Thomas Agnew

Motivated and results-driven digital marketing manager focused on developing and executing successful online marketing campaigns. Proficient in SEO, PPC, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing. Strong analytical skills and a track record of increasing social media engagement, website traffic and revenue for clients.

Bass Pro Shops - Ashland VA

A dedicated and experienced customer service supervisor with a proven track record of leading teams to deliver exceptional service to customers. Possesses excellent interpersonal and communication skills, strong conflict resolution abilities, and a deep understanding of customer needs and expectations. Experienced in implementing processes and systems to improve customer satisfaction, and a proven ability to motivate and train staff to achieve performance goals. Member of the interview and direct hiring team

From April 2010 to October 2019, worked various departments including: 

FRONT END TEAM LEAD: In a big box store high-volume environment, Supervised a team of 30+ staff ranging in various duties including customer service representatives, cashiers, cash office operations, phone operators, and greeters. Provided training and technical support, ensuring all duties are performed to company policy and standards. Assisted in direct customer service and addressing escalated customer issues, participating in interviews as part of the hiring team, staff scheduling.

Trained CSRs in the use of DWR (formerly DGIF) retail portal for issuance of hunting licenses, fishing licenses, and boat registration renewal. Used DWR resources to convey accurate information on hunting, fishing, and boating laws & regulations, as well as any relevant policies in Virginia. 

Prepared and maintained records and reports for daily and monthly business, prepared summaries of reports for upper management review and sign-offs. Stored reports for record keeping purposes in short-term and long-term storage. Participated in internal audits to verify record keeping practices per company SOPs

Prepared and distributed over a dozen cash drawers daily. Verified all closed out drawers were returned nightly. Cash office operations audited daily. Prepared, verified, and logged armored car deposits weekly. Filled in as cash office operations as needed to balance and reconcile cash drawers, verify and audit prior days operations and sales, and investigated and addressed any discrepancies or irregularities. 

In conjunction with the home office, assisted with complex IT & Networking issues as needed, Acting as the primary point of contact between store and corporate IT, accurately submitting and tracking IT support tickets to resolve technology issues. Provided on-site technical support to store staff, troubleshooting point-of-sale (POS) systems, workstations, and network applications to minimize downtime and maintain productivity. Diagnosed and resolved hardware and software issues for in-store computers, point-of-sale devices, and network systems to ensure operational continuity. Maintained a comprehensive inventory of all computers, peripherals, and technical equipment, implementing controls to support asset management and prevent loss. Supported installation, configuration, and maintenance of software applications on workstations, enhancing operational efficiency. Facilitated equipment setup and teardown during store projects and seasonal changes, ensuring efficient use of resources and adherence to network safety protocols. Managed imaging and ghosting processes for new hardware, creating system backups and restoring images as required for new and repurposed workstations. Coordinated hardware installations, upgrades, and replacements, proactively managing store technology needs to optimize employee productivity and customer experience.

TRAVELING TRAINER: Served as a training specialist under the role as Front End Team Lead, traveling to multiple store locations across the U.S. training newly acquired team members and management on policies and procedures, ensuring a smooth transition and adherence for employees at all levels. Developed and delivered comprehensive training programs, using a variety of training methods to meet the needs of different audiences. 

Delivered training sessions in a variety of settings, including classroom and on-the-job training. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to assess training needs and develop training plans. Created and updated training documents, including user manuals, presentations, and job aids. Provided ongoing support to trainees, ensuring their success and addressing any challenges. Collaborated with managers and department heads to provide ongoing support and address training-related concerns. 

Responsible for personally issued company purchasing card, submitting travel and expense reports for each trip including hotels, flights, vehicle rentals, statements and receipts. Reported mileage and travel time, submitting any additional receipts such as dining expenses, office supplies and any other work related needs. Directly supervised additional support staff, managing and submitting their reports and hours with my own.

PROMOTIONS: Provided promotional and events support, with a passion for educating and engaging youth about the outdoors and conservation. Possess a strong background in event planning and execution, and a proven ability to instruct youth-oriented classes and seminars on topics such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife management. Experienced in providing support for large-scale events and delivering interactive and engaging educational experiences for audiences of all ages.

Conducted Family Summer Camp seminars, a Bass Pro Shops annual event open to the public for approximately 2 months, with multiple classes conducted 4 days a week over a 6 hour period each day. Merit Badge Counselor for 'boy scout month' in partnership with Bass Pro, conducting classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening for approximately 2 hours of instruction. Offered similar instructional hands-on classes for 4-H, Girl Scouts, and American Heritage Girls

HUNTING: Virginia State Police Certified FFL Gun Dealer for Bass Pro Shops, ATF 4473, NICS trained and certified, trained and maintained continuous education as a supervisor to conduct final sign off on gun sales per company policy, trained on gun vault operations and procedures, trained on logging gun inventory and maintaining records of active inventory, sales and disposals. 

Also served in FOOTWEAR, MARINE, APPAREL, GIFTS, and RECEIVING

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Virginia 4-H Horse Program

As operations manager for a 4-H state level horse show, assist in organizing and overseeing various aspects of the event. Responsibilities include:

Event Planning: Collaborate with the event committee to plan and develop a comprehensive schedule for the horse show. Coordinate with stakeholders, such as 4-H officials, volunteers, participants, and vendors, to ensure smooth execution.

Safety and Risk Management: Safety is of utmost importance in equestrian events. The operations manager works closely with the event committee to establish and enforce safety protocols, such as proper horse handling practices, emergency response procedures, and spectator safety measures. They also ensure that the venue meets safety standards and conduct necessary inspections.

Communications and Public Relations: The operations manager serves as a point of contact for participants, officials, sponsors, and the general public. Handle inquiries, provide event-related information, and promote the horse show through various channels, such as social media, websites, newsletters, and coordinate media coverage.

Boy Scouts of America

After achieving Eagle Scout rank, I returned to my local troop to serve as an assistant scout master to advise and suggest on troop activities and to instruct multiple merit badge classes. In partnership with Bass Pro Shops, I taught multiple merit badge classes at Bass Pro during Boy Scout Month, including Rifle Shooting, Fishing, Fish & Wildlife Management among others over the years.

Ruritan

Serve as the Community Relations member of the club, coordinating and executing community outreach programs that increased club membership by 20% over two years. Lead public relations efforts, including managing social media accounts and creating promotional materials, to enhance the club's visibility in the community. Manage a database of community contacts and stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and follow-up. Analyze program effectiveness and prepare reports for the club's board, leading to continuous improvement of outreach efforts.

Actively participate in community service projects and initiatives, addressing the needs of the local rural community. Participate in brainstorming and decision-making processes, bringing unique perspectives and ideas to the table to contribute to community projects.

HOBBIES & ACTIVITIES

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY

Growing up I always had a camera in my hand, even at a young age. I was in several different photography organizations as a kid, including  4-H. I joined our high schools Mass Communications class (which was a top of the line program for a high school in its day) and began learning videography and broadcast journalism in great detail. I loved storyboarding and editing and often volunteered for as many assignments as I could, covering any type of school activity.

 I got my first DSLR camera as a gift from my parents when I joined my high school newspaper, where I served primarily as a sports writer and photographer. I would even juggle and combine my rolls with the Mass Comm class and Newspaper covering the same stories and events for both. It was a challenge for sure, often pushing me far to close to deadlines, but this experience taught me how to balance and manage a workload and still accomplish my tasks, working smarter and not harder.

SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

In middle school, I took up lacrosse. At the time there was no lacrosse team in middle or high schools, so we were considered a "club" petitioning to be an actual school sport and to become a lettered sport. I played for 7 years, attending several camps and clinics over the years taught by local colleges ( UVA, RMC, Baltimore) I even volunteered to coach a year after graduation.

As a kid I was very 'involved', balancing Boy Scouts, 4-H, journalism, sports, and taking care of our family horses. I always wanted to play soccer but I just couldn't add another activity to a very loaded plate. After graduating high school I wanted just a blank slate, a do-nothing style after growing up on the constant go. One day, I was having a particularly rough day where it felt like nothing was going right, I went driving around the college campus I discovered an athletic field I was unaware of and there happened to be a soccer ball in the middle of the field. I decided to run off some of that frustration playing up and down the field for hours. This became a regular after-class activity for me, playing solo for months, until someone discovered me out there. 

I got invited to join the soccer club and as it turned out there was even a class specifically for soccer that counted as a physical education class. After leaving college one of my former teammates texted me and inviting me to play indoor soccer in downtown Richmond at SCOR. There was even a sand soccer tournament the team got invited to participate in at Virginia Beach. I enjoyed playing for years, up until there was an unfortunate incident on the field which led to my ACL and meniscus being absolutely destroyed.