I am an accomplished human resources and training specialist that excels at curriculum development, process improvement, and organizational development. My passion is helping employees to determine how to develop their skills and become leaders in their own right. I am driven by the "Aha"​ moment, the exact second when an employee understands a company's purpose, culture, and how they fit together. I utilize one-on-one training, presentations, online courses, and classroom experiences to effectively train information and develop leadership and communication skills. Achievements include facilitating leadership development seminars, creating employee recognition programs, defining company culture for recruiting purposes, and implementing cost and energy-saving measures for training department practices. I can be reached by phone at (865) 919-0638 or via email at ChristopherAGouge@gmail.com.

Trainer @ I trained all new team members in the loan servicing departments by utilizing a combination of classroom learning, online instruction, leadership development seminars, and hands-on experience. I have developed training and reference materials for regulatory compliance, software usage, and communication skills. I also regularly evaluated existing training processes in order to ensure compliance with current laws and company policy as well as continued trainability and relevance. From 2013 to 2015, my successful implementation of a more culture-driven and customer-focused training help reduce voluntary and involuntary turnover by more than 10% each year. I also led a successful project to reduce costs and efficiency by transferring trainer recommendations and action plans to an electronic format. The electronic notes were easily referenced by an employee's supervisor and the switch helped eliminate unnecessary printing expenses. In addition to my regular duties, I was chosen to help redefine culture for new recruits and assisted with a redesign of the company's recruiting webpage. I have reviewed résumés and interviewed candidates for new training department staff and learned proper onboarding procedures by working with the company's applicant-tracking system. From September 2012 to August 2015 (3 years) Account Representative @ I was responsible for servicing approximately $8,000,000 in assets according to state and federal law. I regularly exceeded goals for delinquency resolution by utilizing creative communication skills. From September 2010 to August 2012 (2 years) Volunteer @ While volunteering for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, I had the privilege of assisting the development department with planning and implementing The Irish Festival fundraiser. I helped supervise volunteers, recruited vendors, and organize the event itself. When not assisting the development department, I helped maintain financial records and assisted with the organization of food donations. From July 2009 to March 2011 (1 year 9 months) Substitute Teacher @ As a substitute teacher, I had the opportunity to learn training in a classroom environment When a regular teacher was ill or otherwise unable to perform their duties, I was responsible for leading class and ensuring all lessons were completed in a manner that allowed each student to learn according to their own unique learning style. In the event that I was in a classroom long-term, I was also responsible for creating and implementing lesson plans that adhered to the core curriculum requirements. I taught very diverse groups, including CDC and LRE classes that ensured students with learning disabilities were provided the care and instruction required to prepare them for future lessons. From August 2008 to September 2010 (2 years 2 months) Account Executive/DJ/Writer/Producer @ WUTK is a Non-profit radio station affiliated with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. It is a student-run station with only one paid position. It received no financial support from UT so all funds required to keep WUTK on the air were raised through donations and promotional ad space. I was responsible for soliciting donations in exchange for promotional airtime. In addition to my sales duties, I wrote commercials I wrote, voiced, and produced all the commercials for my own and other account executive's clients. When not writing and producing commercials, I recorded on-air DJ voice tracks for later use and planned or promoted special concert and fundraising events. From May 2007 to August 2008 (1 year 4 months) Knoxville, Tennessee AreaAssistant Manager @ Working for Blockbuster Video was an excellent experience where I was able to learn and implement many training and development skills and practices. I created a practical training program that complimented the bookwork that was already required of the new employees. My program included lessons and benchmarks that informed subsequent lessons and ensured a transfer of training. I trained all new employees by implementing this method. This allowed the new employees to bond over a shared experience and ensured that they were all given the exact same training opportunities according to their specific learning style. I was also responsible for maintaining the store, basic accounting work, and meeting or exceeding sales goals. I also implemented several process improvement practices that made completing regular tasks more efficient. From June 2003 to June 2008 (5 years 1 month) Courier @ I was responsible for the transportation of confidential medical documents for Mercury Transcription. My work for Mercury Transcription has allowed me the opportunity to field and answer questions from doctors, coordinate company events, and operate in an environment that requires absolute confidentiality. From November 2000 to August 2007 (6 years 10 months)

Bachelors, Communications, Writing, Spanish @ Maryville College From 2002 to 2007 Writing/Communications, Writing/Communications @ Maryville College From 2002 to 2007 Christopher Gouge is skilled in: Event Planning, Public Relations, Media Relations, Nonprofits, Management, Volunteer Management, Research, Customer Service, Sales, Employee Training, Time Management, Leadership, Teaching, Social Media, Public Speaking