Karen Zortman-Loos

Vast background in: customer service, finance, communications, sales, board related/round table activities, research, writing proposals, blogging, etc.

To work for a company that has ideals that the customer is number one, and believes in building his company by advertising, and the strengths of his employees.

Karen Zortman-Loos’s Specialties:

• Knowledge of media
• Product Presentation
• Negotiations
• Client Relationship
• Team Leadership
• Product Knowledge
• Building Client Rapport
• Prospect Qualification

Karen Zortman-Loos’s Experience

Board Member

Black Hills Symphony Orchestra

(Performing Arts industry)

April 2009 — Present (4 months)

*Helping to provide direction/advice to the organization.
*To ensure that the mission statement is fulfilled.
*Keeping the arts alive, and the keeping the program on coarse.
Sub-Teacher

Rapid City School District

(Primary/Secondary Education industry)

April 2009 — Present (4 months)

Working when jobs are available in the school system for sub- teaching: spanish teacher, paraprofessional (sp. education, etc.)
Receptionist/Trainer/Assistant/Concierge

Kelly Services

(Law Practice industry)

January 2009 — Present (7 months)

Assignment as a secret shopper: evaluating businesses’ customer service to condition of apartments that were visited.

Assignment for a law office with 20 attorneys: handling phone reports, coding, training new employee, incoming calls, making daily calendar, logging wills, and confirming conference rooms, etc.

Assignment for a city human resources department: screening calls, taking messages, proofing job categories, filing, etc.

Assignment for an educational seminar company as their concierge/personal assistant: checking in attendees, paperwork filled out/faxed back to corporate office, providing assistance to trainer, communicating with hotel staff about refreshing beverages, and food, and more.
Freelance writer looking for opportunities

Freelance - Writer

(Writing and Editing industry)

September 2008 — Present (11 months)

*Enjoy writing articles from buying cars, keeping music in schools, staging a home, fund raising, and more.
*More articles can be found on Helium.com.
*Have written articles with a local newspaper about YFS (Youth and Family Services), Cases for Kids, Kohls' Scholarship Recipients 2007, and others.
Contact me for freelance writing for your organization.
President

Rushmore Optimist Club

(Civic & Social Organization industry)

October 2003 — Present (5 years 10 months)

We are now considering new projects, and perhaps, new members.

Our club has been around since July 1988 and currently all women. Many of the members are charter members since the beginning of the club.

We have done various projects such as: Respect for Law (shared project with the Noon Optimist Club), Oratorical, Essays, Sell-A-Thons, Poinsettia sells, Kiddie Parades, etc.

Some of the organizations we have helped are: YFS, Teen Court, Childhood Cancer, and Club for Boys, etc.

Governor Rounds, the governor of South Dakota, asked our club to participate in the Christmas Tree Decorating Festivities at the state capital. This is an honor that has been bestowed on our group twice.

Our club has been fortunate to have such active members in the community. Some have been bankers, teachers, nurses, accountants, marketing experts, city council members, chamber employees, city workers, realtors, attorneys, preachers, singers, insurance agents, writers, mortgage brokers/bankers, and some are great mothers who enjoy being a part of this club.

It was an ex- realtor/ex-city council member that asked me to join, and it was always a goal of mine to belong. I have been a secretary, president, vice president, club member, and a board member.
Patient Services Coordinator (Receptionist)

Rapid City Medical Center

(Medical Practice industry)

October 2008 — December 2008 (3 months)

• Facilitating the check in process: by greeting patients, directing them to lobby locations, contacting the medical staff that a patient was in, and various other clerical duties.
Loan Officer

Premier Home Mortgage

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Financial Services industry)

June 2008 — September 2008 (4 months)

• Selling mortgage loans to clients looking for FHA, and other loan products.
• Networking, making flyers for open houses, sitting with realtors at open houses to generate more clients, writing articles about the loan products, ways to keep your home, creative ways to sell you home, and blogging.
Mortgage Originator

Affiliated Mortgage

(Banking industry)

2007 — 2008 (1 year)

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Customer Service Specialist

Bank West,Inc (Headquartered in Pierre, SD)

(Banking industry)

October 2005 — October 2007 (2 years 1 month)

Resetting online banking accounts for business/consumer clients,

Explaining safety devices that protect customers from fraud with the online banking products.

Time saving idea for wiretransfers.

Many outstanding letters from customers for my service.

Taking calls from internal/external customers.

Transferring money from checking, money, markets, and more.

Researching documents for various people.
Backend Collector

Green Tree Servicing

(Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees; Financial Services industry)

September 2004 — October 2005 (1 year 2 months)

• Negotiating payment arrangements with clients who were having difficulties making payments on their homes.
• Setting the home up for foreclosure by going through the legal chain of events.
Personal Banker

Wells Fargo

(Public Company; WFC; Banking industry)

November 1998 — August 2004 (5 years 10 months)

• Coached branch staff on ways to sell more retail products for customers at their windows.
• Identified the best case scenarios for our customers by analyzing their needs and coming up with the right product for their individual circumstances.
• Sold various types of retail products: credit cards, lines of credit, CDS, checking/savings, and loans-home equity, personal loans, and sold small business products to customers who were starting a business.
• Referred potential clients to other employees in the bank: i.e. mortgage, etc.
• Maintained confidentiality to my customers.
• Licensed to sell Fixed Annuities.
• Performed as a: Collector I, Collector II, and Customer Service Rep while with Wells Fargo.
• Best of Wells Fargo August 2003 –Customer Service.
• Heros then, Heros now-May 1999.
Singer-Mezzo Soprano (Chorale Member)

Bravo! Vancouver

(Fine Art industry)

September 1997 — May 2001 (3 years 9 months)

Bravo! Chorale: Since it was founded in 1993 the Bravo! Vancouver Chorale has grown to become a 65-member auditioned civic choral ensemble, and has established itself as one of the premiere choral groups in the Pacific Northwest. The Bravo! Chorale includes singers from all walks of life, and our members live in and travel from communities throughout the Southwest Washington/Portland Metro region (including Battle Ground, Beaverton, Brush Prairie, Camas, Clackamas, Forest Grove, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, Portland, Vancouver & Washougal) to join together to make great music.
Inside Sales Rep

Sprint

(Telecommunications industry)

September 1997 — November 1998 (1 year 3 months)

Business to business sales for bundling services.
Acting as my customers personal rep.
Praised by my supervisor I could find a commonality with my customers.
Working with my team members on proposals to help them if there was a language barrier.
Classified Inside Sales

The Fresno Bee

(Public Company; mni; Newspapers industry)

May 1995 — August 1996 (1 year 4 months)
Customer Service

Bank of America

(Banking industry)

September 1994 — November 1994 (3 months)

Customer Service in Fresno, Ca.
Retention Specialist

Citibank

(Banking industry)

October 1991 — August 1994 (2 years 11 months)

Responsible for handling inbound/outbound calls from customers who wanted to close their Citibank/Choice Cards.

54% retention rate on average when standard was 45%.

Round table several times giving ideas to New York Marketing.

Supervisor Desk-scored 90% or better on test, perfect attendance, and retention rate gave me this position several times.

Enjoyed the challenge of coming with win-win solutions.
Intern

WDAM

(Writing and Editing industry)

1985 — 1985 (less than a year)

Karen Zortman-Loos’s Education

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Bachelors of Journalism , Broadcasting , 1987 — 1989

Learned how to interview, produce, talk on the radio, and television.

3 semesters of Spanish.

Various journalism based classes.

Activities and Societies:

AE RHO-Journalism Fraternity.
The University of South Dakota

Mass Communications 1984 — 1985

Received a music scholarship for my voice and instrumental talents.
INTERN - WDAM-TV (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
July 1985 – August 1985 ( 2 months)

Camera person for morning show, 5 o'clock show, and 6 o'clock. Also, learned how to shoot stills, instudio commercials, shadowed with commercial camera persons off-site, and learned how to edit.

Activities and Societies:

University Choir (mezzo soprano), Symphonic band (flute), marching band, pep band, documentary (co-producer, reporter, editor, and writer), learned some violin and viola, know some piano, organ, and oboe.
Briar Cliff University

n/a , Music , 1983 — 1983
West Monona High School

General Studies 1979 — 1983

Additional Information

Karen Zortman-Loos’s Interests:

Community theater, singing, volunteering (Pope & the Jewish People - Exhibit), Focus Groups, my kids activities (chess, soccer, orchestra, band, etc), reading, working out, writing, traveling, and helping people make a difference.

Karen Zortman-Loos’s Groups:

Rushmore Optimist Club (Member since) October 2003, currently President.
http://www.allvoices.com/users/wstcoast
Helium.com (writer)
Bravo! Vancouver 1998-2001 (singing group in Vancouver, Washington)
South Chess Parent - 2005-current. Raising funds for chess kids.
SPICE INVITATIONAL for Kaitlynn to represent SD for K-12 girls.
Grandview Chess Parent-2005-2008. Raising funds for chess kids.