Alysen Laakso

Experience

• 

  Texas Department of Public Safety, Crash Records Bureau

  Oct 2004 - Sept 2005

  Microfilm Clerk
• 

  Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver's License Division

  Sept 2005 - Apr 2007

  Word Processing Operator
• 

  Texas Department of Public Safety, Motor Carrier Bureau

  Apr 2007 - Aug 2008

  Office Manager

  Acted as bureau secretary and general support, working with supervisors and co-workers to ensure the office ran smoothly. Duties included:- Maintaining personnel records- Preparing monthly budget reports- Buying office supplies and equipment- Managing office equipment- Working with bureau attorney to prepare case reports, set hearings, and transcribe audio files- Oversee the CVSA decal program, including preparing invoices, processing memorandums of understanding, and communicating with local police departmentOne month, I volunteered to support the State Employee Charitable Campaign by acting as campaign coordinator to fund raise for charities. Duties included- Accounts payable (collect monies raised, prepare and track the budget, collect and track receipts)- Created and printed a 220 cookbook to sell for charity- Organized and managed volunteers to help at over 30 fundraising events, including an ice cream social, luncheons, game events, and a silent auction Show less

• 

  Texas Department of Public Safety, Office of General Counsel

  Sept 2008 - Aug 2009

  Executive Assistant and Legal Secretary

  Acted as general assistant, working as a team with the attorneys, paralegals, and other secretaries to ensure the Office of General Counsel ran smoothly and professionally. Main duties included:- preparing case reports- managing the processing of subpoenas- Processing and tracking of over 3,000 bills during legislative session- Acting as back-up receptionist: handling incoming phone calls, greeting visitors, and processing incoming mail- Purchasing office equipment and attorney conferences- Updating procedure manuals to ensure co-workers could complete my duties when I was out of the office- Other duties as assigned Show less

• 

  Greater Metro Parks Foundation

  Oct 2013 - Feb 2014

  Executive Assistant

  Volunteer internship, assisting the executive director in managing the daily operations of the foundation. Main duties included:- preparing graphics and presentation material for annual fundraising luncheon for 300 guests- organizing and managing volunteers for luncheon set-up and other events- researched and drafted a preliminary budget for the next three years- trained on Raiser's edge: updating constituent information, running queries, and communicating with the constituents through email- spearheaded the creation and marketing of a small online auction, including: developing the website, preparing promotional posters, reaching out to partner organizations to help advertise the auction, updating social media sites, and answering all questions regarding the items- worked closely with the GMPF board of directors- Assisted in preparing materials for the board meetings, attended and participated in board meetings, and took meeting notes- Other duties as assigned Show less

• 

  Cascade Bicycle Club

  Aug 2014 - Dec 2014

  Office Manager and Executive Assistant

  Office Move SupervisorCoordinated the office move-by-cargo bike: preparing and organizing 9 departments and 38 employees to move by bikeSupervised 38 employees and over 20 volunteers in packing, transporting, and organizing supplies, hardware, and files in new officeCoordinated with tech manager, the creation and implementation of the new phone system for all 38 employeesSupervisor for Front Desk OperativeWorked closely with front desk operative to learn the history of the company and office managementCoordinated the work load of the operative, giving assignments and performing check-ins on work completedCompleted a performance evaluationAmericorp SupervisorActed as human resources and co-supervisor for 2 Americorp interns. Performed Americorp orientation, answered questions, acted as our in-house representative for the Americorp programBuilt key relationships with Washington Service Corp employees to manage the Americorp paperworkExecutive AssistantAssisted the executive director in managing her daily calendar, setting appointmentsActed in the director's stead while she was on vacation for 2 weeks, routing questions, signing documents on her behalf, and representing the agency at meetingsOffice Construction AssistantCreated an Excel Spreadsheet to track contract documents for over 10 different contractorsManaged the prevailing wages project, ensuring that all contractors abiding by government regulations and filed the appropriated documentationEnsured that all forms and documents were completed, including the final lien release form, before releasing retentionCreated Contract Change Orders and other written communicationsTracked the processing of invoicesBuilt key relationships with contractor personnel Human Resources AssistantOriented 5 new employees to CascadeBuilt key relationships with our health insurance brokers, water delivery, and other vendors to facilitate the smooth running of the officeManaged the personnel files Show less

• 

  Renton Technical College

  Jun 2015 - Aug 2017

  Foundation Associate

  - Manage the scholarship and emergency support program: award over $100,000 in scholarships and grants to 200 students- Support 4 unique scholarship and grant programs- Student Advisor: Engage with every demographic at Renton Technical College and work closely with several departments to ensure students get the best support possible and that students understand their options- Raiser's Edge Database Manager: oversaw the transition from Trailblazer to Raiser's Edge and was solely responsible for managing the database- Event Support: Part of a two-person team to run all Foundation events including the annual student success breakfast Show less

• 

  Shoreline Community College

  Aug 2017 - Feb 2020

  Manager of the Office of Advancement and Foundation

  - Manage the Student Scholarship and the Emergency Support Programs overseeing $240,000 in scholarships and emergency support- Direct students to the right resources on campus and help students learn how to advocate for themselves- Support DEI work on campus by participating in DEI activities and learning opportunities, led a DEI engagement workshop, kept an open mind during DEI trainings to learn humility, accountability, and behavior change to better serve underrepresented populations - Work closely across departments, including the nursing department, financial aid, advising, and student support services to provide assistance to students- Graphic Designer - Create brochures, postcards, invitations, posters, and powerpoint presentations using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Microsoft Office- Raiser's Edge Database Support - assist the database coordinator in maintaining the office's database including entering new donors, running queries and report, and providing advice about new strategies for managing the database- Event Support - help organize and run the annual student scholarship breakfast, the scholarship awards ceremony, and other fundraising events Show less

• 

  Lake Washington Institute of Technology

  Feb 2020 - Jan 2025

  Manager

  - Guide and navigate 800+ students each year through the scholarship application process during twice-yearly scholarship cycles- Provide mentorship and leadership for students, primarily focused on navigating the financial aspects of college, but also acting as a safe space, providing counsel on communicating with faculty and staff, and providing information on navigating college systems- Strategizing ways to remove barriers for student participation in the scholarship process, such as researching and implementing ways to increase accessibility for different populations of students- Design and lead training workshops to LWTech students, preparing them to complete the scholarship application, improve their chances of receiving an award, and how to maximize their funding resources while in school- Developed and implemented a scholarship marketing plan, which included collaborating with the Office of Student Life, visiting student classrooms, presenting at staff departmental meetings, and promoting scholarships with the faculty- Coordinate and supervise the transition to accrual accounting, a complex process that required adjusting the fund management for all 250+ LWTech Foundation funds- Planned and implemented a new payment processing system, including designing a series of new forms, while coordinating closely with the business office and the college departments to ensure the positive outcome were achieved- Facilitator of the “White People Dismantling Racism” affinity group at LWTech, which includes developing meeting agendas, receiving input on topics for discussion, posting resources, and taking meeting notes (while protecting individual member privacy)- Designed and developed the LWTech Foundation SharePoint website- Trained and mentored the Events and Marketing Manager and the Executive Assistant- Build out registration forms, surveys, e-newsletter articles, and application materials using a variety of software Show less

• 

  North Seattle College

  Jan 2025 - now

  Program Manager