Cara Downs

Experience

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  Various Fortune 500 Financial Service Institutions

  Oct 2001 - Dec 2007

  Project Management Consultant

  Consulting professional with strong program and project management, technology and business development experience. Proven success in consulting for Fortune 500 Company audiences with a track record for providing customer-focused solutions. CLIENTS: Bank of America, ABN Amro, Volkswagen Credit and Audi Financial Services, Discovery Financial Services, OrbitzProgram Management:Developed and rolled out clients’ best practices for development process including the introduction of Post Mortem procedures and documentation to the environment.Interfaced regularly with client’s CTO and Director of Technology when managing high profile program.Developed and rolled out consulting company’s resource allocation methods and procedures.Developed a project status reporting database.Project Management:Developed and delivered team’s project budget estimates.Successfully implemented compliance projects. Defined Staffing needs.Managed highly visible compliance projects including Anti-Money Laundering projects and Consumer Internet projects.Managed multiple projects concurrently.Documented a project status and prioritization process. Technical Communication:Created project and team profiles for consulting company’s marketing initiative.Created web-based project document repository.Audit & Compliance:Point of contact for facilitating mandatory testing of system recovery procedures Show less

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  Archdiocese of Chicago

  Aug 2008 - Jun 2010

  Teacher

  I taught 6th, 7th and 8th grade reading, social studies and religion. I integrated technology as much as possible. I created classroom wiki-sites, utilized Internet research and taught responsible Internet siting skills. I embraced both project-based learning and backwards design in my curriculum development. I differentiated my lesson plans and assessments. I focused my classes on increasing literacy skills as much as possible. I believe that middle school students need to continue to be taught reading strategies as they begin reading to learn. I also was the director of the drama department. This was the first drama department at the school. I had the pleasure of exposing many of the students to their first experience as actors, stage hands, costume designers and assistant directors. I directed three plays in total while at the school. As a drama director, I leaned heavily on my project management skills of time management, scope management and budget management as our drama department had a very meager budget and many students who wanted to participate. Show less

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  Self-employed

  Jul 2009 - now

  Stay at home mom and writer

  I've taken some time away from my career to care kids. During this time, I have written my first novel. I continue to use my skills as an educator to raise my growing family. I place a large value on early literacy skills. I read to my children daily. They have developed a love of books and learning, even at their young ages. I have found that establishing routines for children is as effective a tool for child development at home as it is in the classroom.