Carmel Blankenship-Livi
Orono
Summary
Dynamic Payables Manager with extensive experience at The University of Maine System, excelling in policy development and team leadership. Proven track record in enhancing accounts payable efficiency and resolving complex issues. Skilled in ERP systems and conflict resolution, fostering strong relationships across departments to drive organizational success.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
Work History
Payables Manager
The University of Maine System
Orono
06.2019 - 06.2025
- Company Overview: Office of Strategic Procurement
- Manages the daily operations of the Accounts Payable (AP) staff.
- Overseeing workload, process developments and decisions, staff development, and day-to-day personnel management of the AP processing staff that interacts with all payables invoices for the University of Maine System.
- Serve as primary functional administrator for the University of Maine System AP systems.
- Serve as second-level customer support for payables issues within the University of Maine System.
- Collaborates with Procurement Services personnel to develop policies, procedures, and training materials to improve the University of Maine System's payables process and efficiency.
- Office of Strategic Procurement
Accounting Support Specialist CL3, A/P Work Flow Supervisor
The University of Maine System
Orono
06.2017 - 06.2019
- Company Overview: Office of Strategic Procurement
- Manages the daily workflow operations of the Accounts Payable (AP) staff.
- Overseeing workload and process development to improve the AP staff's daily processing efficiency consistently.
- Office of Strategic Procurement
Accounting Support Specialist CL3
The University of Maine
Orono
07.2005 - 06.2017
- Company Overview: Bursar's Office
- Communicate with students, parents, departments within the University of Maine System, and external constituents to answer questions, disseminate or explain student account information, policies and procedures.
- Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalated complaints or disputes.
- Manage employee and dependent tuition waiver programs and keep informed of provisions of labor-management agreements and their effects on departmental operations.
- Implement departmental policies, procedures, and service standards in conjunction with management.
- Coaching and mentoring employees in job duties or university policies.
- Review and suggest edits to the graduate and undergraduate catalogs.
- Make recommendations to management concerning opportunities to improve, possible alternatives for a situation or procedural changes.
- Administer and process payroll deductions for student tuition and fee payments.
- Process information from third-party collection agencies and provide student account information to external collection agencies.
- Initiate the reporting of delinquent student accounts to the credit bureau.
- Implement a staffing schedule for phone coverage.
- Assist in and provide support for the student billing process.
- Website development and management.
- Conduct residency appeal documentation review and correspondence generation.
- Coordinate university-wide cash management training.
- Process and verify daily student refunds and all credit card refunds.
- Reconciliation of general ledger accounts.
- Bursar's Office
Accounts Receivable Technician I
The University of Maine
Orono
12.2003 - 07.2005
- Company Overview: Bursar's Office
- Maintained and updated filing, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.
- Answered telephones, direct calls, and took messages, communicated with students, parents, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, and address complaints.
- Maintained a record of and processed uncashed student refunds to be forwarded to the state as abandoned property.
- Generated correspondence to Cross Insurance to initiate or cancel student health coverage as directed by management.
- Monitored special collection accounts and referred them for third party collections as needed.
- Maintained a record of all manual refunds issued in QuickBooks.
- Processed affidavits of loss and conducted research pertaining to the replacement of lost or stolen refund checks.
- Bursar's Office
Sales Clerk (Multiple Assignments)
The University of Maine
Orono
08.2003 - 12.2003
- Company Overview: Human Resources
- Received payment by cash, check, credit cards, vouchers, or automatic debits.
- Issued receipts, refunds, credits, or change due to customers.
- Assisted customers by providing information and resolving their complaints.
- Counted money in cash drawers at the beginning of shifts to ensure that amounts were accurate.
- Audited cash drawers.
- Answered customers' questions and provided information on procedures or policies.
- Assisted with duties in other areas of the store, stocked shelves, marked prices on shelves and items.
- Supervised student workers and provided on-the-job training.
- Reconcile daily summaries of transactions to balance the books.
- Generated a schedule of collections for the daily deposit.
- Human Resources
Inside Sales / Customer Service
Sam's Club
Orange
05.1996 - 04.1998
- Developed prospects from current commercial customers, referral leads, or sales or trade meetings.
- Coordinated and supervised special order road shows and in-store special events.
- Conferred with customers by telephone or in person and provided information about products or services.
- Resolved customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting accounts.
- Solicited sales of new or additional services or products.
- Answered customers' questions and provided information on procedures or policies.
- Supervised others and provided training as needed.
Account Receivables Clerk
Michelle's Family Bakery
West Haven
01.1995 - 02.1996
- Received and processed customer orders for timely delivery.
- Maintained customer accounts and processed payments.
- Reconciled daily credit card transactions.
- Managed company's petty cash funds.
- Maintained all staff accident reports, workers compensation claims, and safety records.
- Conducted monthly customer account reconciliations and billing.
- Answered customers' questions about products, prices, and availability.
Customer Service Representative / Night Supervisor
Sears Logistic Services (SLS)
West Haven
05.1988 - 03.1993
- Contacted customers to notify them of delivery problems, such as damaged merchandise or a shortage of the merchandise ordered, resolved customer complaints or answered customers' questions regarding policies and procedures.
- Contacted carrier representatives to make shipping arrangements.
- Provided delivery instructions to delivery drivers and informed them of potential issues or special situations.
- Acted as dispatcher when carrier supervisor was out of the office or unavailable.
- Processed batch data entry of changes and comments to customer sales orders.
- Supervised and trained second shift call center customer service representatives and provided guidance in handling difficult or complex problems.
- Opened and closed office operations including arming and disarming the alarm systems.
Education
Batcher University Studies - Leadership Track
University of Maine
Orono, ME12.2026
Skills
- Supervising
- Coaching
- Training
- ERP systems
- PeopleSoft
- Conflict resolution
- Communication skills
- Financial reporting
- Leadership principles
- Policy and procedure development
- Microsoft Office
- Excel
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Jaggaer Systems
- Procure-to-pay
- Creative problem solving
- Customer service
- Managing multiple priorities
- Handling confidential issues
- Interpersonal skills
- Group communication
- Accounts receivable
- Collections
- Program management
- Administration
- Organizational skills
- Leadership
- Managing remote teams
- Managing onsite teams
- Cross-functional teamwork
- Complex Problem-solving
- Relationship building
- Verbal and written communication
- Team leadership
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Payables Manager
The University of Maine System
06.2019 - 06.2025
Accounting Support Specialist CL3, A/P Work Flow Supervisor
The University of Maine System
06.2017 - 06.2019
Accounting Support Specialist CL3
The University of Maine
07.2005 - 06.2017
Accounts Receivable Technician I
The University of Maine
12.2003 - 07.2005
Sales Clerk (Multiple Assignments)
The University of Maine
08.2003 - 12.2003
Inside Sales / Customer Service
Sam's Club
05.1996 - 04.1998
Account Receivables Clerk
Michelle's Family Bakery
01.1995 - 02.1996
Customer Service Representative / Night Supervisor
Sears Logistic Services (SLS)
05.1988 - 03.1993
Batcher University Studies - Leadership Track
University of Maine