Ramonita Cruz
Summary
Senior Veterans' Services Representative with over 6 years of VA benefits, customer service, and outreach coordination experience. Reliable team player with focus on collaboration and achieving results. Proficient in managing client relationships, handling inquiries, and resolving complex issues efficiently. Seeking to transition into new position, leveraging these transferable skills to make positive impact. Supervisor, senior enlisted advisor, and military veteran with 22 years of proven experience in the United States Marine Corps. Accomplished measurable results in dynamic, fast - paced environments. Possess a comprehensive background in veterans' benefits, customer service, and federal, state, and local provisions. Additionally have experience with administration, logistics, and maintenance management derived from conducting domestic and global operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Possess extensive knowledge in military administrative/legal functions, customer service, resource and referral, maintenance management, data entry, inspections, data analysis, inventory control, technical research and can type 60+ wpm. Recipient of multiple awards for outstanding performance and professionalism.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Veterans' Services Representative
Riverside County Veterans' Services
02.2018 - Current
- Perform a variety of complex tasks involving administrative, analytical, and staff management.
- Ensure compliance with county and department standards, guidelines, and regulatory requirements.
- Collaborate with team members to ensure seamless communication and consistent service delivery.
- Analyze program data to identify and eliminate barriers to improve efficiency and productivity of 4-6 staff members.
- Support goals in line with the department's strategic vision and execute delivery of services to the southwest region area veterans at field offices.
- Provide training for newly hired veterans' services representatives and conduct performance assessments.
- Assist veterans, their dependents, and survivors in obtaining benefits from federal, state, and local governments and perform full range of veterans' claims work.
- Determine pertinent federal, state, and local provisions as they relate to each claim; prepare, develop, and prosecute veterans' administration claims; prepare and develop appeals for presentation to the Board of Veterans Appeals.
- Obtain affidavits, military records, birth, death, and naturalization certificates, marital documents, and other supporting evidence for claims.
- Review legal and regulatory changes affecting veterans' services; review medical and legal records and case histories; prepare briefs and reports.
- Provide advice and assistance to veterans in obtaining government insurance coverage and benefits.
- Assist applicants in applying for financial, medical, burial, and educational benefits; develop applications for discharge upgrades.
Maintenance Management Supervisor
Exercise Support Division
06.2014 - 09.2016
- Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Exercise Support Division Maintenance Management Officer.
- Coordinated/delegated work assignments, evaluated performance, and communicated needs for the maintenance management office consisting of 7 personnel.
- Established, supervised, and monitored policy on the functionality of maintenance management programs to include modification control, calibration control, preventive maintenance checks and services, inventory control, records and reporting, Enterprise Lifecycle Maintenance Program, and Corrosion Prevention and Control Program.
- Coordinated with maintenance managers on the use of better practices to improve maintenance turnaround time and expedition of required repair parts which aided in maintaining an equipment readiness rating of 96%.
- Responsible for property, accountability, and readiness of over 6600 pieces of equipment worth $300M+.
- Conducted daily administrative duties such as answering high volume calls, typing, copying, preparing reports, maintaining filing and records systems, referring personnel to available resources, reviewing correspondence for grammatical and spelling errors to include formatting and composing policy notices for the unit.
- Served in the Commanding General's Inspector Staff and conducted inspections on units aboard the installation to identify discrepancies and maximize resources to streamline operations and maximize mission readiness.
- Mentored and educated subordinate Marines with respect to personal and professional development and growth within the organization.
Maintenance Management Supervisor and Headquarters Company First Sergeant
Marine Air Control Group 38
03.2011 - 05.2014
- Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Material Readiness Officer and Company Commander.
- Conducted daily administrative duties such as answering high volume calls, typing, copying, preparing reports, maintaining filing and records systems, referring personnel to available resources, reviewing correspondence for grammatical and spelling errors to include formatting, and composing policy notices for the unit.
- Coordinated/delegated work assignments, evaluated performance, and communicated needs for the company office consisting of over 70 personnel.
- Provided policy and guidance to all 7 subordinate command maintenance managers regarding all functional areas within maintenance management.
- Enhanced training and leadership development of over 50 personnel by implementing a maintenance and maintenance management training program.
- Served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor with special emphasis on personnel, administration, troop welfare, and morale matters for over 60 Marines.
- Served as the Financial Specialist for the unit and conducted/coordinated financial training for over 60 Marines.
- Provided legal guidance regarding non-judicial punishments, request mast proceedings, separations, awards, and other matters pertaining to good order and discipline of the company.
- Worked with the Family Readiness Officer assisting Marines and their families through several different programs and resources available through the base as well as external agencies.
- Collaborated with other departments to prioritize maintenance activities based on training evolutions and equipment availability.
- Experience with maintaining calendars, arranging meetings, event planning, and coordination of unit Family Days, Barracks Bash, post deployment Welcome Home events, new join briefs, and pre-deployment training events.
- Knowledge of the Unit, Personal and Family Readiness Program, eMarine, Marine and Family Programs, and Marine Corps Family Team Building Program.
Maintenance Information Systems Coordination Office Supervisor
G-4, Combat Logistics Regiment 17
01.2009 - 02.2011
- Established a Maintenance Information Systems Coordination Office from the ground up in a forward deployed area in under two week's timeframe.
- Provided customer assistance to maintenance information users covering all the west coast which included over 300 customers daily.
- Conducted daily administrative duties, coordinated/delegated work assignments, evaluated performance, and communicated needs for the office consisting of over 25 personnel.
- Supervised the daily upload and download of maintenance data from the mainframe which consisted of over 30,000 couriers.
- Identified deadlined combat essential equipment to ensure appropriate supply and maintenance actions were taken on a timely and efficient basis.
- Troubleshot, via phone call or email, more than 1000 maintenance information requests allowing customers to better access and maintain maintenance information reports used to track and repair equipment in the maintenance cycle.
- Provided trend analysis on repairs conducted and repair parts procured minimizing lag time in maintenance repair cycle and procurement time.
- Assisted the Supply Management Unit's customer service section in identifying over 5000 repair parts to establish one main supply management unit and 2 supply and distribution detachments which provided forward deployed units the ability to effectively and efficiently conduct maintenance on equipment reducing the maintenance cycle time by 80 percent.
- Awarded the Navy and Marine Achievement Medal for efforts for superior performance in a forward deployed area.
Leader and Supervisor
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
01.1994 - 09.2016
- Led, mentored, and trained countless Marines on maintenance management functions in country and abroad on 3 deployments.
- Conducted daily administrative duties, coordinated/delegated work assignments, evaluated performance, and communicated needs for maintenance management offices.
- Coordinate with command leadership, maintenance officers and managers on the use of better practices to improve maintenance turnaround time and expedition of required repair parts.
- Served as the Uniformed Victim Advocate for Marine Air Support Squadron 1, Cherry Point, NC from 2005-2008.
- Awarded one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals by senior leaders for superior performance.
- Tracked and managed $300M+ in equipment vital to unit mission accomplishment.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Park University
Parkville, MO01.2016
Skills
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Task Management
- Multitasking and organization
- Administration
- Staff education and training
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Detail Oriented
- Conflict resolution
- Relationship building
- Time management
- Problem-solving
- Logistics
- VetPro and VBMS/Share Systems
- Microsoft Office (2003, 2007, 2010)
- SharePoint
Awards
- Top Producer Show Me the Money Award, 2024
- Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, 2
- Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, 3
Volunteer/Outreach Work
- Riverside County Veterans Services Field Operations/Outreach
- American Legion Post 53 Legionnaire
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Senior Veterans' Services Representative
Riverside County Veterans' Services
02.2018 - Current
Maintenance Management Supervisor
Exercise Support Division
06.2014 - 09.2016
Maintenance Management Supervisor and Headquarters Company First Sergeant
Marine Air Control Group 38
03.2011 - 05.2014
Maintenance Information Systems Coordination Office Supervisor
G-4, Combat Logistics Regiment 17
01.2009 - 02.2011
Leader and Supervisor
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
01.1994 - 09.2016
Bachelor of Science - Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement
Park University
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