APRIL CIBULSKI
Chapel Hill
Summary
Relationship-driven retail and operations leader with 20+ years of progressive leadership experience building high-performing teams, strengthening operations, and delivering exceptional customer experiences across multi-unit retail, luxury retail, education, entrepreneurship, and client services. Recognized throughout my career for developing future leaders, improving operational performance, and creating cultures centered on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Promoted into increasingly responsible leadership roles by building strong teams, strengthening customer relationships, and delivering business results. Experienced in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance coaching, merchandising, workforce planning, project coordination, operational execution, and cross-functional collaboration. Known for leading organizations through change, solving complex operational challenges, and creating environments where employees thrive and customers remain loyal.
Operations professional with hands-on experience in coordinating and optimizing workflows. Strong focus on team collaboration and ensuring smooth operations. Skilled in logistics, project management, and problem-solving. Reliable and adaptable, ready to meet changing demands and deliver consistent results.
Overview
1
1
Certification
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Client Relations & Operations Coordinator (Part-Time)
Woodkraft Inc.
Chapel Hill, NC
06.2019 - Current
- Support daily operations for a family-owned residential construction business, serving as the primary client contact while coordinating schedules, documentation, project communication, and administrative workflows.
- Manage client relationships from initial inquiry through project completion, ensuring proactive communication, timely follow-up, and exceptional customer service.
- Coordinate project schedules, estimates, documentation, vendor communication, invoicing support, and operational records to improve efficiency and maintain project continuity.
- Partner with ownership to prioritize workloads, resolve scheduling challenges, and strengthen the overall client experience.
- Organize business records, calendars, financial documentation, and operational processes that improve workflow and support continued business growth.
Lead Teacher | Level Lead Liaison
Willow Oak Montessori Charter School
Pittsboro, NC
03.2016 - Current
- Promoted into progressively responsible leadership roles after earning Montessori certification and a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies. Serve as classroom leader and Level Lead Liaison, coordinating daily operations, mentoring team members, strengthening family partnerships, and collaborating with faculty, administrators, specialists, volunteers, and community partners.
- Managed daily operations for a multi-age Montessori classroom serving approximately 30 students and more than 60 family stakeholders annually, balancing curriculum planning, scheduling, communications, documentation, and classroom operations.
- Led the rapid transition to a fully remote Montessori learning environment during COVID by designing and implementing a comprehensive virtual curriculum, creating digital learning resources in Seesaw and Google Workspace, and continuously improving instruction based on student engagement and family feedback.
- Built long-term partnerships with families throughout the three-year Montessori learning cycle, strengthening engagement, communication, and student success through proactive relationship management.
- Mentored assistant teachers through coaching, collaborative planning, and professional development, improving instructional consistency and team effectiveness.
- Planned and coordinated exhibitions, volunteer initiatives, cultural events, and parent engagement activities that strengthened school culture and community involvement.
- Chaired the Grounds Beautification Committee, presenting AI-assisted campus improvement concepts, facilitating stakeholder collaboration, and leading long-term beautification initiatives.
- Career Progression: Substitute Teacher → Assistant Teacher → Lead Teacher → Level Lead Liaison
Founder & Owner
Baby Loves Earth LLC
San Diego, CA
08.2007 - 07.2010
- Founded and operated an environmentally focused e-commerce business, overseeing every aspect of operations while building a customer-centered brand for families seeking sustainable children's products.
- Managed business strategy, purchasing, merchandising, vendor relationships, budgeting, marketing, customer service, website operations, and order fulfillment.
- Built customer loyalty through authentic relationship-building, personalized service, and responsive communication.
- Identified emerging consumer trends, expanded product offerings, and developed marketing strategies that differentiated the business in a competitive marketplace.
Spa Manager & Guest Experience Leader
Mirabella Mansori Day Spa
San Diego, CA
05.2005 - 06.2007
- Relocated to San Diego and intentionally accepted a client-facing Guest Services role to establish roots in a new community while maintaining greater work-life flexibility. Recognized for my leadership, operational expertise, and commitment to exceptional guest experiences, I was quickly promoted to Spa Manager with expanded responsibility for daily operations, team development, staffing, and guest satisfaction.
- Directed daily spa operations, staffing, scheduling, and guest experience for a luxury, high-touch service environment.
- Built strong client relationships that increased guest loyalty through personalized service and consistent follow-through.
- Recruited, onboarded, coached, and developed team members while fostering a collaborative, service-focused culture.
- Streamlined operational workflows and communication processes that improved efficiency and elevated the overall guest experience.
- Partnered with ownership to support business growth through operational excellence, employee development, and exceptional customer care.
Store Manager
Fred Segal Couture
Santa Monica, CA
12.2003 - 04.2005
- Intentionally accepted a client-facing role while dedicating time to my family's international adoption journey, after achieving financial flexibility through previous leadership positions. My operational expertise, people leadership, and business acumen were quickly recognized, resulting in expanded leadership responsibilities overseeing store operations, team development, and exceptional customer experiences.
- Directed daily operations for a premier luxury fashion retailer, leading a team of approximately 8–12 associates while maintaining exceptional standards in customer experience, merchandising, staffing, and operational execution.
- Built lasting relationships with celebrity clientele, stylists, entertainment industry professionals, and international customers by delivering highly personalized luxury shopping experiences that fostered loyalty and repeat business.
- Recruited, hired, coached, and developed associates, creating a high-performance culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and exceptional client service.
- Partnered with visual merchandising and buying teams to execute seasonal floor sets, merchandise presentations, and product launches that elevated the customer experience and supported sales performance.
- Managed scheduling, inventory, operational standards, and daily business priorities while balancing a fast-paced, high-profile retail environment.
- Recognized for leadership, operational excellence, and people development, resulting in expanded management responsibilities.
District Manager
Guess, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA
10.2001 - 11.2003
- Recruited to lead the Rodeo Drive flagship as part of the organization's district leadership succession strategy, with the expectation of advancing into District Manager following demonstrated operational and leadership success.
- Directed operations across 8 high-volume retail locations throughout Southern California, leading approximately 120 employees while overseeing sales performance, staffing, payroll, merchandising, inventory, loss prevention, operational execution, and customer experience.
- Selected to rebuild an underperforming district experiencing leadership instability, inconsistent operational execution, staffing challenges, and declining business performance by strengthening management teams through strategic recruiting, coaching, accountability, and leadership development.
- Consistently achieved district sales, profitability, and operational performance goals, earning leadership performance bonuses through disciplined execution, people development, and operational excellence.
- Recruited, interviewed, hired, onboarded, coached, and evaluated Store Managers, Assistant Managers, and Operations Managers while building a strong internal pipeline of future leaders.
- Leveraged district KPIs, including sales, conversion, payroll, shrink, inventory, and customer experience metrics, to identify performance trends, coach leaders, and implement operational improvements across eight locations.
- Directed workforce planning, payroll, labor budgets, inventory management, and loss prevention strategies across eight locations, driving operational consistency, financial accountability, and business performance.
- Career Progression: General Manager – Rodeo Drive Flagship → District Manager (Promoted within six months)
Operations Manager | Store Manager
Gap Inc. (Old Navy & Banana Republic)
Los Angeles, CA
07.1998 - 10.2001
- Recognized early for operational excellence, leadership development, and business performance, resulting in expanded responsibilities supporting high-volume retail operations and district leadership initiatives.
- Directed daily operations for high-volume retail locations, overseeing staffing, scheduling, payroll, inventory, merchandising, loss prevention, customer experience, and operational execution.
- Selected as a District Training Leader based on operational performance and leadership success, onboarding and developing new Store Managers, Operations Managers, and leadership teams across the district.
- Recruited, interviewed, hired, onboarded, coached, and developed associates and management teams, building strong leadership pipelines through performance coaching and succession planning.
- Executed large-scale merchandising transitions, seasonal floor sets, promotional launches, and visual presentation standards while coaching leadership teams on merchandising strategies that enhanced customer engagement and sales performance.
- Optimized staffing and labor allocation to align customer traffic patterns with payroll goals, ensuring exceptional service while maintaining operational efficiency.
- Managed inventory accuracy, operational compliance, cash controls, and loss prevention initiatives to support profitable store performance.
- Partnered with district leadership to implement operational initiatives, improve execution consistency, and strengthen business performance through data-informed decision-making and accountability.
- Career Progression: Store Manager – Banana Republic → Operations Manager – Old Navy (Selected to lead a significantly higher-volume operation)
Store Manager
Charlotte Russe
San Diego, CA
07.1996 - 07.1998
- Directed store operations, including recruiting, staffing, scheduling, merchandising, inventory management, and customer experience.
- Developed and coached high-performing teams through hands-on leadership, performance management, and operational accountability.
- Executed visual merchandising strategies and promotional initiatives that supported sales growth and brand standards.
Store Manager / Buyer
Surf N Sea
Hale'iwa, HI
11.1993 - 06.1996
- Managed all aspects of retail operations, including purchasing, merchandising, inventory planning, staffing, budgeting, and customer service.
- Analyzed sales trends and customer demand to optimize buying decisions, inventory levels, and profitability.
- Built customer loyalty through personalized service, visual merchandising, and a consistently engaging shopping experience.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Educational Studies
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT03-2024
Skills
- Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Google Workspace
- Salesforce CRM
- CRM & POS Systems
- Google Sheets
- AI Productivity Tools (ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini)
- Canva
- Seesaw Learning Platform
- Zoom
- Project Coordination
- Data Tracking & Reporting
Certification
Montessori Lower Elementary Certification
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Retail Operations
- Multi-Unit Leadership
- Customer Experience
- Talent Development
- Recruiting & Hiring
- Training & Onboarding
- Performance Coaching
- Leadership Development
- Employee Engagement
- Team Building
- Merchandising & Visual Presentation
- Workforce Planning
- Scheduling
- Operations Management
- KPI Analysis
- Business Operations
- Process Improvement
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Project Coordination
- Relationship Management
- Client Success
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft Office
- CRM Systems
Professional Development
Salesforce Trailhead CRM (In Progress)
Timeline
Client Relations & Operations Coordinator (Part-Time)
Woodkraft Inc.
06.2019 - Current
Lead Teacher | Level Lead Liaison
Willow Oak Montessori Charter School
03.2016 - Current
Founder & Owner
Baby Loves Earth LLC
08.2007 - 07.2010
Spa Manager & Guest Experience Leader
Mirabella Mansori Day Spa
05.2005 - 06.2007
Store Manager
Fred Segal Couture
12.2003 - 04.2005
District Manager
Guess, Inc.
10.2001 - 11.2003
Operations Manager | Store Manager
Gap Inc. (Old Navy & Banana Republic)
07.1998 - 10.2001
Store Manager
Charlotte Russe
07.1996 - 07.1998
Store Manager / Buyer
Surf N Sea
11.1993 - 06.1996
Bachelor of Arts - Educational Studies
Western Governors University