Susan Franke has over 25 years of experience in various roles including office management, accounting, tax preparation, development, communications, library services, jewelry design, estate administration, and financial aid. She has a Master's degree in Library and Information Science, law school coursework, and is currently pursuing an accounting certificate. She is highly skilled, organized, and proficient in many computer programs.

1. Susan Franke
Highland Park, IL 60035
Cell: 847-840-6609
E-mail: bookblossom@earthlink.net, Web: www.susanfranke.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
• One year and a half as the Office Manager at Kowalenko Consulting Group.
• Two seasons as a Seasonal Tax Preparer. Obtained my PTIN.
• Three years of progressive experience in Development and Communications as an
Administrative Assistant, Development Associate and Development Associate,
Annual Fund.
• Over ten years as an Adult Reference Librarian and Outreach Librarian in public
libraries.
• Nine years as a Small Business Owner and Sole Proprietor of a jewelry design
business www.susanfranke.com. Seasoned jewelry designer specializing in
handcrafted enamel and cloisonné jewelry. Featured in Crain’s Chicago Business and
The Evanston Review.
• Three years as a Probate and Estate Administration Paralegal.
• Two years in Admissions and as a Financial Aid Officer at Northwestern University
Graduate School.
• Highly motivated, organized and detail-oriented personality who enjoys a wide variety
of interests.
EDUCATION
Professional Accounting and Legal Coursework, GPA 3.304 (as of 5/14/14)
Courses completed: Business Law, Corporate and Securities Law, Financial
Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Federal Individual Income Tax,
Corporate Tax
COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY, Grayslake, IL
Master of Library and Information Science Degree, GPA 3.445
ROSARY COLLEGE (now known as DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY), River Forest, IL
Lawyer’s Assistant Program, GPA Pass
ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY, Chicago, IL
ABA approved, graduate-level certificate
Litigation specialty, Family Law sub-specialty
B.A. Degree in Philosophy/English Literature, GPA 3.126
LAKE FOREST COLLEGE, Lake Forest, IL
*Phi Sigma Tau - National Honor Society in Philosophy

2. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
7/15 – 12/16 Office Manager (Bookkeeping Independent Contractor)
KOWALENKO CONSULTING GROUP, Highland Park, IL
• Independent contractor position. Responsible for QuickBooks reconciliation, accounts
payable, accounts receivable, creating invoices, payroll oversight and preparation of
documents for company’s CPA. Calculated IDOT overhead rate. Maximized corporate
tax deductions as well as saved $1,300 in CPA fees from prior year. Conducted
research on retirement plans and insurance. Special projects include research on
employee retention, effective management styles, design thinking and self-publishing.
Strategic planning on social media outreach and marketing.
Spring 2015 Chicago Congenital Heart Walk Committee Member
ADULT CONGENITAL HEART ASSOCIATION, Philadelphia, PA
• Member of a committee that organized the most successful Chicago Congenital Heart
Walk in history, raising over $82,000 for a one-day event.
Winter 2014 Tax Preparer
THE TRANEL FINANCIAL GROUP, Libertyville, IL
• Seasonal tax preparer assisting high-net-worth individuals with preparing and filing
2013 state and federal tax returns using UltraTax software. Reviewed tax returns
completed by other staff members. Obtained my PTIN.
Winter 2013 Volunteer Tax Preparer
CENTER FOR ECONOMIC PROGRESS, Evanston, IL site
• Volunteer tax preparer assisting low-income families with preparing and filing 2012
state and federal tax returns using TaxWise software. Successful completion of IRS
Basic Certification Exam.
6/03 – 6/12 Owner and Sole Proprietor of Jewelry Design Business
www.susanfranke.com
SUSAN FRANKE, JEWELRY DESIGNER, Highland Park, IL
• Responsible for bookkeeping, meeting IRS deadlines, public relations, marketing,
special events, sales, customer service and jewelry design.
• Featured in Crain’s Chicago Business and The Evanston Review.
11/10 – 05/11 Development Associate, Annual Fund (part-time)
CHICAGO WALDORF SCHOOL, Chicago, IL

3. • Helped build Development Department from scratch after all three full-time
Development employees were laid off two and a half years earlier.
• Corrected previous entries in Raiser’s Edge database to run accurate financials,
queries and reports.
• Worked with non-profit consulting firm Campbell and Company to conduct a feasibility
study for a 10 million dollar capital campaign for a new building.
• Co-wrote all appeals, board reports and gift receipts.
06/10 – 11/10 Development Associate & Outreach Coordinator
7/08 - 06/10 Outreach Coordinator & Administrative Assistant
Development & Communications (part-time)
THE HADLEY SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, Winnetka, IL
• Raiser’s Edge Specialist. Prepare and balance batches. Print and mail receipts and
tax letters for every donation to the school.
• Responsible for balancing financials in Raiser’s Edge and posting month-end close to
Financial Edge.
• Assisted Business Office with internal audit.
• Development campaign goal ranged between 1.4 and 1.7 million dollars a year. For
fiscal year ending 2010, team attained 94% of the fundraising goal of 1.4 million
dollars.
• Responsible for corporate matching and tribute gifts.
• Wrote student award winner biographies and speeches every year. Edit and proofread
publications, e-Connect newsletter and the annual report.
• Coordinated 20 to 30 outreach events and presentations each year.
• Conducted research to assist Hadley School for the Blind’s grant writer that resulted in
one $10,000 grant and one $50,000 donation.
2/07 - 4/08 Reference Librarian (part-time)
GLENCOE PUBLIC LIBRARY, Glencoe, IL
12/99 - 6/03 Outreach Librarian
PARK RIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY, Park Ridge, IL
10/95 - 12/99 Reference Librarian
WILMETTE PUBLIC LIBRARY, Wilmette, IL
10/95 - 3/98 Substitute Reference Librarian (part-time)
9/94 - 10/95 Reference Librarian & Periodicals Clerk (part-time)
EVANSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, Evanston, IL
• Proficient researcher on a wide variety of topics after working for over ten years in
public libraries.

4. • Experienced business and legal reference specialist. Graduate-level coursework in
business research and administration at Dominican University; legal research
coursework at John Marshall Law School (while attending Dominican University).
• Responsible for selection and acquisition of fiction and nonfiction library materials.
Managed Takiff art collection budget of $20,000 at Glencoe Public Library.
• Managed acquisition budgets at Wilmette Public Library, Park Ridge Public Library
and Glencoe Public Library.
• Service-oriented librarian assisting patrons of all ages and temperaments with
research, using both print and electronic resources.
• Managed public libraries on nights and weekends when Library Director was not on
duty.
• Managed staffing and scheduling of the bookmobile at Park Ridge Library in
conjunction with Des Plaines Library.
• Managed 15 to 20 volunteers who delivered books to homebound patrons at Park
Ridge Public Library.
• Presented 90 outreach events a year at Park Ridge Public Library to book clubs and
nursing home residents.
• Published writer. Conducted an exclusive interview with Chicago-based musician Alice
Peacock, in 2006 regarding her nonprofit organization Rock for Reading and sold the
copyright for that interview to American Libraries Magazine, which circulates to
virtually every library in the United States (over 66,000 libraries nationwide).
8/91 - 12/93 Administrative Assistant/Paralegal – Estate Administration
2/91 - 8/91 Secretary - Estate Administration
NBD BANK (now known as CHASE), Evanston, IL
• Estate Administration Paralegal who assisted several attorneys with settling estates
and probate matters at NBD Bank (now known as Chase). Coordinated all
renovations of homes to prepare them for sale.
6/89 - 7/90 Financial Aid Officer
6/88 - 6/89 Receptionist
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL, Evanston, IL
• Conducted loan interviews and processed financial aid applications as a Financial Aid
Officer at Northwestern University Graduate School.
COMPUTER SKILLS
OCLC/WorldCat, Raiser’s Edge, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Apple, WealthEngine,
Quicken, QuickBooks, TaxWise, UltraTax, Basic WordPress
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/susan-franke/59/976/a22