Thomas Casale

Experience

• 

  USA Karate Team and USA World Cup Karate Team

  Jan 1988 - Jan 1994

  USA Karate Team - OFFICIAL NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER

  * Over 100 1st Place Victories in Regional and National Level Competitions (1977-1994)

• 

  Landrys Restaurants Inc

  Jan 1990 - Jan 1993

  Regional Manager - National Quality Control Team

  - Managed cumulative monthly budget of $2M-2.5M.- Instructed General Managers on innovative marketing strategies to increase business. Under my leadership, sales in NYC increased 1,600%.- Ensured management teams were following Landrys Seafood procedures and policies as set forth in the Landrys trade secret manuals.- Trained staff and management in food safety, customer service, standards of cleanliness, policies and procedures.- Scheduled front and back of the house staff, bar staff, deliveries, services, and both scheduled and surprise inspections.- Coordinated Secret Shopper program. Evaluated reports and implemented corrective actions for improvement.- Coordinated with the N.Y.C. Department of Health to correct violations and food safety related issues. Show less

• 

  NYC Department of Juvenile Justice

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1995

  Senior Activities Director

  - Coordinated and programmed 1500-2000 inmates into 25 specialized activity areas and numerous educational programs.- Taught seminars throughout the New York State Prison System to staff and volunteers.- Testified in the New York State Court System on inmate progress for purposes of release or extension of incarceration.- Reviewed daily, weekly and monthly reports on activity areas and incidents, to gain insight into gang activity for optimal safety planning.- Intensive daily crisis management. Conducted 2 meetings per day with juvenile counselors regarding inmate issues and potentially violent situations. Show less

• 

  Long Island University

  Jan 1994 - Jan 2012

  Adjunct Professor

  - Taught classes in Sports Science, Exercise Physiology, Sports Psychology, Athletic Training and Coaching, and Traditional Karate.- Facilitated and conducted International Karate Instructors Certification Program (IKICP).- Designed and published numerous specialized training manuals for the IKICP.- Traveled to schools/organizations for instructor observations, and gave written recommendations for continued student improvement.- Facilitated high profile research projects with well known international Karate masters and IKICP students. The results of these research projects were included in numerous publications and specialized training manuals. For Example: https://www.amazon.com/Sweeping-Techniques-Concept-Development-Against-ebook/dp/B00NA6YSJK/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1548471455&sr=1-3&refinements=p_27%3AMilorad+V.+Stricevic Show less

• 

  Casale Associates

  Jan 1995 - now

  President

  - Creating policies that optimize business, and set new benchmarks for quality and efficiency.- Change Management- Coaching both "HANDS ON" and "HELICOPTER" management techniques for daily operations.- Instilling an attitude of proactively eliminating business impediments and solving problems before they have an adverse effect on team spirit, project velocity, quality and profits.- Examination and assessment of staffing and employee training programs, followed by directions for continued progress.- Organizing Business Analysis Programs followed by Business Intelligence Analytics and recommendations for continuous process improvement. - ROI evaluation of advertising and marketing campaigns (direct, print, telemarketing & social media).- Educating executives and managers on team building and employee motivation techniques.- Evaluating and assessing employee performance for increased productivity. - Educating managers in critical and innovative thinking techniques to create unique and simple solutions for complex problems.- Facilitating hands on workshops on salesmanship, goal setting, scheduling/time management and "thinking outside the box".- Life Coaching Show less

• 

  USA Karate Team

  Jan 1995 - Jan 2013

  USA Karate Team - COACH

  - Coached both Olympic level athletes and Olympic hopefuls in all physical and psychological aspects of being a Karate champion. - Placed high emphasis on the Sports Psychology aspects of training. Counseled athletes to higher levels of thinking like a champion, and trained parents how to continue this mental training at home. - Coached sport specific Plyometrics, for the development of speed and explosive power.- Taught and coached strategic thinking and ring tactics to highlight the athletes strengths, and exploit the opponent's weaknesses.- Provided elite level instruction and coaching on highly technical biomechanics relevant to success in competition.- Produced 87 national and international champions. Show less

• 

  NYC Department of Education

  Jan 1995 - Jan 2004

  Teacher

  - Taught classes in Karate, Tai Chi, Track and Field, Volleyball, Football, Baseball, and all Physical Education Units set forth by the NYC Board of Education.- Taught classes in English and Science to mainstream and ESL students, as well as students with developmental disabilities.- Lectured students on Athletics, Physical Fitness, Public Health, Nutrition and Human Sexuality.- Created new enjoyable life style fitness programs to combat obesity and diabetes in teens.- Created new educational programs on sexually transmitted diseases and use of illegal drugs in teens.- The New York City public school system was in great need of a more efficient disciplinary program for recalcitrant youths. I created an in-school program that included professional counseling, active listening skills and age appropriate school work in the five major subject areas. The program was set in a corrective environment to discourage inappropriate behavior and punish criminal activity. As a direct result of my program, there was an 68% system wide reduction in violence and criminal behavior of students aged 6-13. Show less

• 

  Japan Shotokan Karate Association - Pan American Region

  Jan 1999 - Jan 2021

  President and CEO

  www.JSKAUSA.com & www.PowerKravMaga.com- Constantly working in a highly multicultural environment, and driving a unique insight into humanity, business and organizing international sports.- Traveling throughout the world with teams of different ages and skill levels. - Designed and managed 2 million dollar construction project of the JSKA-Pan Am Headquarters in New York. - Creating a sustainable and scalable market by unifying traditional Karate practitioners and organizations in the Pan Americas (regardless of Karate style or political affiliation) for the purpose of selling education programs, national and international seminars and camps, and sport competition.- Educating organizational leaders on the best ways to implement modern principles of sports science into traditional Karate training.- Creating and implementing policies to govern international standards of safety in Karate competition. - Designing and facilitating standards of technical/athletic excellence for both mainstream and special needs students.- Organizing National and International symposiums for the continuous development of instructors, coaches, athletes and students.- Teaching practitioners the benefits of a multi-disciplinary approach to traditional Karate training.- Creating and implementing the international syllabus for elite coaching, grading and licensing programs.- Instructing organizational leaders on the importance of physical/psychological fitness to offset illnesses (such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma and depression) in children, teens, adults and senior citizens.- Managing annual budgets, adjustments and PL. - Developing healthy and profitable community relations.- Creating and improving crisis management plans. Show less

• 

  WORLD KARATE CHAMPIONSHIP - 2006 NYC, USA and 2012 Cancun, Mexico

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2012

  President and Owner

  - Planned and executed the first World Karate Championships in the USA since 1980, and in Mexico since 1991. The event in New York had an operating budget of 2.51 million dollars. The event in Mexico had an operating budget of 2.38 million dollars. - Negotiated agreements with travel agents, venues, hotels, restaurants, award companies and numerous Cancun/Quintana Roo attractions. - Marketed the event to the traditional Karate community throughout the world. This required extensive travel for marketing meetings, conferences and international events in 32 countries during the 2004-2006 and 2009-2012 planning phases.- Created marketing materials and coordinated the dissemination of information relating to the events, accommodations and attractions.- Educated, trained and coached the staff and volunteers regarding numerous specific jobs and responsibilities. Trained the referees, judges, VIP officials and volunteers in the specific rules and policies of this event.- Facilitated multiple seminars with 25 instructors and over 1500 students of all levels.- Organized the Opening Ceremony (organization of competitors, coaches, spectators, music and military color guard).- Planned and chaired the international congress and round table discussions with senior instructors, medical committee and international VIP guests. - Managed risks, mitigated problems, removed numerous impediments and created crisis implementation plans during the planning phase of the event. This good planning gave us an environment that made crisis management very simple during the event. Show less

• 

  WORLD KARATE ASSOCIATION

  Jan 2021 - now

  Founder and President
• 

  Chai Defense

  Mar 2024 - now

  Chief Operating Officer