Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Affiliations
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Danielle Cotton

Spring Lake,NC

Summary

Skilled leader and adaptive problem solver specializing in human capital, talent acquisition, talent management and project management. A strategic thinker who is entrusted with an active top secret government security clearance and has over 28 years of HR and servant leadership experience inspiring talented employees, developing policy and strategy, and producing desired results in fast-paced, volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments.

Overview

22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

North Carolina National Guard
05.2019 - Current
  • Maintained payroll and benefits for 835 employees in various locations and diminished financial discrepancies through expert program management.
  • Maintained organizational compliance with local, state and federal laws, in addition to established organizational standards.
  • Organized and led onboarding sessions and on-the-job training for new hires, bolstering employee job position knowledge and skillset.
  • Coordinated with senior leadership and handled managerial needs by implementing fresh solutions into business strategies.
  • Led and strategically directed team of 12 human resources professionals.
  • Enhanced staff knowledge and awareness on drug abuse and prevention programs as the Unit Prevention Leader
  • Monitored and handled employee claims involving performance-based and harassment incidents as the Equal Opportunity Leader for the Human Resource Office
  • Coordinated activities of human resources team, distributing resources and personnel effectively across organization to meet HR needs.
  • Maintained consistent knowledge of multi-state and local tax regulations.
  • Served as backup for payroll supervisor to process pay transactions
  • Managed leave system

RECRUITER AND RETENTION NCO

North Carolina National Guard
04.2018 - 04.2019
  • Evaluated strengths and weaknesses of 115 candidates through effective screening processes.
  • Generated specific candidate pool for career opportunities through strategic placement of advertisements, evaluation of applicant credentials, and conducting initial interviews and pre-screening assessments.
  • Followed up with notable applicants sourced via industry-specific pipelines, events and job fairs.
  • Leveraged social media platforms to advertise open positions and engage with potential candidates.
  • Verified applicant references and employment details.
  • Developed and deepened relationships with high school and college campus representatives to meet with graduating seniors for recruitment.
  • Collected and analyzed information to monitor compliance outcomes and identify and address trends of non-compliant behavior.
  • Conducted three recruiting events per quarter to grow passive talent pipeline to prepare for future hiring needs.

HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANT

North Carolina National Guard
01.2016 - 03.2018
  • Forecasted expected personnel demands and developed forward-thinking approaches to achieve objectives.
  • Helped leaders devise ways to fairly assess employee performance and develop improvement plans for promotion
  • Created programs to reduce turnover and improve employee engagement in daily business process.
  • Scanned and maintained confidential employee information and records.
  • Understood, interpreted and mediated human resources inquiries to support administration of human resources policies, procedures and programs for 800 employees
  • Managed employee awards programs.
  • Improved operational processes resulting in statewide productivity increase in 7 HR departments.

OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR MULTI-NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

North Carolina National Guard
11.2014 - 12.2015
  • Oversaw 5 multi-national teams planning, implementing training and base operational strategies.
  • Developed and implemented effective lesson plans to cover necessary material.
  • Identified training needs and planned classes accordingly
  • Evaluated success of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to enhance effectiveness.
  • Adjusted instructional strategies according to student needs and understanding of material due to multi-national audience
  • Acted as training subject matter expert and provided extensive technical support two different Department of the Army agencies
  • Appropriately allocated resourced, budgets, inventories, training support and team building materials to increase overall productivity.

MASTER RESILIENCE TRAINER

North Carolina National Guard
10.2013 - 10.2014
  • Kept abreast of new and developing information in mental health field by attending professional conferences and workshops.
  • Encouraged team members to discuss experiences in group and individual settings.
  • Led educational training at state level for 340 personnel to expand awareness of coping skills and different workplace issues that effect the work environment
  • Educated 700 employees on preventive care, nutrition, fitness, and stress management
  • Increased total wellbeing by encouraging members to improve nutrition, weight control and lifestyle
  • Established strategies based on individuals' goals and strengths and offered each positive reinforcement to continue progress against goals.
  • Helped members to identify challenges and set goals.

SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCATE

North Carolina National Guard
09.2012 - 09.2013
  • Supported victims, family members and witnesses through law enforcement, healthcare, and social services.
  • Constructed referral list of agencies and community resources for victims' to provide aftercare services.
  • Provided comprehensive assessment, goal setting, and service plans.
  • Attended interagency meetings and networked to create community partnerships.
  • Developed safety plans to meet victims' assessment of need.
  • Spearheaded awareness through training over 4,000 service members on sexual assault
  • Wrote reports on clients and maintained required paperwork.

TRAINING MANAGER

North Carolina National Guard
08.2009 - 08.2012
  • Reviewed and edited all training materials for accuracy and company policy compliance.
  • Analyzed effectiveness of training programs at all levels and recommended updates.
  • Coordinated ongoing technical training and personal development classes for members.
  • Planned corporate annual summer and holiday events and team building-based training initiatives.
  • Managed payroll for organization 350 personnel.
  • Created and managed spreadsheets for leave calculations.
  • Served as backup for payroll supervisor to process open record requests.

CAREER COUNSELOR

North Carolina National Guard
07.2008 - 07.2009
  • Developed career and education plans based on individual needs.
  • Counseled members one-on-one regarding current situation, desires, aptitudes, education and employment history.
  • Connected with business and recruiters to build relationships and increase opportunities for members
  • Managed over 100 detailed records of individual histories, scores and document inquiries and resolved problems related to curriculum and course prerequisites.
  • Offered guidance and advice to help cultivate self-esteem and community involvement.
  • Communicated closely with other counselors to devise programs and activities based on developmental and academic levels.

PARALEGAL

North Carolina National Guard
06.2007 - 06.2008
  • Conferred with clients and other involved parties to gather and track case information.
  • Prepared legal briefs
  • Researched state statutes, decisions, legal articles, codes and documents.
  • Prepared and filed non-judicial punishment and other legal documents for military justice system.
  • Maintained law and administrative library, as well as department files and records.
  • Assisted with separation board proceedings and duty determinations.
  • Supported family law proceedings by managing documents such as wills, separation degrees and powers of attorney.
  • Drafted responses for exceptions on foreclosure procedural errors.

PERSONAL SECURITY SPECIALIST

North Carolina National Guard
09.2005 - 05.2007
  • Investigated incidents and wrote reports.
  • Developed contingency plans to ensure correct security clearances were maintained for state employees of North Carolina National Guard
  • Supplied security rosters for state leaders for all positions and security clearance levels
  • Submitted and reviewed all applications for security clearances

MILITARY INSTRUCTOR

North Carolina National Guard
08.2004 - 08.2005
  • Evaluated and supervised student activities and performance levels to provide reports on academic progress.
  • Applied innovative teaching methods to encourage student learning objectives.
  • Increased and fostered diverse student population by employing various learning styles and abilities.
  • Created lesson plans for courses, modifying throughout year to meet time constraints and specific interests of class.
  • Created positive and safe learning environment for students by setting and enforcing classroom code of conduct.
  • Reviewed program materials and coordinated updates to keep military materials relevant and accurate.

HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST

US Army
07.2003 - 07.2004
  • Maintained customer satisfaction with forward-thinking strategies focused on addressing customer needs and resolving concerns.
  • Answered customer telephone calls promptly to avoid on-hold wait times.
  • Collected customer feedback and made process changes to exceed customer satisfaction goals.
  • Cultivated customer loyalty, promoted repeat business and improved sales.
  • Responded proactively and positively to rapid change.
  • Responded to customer requests, offering excellent support and tailored recommendations to address needs.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Human Resources Management

The University of Arizona Global Campus
Chandler
11-2025

Associate of Arts - General Studies

Central Texas College
Killeen, TX
08.2005

Skills

  • Cost management
  • Legal analysis
  • Compensation administration
  • Safety investigation expertise
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office
  • Workforce forecasting
  • Excel proficiency
  • Employee relations management
  • Recruitment trend analysis
  • Proficient in Microsoft Access
  • Workplace efficiency strategies
  • Human resources information systems
  • HR policies and procedures

Accomplishments

    Leadership Excellence

    Led HR for 10,000 personnel through a successful transformation restructure, optimizing readiness and capacity planning.

    Recruitment Innovation

    Enhanced recruiting with strategies, resulting in 50% higher enlistment rates.

    Budget Management

    Streamlined payment processes, maintaining budget discipline of $15 million.

    Dashboard Creation

    Developed dashboard improving efficiency by 90% for National Guard talent alignment.

Affiliations

Society of Human Resource Management

Certification

Lean Six Sigma - Green Belt

Timeline

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER

North Carolina National Guard
05.2019 - Current

RECRUITER AND RETENTION NCO

North Carolina National Guard
04.2018 - 04.2019

HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANT

North Carolina National Guard
01.2016 - 03.2018

OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR MULTI-NATIONAL ORGANIZATION

North Carolina National Guard
11.2014 - 12.2015

MASTER RESILIENCE TRAINER

North Carolina National Guard
10.2013 - 10.2014

SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM ADVOCATE

North Carolina National Guard
09.2012 - 09.2013

TRAINING MANAGER

North Carolina National Guard
08.2009 - 08.2012

CAREER COUNSELOR

North Carolina National Guard
07.2008 - 07.2009

PARALEGAL

North Carolina National Guard
06.2007 - 06.2008

PERSONAL SECURITY SPECIALIST

North Carolina National Guard
09.2005 - 05.2007

MILITARY INSTRUCTOR

North Carolina National Guard
08.2004 - 08.2005

HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST

US Army
07.2003 - 07.2004

Associate of Arts - General Studies

Central Texas College

Bachelor of Arts - Human Resources Management

The University of Arizona Global Campus

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Danielle Cotton