Dennis Losel

• Serve as Store Manager and District Operations Coordinator, leading one of the company's top-performing locations, consistently ranking #1 or #2 in sales. Oversee all aspects of store operations, including team leadership, financial performance, customer experience, staffing, training, and operational excellence. In a district leadership capacity, provide operational support for an additional café, mentor and train new Store Managers, assist Café Managers with staffing strategies and workforce development, and ensure consistent execution of company standards across multiple locations. Collaborate with leadership teams to improve operational efficiency, drive sales growth, strengthen employee engagement, and maintain high standards of service and performance throughout the district.

Accomplished photographer and founder of Dennis Losel Photography with nearly two decades of experience documenting live music, entertainment, celebrity events, and lifestyle portraiture. Published in Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly, Soap Hub, True Hollywood Talk, Digital Journal, and national media outlets, I have photographed major concerts and entertainment events featuring artists such as Paul McCartney, Machine Gun Kelly (MGK), and the Goo Goo Dolls, while creating compelling visual narratives that capture authentic moments, emotion, and human connection.

• Serve as General Manager and Social Media Manager for Buffalo Olde Brewery, overseeing daily operations, staff leadership, customer experience, inventory management, and event coordination. Develop and execute social media marketing strategies across multiple platforms, creating engaging content that strengthens brand awareness, drives customer engagement, and promotes brewery events and offerings. Manage team scheduling, training, and performance while maintaining operational efficiency, profitability, and exceptional guest satisfaction. Foster community partnerships and local outreach initiatives to expand the brewery's presence and customer base.

• - Established sales-focused strategy, ensuring outstanding customer experiences through staff development and training.
• - Managed HR functions including interviewing, hiring, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• - Oversaw inventory management, vendor relations, and merchandising directives.s
• Led loss prevention initiatives, reducing shrinkage and protecting company assets.
• Contributed to the management team that launched a new retail location.

LongHorn Steakhouse | Bar, Sales, Service & Culinary Manager | Jun 2016 – Jul 2019
Olive Garden Italian Kitchen | Staffing, Training, Sales & Service Manager | Oct 2002 – Jun 2016

• Progressed through leadership roles across two major Darden brands, managing high-volume, full-service restaurant operations over 17+ years.
• Led teams ranging from 50 to 75+ employees, overseeing hiring, onboarding, scheduling, training, performance management, and leadership development.
• Managed multi-million-dollar P&L responsibility ($5M+), driving profitability through labor optimization, budgeting, and cost control strategies.
• Improved operational efficiency and guest experience by enhancing kitchen workflows, reducing ticket times, and strengthening service execution.
• Increased catering and to-go sales by approximately $3.7K per week through targeted local marketing and sales initiatives.
• Directed inventory forecasting and purchasing to support weekly guest volumes of 6,500–8,000 while minimizing waste and controlling costs.
• Built strong internal talent pipelines, resulting in multiple team members advancing into management roles across the organization.

Planned, coordinated, and executed a wide range of photographic assignments, including official portraits of elected officials, legislative sessions, committee hearings, press conferences, public events, community outreach initiatives, and government ceremonies.

• Produced compelling visual content for legislative communications, public affairs, marketing campaigns, educational materials, social media, websites, annual reports, and press releases, ensuring alignment with agency branding and messaging objectives.

• Collaborated closely with senators, assembly members, governors, communications staff, and public relations teams to capture impactful imagery while maintaining professionalism, discretion, and minimal disruption during official proceedings and public appearances.

• Documented key legislative activities, constituent engagement events, policy announcements, and statewide initiatives, providing timely photography support for internal and external communications.

• Developed strong relationships with media representatives, editors, graphic designers, and communications professionals to facilitate publication, distribution, and promotion of photographic content across print, digital, and broadcast platforms.

• Managed multiple concurrent projects under tight deadlines, overseeing photo scheduling, image selection, editing, captioning, metadata management, file archiving, and digital asset organization.

• Maintained comprehensive photo databases, archival systems, stock image libraries, equipment inventories, and backup procedures to ensure long-term preservation, accessibility, and security of photographic assets.

• Functioned as staff photographer for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, creating visual content for agency publications, public outreach campaigns, marketing materials, and executive communications.

• Photographed the Commissioner at press conferences, public events, environmental initiatives, and official appearances with the Governor, documenting key agency programs and announcements.

• Produced and edited imagery for websites, promotional campaigns, exhibits, large-format displays, posters, and banners supporting statewide conservation and environmental education efforts.

• Collaborated with communications, editorial, and design teams to develop compelling visual storytelling while managing digital photo archives and image assets.

• Contributed photography to The Conservationist magazine, agency brochures, reports, educational materials, and the award-winning Brownfields publication.