Kara Adams

Experience

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  Howard University

  Jan 2006 - Aug 2010

  ‣ Planned programs, fostered resident relationships, and promoted student involvement in university activities.‣ Educated residents on policies, facilitated an environment for academic success, and provided resources to residents in need.‣ Addressed resident concerns, mediated roommate issues, and held residents accountable for their behavior.‣ Conducted health and safety inspections, reported maintenance concerns, and fulfilled on-call duty responsibilities.‣ Performed check-in/check-out procedures, tracked resident occupancy, and documented policy violations.‣ Supported Faculty Associates and their connection to residents.‣ Helped residents develop through programming aligned with student success pillars. Show less ‣ Worked directly with the Sports Information Director and Assistant Sports Information Director to strategize, develop, and run programs and events.‣ Assisted with local and national media with the promotion of Howard athletics.‣ Served as game-day operations liaison for six men’s and women’s intercollegiate teams.‣ Provided local media outlets with statistics and information on select teams.‣ Managed press box operations, including a staff of 10 for home contests, and assisted in developing pre-game materials.‣ Traveled with the football program to road games and assisted with statistics, post-game interviews, and any other duties assigned by the Sports Information Director.‣ Coordinated Senior Day for football, men’s and women’s basketball, along with other events related to athletics. Show less

  • Resident Assistant

    Jan 2008 - Aug 2010

  • Student Worker

    Jan 2006 - Jan 2008
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  Progressive Sports and Entertainment Alliance

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2008

  Program Manager

  ‣ Managed 25 Washington, D.C. public high school students.‣ Scheduled 30+ field trips and professional sports guest speakers.‣ Developed curriculum and daily assignments for the sports management program.‣ Co-produced sports television show and red carpet premiere.‣ Advised participants on resume development and career planning.‣ Worked with co-teachers to develop and execute basketball tournament and program exhibition.

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  NASCAR

  Jun 2009 - Aug 2009

  Diversity Intern

  ‣ Served as Editor-in-Chief for the internal newsletter (The Lucky 13).‣ Initiated a partnership outreach to Black Enterprise “Top 100” companies.‣ Supported hospitality functions for NASCAR partners and special guests during race events.

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  Washington Sports and Entertainment

  Jan 2010 - May 2010

  Washington Wizards Intern

  ‣ Developed and serviced client relationships.‣ Created sponsorship proposals, presentations, contracts, and databases.‣ Managed hospitality functions for sponsors and special guests during games and events.

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  University of Central Florida

  Aug 2010 - Dec 2011

  Graduate Assistant

  ‣ Organize and supervise volunteer trips to New Orleans for 60+ persons.‣ Manage events to fundraise for Hope for Stanley/ St. Bernard partnership.‣ Assist the organization's administration with day-to-day operations; schedule and coordinate individuals at multiple sites.‣ Coordinate social media—update website/Facebook/Alumni Newsletter.

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  Georgetown University

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2012

  Marketing And Development Intern

  ‣ Assisted with the distribution of marketing messages to UCF students, the community, and supporters.‣ Provided weekly progress reports on projects to upper-level management.‣ Distributed marketing materials on/around campus for the promotion of 16 athletic teams.

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  Towson University

  Jul 2012 - Jul 2013

  Development Assistant

  ‣ Oversaw 30+ donor hospitality and fundraising events for the Athletics department, including 19+ sports program reunions, monitoring the budget for each event.‣ Chaired event committees, coordinating with team leadership to secure volunteers from each sports team as participants for fundraising and development initiatives such as giveathons.‣ Orchestrated direct mail campaigns to donors, segmented the audiences, created compelling content, personalized messages, established tracking, and thanked donors for their support.‣ Drove donor relations and stewardship initiatives to cultivate long-lasting supporter relationships and build donor affinity.‣ Researched and targeted prospective donors using development databases and software.‣ Developed weekly donor tracking reports for the executive leadership team, highlighting current campaigns, active donors, donation amounts, and gift cadence. Show less

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  Team Up DC Youth Sports Network

  Sept 2013 - Nov 2015

  Marketing and Development Program Manager

  ‣ Executed fundraising, development, and corporate giving initiatives, including organizing 4 – 6 events annually for 50+ donors.‣ Selected and invited target audiences, established event budgets, and coordinated with third-party vendors.‣ Fostered relationships with local schools, universities, businesses, community programs, and community stakeholders to identify schools in need and funnel necessary resources.‣ Maintained a donor database, detailing the donor information and giving history of 100+ donors to ensure compliance with federal tax regulations and maintain 501(c)3 designation.‣ Coordinated the Coaches Certification platform, offering subsidized CPR/First Aid/ AED, concussion awareness, and youth development training for 340+ coaches from under-resourced schools and districts. Show less

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  Adams Enterprises, LLC

  Dec 2014 - now

  American Red Cross Instructor

  ‣ Certified by the American Red Cross as an instructor in First Aid/CPR/AED for adults, children, and infants.

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  Washington Nationals

  Nov 2015 - Mar 2020

  ‣ Headed a team of 3 full-time employees and 450+ part-time staff, establishing the department’s vision, direction, and short and long-term strategic plan.‣ Managed operations for 80+ home baseball games and special events with 40,000+ guests, ensuring smooth entry and egress, efficient staffing levels, and timely issue resolution.‣ Curated policies, employee recognition programs, and information-sharing processes.‣ Boosted Ballpark Tours revenue by 25% through innovative program development, market research, and strategic pricing to expand the tour program.‣ Established a Service Media and Response Team (SMART) to proactively monitor guest interactions across digital and social media to facilitate live guest interaction.‣ Partnered with 6+ internal stakeholders to create and implement a comprehensive training program for 500+ employees, including alcohol management training. Show less

  • Senior Manager, Guest Experience

    Feb 2019 - Mar 2020

  • Manager, Guest Experience

    Nov 2015 - Feb 2019
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  Portland Trail Blazers @ the Rose Quarter

  Mar 2020 - Apr 2024

  Director, Guest Experience

  ‣ Led and mentored a team of 275+ part-time and 6 full-time employees; spearheaded employee engagement initiatives and recognition programs, leading to increased team morale.‣ Generated a 100% increase in positive reviews and consistently achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 4.5 out of 5 by improving the guest experience.‣ Streamlined guest experience processes, which improved response time to guest inquiries and concerns by 25%; visited 2+ venues annually to adopt and integrate industry best practices.‣ Established systems for collecting guest feedback and analyzing data to identify improvement areas.‣ Built a new guest experience standard operating procedure (SOP), which informed the development and delivery of new training programs for new and returning staff.‣ Delivered exceptional guest experience by cultivating solid partnerships and facilitating communication with internal and external stakeholders, including 3 third-party vendors.‣ Prepared, reviewed, and monitored departmental budgets, achieving or exceeding budget targets while optimizing spending; liaised with executive leaders to develop strategic business plans.‣ Championed diversity and inclusion initiatives, including installing a guest sensory room and establishing a program to enhance staff support for guests with hidden disabilities.‣ Collaborated with the Event Department to forecast staffing and resource needs for 200+ events annually; managed client relationships to provide a seamless experience. Show less

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  Linfield University

  Feb 2022 - now

  Adjunct Professor

  ‣ Taught a Sports Leadership course for 5 graduate students per semester, hosting one-on-one office hours.‣ Matched students with industry mentors to conduct informational interviews and organized venue visits and behind-the-scenes tours.‣ Developed the curriculum, syllabus, presentations, and assignments to execute departmental learning objectives.‣ Maintained a 100% pass rate and positive student reviews and feedback.