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Cole Ridgway

@coleridgway

Port dispatcher and researcher at IOMMP coordinating union job assignments and supporting campaign research.

At IOMMP, I facilitate union job assignments and coordinate operational needs across shipping lines and union stakeholders. I also support the Atlantic Ports Vice President with data management and campaign research.

My work includes maintaining stakeholder relationships and supporting information flow for day-to-day operations and campaign development.

At Apple Store, Short Pump, I co-chaired an employee-led organizing campaign, coordinating an organizing committee and supporting campaign strategy and execution. I also facilitated committee communications and worked with labor organizations on outreach and external support.

My research training includes a B.A. in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell / AFL-CIO’s Strategic Corporate Research — Advanced Track certificate program. My selected research covered NLRB decision-making, labor violence, and public-opinion polling on labor unions.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Port Dispatcher, Researcher, and Organizer

Current

IOMMP

Dec 2023 - Present (2 years 10 months)

Facilitate union job assignments and coordinate operational needs across shipping lines and union stakeholders. Support the Atlantic Ports Vice President with data management, campaign research and development, communications, and contract negotiations.

Data Management Campaign Research Communication Skills Contract Negotiation Stakeholder Communication Operational Coordination

Union Bid Co-Chair

Apple Store, Short Pump

Jul 2022 - Nov 2023 (1 year 4 months)

Co-chaired an employee-led organizing campaign; recruited and coordinated an organizing committee and supported campaign strategy and execution. Facilitated internal communications, task delegation, and committee coordination.

Organization Committee coordination Internal Communications Task Delegation Outreach Strategy

Technical Specialist

Apple Store, Short Pump

Oct 2019 - Nov 2023 (4 years 1 month)

Managed technical service queues and diagnosed hardware and software issues in a high-volume workplace. Applied structured troubleshooting and process analysis to resolve technical and operational issues.

Technical Support Troubleshooting Process Analysis Team Communication Mentorship

Advanced Repair Agent

Best Buy

Oct 2016 - Aug 2019 (2 years 10 months)

Managed concurrent repair workflows across Geek Squad, Samsung, and Apple pilot programs. Conducted investigations and identified workflow improvements to increase efficiency and strengthen service delivery.

Repair Workflow Support Investigation Workflow Improvement Training Mentorship

Freelance Video Editor

Self Employed

Aug 2016 - Feb 2018 (1 year 6 months)

Managed editing workflows, project files, and changing production schedules across commercial and creative projects.

Video Editing Project Management Workflow Management

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Virginia Commonwealth University

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

Grade: Magna cum laude

Activities and societies: Selected research: NLRB decision-making; history of labor violence; public-opinion polling on labor unions during the rise of irregular work.

Earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with Magna cum laude honors, including coursework in econometrics, statistics, research writing, data visualization, and international relations.