Dene Starks
Sacramento,CA
Summary
Experienced professional with 10+ years of success in development, implementation, and instruction. Determined professional with extensive experience guiding employees, partners, and clients through multiple development programs and initiatives. Provides a collaborative, interpersonal approach to instructional seminars. Creatively develops curriculum, programs, and coinciding materials to improve employee engagement and reach overall organizational goals. Focused on maximizing organizational performance, team productivity, and quality assurance with effective programs.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Business Owner/Operator
DJS Business Solutions LLC
08.2015 - Current
- Provide technical and vocational education and guidance to assist individuals and entrepreneurs on various subjects.
- Provide strategic leadership and subject matter expertise, development initiatives and solutions, and present at national, state, and local levels.
- Manage a variety of professional development & technical assistance projects for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) including leading all internship programs, communication, outreach, curriculum, and program design, and strategic planning support and guidance tasks.
- Develop and implement custom training/education programs for using virtual and in-person settings.
- Hire appropriate staff based on contract needs
- At least 10 plus years of leadership and strategic planning roles for national networks or associations around professional development, adult education, and career development subject areas.
- Develop surveys to identify training needs, assess survey data, and present findings to executive leadership to with education plan included.
- Control costs and optimize spending via restructuring of budgets for labor, capital assets, inventory purchasing and technology upgrades.
Adjunct Faculty Online Instructor
University Of The People
06.2016 - 06.2023
- Teach the following courses online: Intro to Business, Non-Profit Management, Finance, Economics, & Entrepreneurship
- Identify academic strengths and obstacles and developed instructional techniques to accommodate different learning styles.
- Work closely with multiple departments to develop and implement curriculum for improved learning and student performance.
- Actively participate in team-building ideas and methods to help other faculty deal with changes.
- Complete classroom planning by creating, preparing, & scoring exams, classroom discussions, and lectures.
- Student success rate of 98%.
- Teacher evaluation rate of 98%.
Commercial Underwriting Manager
Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Company
04.2016 - 05.2018
- Managed a team of 15 underwriting analysts.
- Developed and implemented a program for profit improvement, which involved re-underwriting business alongside the management of a growing staff of Underwriting
Analysts. - Hosted career readiness program in partnership with HR for those seeking advancement
or change. - Use various reports to perform loss analysis, rate analysis, risk analysis, submission
review, and marketing to leverage opportunities and managed a territory of profitable
growth. - Served as underwriting representative for legal and compliance-related issues.
- Coordinated the development of the Commercial Insurance department which
encompasses of different business in the 11 western states: Workers Compensation,
Business owners (Commercial Property & Liability), Umbrella, and Commercial Auto. - Assist with personnel selection, interviewing, hiring, professional development,
training, and coaching of underwriting associates. - Conduct half yearly performance evaluations for all underwriting associates and
determine promotional eligibility and/or salary adjustments.
Senior Commercial Lines Underwriter
Nationwide Insurance Company
08.2008 - 08.2016
- Evaluated debt ratio, loan-to-value ratios, credit scores property valuations, and various other factors when making underwriting decisions.
- Met with customers, agents, and brokers to negotiate coverage, price, and service delivery.
- Examined potential loss stemming from catastrophe, severity or frequency of possible loss.
- Monitored underwriting teams performance and provided mentoring to achieve personal and department production goals.
- Coordinated with internal stakeholders to initiate marketing strategies and meet market penetration and business growth objectives.
- Monitored underwriting teams' performance and provided mentoring to achieve personal and department production goals.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
- Identified portfolio risks resulting from client's underlying business practices, underwriting investigations or fraud exposure.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Organizational Communication
CSU
Sacramento, CAMBA - Business Administration
University of Phoenix
Tempe, AZDoctor of Education - Counseling Psychology
Guilford School of Theology
North Carolina06.2022
Skills
- Course development
- Adult learning theories
- Staff development plans
- Process evaluation and enhancement
- Training solutions development
- Public speaking
- Knowledgeable in virtual webinar and classroom platforms
- Employment law knowledge
- New hire on-boarding
- Leadership training
- Customer service
- Leadership
- Computer skills
- Cultural awareness
- Project Planning And Development
- Change Control Processes
Certification
- Licensed Insurance Agent - 2018-Current
- Certified Peer Recovery Coach - 2020-Current
Timeline
Adjunct Faculty Online Instructor
University Of The People
06.2016 - 06.2023
Commercial Underwriting Manager
Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Company
04.2016 - 05.2018
Business Owner/Operator
DJS Business Solutions LLC
08.2015 - Current
Senior Commercial Lines Underwriter
Nationwide Insurance Company
08.2008 - 08.2016
Bachelor of Arts - Organizational Communication
CSU
MBA - Business Administration
University of Phoenix
Doctor of Education - Counseling Psychology
Guilford School of Theology
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