Dara Hawkins

DARA HAWKINS Shreveport, LA 📞📞- 📧📧- PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY Experienced Customer Service & Operations Leader with 8+ years of success in call center management, quality assurance, team leadership, and security operations. Proven track record in driving customer satisfaction, coaching high-performing teams, and optimizing processes across healthcare, security, and tech environments. Skilled in performance management, staff training, and operational excellence. Committed to creating supportive, results-driven workplaces that exceed organizational goals. CORE COMPETENCIES Team Leadership & Coaching, Call Center Operations, Customer Service Management, Quality Assurance & Compliance, Customer Experience (CX) & Satisfaction, Performance Management & KPIs, Conflict Resolution & De-escalation, Employee Training & Development, Process Improvement & Lean Practices, Security Operations & Monitoring, Data-Driven Decision Making, CRM & Contact Center Technologies (Salesforce, NICE, Genesys), Cross-Functional Collaboration, Reporting & Analytics, Change Management, Customer Retention Strategies, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), SLA / Service Level Management PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Health Care Service Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield) Customer Advocate Specialist Supervisor 2020 – Present • • • • • • • • Supervise a team of 20+ customer advocates providing service to Medicare and Medicaid members. • Improved team call quality scores by 18% through structured coaching and quality assurance programs. • Led training and onboarding for new hires, reducing onboarding time by 25%. • Maintain high standards of accuracy and compliance with CMS guidelines. • Partner with cross-functional teams to improve processes and customer satisfaction. • Analyze customer feedback and trends to recommend service improvements. • Drive team performance to consistently meet or exceed KPIs, SLAs, and customer satisfaction targets. Allied Universal Security Operations Assistant Manager 2021 – 2025 (Concurrent with Blue Cross role) • • • • • • • • Led and coached a team of 15+ operators in a 24/7 security operations center. • Developed and delivered coaching and training programs that improved operator quality scores by 20% and reduced incident resolution times. • Supported site development through analytics, virtual patrols, and vulnerability assessments. • Conducted quality assurance audits and performance reviews, driving continuous process improvements. • Prepared and analyzed operational reports (daily/weekly/monthly) to maintain compliance and efficiency. • Served as escalation point for emergency situations; drove timely and effective resolution. • Implemented workflow improvements to increase operator productivity and incident response accuracy. General Dynamics Information Technology Quality Assurance Analyst Supervisor 2016 – 2020 • • • • • • • Supervised QA team monitoring call center interactions for compliance and customer experience. • Conducted call data analysis, identified performance trends, and developed improvement plans. • Improved agent quality scores by 22% through coaching, feedback, and training initiatives. • Prepared detailed QA reports for leadership, supporting strategic decision-making. • Collaborated with training teams to update materials based on QA insights. • Maintained consistent quality standards across large, multi-site call center operations. EDUCATION Southern New Hampshire University B.S. Cybersecurity / Project Management — Expected November 2027 Grambling State University B.S. Business Management — 2014 – 2017 Bossier Parish College A.A.S. Culinary Arts — 2012 – 2014 REFERENCES Available upon request.