1. Nicole Whitaker
8320 Parkfield Drive | Nolensville, Tennessee 37135-4037
Cellular: 614 425 5131 | E-Mail: nicolebwhitaker@gmail.com
Education Professional | 7th-12th Grade Teacher
Career highlighted with success training and mentoring associates to improved performance.
Able to communicate with all levels of organization, optimize resources and guide productivity beyond expectations.
Core Competencies | Areas of Strength
• Relationship Building • Training & Development • Communications
• Client Management • Policy/Procedure Development • Colleague Collaboration
• Employee Relations • Performance Evaluations • Quality Control
• Client Needs Analysis • Performance Improvement • Project Management
Training/Education Background
• Biology Content Knowledge Praxis Exam Score:
• Currently pursuing Masters of Education in Instructional Practice Biology (Grades 7 – 12) & Mathematics
(Grades 7 – 12) from Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee.
• Guided 6 team members (including 2 ESL) through intricacies and application of property and casualty
insurance to pass state exam and become practicing licensed property and casualty agents; trained 10 staff
members use of new computer software on multiple occasions. Vice President of Operations – 1st National
Financial Services
• Developed new training/policy and procedure manual preparing for shift in operations; implemented change,
assisted with selection of new operating software, trained employees on new software and state and federal
laws, and audited locations for compliance. Vice President of Operations – 1st National Financial Services
• Oversaw and trained professionals including 7 loan center directors/licensed property and casualty agents, 2
part-time support staff and insurance specialist. Vice President of Operations – 1st National Financial Services
• Trained and empowered divisional directors resulting in successful examinations by FDIC, high company audit
scores, lowest bad debt ratios in company, and continually increased profitability with 2 of 7 divisions
profitable within 8 months of opening. Regional Director of Operations – Advance America
• Provided math and English support to Orton Gillingham certified teacher in 6th grade general studies; teacher
served as member of school leadership team. Teacher’s Aide – Columbus Jewish School
Professional Experience
1st National Financial Services … Columbus, Ohio February 2003 to Present
Privately-owned business specializing in loans, tax preparation and property & casualty (P&C) insurance
products/services; operations supported by 9 staff with 4 locations throughout Columbus, Ohio; generated
approximately $1,750,000 gross revenue annually; licensed OMLA mortgage lender.
Vice President of Operations
Administer and contribute to daily operations in 4 (previously 6) branch locations; ensure profit and performance
while simultaneously overseeing quality of service delivery and operating procedures.
• Improved overall financial performance of organization through contribution to modification of business
model from pay-day lending to OMLA lending (amidst state legislation - HB545).
o Converted client base to new loan products (with year-end bad debt at less than 12%); developed
underwriting guidelines maintaining new client qualifications in compliance with state mortgage laws and
ethics; contained bad debt at less than 10%.
o Managed implementation of P&C insurance into product lineup, trained loan center directors (to secure
individual state licenses) on 19 represented insurance companies; followed up with resolution of billing
and claims issues and assurance of sales activities, compliance, customer service.
o Determined and managed recovery of loans allocated to 3 rd party collector; currently determining loans
written to bad debt and sent to attorney for collections (or deemed unrecoverable).

2. Nicole Whitaker Résumé Page 2
• Maintained operating expenses by successfully resolving hardware and software issues prior to outsourced
assistance; including both computer hardware and industry-specific software (written primarily in MS Access).
• Reduced costs and saved time resulting in reduced bad debt through hire of staff attorney (acting as first
party interested debt collector exempt from many FDCPA regulations); eliminated 30 days from collection
timeline as well as prevented skips and loss of employment when pursuing clients for breach of contract.
Advance America … Michigan December 1997 to January 2002
Specializes in financial products including payday loans; operates 2700 locations nationwide.
Regional Director of Operations (September 2001 – January 2002)
Oversaw all facets of Michigan territory with accountability for operating budget and overall profit/loss
performance (combining 80 locations); responsible for contributions of 6 district management direct reports,
individual location compliance (bank, FTC and FDIC regulations), financial institution audits, performance standards,
human resources management, and overall issue resolution throughout territory.
• Performance highlighted with launch of 80 new locations in less than 1 year; recruited, hired, trained 7 divisional
directors of operations and first 15 branch teams; subsequently guided operations to strong profit performance
o Spearheaded real estate selection, location startup, and management/staff recruiting and hiring; developed
1st statewide training seminar for 50+ branch teams hired with 5 months of entry into Michigan market.
• Reduced annual costs by lowering bad debt 2% - 6% per district.
• Assisted with acquisition of National Cash Advance (nation’s 2nd largest payday lending chain); utilized
acquisition to increase financial results throughout territory as well as reduce bad debt and past due accounts.
• Appointed as member of FDIC audit task force formed to revamp operations manual and audit system.
Divisional Director of Operations (July 1998 – September 2001)
Ensured performance of 23 branch managers throughout southern Ohio territory (comprising Columbus, Cincinnati,
Dayton, Cambridge and Marietta); included complete accountability for branch profit and loss outcomes.
Regional Recruiter (December 1997 – July 1998)
Coordinated branch-level, training facilitating launch and operations for new locations throughout Tennessee,
Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio; organized job fairs, ran employment advertising, screened and interviewed applicants,
conducted background checks and hired staff (branch managers, assistant managers and service representatives).
Education & Professional Development
Lipscomb University … Nashville, Tennessee
Candidate: Masters of Education
Instructional Practice Biology (Grades 7 – 12) & Mathematics (Grades 7 – 12)
Wofford College … Spartanburg, South Carolina
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Human Resources
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Sociology, 1993 (G.P.A. 3.8 | cum laude)
Hondros College … Columbus, Ohio
Property and Casualty Insurance
State of Ohio Licensed Agent
8320 Parkfield Drive | Nolensville, Tennessee 37135-4037 | Cellular: 614 425 5131 | E-Mail: nicolebwhitaker@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/nicolebwhitaker | www.google.com/profiles/nicolebwhitaker