Responsible for developing and clarifying biometric analytical issues about the incarceration and hearings involving insurgent detainees, which led to an overall incarceration/retention rate of 86%.
- Assisted with budgetary issues, training plans (onboarding and cross-training), as well as liaison support with client (USMC and U.S. Army) G-2 (Intelligence) commands.
- During tenure with Task Force-435, was selected as Intelligence Employee of the Year, 2013 by Six 3 Systems, Inc.
PRODUCTIONS AND OPERATIONS TEAM LEADER
John Deere, Inc.
04.2012 - 01.2013
- Responsible for over 100 employees and junior team leaders for day-to-day operations within the sprayer business unit. Responsible for all production metrics and goals fulfillment as well as management of employee scheduling, payroll, vacations, and discipline. Additionally, responsible for a variety of continuous improvement projects within the department. During my tenure at Deere:
- Responsible for achieving a 75% achievement rate for continuous improvement projects.
- Team operational planning and improvements led to a 20% increase in overall production during the 3rd and 4th quarters of fiscal year 2012, unmatched by any other Deere North America Team.
- Assigned as a purchasing coordinator for the unit section with management approval for various supplies: paint, wash chemicals, tools, replacement parts, etc., to ensure smooth operations and improve capacity, efficiency, and efficacy of day-to-day operations. $100K daily max; $3.5 million budget for finishing section alone: final assembly, paint, and boom assembly, operations, and testing (quality control).
- Developed conceptual model (lead developer) for creating a business intelligence structure to include briefs, reports, and forecasting for the Sprayer Business Unit at Des Moines Works.
- Conceptualized and developed a first draft team-leader training curriculum for all future team-leaders onboarding that was adopted by Des Moines Works and has been utilized corporate-wide.
United States Marine Corps
11.1999 - 06.2012
- During 13 years as a Marine Officer and Enlisted, was assigned to a variety of billets, commands, and assignments in the areas of Infantry and Intelligence Collection, Analysis, and Operations. Some career highlights are:
- A new concept for reconfiguring intelligence collection, targeting, dissemination, and assessment that has been adapted and accepted into the current intelligence doctrine published by the Marine Corps Training Command.
- Commanded, trained, and led Marines from a fire team (4 Marines) to a Rifle Company (240 Marines).
- Expeditionary purchasing agent during career with 8th Marine Regiment and 3rd Marine Division for needed equipment not traditionally procured through MARCORSYSCOM systems or supply chains.
- Member of the 3RD MARDIV budgetary purchasing operations council to conduct vetting of division-wide requests through operational programs and systems. Approved over $20MIL in 2018-2019 through this organization alone, over $2.5 MIL for Intel Analysis and dissemination operations within the Far East Theater of Operations through overt collection program and reconfiguring procedures based on six-sigma analysis and practices.
- Honors Graduate of Command and Staff College—Certificate in Operations Planning and Management (master’s level coursework) while in this billet.
- Training and Education Command: Marine Combat Training Battalion, Company Commander: Train, Lead, and Supervise Company of Marine Combat Instructors in nuances of teaching combat skills to newly graduated Marines at follow-on school, to include 28 days of combat, survival, and field skills.
- Training and Education Command and Assistant Operations Officer, School of Infantry: Assisted with long-term planning and day-to-day operations of USMC East Coast Combat Schools for over 150 officers and 500 Marines. Collateral duties also included academic officer and curriculum development to include revising and rewriting training manuals for publication due to changes in techniques, tactics, and procedures (TTPs) during the Global War on Terror.
- Graduate of Security Manager Course (Information Security and Physical Security), Six Sigma and Lean Operations Course-Greenbelt, Foreign Disclosure Representative for Marine Far East Commands.
- Worldwide deployment for combat, humanitarian, and contingency operations.
History/Social Studies Teacher
San Joaquin Memorial High School, Fresno, CA
Fresno, CA
01.1997 - 06.1998
- Taught 2 sections of U.S. History and 4 Sections of World History. Assistant debate coach, and in charge of after-school detention program. Students were from a wide variety of socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Students ranged from 9-12 grades (ages 14-18 years).
H.S. Teaching Intern, Clovis, CA
Clovis, CA
01.1987 - 01.1989
- Began internship as a high school intern, coaching and performing umpire duties for 6 and under students, introducing T-Ball. Internship developed into teaching activities and chaperoning for certified P.E. coaches during summer breaks with the district's P.A.S.S. (Physical Activities Summer School) over the course of 3 summers. In addition, was selected for a program to develop teaching prospects to teach P.E. at district elementary schools with the H.S. P.E. department.
Education
MBA - Management Track: Risk Management and Finance
Upper Iowa University
Certification - Operational Planning and Management
Marine Corps University
Advanced Intelligence Collections and Analysis Course
U.S. Pacific Command
Strategic Analysis and Planner’s Course
Joint Intelligence University
Operational Planning, Contingency and Crisis Management/Planning, and Technological Applications to Contingency Planning
Marine Corps University
Basic and Advanced Spanish Language and Culture
Defense Language Institute
Monterey, CAM.A. - Southern Studies (Social Science)
University of Mississippi
OxfordBachelor of Arts - Interdisciplinary Studies (History & Urban Development)
University of California, Berkeley
BerkeleySkills
- Microsoft Suite
- Google Suite
- Canva
- SQL
- CRM
- Salesforce
- Palantir
- FLUENT IN Spanish
- Classroom technology
- Project-based learning
- Curriculum development
- Data-driven instruction
Certification
- Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- Certified Lean Management Professional
- U.S. Govt Security Clearance - SECRET (TS/SCI eligible)
- Iowa Initial Teaching License (Business 5-12)
- Iowa Coaching Certification
- CrossFit Level I Coaching Certification
Timeline
Future Pathways Teacher
Des Moines Public School District
08.2024 - Current
Business Teacher
Johnston Community School District
01.2024 - 06.2024
Day Trader
Day Trader – Self-Employed
05.2019 - 04.2022
Investigative Analyst, Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration Contractor
07.2018 - 03.2019
Long Term Substitute Teacher
West Des Moines and Van Meter School Districts
10.2017 - 05.2018
Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Family Sentinel
07.2017 - 01.2020
Financial Representative
Northwestern Mutual
01.2017 - 07.2017
SUPERVISOR, MEDICAL SCHEDULERS (GS-7)
Veterans’ Health Administration
10.2014 - 12.2016
SENIOR INTELLIGENCE ANALYST/PLANNER
Six 3 Systems/CACI International, Inc.
03.2013 - 08.2014
PRODUCTIONS AND OPERATIONS TEAM LEADER
John Deere, Inc.
04.2012 - 01.2013
United States Marine Corps
11.1999 - 06.2012
History/Social Studies Teacher
San Joaquin Memorial High School, Fresno, CA
01.1997 - 06.1998
H.S. Teaching Intern, Clovis, CA
01.1987 - 01.1989
Advanced Intelligence Collections and Analysis Course
U.S. Pacific Command
Strategic Analysis and Planner’s Course
Joint Intelligence University
Operational Planning, Contingency and Crisis Management/Planning, and Technological Applications to Contingency Planning
Marine Corps University
Basic and Advanced Spanish Language and Culture
Defense Language Institute
MBA - Management Track: Risk Management and Finance
Upper Iowa University
Certification - Operational Planning and Management
Marine Corps University
M.A. - Southern Studies (Social Science)
University of Mississippi
Bachelor of Arts - Interdisciplinary Studies (History & Urban Development)
University of California, Berkeley