Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Additional Information
Timeline
Generic

Tracy Dela Cruz

Pomona,CA

Summary

Highly motivated and resourceful officer with 22 years of USCIS experience in SC/SISO/SIO/IO/ISO roles and expertise in employment-, family and humanitarian - and status and documents- based adjudication, fraud detection, and immigration services delivery. Mission-focused professional, committed to safeguarding the integrity of the legal immigration system and with strong team-leadership skills, talent for creative problem solving, and a record of working collaboratively to achieve organizational goals. Highly skilled manager, dedicated to promoting consistency, transparency, and efficiency in program delivery.

Overview

33
33
years of professional experience

Work History

Section Chief

Department of Homeland Security, USCIS
09.2019 - Current
  • • Serve as second-line manager in the position of Section Chief at the PSC.
  • • Independently manage all administrative immigration programs, activities and operations within the PSC adjudications divisions:
  • o FY 2023 – Present: Currently assigned to PSC’s Family and Humanitarian (F&H) Division and primarily oversee the Form I-130, in addition to the ancillary form types (Form I-824, I-129F, EOIR-29, I-290B). In FY 2024, also oversaw the adjudication of priority workloads - Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and its associated form types, Form I-90s and I-765 (c)(8)s.
  • o FY 2020 - 2022: Previously assigned to PSC’s Status and Documents (S&D) Division and oversaw the administration of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and its associated form types, as well as Form I-765 (c)(8) “Asylum” and (c)(3) “Student” immigration benefits and services. Leading/coaching subordinate supervisors and staff within the Section.
  • • Direct the F&H Division and FY 2024 priority workloads, as well as related functions in accordance with broad program objectives and policies established by USCIS Headquarters and senior leadership.
  • • Oversee the distribution of work for a Section of close to 50 officers.
  • • Interact and update SCOPS HQ POCs and ACD on short, medium, and long-term issues impacting work including incoming receipts, anticipated one-time/cyclical/ seasonal/intermittent increases, deadlines, priorities, staffing and training needs.
  • • Provide timely status updates to the team’s ACD for the areas of responsibility / tasks / projects initiatives and at Senior Leadership meetings and in other appropriate forums. Keep Associate Center Director (ACD) continually informed of status of cases and workloads and prepare reports as required.
  • • Provide technical and administrative supervision; establish and execute specific action plans to accomplish short-and long - term goals and objectives; develop and prescribe procedures and techniques and furnish policy guidance to subordinates
  • • Provide updates, discuss issues, convey recommendations, and take appropriate action.
  • • Provide support to first-line supervisors in terms of guidance, analysis, materials, resources, and personnel to ensure sufficient resources to execute tasks
  • • Review, assign, re-assign, and facilitate resources across supervisory groups within the team
  • • Independently seek out opportunities to improve quality, productivity, employee engagement and Union partnership
  • • Translate and clarify workload policies into practical definitions, priorities, and processes for the first-line supervisors to further develop, detail, and implement
  • • Supervise the training, mentoring, and development of new employees by first-line supervisors
  • • Coordinate across teams with other Section Chiefs on resources, workloads, consistency, management, Quality Workplace activities, projects, and initiatives
  • • Respond to inquiries from a full range of sources to justify, defend or settle sensitive adjudications, administrative and personnel issues including those of other service areas.
  • • Develop and maintain continuous and effective liaison with relevant USCIS and DHS counterparts and external stakeholders, as appropriate (i.e., other Federal, State, and local government agencies, foreign governments, community-based organizations, legal groups and attorneys, congressional staffs, and the public) through communications, conferences, and meetings
  • • Identifying, analyzing, and coordinating resolution of complex problems impacting the F&H Division and FY 2024 priority workload operations.
  • • Collaborate with other Section Chiefs to resolve cross-section/team, seek process improvements and innovate where no process exists. Reviewing proposals and making recommendations for process improvements relating the F&H Division form types and FY 2024 priority workloads.
  • • Designing, evaluating, and troubleshooting online records or case management systems relating to the form types adjudicated in the ELIS system.
  • • Interpreting and applying complex form type laws, rules, policies, and/or regulations.
  • • Review complex cases requiring consultation and outreach to SCOPS for further resolution.
  • • Liaise with CFDO and BCU regarding issues impacting the adjudication of various form types and collaborating to resolve such issues.
  • • Plan, assign, and review work; provide advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters.
  • • Identify training needs of employees, provide or arrange needed development and training, and/or find ways to improve productivity, promote team building, and improve operational practices.
  • • Establish effective working relationships with peers, leadership, attorneys, and other stakeholders required to accomplish the agency's mission.
  • • Coordinate with peers to meet objectives, goals, priorities and deadlines, and formulate plans to meet substantial changes in workload.
  • • Adjust work operations to meet priorities or changing programs or production requirements within available resources and with minimum sacrifice of quantity and quality of work.
  • • Carry out Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and program activities, communicate support of these policies to subordinates, and encourage active participation in EEO program activities and training.

Immigration Officer, Training Operations

Department of Homeland Security, USCIS
03.2019 - 09.2019
  • • Deliver approved immigration, anti-fraud and other national security training modules to FDNS and field personnel.
  • • Develop course curriculum in collaboration with internal and external partners; integrating the most up- to-date policy initiatives and best practices.
  • • Travel and serve as a facilitator or an instructor in the delivery of course material at FLETC-Charleston. Responsible for all logistics relating to the execution of FDNS courses, including, but not limited to, the FDNS Officer Basic Training Program (FOBTP).
  • • Ensure compliance with established policies, procedures, and other directives; develop and implement short, mid, and long-term project management plans; review and analyze anti-fraud and law enforcement
  • • Coordinate efforts with other programs within USCIS and DHS, and maintain relationships with other external agencies to implement and/or evaluate established program policy objective

Director, Information Services Division - GS-301-14

Department Of The Treasury
01.2002 - 09.2009
  • Directed the operations of three (3) branches; Library Services, Records Management Services and Telephone Operator Services which included 17 employees , managing over 1.5 million in recurring costs and budget allocations
  • Formulated and forecasted budget spending for Division
  • Lead a variety of special projects, studies and analysis for Library Services, Records Management, and Treasury Orders and Directives
  • Represented Departmental offices in collaborating with the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), bureaus and other government agencies on Records Management initiatives
  • Researched, developed, and benchmarked emerging technology and information to insure a well-directed, cost effective treasury-wide information knowledge network servicing the department missions and the strategic plan
  • Supervised branches to insure effective performance management, including development plans, career guidance, team building and support.

Smart Card Project Manager - GS-343-13

Department Of The Treasury
01.1999 - 01.2001

  • Lead high visibility project for former Vice President Gore Reinvention team involving the implementation/promulgation of cost saving Smart Card technology throughout the Department of Treasury.
  • Identified Departmental offices Champions, stakeholders, and virtual team members for Smart Card prototypes and pilots; coalesced best practices and selected rational business case framework for Treasury-wide Smart Card implementation
  • Delivered briefs and progress reports to Treasury senior management; Asst. Secretary for Management, CFO, CIO, Treasury Bureau contacts and other management officials.
  • Created active inter-agency partnerships; Inter-agency Advisory for Smart Cards (GSA); Smart Card Managers Group (GSA); PKI Implementation Team; E-Commerce Working Group

Management Analyst - GS-343-13

Internal Revenue Service
01.1992 - 01.1999
  • Performed program reviews and evaluations of IRS'Records Management Program
  • Planned, organized, controlled, evaluated, developed and implemented the service-wide Flexible Workplace Program in Headquarters National Office
  • Developed training courses for the Flexiplace program and administered training to managers and employees
  • Made presentations to the Deputy Commissioner, National Directors, District Directors, management and union officials
  • Reviewed and evaluated drafts and final documents from contractors on Integrated Workplace Strategies Project costing over 3 million
  • Assisted with budget forecasting for record holdings of over 63 million.

Education

Associate of Applied Sciences - Business Management degree

Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD
2001

Skills

  • Project management
  • Proficiency in Microsoft applications
  • Customer Service oriented
  • Negotiation skills
  • Flexible
  • Ability to multi-task

  • Strategic thinking
  • Development of Business solutions
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Communication Skills
  • Team Work
  • Goal driven and oriented

Accomplishments

    Leadership/Communication

  • Assisted the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Privacy, Transparency, and Records in standing up the Office of Privacy, Transparency, and Records
  • Served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Privacy, Transparency and Records in her absence
  • Lead a business and technology team in implementation of an Enterprise-wide project. (Enterprise Content Management (ECM))
  • Instrumental in influencing Treasury bureaus to participate in utilization of ECM platform by visiting bureaus and socializing the use of the new technology tool
  • Lead a Treasury-wide budget working group to develop and implement a cost model for shared services - 2010/2011
  • Serve as a representative on an Executive Steering Committee to review new technologies, provide guidance and address concerns
  • Instrumental in leading a two time Archivist of the United States award winning team in government-wide records and information management training for the Department resulting in participation of 42 government agencies and 1,000 government employee (Records and Information Management Month) for 5 consecutive years
  • Lead a technology project from 2009-2001 with former Vice President Gore's Reinvention Team from a vision to reality, transferring the project for implementation to another bureau to take the lead after closeout of the team.

Additional Information

Awards:

  • Monetary Award for Outstanding Performance - 2012
  • Monetary Award for Outstanding Performance - 2011
  • Quality Step Increase for Outstanding Performance - 2010
  • Monetary Award for Outstanding Performance - 2009
  • Quality Step Increase for Outstanding Performance 2008

Timeline

Section Chief

Department of Homeland Security, USCIS
09.2019 - Current

Immigration Officer, Training Operations

Department of Homeland Security, USCIS
03.2019 - 09.2019

Director, Information Services Division - GS-301-14

Department Of The Treasury
01.2002 - 09.2009

Smart Card Project Manager - GS-343-13

Department Of The Treasury
01.1999 - 01.2001

Management Analyst - GS-343-13

Internal Revenue Service
01.1992 - 01.1999

Associate of Applied Sciences - Business Management degree

Anne Arundel Community College

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Tracy Dela Cruz