Sara Hazelnis

Experience

• 

  Brandeis University

  Jun 2014 - Jul 2015

  • Liaised between students and professors to ensure optimal learning experience for each student• Provided academic support for individual and group assignments during intensive 8 week program• Arranged logistics and supplies for site visits around the Boston area and weekly Food Lab sessions• Ensured safety of 15 undergraduate program participants during Food Lab sessions and site visits • Maintained calendars and online academic interface for 3 courses http://www.brandeis.edu/jbs/upcomingprograms/foodlifestyle/index.html Show less • Served as first point of contact in career office servicing over 3600 current students and all undergraduate alumni• Answered student and employer questions and addressed concerns about online and in person resources and Hiatt sponsored events• Assessed student and alumni needs and referred them to the appropriate staff member for counseling• Utilized employment database to post up to 20 jobs, internships, and events per day; tracked office usage; created and managed accounts for students and alumni Show less

  • Justice Brandeis Semester: Food, Lifestyle, & Health Program Assistant

    May 2015 - Jul 2015

  • Hiatt Career Center Alumni Enagagement Intern

    Aug 2013 - May 2015

  • Hiatt Career Center Front Desk Receptionist

    Jul 2012 - May 2015

  • Hiatt Career Center Student Advisor

    Aug 2010 - May 2015

  • Nutrition Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

    Jun 2014 - Jul 2014
• 

  FoodCorps

  Sept 2015 - Jul 2017

  Service Member

  • Taught weekly gardening, nutrition, and wellness lessons to 175+ third and fourth-grade students at Threadgill Elementary School• Maintained Threadgill Elementary and Delta Dirt Youth Gardens through youth programming and community volunteer efforts• Lead summer youth programming focused on rising ninth-grade students mentoring elementary-aged children while exploring in-depth food-related topics specific to the Mississippi Delta• Co-presented “Building School Gardens” at the 2016 Mississippi Farm to Cafeteria Summit, co-lead peer session “Keep it Growing: Sustainability After FoodCorps” at 2017 FoodCorps Central South Mid-Year Gathering Show less

• 

  Giardina's Restaurant

  Jan 2016 - Jul 2017

  Dining Room Supervisor

  • Ensured smooth front of house operations; assisted with serving, bartending, and hosting when needed• Encouraged a welcoming atmosphere while providing guests with excellent customer service• Collaborated with the executive chef on custom menus for guests with special dietary needs• Maintained multiple menus and extensive wine inventory

• 

  The Piney Woods School

  Aug 2017 - Aug 2018

  Food Service Director

  • Created USDA compliant 6-week cycle menus for student and staff breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks• Incorporated produce from on-campus farm into meals, highlighting the benefits of local products through colorful print media• Supervised and scheduled 8 dining hall staff; ensuring consistent adherence to all food safety procedures• Instituted system to track free, reduced, and paid-status student utilization in order to submit state claims for reimbursement • Established ordering and inventory system to ensure most efficient use of product and department funds Show less

• 

  Giardina's Restaurant, Viking Hospitality Group

  Oct 2018 - Dec 2020

  General Manager

  • Managed all operations including service, reporting, event planning, staff scheduling, guest relations, and facility maintenance for a 120-seat fine dining restaurant, situated in The Alluivan Hotel, a 50-key boutique property• Coordinated catering at The Alluvian Hotel in addition to specialty events including tastings, brunches, and pairing dinners • Motivated and counseled 18 staff members to achieve the highest quality of service in all food and beverage areas • Implemented specialized trainings in areas such as product knowledge, sales skills, and service improvement • Maintained inventories and PosiTouch system records and reporting to ensure maximization of product and profit• Increased annual gross profits by 16.8% in 2019 while simultaneously lowering both labor and beverage costs Show less

• 

  Various Companies

  Mar 2021 - now

  Bookkeeper

  • Ensure accurate and timely processing of accounting data for all companies designated under each entity• Reconcile accounts and research transactions to identify and resolve discrepancies• Perform accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, balance cash, and post sales invoices

• 

  A Single Bite

  Aug 2021 - Nov 2024

  • Established and performed all accounting processes to ensure efficient maintenance of financial records including: donation acquisition, event profitability, program expense and grant activity data, and restricted and/or conditional fund designation• Generated, analyzed, and effectively presented financial reports to various levels of staff concerning all organizational aspects, ranging from quotidian activity to long-term strategic planning • Oversaw day-to-day operations and evaluated efficacy and efficiency of six food-focused programs using both qualitative and quantitative data, identifying potential improvement points and creating subsequent action plans with executive director, logistics manager, program coordinator, and in-house culinary team• Independently transitioned and actively maintained all employee infrastructure to operate under the organization’s newly autonomous 501c(3) status; including time-keeping, payroll, health insurance, human resource functions, and information technology accounts for six employees • Fostered key community partnerships and enhance organization visibility through interdisciplinary committee participation, collaborative programming and fundraising events, and hotel-based promotional strategy• Managed website and redesign that drove a 32% increase in unique site visits and a 36% increase in total page views Show less • Designed and coordinated all processes, including recipient registration, transportation logistics, and volunteer management, for non-profit organization’s Family Meal Program, delivering 650+ servings of healthy meals to families in need across approximately 1,000 square miles of rural New York • Devised and implemented multi-year program for secondary school students, utilizing experiential learning trips and in-classroom presentations to encourage focus on healthy, local food, reaching 500+ students in the program’s first academic year• Created both internal and external-facing materials for each program, including educational presentations, stakeholder information packets, program execution guides, evaluation documents, family identification labels, and distribution maps Show less

  • Director of Operations & Finance

    Jan 2024 - Nov 2024

  • Director of Operations

    Jan 2023 - Dec 2023

  • Program Manager

    Aug 2021 - Jan 2023