Top Standards:
Administrative
Entertaining
Clothing and Valet
Personal Care.

Personal Statement:
I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to a Catholic family with two older siblings. My mother and father immigrated to the United States from Ireland, where they both held “domestic” positions. Growing up, my mother worked as a nanny and my father worked as a chauffeur. Later in my youth, my mother pursued her love of service and completed nursing school. Due to my parents’ influence, as well as growing up in a Catholic household, I was raised with very strong morals, values, and ethics. I believe in respecting others and treating them as I would like to be treated. I value conscientious, well-done work and view this as a form of self-respect. I hold myself to very high standards and have a very strong work ethic, instilled by my Irish-Catholic family.

As a child, I worked jobs as a paper boy, shoveling snow for neighbors, worked at a soda fountain, as a camp counselor, and as a houseman one summer on Martha’s Vineyard. From a young age, my life was dedicated to serving others. As an adult, I pursued a career in teaching, being of service in an educational capacity. I was of service to my family and our relatives and friends, acting as a designated gift-buyer for special occasions. I also worked as an event coordinator after my teaching career, orchestrating the details of intimate and gala-type events.

My personal work style is very “hands-on,” with a pleasant, cooperative, and positive attitude. I pride myself on having a very good sense of humor, and being able to find laughter in daily events and activities. I believe that service is simply, “providing personal assistance to someone in need.” My work ethic lends itself to accomplishing this task in a professional manner, respecting boundaries, and acting in accordance with the given situation. I am very results oriented, and believe in communicating and working in a very respectful manner. I am results-oriented in all aspects of my life, and believe in working toward and achieving goals.

My upbringing has brought me to a point of being very family-centric. As a child, most of our entertaining was centered on family events and holidays. These are some of my happiest memories, and I enjoy working in Private Homes where I can enable other families to thrive and enjoy their time together.

In 1995, after the sudden passing of the Headmaster at Starkey International, I assumed throle of educating two subsequent classes while the Institute looked for a permanent Headmaster. My years of experience in education and teaching, combined with my lifetime in Private Service made me an ideal person for this temporary role.

As I have grown in my career in Private Service, I am now in a place where I would like to provide a high level of service to an older couple, or single individual. I would like to serve as their chauffeur and also assist in the home with meal preparation, light housekeeping, and administrative support. I am happy to travel with a Principal for business or pleasure.

My top four standards are: Administrative, Entertaining, Clothing and Valet, and Personal Care.

Administrative: I have been involved in administrative duties in all of my job experiences.
As a school teacher, one must be organized with a strong eye for detail. As an administrator for American Paradigm Schools, my position was that of Director of Communications and Community Development. I was responsible for all public relations and partnerships with every cultural organization in the city of Philadelphia. In all of the households where I worked as a House Manager, I was responsible for balancing all financial purchases and vendor or contractor payments. I am familiar with the use of PC and Mac operating systems. I have experience managing staff at multiple households. A recent household in which I worked had housekeepers, nannies, chefs and chauffeur. My lost position, I was responsible for finding all of my principal’s concierge resources and logistics that were extensive and international in scope.

Entertaining: Entertaining was always an essential part of any household in which I worked. There were dinner parties from 8 to 24 invited guests and events for two or three hundred invited guests. I was personally involved in all of the pre-planning and on site details for these celebrations. I understand the logistics required to plan for these types of events, including catering, décor, entertainment, invitations, managing guest lists, and ensuring that the vision of the Principal is executed flawlessly.

Clothing and Valet: Every home that I worked in required that I oversee the personal shopping and care of both women’s and men’s wardrobes. Once I established the style and standard of employers, it was an enjoyable task to purchase necessary wardrobe pieces. I would often lay out and set up possible coordinated daily wardrobe selections. Organizing closets and packing for business and leisure travel was often my responsibility. I have always been told that I have very good taste and have a strong background in fashion.

Personal Care: My Personal Care experience spans every phase of life from childhood to elder care. I have worked as a camp counselor, and grew up with a mother who was a nanny. With Elder Care, I have cared for family and close friends in their later years of life. I have a natural affinity and communication style with seniors. I have an ability to be present in both my conversation and attention. I am familiar with managing schedules for the needs of elders in regard to their appointments, prescriptions, and various types of therapies (occupational/speech/etc). I am also familiar with catering to the needs of guests and customizing service in the home to meet the needs of guests. I am familiar with pet care, having grown up and worked in homes that always had domestic pets. I have a “Concierge Mind” when it comes to meeting the needs of guests in the home, regardless of their age or level of care required.

Technical Skill Synopsis:

Administrative:
• Familiar with the use of PC and Mac operating systems, specific software
• Experience managing staff
• Manages schedules, calendars, and household budgets
• Bill paying and account reconciliations
• Scheduling and oversight of vendors
• Comfortable hiring, training, and terminating staff
• Able to create Household Management Book, detailing the duties and expectations of all staff
• International travel and concierge needs including tickets, hotel, drivers and security

Housekeeping:
• Capable of zoning a home for cleaning and creating task sheets
• Cares for high-end antiques, artwork, and other collectible and valuable household items
• Hands-on style of management; willing to do whatever is necessary to uphold the cleanliness standards of a home
• Knowledge of cleaning products and their various uses
• Comfortable working alongside housekeeper(s) to complete tasks within a home
• Familiar with cleaning different surfaces including wood, marble, granite, and tile
• Systematic approach to cleaning, including daily, weekly and seasonal needs

Culinary:
• Menu creation, working in conjunction with the chef and Principal
• Grocery shopping
• Maintaining household food inventories and supplies
• Overseeing catering staff

Clothing & Valet:
• Launders and irons clothing
• Specialty fabric, shoe, and leather care
• Rotates clothing for seasonal storage
• Organizes closets and packs for business and leisure travel
• Experienced personal shopper
• Has a great personal interest in clothing and fashion
• Educated in the procurement and purchasing of fine clothing
• Able to coordinate outfits for Principals to fit the occasion at-hand
• Comfortable packing and unpacking for travel
• Familiar with high-end designers of both men’s and women’s fashion

Entertaining:
• Cares for crystal, china, and silver
• Coordinates and executes formal and informal entertaining events
• Creates a desired ambiance in the home, based on a Principal’s standards
• Knowledgeable in floral arrangements, placement, and specific requests
• Able to properly set a table for formal and informal dining
• Utilizes the “Ballet of Service” to coordinate and execute events within a home

Grounds & Property:
• Perform perimeter checks of exterior fences to ensure safety and security
• Able to identify areas of need and hire appropriate vendors
• Familiar with managing seasonal changes in regard to the exterior of the home (sprinkler systems, window washing, snow removal, cleaning gutters, etc.)

Maintenance:
• Coordinates basic maintenance of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and security/smart home systems
• Coordinates repair and maintenance of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and security/smart home systems
• Manages and maintains records of all systems within a home
• Able to perform minor Maintenance functions such as changing light bulbs and hanging photographs

Transportation & Travel:
• Coordinates travel, international and domestic, including flights, hotels, ground transportation, restaurant reservations, etc.
• Coordinates vehicle maintenance (oil changes, tire rotation, maintaining fluid levels, etc.)
• Coordinates vehicle maintenance schedule, insurance, registration, and licensure
• Able to serve as “Concierge” to plan itineraries and travel with Principals, as requested
• Excellent driving record and comfortable driving Principals and Guests on a daily basis, or as-needed
• Able to manage loyalty programs such as frequent flyer and hotel rewards

Safety and Protection:
• Works with local authorities to create and implement safety plans
• Knowledgeable in home safety features such as intrusion alarms, security systems, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors
• Comfortable working with security personnel, as needed

Personal Care:

Elder Care:
• Comfortable assisting with essential hygiene and basic daily functions
• Natural affinity and communication style
• Life experience with relatives, friends, and acquaintances
• Able to manage medications and appointments
• Familiar with various types of therapies (occupational, speech, visual, etc.)
• Comfortable driving to and from appointments and social activities

Guest Care:
• Experience working in a home with frequent high level house guests
• High level of concierge service offered
• Guest management (profiles, likes/dislikes, services and tourism offered, etc.)

Pet Care:
• Knowledge and experience of regular health maintenance for cats and dogs
• Comfortable working around domestic pets
• Able to manage medications and appointments for grooming, vet, and miscellaneous needs

Child Care:
• Experience caring for children
• Training and/or experience in childcare/education
• Natural affinity and life experience with children
• Comfortable working in a child-sensitive home