Joel Hager
Portfolio Case Studies & Key Projects
Targeting Strategic Operations Leadership Roles
Senior Operations Manager • Regional Program Director • Strategic / Business Operations Leader • Multi-State Operations Leader
$96K+ • Team Leadership • Process Excellence • 7+ Years Management Experience
Available for Immediate Hire
Executive Summary:
Proven track record of driving operational excellence, community engagement, and strategic growth across diverse industries. Specialized in scaling programs, optimizing processes, and building high-performing teams with measurable results.
Community & Cultural Engagement
- Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): Comprehensive training in triage, search and rescue, fire safety, and chainsaw safety for City of Smyrna, GA
- Gaming Community Leadership: Lifelong tabletop gaming legacy, strategic adoption of Pathfinder during first OGL transition, and program development
- Cultural Engagement: Universal Life Church Ordained Jedi Knight, Irish Lord of Kerry – demonstrating authentic commitment to community values
- Professional Integration: Applied emergency response protocols and community management principles to enhance professional risk assessment capabilities
Key Performance Indicators Summary
| Metric | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Team Members Managed | 60+ team members, including senior coordinators, across multiple states |
| Regional Venue Operations | Multiple venue locations across 6-state footprint |
| Geographic Coverage | 6-state regional footprint (VA, WV, TN, NC, SC, GA) |
| Applications Supported | 400+ enterprise software applications |
| Employees Served | 20,000+ nationwide workforce |
| Convention Growth | 183% increase in table participation + 40% engagement growth |
| Process Improvement | 30.41% → 20.92% cancellation rate reduction |
| Community Growth | 300% increase in table count from baseline |
| Latest Convention Achievement | 41% table count increase with extensive volunteer coordination |
| Regional Leadership | First post-pandemic era Tier 1 convention in Appalachian Region |
| System Availability | 24/7 mission-critical operations support |
| Compliance Record | Strong compliance record across all regulated industries |
Technical Competencies Portfolio
Data Analysis & Reporting
- Google Workspace (Forms, Sheets, Drive) for data collection and analysis
- Created automated tracking systems and performance dashboards
- Generated actionable insights for program improvement initiatives
Project Management & Process Optimization
- ServiceNow platform experience and optimization
- Jira and Confluence for project tracking and documentation
- ITIL-certified service management methodologies
System Administration & Technical Support
- Multi-platform system administration and troubleshooting
- Database management and reporting systems
- Customer support platforms and CRM integration
Compliance & Risk Management
- Financial services regulatory compliance monitoring
- Healthcare technology privacy and security protocols
- Emergency response and crisis management procedures
Awards & Recognition
- Regional Promotion Recognition: Promoted to Regional Venture-Coordinator – highest volunteer leadership role in regional organization
- Performance Excellence: Consistently exceeded performance targets across all professional roles
- Community Leadership: Recognized for exceptional volunteer program development and community building
- Cross-Industry Expertise: Successfully transitioned between transportation, healthcare, financial services, and community management roles
Career Progression Highlights
Current – Regional Venture-Coordinator (Multi-state leadership role)
Recent – Senior Product Delivery Associate (Financial Technology)
Previous – Technical Systems Consultant (Healthcare Technology)
Prior – Regional gaming leadership promotion
Earlier – Lead Service Management Analyst (Transportation)
Foundation – Beginning of volunteer leadership journey
Featured Work Sample
🛡️ Community Safety & Inclusion Framework
Comprehensive framework demonstrating trauma-informed stakeholder engagement, accessibility design, crisis intervention protocols, and volunteer training. This work sample showcases transferable DEI and community operations expertise applicable to nonprofit, corporate, and public sector environments.
Key Competencies Demonstrated:
Policy Development
Trauma-Informed Practices
Accessibility Design
Crisis Response
Volunteer Training
DEI Program Management
Strategic Leadership & Program Management
Case Study 1: Regional Program Management & Large-Scale Event Operations
Challenge:
Transform a regional gaming community program suffering from post-pandemic decline while simultaneously managing complex gaming operations at major conventions, coordinating multiple game systems, volunteer staff, and thousands of participants across a 6-state footprint. Actions Taken:
- Leadership Development: Serve as Regional Venture-Coordinator, having been promoted through organizational ranks to this highest volunteer role.
- Team Building: Manage 60+ team members, including senior leaders, building upon prior success in recruiting and training key officers in the Atlanta region to enhance program stability.
- Process Optimization: Implement systematic scheduling and engagement strategies for both regional operations and convention management
- Data-Driven Decisions: Create comprehensive feedback systems using Google Workspace
- Major Event Management: Personally manage convention operations including scheduling, volunteer coordination, scenario selection, prize support, and reporting
- Performance Tracking: Implement metrics tracking for continuous improvement across all operations
Quantifiable Results:
- 183% increase in convention table participation
- Managed large-scale operations achieving 41% table count growth and 300% growth since baseline, demonstrating sustained program expansion
- 40% growth in player engagement metrics
- Reduced cancellation rates from 30.41% to 20.92%
- Achieved Tier 1 convention status for the first time since before the pandemic
- Multiple venue locations managed across 6 states (GA, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)
- No major operational failures across multi-day convention events
- First post-pandemic era Tier 1 convention in Appalachian Region
Strategic Planning
Multi-State Operations
Event Management
Volunteer Coordination
Data-Driven Decision Making
Community Building
Case Study 2: Financial Technology Product Delivery Excellence
Challenge:
Ensure stable delivery of complex financial technology products while managing regulatory compliance, cross-functional teams, and evolving stakeholder expectations in a major banking environment. Actions Taken:
- Stakeholder Management: Collaborated with product managers, engineers, and business leaders across multiple product lines
- Risk Mitigation: Identified and resolved delivery blockers while managing complex dependencies
- Compliance Monitoring: Supported change management activities ensuring regulatory adherence
- Process Development: Created standardized processes meeting enterprise compliance standards
- Relationship Building: Established strong collaborative partnerships across all organizational levels
Quantifiable Results:
- Consistent delivery of products meeting all regulatory requirements
- Maintained clean compliance outcomes during tenure
- Improved stakeholder satisfaction through proactive communication and issue resolution
- Streamlined delivery processes reducing time-to-market for key initiatives
Product Management
Regulatory Compliance
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Risk Assessment
Process Improvement
Case Study 3: Healthcare Technology Systems Optimization
Challenge:
Optimize critical healthcare technology systems supporting telemedicine operations while improving user experience and system reliability for sales and customer success teams. Actions Taken:
- System Administration: Managed Team Support platform and Sales Demo environment
- Technical Implementation: Deployed solutions improving issue tracking and incident resolution
- User Training & Support: Provided technical support and training to sales teams
- Quality Assurance: Supported comprehensive testing initiatives ensuring system stability
- Customer Focus: Enhanced system reliability and user satisfaction in healthcare environment
Quantifiable Results:
- Improved system reliability reducing downtime incidents
- Enhanced issue resolution times through optimized tracking systems
- Increased user satisfaction via comprehensive training and support programs
- Streamlined sales processes through technical optimization and troubleshooting support
System Administration
Technical Support
Healthcare Compliance
Customer Success
Process Improvement
Case Study 4: Enterprise Service Management Transformation
Challenge:
Support mission-critical operations for a large-scale transportation enterprise while leading technology transformation and maintaining 24/7 system availability for 20,000+ employees. Actions Taken:
- Enterprise Operations: Managed Tier 2 support for 400+ software applications
- Technology Migration: Led team-wide transition to ServiceNow ITSM platform
- Process Optimization: Redesigned ticket management workflows and escalation procedures
- Service Improvement: Partnered with service owners to enhance onboarding and operational efficiency
- Performance Enhancement: Implemented systematic improvements across service desk operations
Quantifiable Results:
- 24/7 availability maintained for 400+ critical applications
- 20,000+ employees supported nationwide
- Successful ServiceNow migration completed on schedule
- Improved service desk performance metrics and user satisfaction
- Streamlined escalation processes reducing resolution times
ITIL Service Management
Enterprise Operations
Technology Transformation
Process Improvement
Team Leadership
Case Study 5: Multi-Industry Experience & Adaptability
Challenge:
Successfully transition between three distinct industries (transportation, healthcare technology, and financial services) while maintaining high performance and adding value in each role despite different regulatory environments, technical requirements, and organizational cultures. Actions Taken:
- Rapid Learning: Quickly mastered industry-specific regulations, compliance requirements, and technical systems in each new environment
- Skills Translation: Identified transferable competencies and adapted them to new contexts while learning domain-specific knowledge
- Relationship Building: Established credibility and trust with new teams, stakeholders, and management across different industries
- Process Innovation: Applied best practices from previous industries to improve operations in new environments
- Continuous Improvement: Maintained commitment to operational excellence while adapting to new performance metrics and success criteria
Quantifiable Results:
- No performance gaps during industry transitions
- Consistent promotions and expanded responsibilities in each role
- Cross-industry compliance expertise with a strong record of clean audits across regulated environments
- Enhanced problem-solving through exposure to diverse operational challenges
- Broad stakeholder management experience across government, healthcare, and financial services
- Technology platform mastery spanning ServiceNow, healthcare systems, and banking platforms
Adaptability
Cross-Industry Expertise
Rapid Learning
Regulatory Compliance
Change Management
Professional Growth