STEVEN DUANE KECK

2823 Hardies Lane

Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 292-5672
skf7ba86@westpost.net

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Forward thinking, resourceful Operations Manager with 20+
years success exceeding contract bid and project management
goals, ensuring quality/compliance, retaining clients and
driving process improvement. Pivotal resource for Target,
City of Santa Rosa, Bank of America, County of Sonoma,
Agilent and American Red Cross. Career highlights include
building an award-winning waste management/education program
from scratch for Sonoma County, winning contracts for 80%
of bids and meeting project quality standards 100% of the
time for Affordable Xcel Plumbing and opening 6 successful
stores in 1.5 years for ABC Plumbing. Fluent in Spanish.
* "Take charge" leader, who believes there is always a
solution, regardless of circumstances, capabilities or
budget. Hold philosophy of "do it right the first time."
* Consensus builder who works with business leaders,
clients, employee teams, vendors and contractors to
prioritize activities and achieve all defined objectives.
* Consistently demonstrate practical yet imaginative
approaches to service delivery, cost/waste reduction,
workflow management and process improvement.
* Charismatic team builder and coach, passionate about
bringing out the best in the people. Solid success built on
the ability to inspire teamwork and tap into the expertise
of subordinates.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Operations/Administration Strategic & Tactical Planning
Project/Program Management Budget/Accounting/Cost Control
Business Development Bid Proposals/Contract Negotiation
Client Relationship Management Quality Assurance
Staff Development & Training Human Resources
Change Management Business Process Reengineering
Safety/Emergency Preparedness Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
Hazardous Waste Inspector
Emergency Medical Technician
Plumbing Contractor; Contractor License - C36 Plumbing
Health and Safety Officer
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
AFFORDABLE XCEL PLUMBING, Santa Rosa, CA; 2002 - Present
OPERATIONS SUPERVISOR; 8 years
Clients: Target, Veterans Affairs, Bank of America, American
Red Cross, Jenny Craig, Clos Du Bois/Modavi Wineries,
Agilent, Quiznos, Jim Murphy & Associates, Cello and Madru
(Napa), City of Santa Rosa, County of Sonoma, The Gap (CEO)
Secure, lead and execute contracts ranging from $10K to $MM
for high-end residential, commercial and industrial clients.
Coordinate efforts of 25+ employees, vendors (5-10),
contractors (2-7), engineers, local authorities (city,
state, federal), insurance carriers and manufacturers (2-
20). Recruit, hire, train and motivate staff, including
skilled trades, supervisors, administrative personnel and
safety coordinator.
Determine budget and all equipment, supplies, materials and
labor to bid, win and complete jobs. Prepare, schedule and
assign daily, weekly and monthly work schedules and tasks,
making adjustments as needed. Oversee design, procurement,
shipping and construction on 5-10 concurrent projects for
custom homes, commercial builds, remodels and additions
(stores, outlets, apartment buildings, businesses,
hospitals, wineries, etc.)
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* Won contracts for 80% of all bid jobs.
* Successful in delivering 30 major projects on time and
to spec annually, in addition to multiple smaller
jobs/services. Most projects were installed in 3 phases
(rough/top/finish) over a one-year period.
* Met challenge of ensuring all work passed stringent
code/quality standards on first inspection 100% of the time.
* Planned each stage of the project well in advance,
keeping costs down, eliminating schedule stoppages and
averting potential problems.
* Thoroughly trained employees on code changes, tools,
methods, equipment and safety. Instilled a proactive vs.
reactive culture and rotated employees to learn all project
phases.
* Implemented "in house" fabrication of work performed in
the field and assembled crews specialized in each phase,
minimizing waste.
* Automated administrative tasks and purchased/negotiated
materials in volume.
* Simplified duties per crew, reducing accidents and
injuries to almost non-existent.
* Kept projects moving forward during tough economy by
being flexible in negotiating contracts, adjusting costs,
pushing manufacturer's rebates, etc. Efforts consistently
resulted in positive feedback, additional work and
referrals.
ABC PLUMBING, Santa Rosa, CA; 1997 - 2002
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR; 5 years
Solicited/landed new business and managed all phases of
projects at client sites. Prepared and submitted project
estimates, budgets and proposals as well as detailed
plumbing plan drawings. Played key role in recruiting,
interviewing and hiring all new employees. Trained and
managed 37 staff, including all HR issues. Oversaw
purchasing, inventory and vehicle service/maintenance.
Company liaison for client relations and issue resolution.
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* Dramatically expanded business by turning wasted space
into a wholesale warehouse and opening it to the public;
purchased supplies in bulk and offered them at low prices.
Strategy led to the opening of 5 more successful sites
within 1.5 years.
* Never lost a project, by conducting routine site
inspections and ensuring compliance.
 * Received an average of 2 additional clients/projects
for every satisfied customer.
* Remained ahead of the competition and positioned team
as experts by keeping abreast of new technologies, products
and changes to local, state and federal codes.
* Initiated and administered apprenticeship programs that
successfully developed employees into journeyman-level
plumbers.
* Instituted company's first injury/illness prevention
program and held weekly safety meetings for all staff
members.
* Instrumental in profitable sale of company, properties
and businesses.
COUNTY OF SONOMA, Sonoma, CA; 1987 - 1997
SUPERVISOR AND HAZARDOUS WASTE INSPECTOR; 10 years
Spearheaded development of program fulfilling new mandate to
educate the public in identifying/disposing of household
hazardous waste and using safer product alternatives.
Driving force in growing program from 8 initial Inspectors
to 24 (3 crews).
KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
* Built entire program from scratch with only guidelines
set forth by law. Program was adopted as a model among
other counties and won many awards.
* Secured sites, negotiated vendor contracts and
orchestrated disposal events.
* Compiled list of most commonly known items and prepared
educational materials such as flyers, pamphlets, games, news
articles and news spots.
* Enhanced public awareness through trade shows, county
fairs and local schools.
* Built inspection areas at all disposal sites and
landfills and established a Hotline.
* Developed emergency response team to assist in cleanup
of hazardous waste.
* Implemented a comprehensive tracking system and
employee health/safety program.
* Earned numerous Certifications from University of
California and other institutions in proper identification,
handling, storage, disposal, emergency response and
education/training of staff, public and businesses.
* Represented company at ABAG meetings that brought
together coordinators from all surrounding areas to
brainstorm ideas and gain knowledge on state/federal grants.
EDUCATION
Central Western University, Arlington, TX
B.A., Business Administration, 05/1988