Kari Quaas, PHR

After college & the requisite trip abroad, I started my 11 year career in the cruise line industry as a Tour Guide / Bus Driver. This lead to positions recruiting, hiring & training Driver/Guides for Seattle & the State of Alaska. With the help of my now co-worker, Kathi at CoolWorks.com, I developed the first on-line job website for Holland America's Gray Line of Alaska division focused on the seasonal jobs in Alaska.

In 2001, I moved to Princess Cruises & Tours where I continued my career in safety & training. Within 6 months, I moved to human resources, my long time goal, in a benefits administration role. This lead to my eventual title of Assistant Manager of Human Resources where I continued to administer the benefits, but also provided support to Alaska operations & the growing Seattle office with supervisor training, employee relations, harassment investigations, recruiting, ATS support, etc.

In the spring of 2007, I joined the virtual recruiting team at CoolWorks.com. I help employers post their seasonal & career job opportunities, sell and provide support for our CoolWorks.com created ATS called Staffing Center, write blog posts for our seasonal human resources managers, our job seekers, & our social network "tribe," and seek out new social media avenues for promoting CoolWorks.com.

Lastly, I serve on the board of Washington Business Week, a non-profit ("social benefit") organization benefiting teenagers interested in practical business experience. While in high school, I attended this business camp, which solidified my interest in obtaining a business minor, if not degree. In addition, I serve on the Alumni Committee utilizing my networking skills to maintain contact with previous WBW attendees & to re-connect other alumni from 1976 on. Our goal is to demonstrate to them how Washington Business Week continues to change students' lives & hopefully secure their volunteer time & financial support.

Kari Quaas, PHR’s Specialties:

seasonal employment recruiting, human resources, family & pet portrait photography, on-line communities, and social networking

Kari Quaas, PHR’s Experience

Board Member

Washington Business Week

(Non-Profit Organization Management industry)

October 2008 — Present (10 months)

One of several volunteer board members who ensures the fulfillment of the Business Week mission. We are committed to delivering a high-quality program that improves the lives of Washington state’s youth.
Volunteer

Puget Sound Blood Center

(Non-Profit; Hospital & Health Care industry)

June 2007 — Present (2 years 2 months)

I perform two basic roles when I volunteer - donor registration and donor monitor. The first role includes greeting donors and recording their information prior to donating. The second role entails monitoring the donor post donation to ensure their safety, plus I get to serve cookies and juice.
Owner
Kari Quaas Photography (Sole Proprietorship)

(Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Arts and Crafts industry)

May 2007 — Present (2 years 3 months)

* Fine Art and Portrait Photographer.

* Skilled capturer of pet, children, family and individual portraits.

* Specialization in macro photography, particularly flowers and plants.
Director of West Coast Operations

CoolWorks.com

(Staffing and Recruiting industry)

March 2007 — Present (2 years 5 months)

* Social Network Guru - Active participant and observer of social networks and their tie to recruiting.

* Client Management - Provide recruiting expertise to seasonal employers across the United States including the sale of employment ads and our applicant tracking system called Staffing Center.

* Staffing Center Guru - Go to person for support and training of the Cool Works Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Provide demonstrations for prospective clients.
Assistant Manager, Human Resources and Benefits

Princess Cruises & Tours

(Public Company; 201-500 employees; CCL; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

March 2002 — March 2007 (5 years 1 month)

* Coordinated the benefit administration for all group insurance plans including medical, dental and vision; FSAs; basic, supplemental and dependent life insurance; AD&D; STD and LTD; and EAP. Reconciled monthly billing statements totaling about $2.3 million annually. Administered 401(k) plan. Conducted benefits orientations for new hires.

* Managed employee leave (FMLA, PDA & ADA), workers’ compensation and disability claims.

* Certified trainer for corporate customer service program (C.R.U.I.S.E.).

* Responsible for updating the Princess Tours Intranet with HR paperwork, benefits, and recruiting information. One of the go-to people for questions about Staffing Center, the Cool Works created ATS.

* Provided HR guidance for 13 Alaska operating divisions. Provided daily HR support, mostly regarding employee relations and benefits, for local corporate office, which includes administration and inbound call center staff.
Manager, Driver Safety and Training

Princess Cruises & Tours

(Public Company; 201-500 employees; CCL; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

July 2001 — March 2002 (9 months)

* Completed a full revision of the driver training manual as well as policy manuals.

* Measured and analyzed incident, illness, injury, and collision statistics seeking to improve training methods and reporting, and decrease costs.

* Maintained DOT compliance files and administered a drug and alcohol testing program.

* Created OSHA recordkeeping procedures for the divisions and conducted reviews of recordable employee injuries and illnesses.
Manager, Training and Compliance

Holland America Line

(Public Company; CCL; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

September 1998 — July 2001 (2 years 11 months)

* Gray Line of Alaska (subsidiary of HAL)

* Managed all aspects of driver/guide recruiting and training.

* Implemented and maintained web-based recruiting for all seasonal positions.

* Maintained DOT compliance files and administered a drug and alcohol testing program.

* Conducted Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) pre-trip and road tests as a certified Third Party Tester for the State of Washington.
Supervisor, Safety and Training

Holland America Line

(Public Company; CCL; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

January 1998 — September 1998 (9 months)

* Gray Line of Seattle (subsidiary of HAL)

* Managed many aspects of driver/guide recruiting and training.

* Accident response and investigation.
Driver/Guide & Driver Trainer

Holland America Line

(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; CCL; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

1996 — 1997 (1 year)

Kari Quaas, PHR’s Education

University of Washington

Certificate , Photography , 2006 — 2007

Activities and Societies:

Chair of the group photography exhibitions at the University of Washington Medical Center in June and July, 2007.
Seattle Pacific University

Certificate , Human Resources , 2002 — 2002
Human Resource Certification Institute

PHR , Human Resource Management , 2002 — 2002
Washington State University

Bachelors of Arts , Sociology , 1990 — 1994

Minor in English, Minor in Business Administration

Activities and Societies:

Delta Delta Delta, Sociology Club, Mortar Board, KUGR Radio
Everett High School