Tony Emerson

A national cosmetology school with locations in Pennsylvania, New York, Georgia, Arizona, and Florida since 1934. Serving students with a median family income of $40,600.
Executive Director
Administrative leadership role charged with establishment and continuance of best professional practices. Furnished professional development and training programs, counseling, and corrective action to elevate employee engagement and performance. Collaborate with senior executive team in program design, emergency response, and safety to buttress core curriculum. Challenged to devise a reopening strategy combined and smooth operational function as New York emerged from sheltering at home. Managed ten direct reports along with budget oversight, strategic planning, and recruitment.

• 10% rise in retention coupled with improved survey and admission reports attained within less than one-year by launching an online platform to accommodate registrants in response to COVID-19 melded with leveraging a student appreciation program to foster a positive culture.
• Achieved compliance with provisions governing federal student financial aid programs to assure operational continuity by monitoring implementation of statutory and regulatory policies.
• Heightened civic and business community relations with introduction of an employee recognition program.
• Met 6-month targets with delivery of 25% rise in student and employee retention, 15% jump in profitability, and 10% enrollment growth.
• Positioned mid-level managers for advancement by conferring with board members and stakeholders to successfully restructure and standardize organizational chart.
• 10% rise in employee satisfaction fused with 7% increment in retention achieved by mentoring and coaching ten direct reports in engagement methodologies along with confidence building strategies.

A for-profit 4-year college with campuses, Bethpage, NY and Patchogue, NY prior to closing in 2018.
Director of Career Services
Tasked with assisting job seekers with job search strategies, developing professional development programs as well as working closely with campus board to formulate policies and procedures to improve processes and staff performance. Executed strategies to improve placement rates above accreditation standards. Managed faculty, student services, admissions practices, and school administration teams. Introduced a virtual career services tool.

• 5,000 additional annual enrollments combined with better student and staff retention attained by restructuring career services, academics, and admissions operations, creating professional development workshops explaining the unique value of each department, and demonstrating streamlined communication processes.
• 50% hike in employee retention realized by designing career pathing programs, encouraging management development, hiring, and training talent for three distinct teams assigned to three platforms, two campuses, and an online program.

For profit postsecondary higher education provider earning $627.7 million with ten campuses and an online program.
Regional Director of Career Services
Spearheaded ACICS accreditation for eight unique campuses. Founded diversity and inclusion (D&I) policies to assure a professional environment that values and welcomes the contributions, presence, and perspectives of everyone. Established a fully staffed on campus career services department along with creating salary and bonus structures, conducting performance evaluations, operating policies, and procedures.

• 14% year-over-year employment optimization reached by executing career services activities and delivering high-level support to campus directors.
• Attained required metrics for accreditation of a diverse portfolio of campuses, employee retention, and student graduation rates while nurturing empathy and inclusion.
• Empowered new hires and directors for professional achievement by developing a career services policy manual to clarify expectations and performance guidelines.
• Fostered a culture of engagement by hosting meetings and seminars focused on talents and monitoring metrics.
• Pursued applicant targets, elevated visibility, and encouraged community engagement by strategizing with third party venders to orchestrate special events such as graduations, fundraisers, and orientations within budget.