Burnea Lester, MA, M.Ed

Director of Communication and Community Relations at SITE Improvement Association STL
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Contact Information
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(386) 825-5501
Languages
  • English -

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John Suarez, MBA, CPRW

Burnea Lester has been nothing but a champion for the students we served together. More than any other staff member, Burnea contributed her time, talent, and energy to helping them develop their leadership skills in and out of the classroom. Her investment in them was genuine and very much appreciated. Burnea was a "go to" resource I could count on for positive energy, results, and being willing to go the extra mile...a class act all the way!

Tanisha Montgomery, MBA

Burnea is a trusted colleague! She is reliable, consistent, and diligent in her work. She is passionate about people and education, having found the perfect marriage with DeVry University she has done nothing but excel since she's joined the organization! Burnea is a natural at relationship building and customer service. She is a team-player and works tirelessly for the greater good. Without a doubt, Burnea Lester comes highly recommended for any and all endeavors.

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Experience

    • United States
    • Construction
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • Director of Communication and Community Relations
      • Apr 2022 - Present

    • Co-Founder
      • Jan 2014 - Present

      Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Training, Development, and Organizational Culture Diversity-Equity-Inclusion Training, Development, and Organizational Culture

    • United States
    • Higher Education
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Evaluation and Learning Manager
      • Nov 2019 - Apr 2022

      UMSL's Community Innovation and Action Center UMSL's Community Innovation and Action Center

    • United States
    • Higher Education
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Director of Admissions - Mountain Alliance
      • May 2021 - Mar 2022

      St.Louis MO - Las Vegas, NV - Phoenix, AZ

    • Director Of Admissions
      • Oct 2020 - May 2021

      Recruiting the best and brightest nursing professionals though a diverse and equitable lens!

    • United States
    • E-Learning Providers
    • 1 - 100 Employee
    • Director Of Admissions, Concordia University Chicago
      • Jun 2018 - May 2019

      Contracted to oversee the marketing, recruitment and academic advising in the Exercise Science graduate programs for an Online Program Management (OPM) firm specializing in providing universities with inbound marketing and research-driven solutions to maintain or improve student enrollment in online higher education programs and partnerships. • Led trained, and directed an Assistant Director of Admissions, two Admissions Advisors and one Contact Manager who guided Exercise Science professionals through the application and enrollment process for online graduate degree programs. • Served as Project Manager on design and integration of a new CRM operating system to improve overall efficiency. • Oversaw recruitment and admissions programs to increase student enrollment from 565 students to 920 students. • Created various trainings on enrollment operations, including student initial contact, interviewing, and admissions planning. • Built and designed the infrastructure and metrics to measure Advisor’s performance through KPIs (Key Performance Indicators); created a coaching and observation form for weekly one-on-one meetings to keep Advisors updated on weekly performance. • Improved student contact rate from 75% to 82% in three months by implementing a SMS system into CRM integration; increased the number of student outreach calls from an average of 18 calls per day to 47 calls per day. • Created a new enrollment training manual and outline admissions core processes; launched a media platform to give admissions and advisory team updated information on front-end activity, enrollment trends, and conversation rates. • Worked with Marketing to redesign digital information to engage student interest as well as LiveChat student engagement. • Engaged in conversations to adjust marketing spend as it pertained to cost per lead. • Communicated with university staff to create seamless enrollment processes. Show less

    • United States
    • Higher Education
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Executive Graduate Admissions Advisor
      • Jan 2011 - Jun 2018

      Executive Graduate Advisor (Jan. 2013 to Jun. 2018) | Senior Advisor (Jan. to Dec. 2012) | Advisor (Jan. to Dec. 2011) | Interim Manager of Local Accounts, National Project Team (Jan. 2013 to Jun. 2015) Recruited and promoted several times to manage admissions and enrollment processes for a leading global education provider for degree and non-degree seeking students around the world. • Cultivated and maintained relationships and conducted personal interviews to qualify candidates; assessed student’s goals and needs, explained academic programs, and matched students with appropriate program offerings. • Completed certification process and associated training to develop broad Admissions knowledge; led prospective students to utilize proper resources in order to achieve admissions and enrollment goals of more than 120 students annually. • Enrolled international students with vast understanding of International Admissions Practices and Homeland Security processes with specific experience in Form I-20 and F-1 Visa status. • Served as Executive Board Member for the University’s Student Ambassadors, Project Manager for the St. Louis Alumni Organization and the Student Engagement Committee, and Project Manager for Student Persistence and Retention Committee. • Recognized as the on-campus subject matter expert on all undergraduate and graduate-level programs from 2011 to 2015. • Selected to work remotely beginning in 2016 following closing of 30 campuses nationwide, including the St. Louis campus; retained as a top-5 Advisor (out of 300 who were laid off) to manage triage for admissions and special projects. • Planned and implemented corporate recruiting & networking events and professional seminars for alumni & students • Designed and created internal University newsletter; spearheaded first student organization with Project Management Institute. • Formed and maintained key partnerships with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Show less

    • United States
    • Travel Arrangements
    • 700 & Above Employee
    • Assistant Branch Manager
      • Jun 2007 - Dec 2010

      Promoted to assist in all aspects of operating a branch location to achieve financial, customer satisfaction, and operational goals for the largest car rental brand in North America, known for exceptionally low rates and outstanding customer service.• Led, mentored, trained, developed, managed, and promoted a team of 11 Management Trainees and Management Assistants at Crestwood and a team of eight at Wentzville to deliver superior customer service and achieve all objectives.• Empowered to make business decisions that greatly affected the bottom line of branch operations utilizing a thorough understanding of revenue generation, cost control, P&L management, and business knowledge to drive sales and profitability.• Recognized six times for achieving and exceeding sales goals and generating incremental revenue.• Maintained and strengthened local relationships with body shops, dealerships, and insurance agencies to develop new rental business utilizing sales and marketing skills; generated contracts valued at over $25,000 annually at Crestwood location. Show less

    • Management Assistant (Mar. to May 2007) | Management Trainee (Aug. 2006 to Mar. 2007)
      • Aug 2006 - May 2007

      Recruited into highly-respected training program and promoted to gain experience and learn all aspects of operating a branch.• Supported the management team at the St. Charles Rock Road branch location to reach customer service and sales goals.• Gained experience and built skill set in all aspects of the business including customer service, sales & marketing, finance, and operations; communicated with, influenced, and built relationships with all types of customers, vendors, and co-workers.• Provided a high level of service by assisting customers face-to-face and over the phone to assess and meet their rental needs by handling reservations, providing rate quotes, and providing information and answers to questions. Show less

Education

  • Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University
    Master of Education - Higher Education Leadership, Project Management
  • Webster University
    Master of Arts - MA, Media Communication and Media Literacy
  • Northwest Missouri State University
    Bachelor of Science - BS, Broadcast Journalism

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