Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
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Kristen Keane

Asheville,NC

Summary

After foundational work in the field and at the program administration level, I have had the opportunity to see the impact that high-level decision-making has on organizational operations. Combined with my MBA experience, my work has shown the need for leaders who demonstrate deep critical thinking through the lenses of innovation, systems management, and inclusion. After years acting as a risk manager in the field and at the Human Resources level, I aim to work at the leadership level addressing safety and risk through a systems approach.

Overview

8
8
years of professional experience

Work History

Assistant Professor of Business

Warren Wilson College
08.2023 - Current
  • Teach 12 credit hours per semester (3 classes) - Advise students on their academic trajectory - Create performance plans for struggling students and assist them as needed - Aid in the growth and development of the new Outdoor Business major - Take part in the WELL (Wilson Experiential Learning Lab) to develop new and innovative ways to make higher education more experiential.

Recruitment and HR Specialist

NC Outward Bound School
09.2021 - 08.2023
  • Maintained existing recruitment pipelines and established new and innovative ones - Attended conferences and industry events with the purpose of recruitment - Hired and onboarded all new instructors, logistics staff, and base camp leadership staff - Planned and facilitated all new staff trainings - Handled and documented employee relations issues - Filed and handled workers’ compensation claims - With the Staffing Manager, oversaw the promotion and development of field staff - Acted as payroll administrator - Established a Fellowship for BIPOC Staff resulting in the most diverse cohort of new staff in 2022; supervised the coordination of that program - Initiated an enhancement and streamlining of the organization’s payroll, onboarding, performance management, and reporting systems - Rewrote outdated HR policies including workplace harassment, drug and alcohol, staff background screening, and workers’ compensation policies

Associate Program Director

NC Outward Bound School
01.2021 - 08.2021
  • Served on the 8-person post-Covid program resumption team, helping shape policies and procedures for wilderness courses with Covid precautions - Developed curriculum for staff trainings and professional development workshops - Supervised Instructors, Course Directors, and Logistics staff in program delivery - Delivered Safety Briefs for each course under my supervision prior to going out - Served on the on-call team, taking calls from the field for basic needs and emergency response - Ensured all base camp staff followed safe working policies and procedures - Acted as de facto incident commander in the event of emergencies - Sat on the Instructor Promotions Team and ensured the appropriate professional development of field staff - Served as acting Program Director in their absence - Worked with the Program Director and HR Director to handle employee relations issues

Lead Instructor and Course Director

NC Outward Bound School
03.2016 - 12.2020
  • Led wilderness courses between 5-50 days long serving students between 14-60 years old - Achieved Lead Instructor status in 3 course areas (2 NC Mountains course areas and the FL Everglades) - Acted as field-based point of accountability for safety in expedition, rock climbing, flatwater, and whitewater canoeing - Acted as Course Director, supervising courses in the field, mentoring instructional staff, and delivering formal professional development curriculum - Field trained over 50 staff and provided them with feedback to inform their professional development - Actively participated in incident reporting and analyzing field incidents - Provided technical support for rock climbing and whitewater activities requiring higher levels of training and supervision - Acted as parent liaison for all students under my care while Course Directing - Facilitated conflict resolution and interpersonal issues between staff under my supervision
  • Personal Achievements - Thru-Completion of 1,100-mile NC Mountains-to-Sea trail via foot, bicycle, and canoe - 3-week mountaineering and climbing expedition in Northeastern Mexico including summits of Nevado de Teluca, Pena de Bernal, and Iztaccihuatl - Solo bicycle expedition from Asheville, NC to Everglades City, FL - Sailing expedition on 26-foot sailboat from Beaufort, NC to Everglades City, FL - Successful completion of 2 marathons and 2 50 kilometer foot races

Education

MBA - Outdoor Industry

Western Colorado University
05.2023

Master of Arts - Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Outdoor Leadership

NC State University
05.2013

Skills

Interpersonal Communication

Technical Writing

Public Speaking

Program Design and Delivery

Systems Thinking

Project Management

Accomplishments

  • Thru-completion of 1,100-mile NC Mountains-to-Sea trail by foot, bicycle, and canoe
  • Source-to-Sea expedition of the FL Everglades via the mostly untravelled Shark River Slough
  • Solo bicycle expedition from Asheville, NC to Everglades, FL
  • 3-week mountaineering and climbing expedition in Northeastern Mexico including summits of Nevado de Teluca, Pena de Bernal, and Iztaccihuatl
  • 1-month sailing expedition on a 16-foot sailboat from Beufort, NC to Everglades City, FL

Timeline

Assistant Professor of Business

Warren Wilson College
08.2023 - Current

Recruitment and HR Specialist

NC Outward Bound School
09.2021 - 08.2023

Associate Program Director

NC Outward Bound School
01.2021 - 08.2021

Lead Instructor and Course Director

NC Outward Bound School
03.2016 - 12.2020

MBA - Outdoor Industry

Western Colorado University

Master of Arts - Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management, Outdoor Leadership

NC State University

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