Demitri L. Haigler
Tallahassee,FL
Summary
Paralegal seeking to leverage legal research and case management experience in Reemployment Assistance to contribute to team success and career growth.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Benefits Analyst
State of Florida, Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission
02.2022 - Current
- Researches and provides wage, claim, and adjudication information for Commission's review attorneys in connection with pending appeals
- Provides explanation of issues affecting payment of benefits
- As necessary, serves as liaison between the Commission and other governmental agencies regarding issues involved in pending Commission appeals
- Research inquiries from Commission stakeholders and communicates with Department staff as necessary
- Responds to inquiries verbally or in writing, as directed by the Clerk of the Commission
- Reviews correspondence and makes recommendations to Clerks regarding whether the correspondence constitutes an appeal of a referee's decision
- Reviews new appeal requests submitted to determine the disposition of the request
- Coordinates continued training of Commission staff in the use of the Department's RECONNECT system
- Communicates regularly with Department RECONNECT team members regarding system-wide updates to the RECONNECT system and system interruptions, and reports issues affecting the Commission's use of RECONNECT
- Enters the effect of complex Commission orders into RECONNECT
- Assists with retrieval and review of Commission system reports as needed
- Assists with website editing to update the commissions notices and materials
Benefits Program Supervisor/Analyst
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
09.2020 - 02.2022
- Supervising the intake and processing of correspondence for RA appeals, including supervising the Appeals Clerk’s Office associates
- Supervising a team of 22
- Responsible for motivating, training and evaluating employees
- Directing employees work and processes
- Prioritize work and delegate responsibility of assignments to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and completion of work by deadlines
- Reviews and evaluates unit work to determine of all work is in compliance with established policies and standards
- Administers complex technical Reemployment Assistance program functions
- Ensuring staff adheres to proper confidentiality and public record requirements
- Plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments
- Resolve and assist subordinates the more difficult, unusual programmatic or technical problems
- Identifies and analyzes problem areas and recommend any changes
- Ensure appeals are properly and timely documented, entered in the computer data base, examined for correctness and legibility, and accurately and timely docketed or routed to the appropriate area
- Work with representatives from other program areas, as needed, to resolve issues
- Oversight of and creation of reports for RA Appeals, including, but not limited to, internal and federal reports, appeals operational reports
- Process and transmit scores for the appeals quarterly and annual reviews to USDOL
- Authorize leave and attendance records
- Prepare position descriptions, performance appraisals, and procedural changes due to changes in the work unit
- Attend, conduct, and organize workshops, studies, conferences, and staff meetings
- Performs other related work as required
- Supervises and coordinates unit activities relating to specialized work assignments
Employment Program Specialist
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
06.2014 - 09.2020
- Team Lead – Assists the Operations & Management Consultant Manager with leadership, training, and direction of workload
- Assists with the day to day operational functions of the magistrate office
- Provide support concerning the internet, internet applications, and policies and procedures
- Attends meeting related to computer systems and program polices and implement changes
- Assists with training, developing, and implement process changes
- Responsible as primary testers to ensure that the new systems meet requirements
- Directs the preparation of letters, email responses, reports, statistical data in response to inquiries regarding issues and policies
- Assist the manager in performing reviews, statistical analysis, or compiling and presenting information about the Office of Appeals
- Examines, analyzes, and reviews complex appeals to determine whether an appeal meets criteria and should be docketed or returned for additional action
- Recognizes multi-claimant appeals and ensures they are properly handled in according to federal laws and standards
- Maintains a broad knowledge of federal appeals criteria
- Responsible for reviewing and docketing tax liability and rate cases for special deputy hearings
- Determines priorities in making decisions to alleviate bottlenecks in workflow
- Search for missing portions of a file
- Requests copies of warrants and claim certificates
- Locate and print pertinent information from the computer to prepare a complete case record
- Responsible for having defective/flawed adjudication determinations corrected
- Submitting Connect tickets and facilitating corrections to decisions disposed of incorrectly
- Provides customer service to parties associated with appeals hearings; such as, claimants, employers, attorneys, accountants, and other agencies and provide high level technical assistance
- Docketing submitted appeals requests
- Handles complex appeal issues such as fraud, overpayments, child support, DUA, PUA, PEUC, EB, LWA, FPUC and TRA/TAA
- Prepare the quarterly and annual federal reviews and submit scores to USDOL
- Manages the clerk’s office in the absence of the supervisor
- Liaison between district offices and all areas of the Reemployment Assistance program
Employment Security Representative I
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
10.2013 - 06.2014
- Examine, analyze and review complex appeals for docketing to determine whether an appeal meets criteria and should be docketed or returned for additional action
- Knowledge of Federal appeals criteria
- Recognize multi-claimant appeals and ensure these are properly handled in accordance with federal guidelines
- Review and docket tax liability and rate cases for special deputy hearings
- Determine priorities in making decisions to alleviate bottlenecks in workflow
- Assist and advise in unusual or irregular appeals
- Locate missing portions of case files
- Request copies of warrants and claim certificates
- Locate and print pertinent information from the computer to prepare a complete case record
- Answer telephone calls and route to appropriate units as necessary
- Process and transmit scores for the appeals quarterly and annual reviews to USDOL
RA Appeals Examiner
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
10.2011 - 09.2013
- Examine and docket reemployment assistance appeals
- Determine whether an appeal meets criteria and should be docketed or returned for additional action
- Knowledge of Federal appeals criteria
- Recognize multi-claimant appeals and ensure these are properly handled in accordance with federal guidelines
- Review and docket tax liability and rate cases for special deputy hearings
- Determine priorities in making decisions to alleviate bottlenecks in workflow
- Assist and advise in unusual or irregular appeals
- Answer telephone calls and route to appropriate units as necessary
- Search for missing portions of a file
- Request copies of warrants and claim certificates
- Locate and print pertinent information from the computer to prepare a complete case record
- Process and transmit scores for the appeals quarterly and annual reviews to USDOL
- Conducts research on complex appeal documents to determine the nature of the request
Examiner I, Benefit Payment Control
State of Florida, Agency for Workforce Innovation
10.2011 - 10.2011
- Responsible for complex programmatic functions
- Identifies and resolves problems in daily operations
- Examines work related documents for the area assigned and determines actions to take to resolve the issues
- Explains points of law and reasons for determinations regarding eligibility for benefits
- Gather and maintain claims continuity
- Handles inquiries from claimants, employers, Career Source, other state agencies, and other offices
- Examine documents related to overpayments
- Ensures claims are handled timely and with accurate information
- Research and gather facts to make determinations according to RA law and regulations
- Performs specialized work assignments
Contractual Services Specialist
State of Florida, Justice Administrative Commission
02.2006 - 04.2008
- Responsible for making timely and accurate payments to court appointed attorneys for indigent clients using the FLAIR system
- Ensures that all required documents necessary for payment processing have been submitted prior to authorizing payment
Employment Security Representative I (OPS)
State of Florida, Agency for Workforce Innovation
06.2005 - 02.2006
- Responsible for preparing and filing in small claims court cases for overpayment of reemployment assistance benefits
- Recorded judgments obtained from the courts
- Prepared stipulation agreements for payments of overpaid benefits
Education
AA - Paralegal Studies
Platt College
Ontario, CA09.2004
Skills
- Management
- Budget development
- Staffing
- Cost control
- Report evaluation
- Employee motivation
- Teaching skills
- Organizational skills
- Planning skills
- Adaptability
- Customer service
- Conflict management
- Microsoft Office
- RECONNECT
- Suntax
- State menu for federal reviews
Certification
Notary Public, Florida, 2028
Timeline
Senior Benefits Analyst
State of Florida, Reemployment Assistance Appeals Commission
02.2022 - Current
Benefits Program Supervisor/Analyst
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
09.2020 - 02.2022
Employment Program Specialist
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
06.2014 - 09.2020
Employment Security Representative I
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
10.2013 - 06.2014
RA Appeals Examiner
State of Florida, Department of Economic Opportunity
10.2011 - 09.2013
Examiner I, Benefit Payment Control
State of Florida, Agency for Workforce Innovation
10.2011 - 10.2011
Contractual Services Specialist
State of Florida, Justice Administrative Commission
02.2006 - 04.2008
Employment Security Representative I (OPS)
State of Florida, Agency for Workforce Innovation
06.2005 - 02.2006
Notary Public, Florida, 2028
AA - Paralegal Studies
Platt College
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