Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Professional Accolades
Timeline
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Kimberly D. Wechter

Akron,Ohio

Summary

Strategic team-focused human resource and talent leader with just under two decades progressive experience, specializing in talent acquisition, performance management, and leading large-scale diverse talent and training programs. Spearheaded corporate-wide restructuring of early-talent engineering hiring and successfully grew program by 30% ensuring top-talent attraction and retention. Passionate and experienced at driving performance excellence and possess superior organizational communication skills.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Early-Talent Engineering Program Lead

FirstEnergy Corp.
07.2022 - Current
  • Supervise talent acquisition program for 60+ engineering student co-ops & Rotational Engineering (ROE) Program
  • Lead performance management, mentor, coach, address and resolve conflict, and advocate for early-talent engineers
  • Foster inclusion by executing technical & educational opportunities consisting of facilities tours, learning series, volunteer activities, and technical/professional training

Learning & Development Training Lead

FirstEnergy Corp.
01.2017 - 07.2022
  • Led communication & change management training program development for 650+ engineering organization
  • Teamed with business-unit leadership to develop 50+ technical & detailed role-based training plans

Lead Skilled-Trades Recruiter & Program Manager

FirstEnergy Corp.
09.2014 - 01.2017
  • Coached and led candidates through academic and physical selection process of unique 21-month training program
  • Executed strategic recruiting strategies and competitive selection process to ensure top-talent attraction
  • Led employee performance management, including both non-bargaining and bargaining-unit investigation and negotiation to ensure safety and compliance

Major Customer Account Manager

FirstEnergy Corp.
06.2008 - 09.2014
  • Fostered relationship management of corporate/industrial customer accounts with annual revenues on key accounts > $4M
  • Led public relations activities, managed all customer-related inquiries, and gained strong technical utility knowledge
  • Senior Event Manager for company villa at Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament

Education

Master of Arts - Organizational Communication

The University of Akron
Akron, Ohio

Bachelor of Science - Business & Communications

Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Skills

  • Cross-Functional Corporate Leader
  • Target Recruitment & Selection
  • Encouraging Mentor & Coach
  • Strategic Organizational Planning

Accomplishments

  • Increased early-talent retention by 20% with overall 94% success rate
  • Developed enhanced performance management process, structured new-hire orientation, & peer-mentor program
  • Onboarded 200+ skilled-trades employees, 100+ professional engineers, and 80+ student co-ops

Professional Accolades

  • “30 for the Future” Award Recipient, Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce
  • Talent Acquisition Hiring Champion Lead
  • Outstanding Strategic-Communication Award Recipient
  • Culture-Lead Training Champion Nominated by VP-level Leadership

Timeline

Early-Talent Engineering Program Lead

FirstEnergy Corp.
07.2022 - Current

Learning & Development Training Lead

FirstEnergy Corp.
01.2017 - 07.2022

Lead Skilled-Trades Recruiter & Program Manager

FirstEnergy Corp.
09.2014 - 01.2017

Major Customer Account Manager

FirstEnergy Corp.
06.2008 - 09.2014

Master of Arts - Organizational Communication

The University of Akron

Bachelor of Science - Business & Communications

Ashland University

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