DAVID VARGAS
Tucson,AZ
Summary
Experienced, adaptable and composed leader with a proven track record of over a decade in mentoring and developing talent, ensuring comprehensive product knowledge, and proficient task execution. Highly skilled in employing organizational strategies to manage monthly, quarterly, and yearly planning, scheduling, and customer service operations. Possess deep understanding of organizational mission, objectives, and goals, complemented by exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Available for flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends, up to 50 hours per week. Acknowledged for overseeing $64 million in annual inventory, revitalizing underperforming teams, and successfully training and mentoring an average of over 75 employees. Utilizes a diplomatic communication style to optimize engagement and satisfaction levels.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
8
8
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Bilingual Health Education Specialist
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
11.2021 - Current
- Effectively deliver culturally responsive health education classes and workshops for youth and adult community members in either English or Spanish.
- Improved the ALLY program by developing and implementing a new engaging 9-week curriculum tailored for youth to improve their knowledge and skills around mental health, stress management and suicide prevention with evidence-based best practices.
- Co-created and updated the current 9-week YELL curriculum for youth to include harm-reduction and meet fidelity while having a stronger foundation in adverse childhood experiences and a trauma informed approach.
- Assist in budgeting and reporting processes to secure funding from grants and funders by meeting goals of grant deliverables within allocated timelines.
- Accurately collect and maintain participant data in corresponding systems multiple times per week.
- Provide support to other LGBTQ+ department programs, including but not limited to, teaching curricula, staffing Eon Youth Lounge and its satellite sites, and tabling community events.
- Provide support, as needed, to the organization by collaborating with other SAAF programs and events, such as Tucson Pride Festival, AIDSWalk, Tucson Meet Yourself, etc.
- Promote available resources and connect individuals with services, within SAAF or with community partners.
- Develop and distribute materials to increase awareness and understanding around prevention topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, harm reduction and substance use and misuse prevention.
- Continually improve knowledge, skills, and performance based on feedback and self-identified professional developmental needs, especially on the subjects of strength-based community development, positive youth development, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC populations, substance use prevention and harm reduction, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma informed approach, to name a few.
- Creates pamphlets, resource directories and other health education materials to promote mental health awareness, harm-reduction, and preventive health practices.
Senior Team Leader
Target
06.2014 - 07.2021
- Managed operations of individual departments, such as daily staffing, scheduling and delegation of tasks as needed.
- Co-managed the daily operation of the entire store, assisting in the training of new management, collaborating with peers and supervisor in daily and seasonal goals as well as training metrics and performance, as needed.
- Implemented and facilitated new programs, workshops and trainings, as needed.
- Created a diverse team and established an inclusive culture by hiring outside of the typical model previously used in the store, leading to a 30%+ increase in employee retention.
- Spearheaded initiatives to promote inclusivity and support for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ employees and customers.
- Advocated for the use of preferred names and correct pronouns in store communications and interactions, fostering a more inclusive environment.
- Led efforts to remove dead names from public-facing platforms used by employees, ensuring only preferred names were displayed on forms and communications, like schedules and recognition forms, which were approved by Target corporate.
- Provided training and demonstration to store management and human resources staff on creating safe and respectful spaces for trans and gender nonconforming individuals, from applications and interviews to interactions of current staff.
- Managed and increased the store donation budget by maximizing its usage with local non-profit organizations.
- Networked with schools and non-profits to create and manage volunteer opportunities for the store, with a special focus on organizations and groups that assist in education, substance abuse prevention, and the LGBTQ+ community.
- Supported team members in crisis, and connected them to resources available to them as needed, especially with the Black Lives Matters and COVID-19 impact on the team.
- Reported weekly to Store Director about assigned department, and any other pertinent information affecting store culture or suggestions on required training.
- Successfully promoted from lowest manager title to a key holder, and eventual Senior position, with 4 lateral promotions for continued learning and development.
- Facilitated training for all new staff, validated training done by other mentors and retrained or retaught if needed, implemented 30, 60 and 90 day check-ins for outstanding learning plans, and retrained and tested current staff periodically to ensure consistency in standards and performance via daily/weekly team huddles.
- Coached, disciplined and documented poor performance of staff, as needed.
- Educated the guests on Target specials, returns, policies and general company culture, as needed.
- Received, unloaded, documented and/or processed deliveries for the store, as needed.
- Managed the food safety culture for the entire store, including proper food handling, expiration date management, temperature safety and spill safety protocols.
- Managed the daily price accuracy for the department, ensuring signing, labeling and merchandising followed company and government mandated guidelines.
- Maintained proper inventory levels of vendor product as required based on seasonality and sales while maintaining a minimal footprint of stockroom space, while increasing the volume and frequency of delivery of both bread vendors and two main soda vendors (Coke and Pepsi).
- Increased the sale of Adult Beverage category by 52% YTD, with an increase of 68% alone in the last quarter.
Courtroom Clerk
Arizona Superior Court In Pima County
09.2013 - 03.2014
- Created accurate minute entries and all related paperwork for court proceedings.
- Administered oaths to witnesses, jurors, interpreters and bailiffs/law clerks.
- Impaneled, drew alternates and polled jurors.
- Read charges, recorded verdicts, and issued and quashed arrest warrants.
- Received, labeled, documented, processed and released all exhibits to appropriate parties.
- Created and processed all documents in Microsoft Office.
- Exercised and demonstrated compassion, non-judgement and a trauma-informed approach with professionalism and confidentiality during all proceedings and interactions with plaintiffs, defendants and victims.
Manager
El Charro Café
07.2011 - 08.2013
- Managed and monitored staff of approximately 70 employees daily.
- Prescreened applicants and assisted in hiring process.
- Processed new hire paperwork and trained new employees.
- Trained new staff on proper restaurant guidelines of service.
- Documented poor performance and executed disciplinary action, as needed.
- Facilitated communication between owners, staff and vendors.
- Ordered supplies and maintained accurate biweekly, monthly and yearly inventories of food and alcohol within monthly and quarterly budgets.
- Met pars consistently ensuring food and labor costs and targets were met and recorded in Microsoft Excel.
- Planned, booked and developed large group events and created menus ensuring client needs were met within specific budgets.
- Delivered supplies and materials within restaurant locations, corporate office and other businesses, as necessary.
- Responded promptly to messages, phone calls, faxes, emails and letters efficiently and accurately.
Education
Ongoing - Art History & Interdisciplinary Studies
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 05.2001 -
Skills
Staff education and training
Volunteer Experience
Volunteer and Donations Captain
2014-2021
While at Target, I managed the annual and monthly donations budget for the store to ensure it went to local non-profits. I authenticated the non-profit status, mission and purpose of the organization, as well as the need or the donation amount requested, and communicated with different organizations' representatives at least once a week. The donation budget had to be balanced by the end of the fiscal year, but I broke it down into monthly allotments to account for occasional increases in our budget, as granted by Target corporate. I also documented, tracked and coordinated the volunteer activities for the store, and measured them against an annual goal of hours volunteered by the team. I challenged the team to a minimum of one big team volunteer event per quarter/season, with our biggest volunteer event happening in the winter for the holidays. Typical organizations in the rotation were: Habitat for Humanity, Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance (Tucson Pride), Tucson Police Officer Association ("Shop with A Cop" Christmas Event), Tucson Unified School District schools and programs, the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
In 2015, after the legalization of same-sex marriage nation-wide, Target began a more public and vocal commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. That began a yearly partnership with the Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance, commonly referred to as Tucson Pride, which included a donation to the organization, participation of the team members in it's annual Pride parade, and volunteer hours from our team for the Pride Festival ever year since.
Amphitheater High School
Student Council/National Honor Society/Gay Straight Alliance
2002-2006
The Student Council raised funds and participated annually in the Tucson AIDS Walk as part of our Fall program. The council raised funds amongst the study body, participated in the walk and volunteered for the main event as well.
In partnership with the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club advisors at the school, the council also used its annual Winter campaign to raise food, goods and cash to create gift boxes for the GSA members that were experiencing homelessness due to their sexual orientation and/or identity. This was a personal cause for me, as two close friends joined the club when they began to question their own sexuality and identity, and joined them before I came out as a queer individual three years later. It also gave me a foundation for creating safe spaces for youth, an introduction to positive youth development models, and the direct correlation of harm reduction and adverse childhood experiences in practice.
Certification
QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor
Timeline
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
01-2024
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Trauma
10-2023
Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)
08-2023
QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor
04-2023
Affirming LGBTQ+ Youth and Community
06-2022
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training
04-2022
Basics of Race, Ethnicity and Culture
03-2022
Ethics, Trauma and Bias Training
02-2022
Bilingual Health Education Specialist
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
11.2021 - Current
Senior Team Leader
Target
06.2014 - 07.2021
Courtroom Clerk
Arizona Superior Court In Pima County
09.2013 - 03.2014
Manager
El Charro Café
07.2011 - 08.2013
Ongoing - Art History & Interdisciplinary Studies
University of Arizona
05.2001 -
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