Welcome to the online extension of my resume. I am using this space to expand on my cover letter as well as clarify any questions that might arise from a review of my history. I was born and raised in Alabama graduating from Weaver High School in 1995 and Jacksonville State University (JSU) in 2000. While in college I worked at a Carmike Cinemas and to keep from ever being saddled with loans, every penny I made would be put toward books and tuition. I worked as a projectionist so all those years I had a lot of free time, privacy and quiet areas to myself to actually deal with school work as I made money. A few months before I graduated, I was hired by a local business called Buyers USA.
This was an online real estate relocation company that covered the whole country, using traffic data obtained from WebTrends to determine how visitors were finding the hundreds of pages we had. The pages were created with generic information such as weather (for each specific locality) and with spaces for ads in that area to be sold/posted. The goal was for a potential buyer to do a search for the area they were looking to move to, find our local page for that area, and click through on a link that mentioned relocation help. An auto-generated lead would be sent to a local agent (who was a paying member to receive them) thus connecting them to the buyer. While I was responsible for weekly presentations on traffic, as an Internet Marketing Assistant, I was there to support the realization of ideas from the marketing manager. This included ad creations for internal as well as external paid placements. The owner had other ventures under the same roof we assisted in as well such as creating new sites for his self-help books and therapy sessions. At this time, I was also creating and maintaining a few sites on a freelance basis: (The Ultimate Movie Clips, Blue Moon Farm, ASAP Connections, TFS Vending, Carmike Movie Times). The assumption was I'd be able to complete my college internship at BuyersUSA since my degree was Communication/New Media, a lot of what I was doing was very much in-line with the components in that field. My advisor disagreed and I ended up getting a paid internship at the local newspaper, The Anniston Star.
I was first hired as an intern with The Anniston Star and I remained there for five years as the Web Producer after graduation. With the site being very primitive, I was tasked early on with redesigning the layout to something a little more standard for newspapers at the time. The template was then fit with a custom management system that allowed easy uploads and would retain consistency in formatting site-wide. My normal shifts started in the evening and carried past the midnight deadline. I worked with opinion and feature editors whose content would be completed earlier in the day and finished up with the more time-sensitive sports and news. Once everything was completed and entered, it could then be published all together for the public to see. While this time did predate the popularity of current social media, we did contribute stories daily to MSNBC that were syndicated on their site. In addition to the day-to-day uploads, there were regular special sections which did not fit a template so they had to be manually created from scratch (HTML, Photoshop, Java, etc.), then added via FTP to the site. During my tenure, the site evolved from a free online duplication to a paid service, which in turn generated emphasis from the publisher on ad sales. While we did not deal with sales (though we did ultimately create the ads themselves), we did use WebTrends (a competitor of Google Analytics) as our tool for tracking data/traffic to establish ad rates, determine originating URL sources as well as which sections/individual pages were the most popular. For a local newspaper, obituaries would be that answer.
While not part of my formal education, I spent many years in a management position with AmStar Cinemas. This actually began almost the same time as my Anniston Star job in 2000. Eventually it got to the point where I'd work days at AmStar and nights (to upload/create content) at the newspaper. The only reason I even had any involvement there was due to one of my previous Carmike managers who had worked for them and requested I come to help him out with film prints. I was going to work a few hours on the weekends however as I got more and more pulled into the business, I ended up taking on one of the lower management positions. This went on for five years before in 2005, I accepted the top position as General Manager. The stipulation was I'd have to give up my newspaper job and focus 100% on the theater operation, which I did due to there being little opportunity for advancement (at the newspaper). Initially, I knew little about managing a business but was given the chance to progress and prove myself. I excelled in the role and led the location to awards every year as we continued to tweak and perfect every aspect of the organization. I feel this real world experience gave me insight into operations management that was invaluable and better than anything learned in a classroom.
Though the end product was movies and concessions, I think these skills easily translate over to a broad spectrum of business operations. There were 40 general employees to be responsible for, including lower management, and all the HR aspects of hiring, evaluating and terminating that comes with that. Scheduling had to be managed regarding film showtimes as well as accomodating school, work and personal schedules of each employee. There were daily reconciliations of cash and credit transactions from tickets and concession sales. Inventory was conducted weekly of all items sold through a formal floor to ceiling counted audit. There was the public persona of dealing with customers who could approach you at any moment with a broad range of emotions, conducting trade-outs and cross-promotions with local businesses as well as being the point of contact for any media inquiries. This included endlessly coordinating special functions for the benefit of promoting upcoming new films to the public, which included temporary staff additions dressed as film characters from Star Wars, Spider-man, Batman, Surf's Up, and more. Additionally, I coordinated community programs like a cruise-in the parking lot for Faster and another in which management dressed as Green Hornet characters in an appearance with the Hardee's Happy Star mascot. Communication was constantly expected with corporate in which managers were held accountable for anything and everything they may have a question on like film, concession sales, complaints, additional marketing projects (Project Pictures, discussed later), payroll, and annual meticulous white-glove building inspections. I started and maintained the location's Facebook page that grew to 5000 followers before the company took it over. I also still got to use my Photoshop skills in the creation of newspaper ads, point of sale materials as well as Project Picture books. The last being an actual book, created to detail and document the efforts and results of a grassroots marketing campaign competition to promote a chosen release. In fact, during a portion of my tenure from 2009-2012, marketing promotions began for family films. This was a massive additional undertaking that myself and the marketing manager solely coordinated, going on to win first or second place for each of the six marketing competitions assigned, including: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, The Princess and the Frog, Legend of the Guardians, How To Train Your Dragon, Rango, and Mirror Mirror. In addition to all this, there was even more on a technical front. At times, there are thousands of people in the building and an interruption in a show can instantly create a massive swarm of angry people. One must be prepared to troubleshoot and resolve the issue in a timely manner as well as exhibit calm and communicate with the customers the status of the situation. For a majority of the time, the movies were being presented in a physical 35mm film format, so there was a lot of mechanical knowledge required in dealing with problems that could arise. Later this changed to an all digital format with movies and trailers being simple blocks arranged on a computer timeline, as part of the content management system. This was a whole new knowledge-base to learn as well as a whole new spectrum of problems that came with it. Nevertheless, I earned a variety of management awards including: Theatre Of The Year, Excellence In Customer Service, Excellence In Theatre Concessions, and Administrative Excellence. In total I stayed with AmStar for 12 years finally leaving in August 2012.
Although AmStar paid well, I made my own schedule and had most aspects of that operation optimized, I came to Tennessee at that time as part of an unscripted chapter in my life. For a person who lives very logically and by the book, I had made this trip with my spouse, to be a supportive and familiar face in a new area after she was accepted to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). She had already obtained a masters degree at the same university I'd attended (JSU) and was going to pursue a doctrine. For me, there was no set opportunity when I moved because, like with the newspaper, I felt I'd peaked at AmStar. With an ownership change resulting in a company expansion in 2007, there were promises of more corporate positions being available. As of my departure in 2012, that had not happened for any management at any location. The positive note of the 2007 sale did allow me to start a side-means of accruing income as I used the payout of my "common stock units" in AmStar to be used as a starting point of an investment portfolio. These stock units were issued as essentially portions of ownership in the company which were only paid out in certain qualifying events, such as the sale of the company. We always had this as a lifeboat in Tennessee and it became my primary "source" of income. It freed me from regular 9-5 days but, has also turned my steady work history to Swiss cheese. While still in Murfreesboro, TN, where we first moved in 2012, I did take a seasonal job at Amazon in late 2014.
At Amazon, I initially had been hired as a short-term, seasonal associate. In the end, I was there for two and a half years and attained some positions that showed they had a great deal of trust in me. I was one of about four employees, picked from the hundred and placed in a rotation, to be put in a problem solver position. While most Amazon warehouse jobs revolve around a quota and how many items you can move, pack or pick in a certain time frame, problem solvers actually spend the day with a laptop and mobile cart circulating the area looking for "dwelling" items. These would be items that had not yet passed the point of no return to the shipping location but had to be out the door by various deadlines set throughout the day. It was essentially a detective game tied into a scavenger hunt and I actually enjoyed it. I had an interest of possibly staying with them and trying to progress further with Amazon since I had a college degree and a management past. In late 2016, we finally purchased a new house about an hour away from the location. I continued for another six months before ending my time with Amazon in July 2017.
While doing my "day trading" ventures was a perfectly adequate supplementary financial source for a couple, changes in the economy, the stock market and a lot of uncertainty in the world make this a shaky path these days. I am back to a point of needing to rebuild my work record and essentially return to "normal" employment accountabilites. I feel I have a good bit to offer and putting my skills and extensive knowledge to use for an organization can be mutually beneficial for us both. I have been called a workaholic. However, once on a task, I'm persistent in the pursuit of quality. I feel my overnight responsibilities years ago with The Anniston Star illustrate my ability to work independently, with little guidance. Additonally, I am ever at the helm of innovation. At The Anniston Star, I transitioned their archaic print newspaper to a digital presentation. Similarly, at AmStar I learned a new industry-wide technology to transition from the century-old analog film to the now-standard, futuristic digital projection. There I was the leader of a multi-million dollar business, in which I had to motivate and be accountable for every aspect of the operation on a daily basis. The trust, freedoms and resulting awards show the abilities of my leadership. For Amazon, I was a very small component of a massive, billion dollar machine. My efforts and loyalty to them were as strong as it had been for any employer and I would always accept their overtime offers as well as volunteer to rotate to any position when needed.
In April of 2024, I was hired by Southwest Airlines as a ramp agent for their Nashville hub. This is a growing location with lots of opportunites for which I hope to bring all my past experiences in as I continue my progression with this new pursuit.
Thank you for your consideration,
Ramp Agent - April 2024 to Present
SOUTHWEST (800) 928-4566
NASHVILLE, TN
* Directing planes on the ground as well as pushing them to out of gates.
* Problem solving and troubleshooting with other co-workers to meet flight departure timelines.
* Safely lift, load, unload and transport baggage, mail and cargo from aircraft to airport.
* Maintain on-time connections by guiding aircraft to and from gate positions.
* Protect baggage and other equipment from damage, loss and weather conditions.
* Drive and operate ground equipment, such as tugs, cargo carts, service trucks and belt loaders.
* Assist with record keeping and documentation to ensure correct routing of baggage.
* Adhere to safety guidelines and maintain safe working conditions.
* Communicate with managers and lead agents to manage daily schedules.
* Report equipment problems and breakdowns to facilitate fast repairs.
Day Trading - January 2007 to Present
SELF-EMPLOYMENT ENDEAVOR (256) 369-7590
GOODLETTSVILLE, TN
* Initiated personal investment portfolio after substantial payout on common units from AmStar Cinemas sale.
* Achieved stability by constantly reinvesting funds and demonstrating patience on withdrawals.
* Maximized 401k holdings by moving all contributions to the most aggressive options.
* Performed statistical analysis for trading stocks and options.
* Researched investments or money markets for purchase.
* Evaluated financial risks to determine the path to maintaining the survival of this endeavor.
Sort Team/Pack/Problem Solver - December 2014 to July 2017
AMAZON (800) 928-4566
MURFREESBORO, TN
* One of the very few put into a rotation to ensure multiple deadlines throughout the day were kept.
* Most time spent in a support position resolving issues for associates when they were unable to process an item.
* Pinpoint issues with specific items/orders that are unable to be sent in their current state.
* Efficient with Amazon custom software in locating lost and dwelling components.
* Team player accepting and desiring more positions and knowledge of the operation.
* Assist and contribute to tote wrangling and re-binning multi-piece orders.
* If on a quota-measured position, always exceeded the goals of management.
* Cross-trained to assist others as needed.
Manager/General Manager - November 2000 to August 2012
AMSTAR STADIUM 12 THEATER (256) 835-8869
OXFORD, AL
* Oversaw all aspects of daily operations.
* Achieved payroll efficiency with detailed scheduling, cross-trained staff, and on-the-fly tweaks.
* Maximized profits by meeting and exceeding corporate budgets.
* Trained and maintained supervision of over 40 employees and other management.
* Reduced utility expenses by creating and training staff on cost-saving techniques.
* Handled HR issues, new hires, and nightly paperwork.
* Location was always the best or near the best without clerical errors.
* Efficiently handled annual audits as well as floor-to-ceiling weekly inventories.
* Leadership resulted in consistent overall top ranking in company year-end compilations.
* Exponentially increased summer kid show attendance.
* Created print ads for newspaper insertion:
samples can be seen here.
* Maximized capacity (eliminating sellouts) by opening more seats/auditoriums using film "interlocking" techniques.
* Achieved complete mastery of several POS systems (TicketSoft, Splyce, Titan) used at different stages.
* Versatility demonstrated in the transition of presentation formats from all film to all digital cinema.
* Created and managed all stock orders from vendors.
* Facility consistently received the highest marks in the annual white-glove building inspections.
* Maximized cost savings by completing minor electrical work, painting, and seat/floor repairs.
* Spearheaded grassroots marketing of special "Project Pictures" promotions. Click the posters below to see final books:
87MB PDF
98MB PDF
9.6MB PDF
10MB PDF
57MB Powerpoint
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AWARDS DURING GM TENURE
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2012 - Theatre Of The Year
2012 - Second Place: Project Picture Promotion: Mirror Mirror
2011 - Excellence In Customer Service
2011 - Excellence In Theatre Concessions
2011 - Second Place: Project Picture Promotion: Rango
2010 - Theatre Of The Year
2010 - First Place: Project Picture Promotion: How To Train Your Dragon
2010 - First Place: Project Picture Promotion: Legend of the Guardians
2010 - Second Place: Project Picture Promotion: Princess and the Frog
2009 - Administrative Excellence
2009 - Second Place: Project Picture Promotion: Ice Age - Dawn of the Dinosaurs
2008 - No Formal Company-Wide Awards/Competition (Company Transitioning Ownership)
2007 - Theatre Of The Year
2006 - First Place: Winter/Spring Company Contest
2006 - First Place: Fall/Winter Company Contest
2005 - First Place: Fall/Winter Company Contest
Web Producer - September 2000 to September 2005
THE ANNISTON STAR (256) 236-1551
ANNISTON, AL
* Oversaw daily formatting and uploading of the completed print paper.
* Acted as a bridge for staff in giving their print pieces structure and life on the website.
* Initiated and created the template used for first redesign of The Anniston Star and the three sister papers: The Daily Home, The Jacksonville News and The Cleburne News.
* Strengthened newspaper's appeal by giving life to stories otherwise limited by size/medium constraints.
* Handled the creation and animation of ads on Consolidated Publishing sites, both internal and for paying clients.
* Achieved traffic increases from distant subscribers who were getting print edition days after initial publication.
* Ran a secondary affiliate site for MSNBC in which local stories were uploaded and published on their site.
* Created numerous special sections and galleries to accompany spotlight pieces.
* Maximized understanding of print techniques, resolutions and physical dimensions.
* Called upon to correct issues, usually with print ads, as we were there well after primary composing staff had departed.
Internet Marketing Assistant - March 2000 to December 2000
BUYERS USA (256) 235-1945
ANNISTON, AL
* Analyzed WebTrends reports and presented in weekly meetings about the areas in need of improvement.
* Strengthened search engine presence which led to increased traffic.
* Tasked with project to find most economical national site to commit to purchasing a banner ad.
* After MSN picked to place ad, handled creation of online banner to be seen by potentially millions.
* Provided all technical support and implementation of ideas for the marketing manager.
* Oversaw creation and implementation of Flash animations to various pages.
* Created Transformation Solutions site, a side-project of the owner who was an alternative medical researcher and author.
Projectionist - October 1995 to March 2000
CARMIKE PLAZA CINEMAS
ANNISTON, AL
* Handled daily film operations including startup, rewind and troubleshooting.
* Ensured a reputation for consistent quality presentations with sharp bright images and proper sound.
* Oversaw build-up and breakdown of all movies during tenure.
* Ensured all presentations had proper trailer and ad placements.
* Responsible quality of print to ensure theater did not pay any fees upon return.
* General maintenance performed to ensure quality of machines.
* Handling and disposal of dangerous (and expensive) Xenon bulbs.
* Always available and willing to come in early, stay late and help wherever needed.
* Ran location's local web page which was eventually placed on The Anniston Star site.
Welcome to the online extension of my resume. I am using this space to expand on my cover letter as well as clarify any questions that might arise from a review of my history. I was born and raised in Alabama graduating from Weaver High School in 1995 and Jacksonville State University (JSU) in 2000. While in college I worked at a Carmike Cinemas and to keep from ever being saddled with loans, every penny I made would be put toward books and tuition. I worked as a projectionist so all those years I had a lot of free time, privacy and quiet areas to myself to actually deal with school work as I made money. A few months before I graduated, I was hired by a local business called Buyers USA.
