Melissa Palys
Stafford
Summary
Dedicated executive assistant with a strong background in supporting senior leadership. Expertise in coordinating complex schedules, managing confidential information, and enhancing team collaboration to drive organizational success.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Executive Assistant to the Chief Academic Officer
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA
02.2026 - Current
- Coordinated schedules and meetings for senior leadership, ensuring efficient time management.
- Managed correspondence, prioritizing communications to streamline workflow.
- Assisted in preparing reports and presentations, enhancing clarity and effectiveness.
- Developed and maintained filing systems, improving document retrieval efficiency.
- Supported event planning by organizing logistics and coordinating with vendors.
- Conducted research for departmental projects, providing valuable insights for decision-making.
- Collaborated with team members to improve office procedures and enhance productivity.
- Handled confidential and sensitive information with discretion and tact.
- Managed executive calendars, scheduling meetings and appointments and coordinating travel arrangements to optimize time.
- Processed travel expenses and reimbursements for executive team and senior management group.
- Served as a liaison between departments to facilitate effective communication throughout the company.
- Streamlined executive communication by managing emails, phone calls, and scheduling appointments.
- Contributed to budget management by monitoring expenses and providing detailed expenditure reports regularly.
- Used advanced software to prepare documents, reports, and presentations.
- Coordinated international travel arrangements, ensuring seamless logistics for executives attending global conferences.
- Supported HR activities, facilitating hiring process by scheduling interviews and liaising with candidates.
- Contributed to development of internal policies and procedures, enhancing organizational effectiveness and compliance.
- Volunteered to help with special projects of varying degrees of complexity.
Executive Assistant to the Vice President
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA
05.2021 - 02.2026
- Coordinated complex schedules and travel arrangements for Vice President, ensuring optimal time management.
- Facilitated communication between departments, enhancing collaboration and information flow.
- Managed executive correspondence, prioritizing key messages for timely response and action.
- Developed and maintained filing systems, improving document retrieval efficiency and organization.
Executive Assistant to the Vice President
Northern Virginia Community College
Annadale, VA
05.2012 - 05.2021
- Assisted in planning and executing departmental meetings, creating agendas and recording minutes for accuracy.
- Streamlined office operations by implementing new administrative processes, increasing productivity across the team.
- Supported budget tracking and reporting activities, ensuring alignment with organizational financial goals.
- Trained junior staff on office procedures, fostering a collaborative and knowledgeable work environment.
Human Resources Recruitment Specialist
Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA
09.2009 - 05.2012
- Streamlined recruitment processes, enhancing candidate experience through effective communication and engagement strategies.
- Developed job descriptions and specifications to attract diverse talent aligned with organizational goals.
- Implemented applicant tracking system improvements, increasing efficiency in candidate sourcing and selection.
- Conducted comprehensive interviews, assessing qualifications and cultural fit while providing feedback to hiring managers.
- Collaborated with department heads to identify staffing needs, ensuring timely fulfillment of vacancies across programs.
- Analyzed recruitment metrics to inform strategic decision-making, optimizing workforce planning and retention strategies.
- Led onboarding initiatives for new hires, fostering a seamless transition into organizational culture and practices.
- Mentored junior HR staff on best practices in recruitment techniques, promoting professional development within the team.
- Developed and posted vacancy announcements by leveraging online and print recruitment tools to attract highly-qualified candidates and develop robust talent pool.
- Led internal training sessions on interview techniques and best practices for hiring managers in order to improve overall candidate assessment processes.
- Interviewed candidates and conducted background checks and verification.
- Conducted thorough candidate screenings, including resume reviews, phone interviews, and reference checks.
- Tracked key recruitment metrics such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and source-of-hire in order to continually refine processes for optimal results.
- Reduced time-to-fill open positions by implementing targeted recruitment strategies.
- Maintained compliance with all federal and state employment regulations throughout the entire recruitment lifecycle.
- Organized job fairs and campus events to generate interest in available opportunities within the organization.
- Maintained thorough understanding and knowledge of hiring practices, recruitment strategies and staffing industry trends.
- Worked on special HR projects to promote and enhance services offered.
- Recruited talented, diverse and qualified candidates for employment.
Education
Business
Penn State, Behrend
ErieSkills
- Executive support
- Administrative support
- Office management
- Strong problem solver
- Schedule & calendar planning
- Information confidentiality
- Customer Service-oriented
- Expense reporting
- Calendar management
- Interpersonal communication
- Professional and mature
- Travel coordination
- Meeting planning
- Excel spreadsheets
Certification
- Licensed Notary Public - through May 31, 2027
Timeline
Executive Assistant to the Chief Academic Officer
Northern Virginia Community College
02.2026 - Current
Executive Assistant to the Vice President
Northern Virginia Community College
05.2021 - 02.2026
Executive Assistant to the Vice President
Northern Virginia Community College
05.2012 - 05.2021
Human Resources Recruitment Specialist
Northern Virginia Community College
09.2009 - 05.2012
Business
Penn State, Behrend