Chris Williams
Bowling Green,KY
Summary
Human resources, operations, and communications professional with experience leading recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, payroll, HRIS, and compliance efforts. Recognized for coaching leaders, improving scheduling and staff readiness, and supporting succession planning, risk monitoring, and day-to-day execution across high-volume environments.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Public Relations Director
Carver Construction Company LLC
Pleasant View, TN
09.2024 - 04.2025
- Contributed to development and implementation of PR campaigns and press releases, increasing media visibility.
- Collaborated with Director to enhance communication and marketing strategies, improving outreach efforts.
- Built and maintained relationships with media contacts and responded to inquiries.
- Assisted in planning and executing PR events, such as press conferences and media briefings.
- Wrote and edited content for social media, blogs, and email newsletters.
- Developed social media strategies and created engaging content.
- Conducted market research and tracked PR metrics to identify publicity opportunities, informing strategy adjustments.
E-Commerce Manager
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
Owensboro, KY
02.2024 - 05.2024
- Oversaw financial aspects of department, monitoring expenses and achieving weekly sales of $92,000 to $100,000 with 16 associates.
- Managed daily operations to achieve sales targets and budget goals while ensuring product variety, freshness, and store cleanliness.
- Trained staff in order fulfillment and customer service roles, resulting in improved productivity and customer satisfaction.
District Front-End Customer Experience & Financial Products Field Specialist
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
02.2023 - 02.2024
- Oversaw front-end operations across 14 stores in southern Illinois and western Kentucky, supporting consistent execution of service, training, and operational standards.
- Trained and coached front-end managers, assistant managers, supervisors, and bookkeepers to enhance leadership capability and ensure effective operational execution.
- Conducted store walks, coaching sessions, and on-the-job training to reinforce front-end policies, procedures, best practices, and customer service expectations.
- Provided feedback to district, store, and division leadership on associate strengths and development opportunities to support performance improvement and team effectiveness.
- Identified talent within the district and partnered with Human Resources to support succession planning for front-end leadership roles.
- Reviewed sales plan compliance, merchandising standards, and promotional execution for financial product lines, reporting performance insights to leadership.
- Supported money services compliance, risk monitoring, fraud prevention, and technical troubleshooting while tracking key front-end metrics, assisting with new and remodeled store openings, and conducting mystery shops to provide actionable feedback.
Customer Service Manager
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
10.2007 - 02.2023
- Resolved customer service issues while supporting high standards for shopping experience, store cleanliness, and regulatory compliance.
- Recruited and mentored staff, supported onboarding, and built training programs to improve employee performance and customer service delivery.
- Managed front-end operations, coordinated cashiers, service desk clerks, and other personnel, and maintained efficient service and store compliance.
- Reviewed labor and productivity reports and used findings to support store management decisions and align labor resources with budget goals.
- Led safety initiatives and store cultural council, handled scheduling, and partnered on district-wide rollouts, contributing to annual sales volume of $55 million and exceeding performance expectations.
- Processed cash, EBT, and EFT transactions while maintaining anti-money laundering compliance.
Night Shift Payroll Supervisor
G-UB-MK Constructors
Drakesboro, KY
09.2006 - 05.2007
- Supervised night-shift payroll operations and ensured timely daily time entry for more than 500 craft employees.
- Assisted with weekly payroll processing, including generating on-site checks and reviewing daily and weekly hours reports for accuracy.
- Entered daily time using project codes and managed employee badge processing to streamline shift transitions for smooth operations.
- Maintained personnel files and processed new hires, conducting drug screens, background checks, and fingerprinting to ensure compliance and readiness.
- Completed initial workers' compensation reports and conducted random drug screens in coordination with Health & Safety leadership.
- Supported superintendents with project-related administrative needs, including ordering materials and processing purchase requests to facilitate project progress.
Retail Store Manager
Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
Clarksville, TN
06.2003 - 11.2005
- Opened a new 22,000-square-foot retail location by hiring and training a 50-person setup team, installing fixtures, stocking merchandise, creating end caps and promotional displays, and onboarding staff on POS systems and store procedures.
- Managed store operations, including opening and closing procedures, ordering, freight processing, daily activities, and asset protection, ensuring compliance with company policies and OSHA safety standards.
- Recruited, hired, trained, evaluated, and coached store associates and assistant managers, while administering performance reviews, corrective actions, and required training documentation.
- Oversaw workforce planning and administration by scheduling staff, approving weekly payroll, maintaining HRIS and payroll records, auditing time and attendance, and resolving payroll discrepancies with corporate partners.
- Monitored financial and operational performance by balancing daily store accounting, managing sales forecasts, controlling payroll hours, and tracking productivity.
- Maintained merchandising and presentation standards through effective signage, promotional displays, and sales floor organization to enhance sales performance.
- Handled workplace incident and workers' compensation processes by conducting accident investigations, completing injury reports, filing claims, and coordinating with corporate, medical providers, and employees.
- Provided operational and technical support across the store team, including troubleshooting technology issues and assisting other managers with system-related needs.
Retail Store Manager
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. - Charlotte Division
Hopkinsville, KY
01.2002 - 02.2003
- Managed all aspects of operations for a 50,000-square-foot retail location generating $7 million in annual sales.
- Directed daily store performance, enhancing sales, profitability, service standards, and operational efficiency.
- Oversaw customer relations, merchandising, cash and inventory control, and security, ensuring effective maintenance and safety across the store.
- Improved customer experience results, achieving the store's first-ever #1 company-wide ranking in Customer Service Mystery Shop results in December 2002.
- Managed workforce planning, hiring, training, and development for a management team of 2 assistant managers and 10 department managers, fostering a high-performance culture.
- Increased sales to 6.4% above the prior year as of February 2003.
- Guided the store to its first profitable period in four years for the period ending January 8, 2003.
- Reduced inventory shortage by $90,000, improving from a $107,000 shortage in July 2002 to $17,000 in January 2003.
- Progressed rapidly from Co-Manager to Store Manager after completing an accelerated store leadership training program ahead of schedule.
Director, Human Resources/Marketing/Administration
NasHorse Racing LLC
Powderly, KY
01.2001 - 08.2001
- Built the Human Resources function from the ground up, including developing the employment application process and establishing an HR database.
- Managed core HR operations, including training and development, temporary labor coordination, compensation and benefits, organizational development, recruiting, EEO/AA compliance, and risk management.
- Organized and allocated work responsibilities to enhance team performance, supervising office associates and show production staff for efficient daily operations and successful event execution.
- Assisted Senior Vice President with project management and cross-functional administrative initiatives to drive organizational goals.
- Drafted sales proposals and contracts while coordinating corporate and event sponsorship activities to support revenue generation.
- Provided on-site marketing support at shows, developed special promotions and affinity partnerships, and supervised field sales representatives.
Office Clerk/Interim Assistant Manager/Management Relief/Store Manager-in-Training
The Kroger Company - Nashville Division
Bowling Green, KY
11.1997 - 11.2000
- Progressed from Office Clerk to Interim Assistant Manager, Zone Relief Manager, and Store Manager-in-Training through strong performance across front-end, accounting, and store operations responsibilities.
- Managed front-end financial services, including check cashing, lottery sales, money orders, and Western Union transactions, while supervising front-end employees and supporting customer service operations.
- Oversaw perishables, customer service, and personnel as Interim Assistant Manager, ensuring effective daily operations.
- Handled scheduling, time and attendance maintenance, payroll approval, budgeting, recruiting, risk management, retention, merchandising, cash control, and new hire orientation.
- Supported store manager coverage across 10 different locations as Zone Relief Manager and completed Manager-in-Training assignments focused on total store operations, merchandising, budgeting, cash control, advertising, human resources, customer relations, and labor relations.
- Performed accounting office functions, including balancing the store safe fund, cashier tills, and debit and credit slips to maintain accurate cash controls.
- Developed new hire orientation checklist, Employee of the Month program, clerk cross-training program, and mentoring training program to reduce turnover in the Bowling Green, Kentucky market.
- Led the store safety committee by conducting inspections and promoting awareness of key workplace safety issues.
- Served as management representative for an Adopt-A-School partnership with Cumberland Trace Elementary and coordinated community development and charitable fundraising efforts for organizations including the Arthritis Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, and MDA.
- Assisted in completing store succession plan and co-presented recommendations to Zone Manager and Field Support Specialists; chaired new store grand opening committee and developed presentation for division executives and support staff.
Education
High School Diploma -
Muhlenberg North High School
Greenville, KY05-1997
Skills
- Public Relations
- Social Market research strategy
- Media relations
- Event management
- Event planning
- Management
- Strategic communication
- Communications strategy
- Content creation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Customer Service
- Retail Management
- Management
- Operations Management
- HR management
- Employee Relations
- Recruiting
- Talent acquisition
- Interviewing
- Onboarding
- Performance Management
- Employee assessment
- Mentoring
- ConfProblem-Solving
- Conflict management
- Organizational Skills
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Attention to detailnt
- Teamwork
- Interpersonal skills
- Communication
- Excellent communication
- Public Relations
- Community outreach
- Multitasking
- Communication
- Budgeting
- Profit & Loss
- Forecasting
- Risk Management
- Kronos software
- HRIS
- HRIS management
- Scheduling Software
- UKG Public Relations Software
- POS Troubleshooting
- Social media strategy
- Sponsorship management
- Presentation Skills
- Merchandising
- Teamwork
- Content creation
- Conflict resolution
- Community outreach
- Excellent communication
- Multitasking capacity
- Event planning
- Creative thinking
- Communications strategy
- Interpersonal skills
- Sponsorship management
- Multitasking
- Time management
- Event management
- Attention to detail
- Front-end operations
- Labor scheduling
- Cash control
- POS systems
- Retail operations
- Inventory control
- Compliance monitoring
- Performance reporting
- Team leadership
- Decision making
- Relationship building
- Customer focused
- Microsoft outlook, word, and Excel
- Employee scheduling
- Schedule management
- Training and mentoring
- Personnel training and development
- Continuous improvement
- Excellent time management skills
- Verbal and written communication
- Training and coaching
- Focused on customer satisfaction
- New hire training
- Workforce management
- MS office
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Team building
- Problem-solving
- Skilled multi-tasker
- Positive and constructive feedback
- Regulatory compliance
- Talent development
- Deadline oriented
Timeline
Assistant Public Relations Director
Carver Construction Company LLC
09.2024 - 04.2025
E-Commerce Manager
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
02.2024 - 05.2024
District Front-End Customer Experience & Financial Products Field Specialist
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
02.2023 - 02.2024
Customer Service Manager
The Kroger Company - Louisville Division
10.2007 - 02.2023
Night Shift Payroll Supervisor
G-UB-MK Constructors
09.2006 - 05.2007
Retail Store Manager
Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
06.2003 - 11.2005
Retail Store Manager
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. - Charlotte Division
01.2002 - 02.2003
Director, Human Resources/Marketing/Administration
NasHorse Racing LLC
01.2001 - 08.2001
Office Clerk/Interim Assistant Manager/Management Relief/Store Manager-in-Training
The Kroger Company - Nashville Division
11.1997 - 11.2000
High School Diploma -
Muhlenberg North High School