sara vanik

Oversees financial and operational leadership across a high school, early learning center, residential dorm, and community outreach center; reduces costs, closes financial gaps, strengthens internal controls and compliance, and improves grant oversight.

Expanded faith-based programming for children, youth, and families through weekly programs, events, volunteer coordination, and family support initiatives.

Partnered with organizations to diagnose and resolve operational, compliance, financial, and people-related challenges through organizational analysis, change management, employment law guidance, leadership training, and process improvement.

Expanded and strengthened supportive services for mothers and children by leading case management, crisis response, transitional care, intake, workshops, and trauma-informed family programming.

Led cross-functional operations spanning affordable housing, residential programs, adoptions, thrift-store operations, development, compliance, accounting, and office administration, strengthening controls and coordination while supporting a $15 million capital campaign.

Advised leadership on staffing, employee relations, performance, and policy interpretation in a high-service hospitality environment. Improved hiring and employee support processes by coordinating recruiting, onboarding, benefits, payroll records, compliance documentation, and training.

Built stronger operational and compliance infrastructure by leading HR, audit, risk management, disaster planning, EEOC and OSHA reporting, and organization-wide operations. Modernized workforce administration by implementing ADP payroll, benefits and 401(k) processes, performance management, succession planning, recruiting, and onboarding.

Developed the HR and compliance foundation for a multi-branch mortgage company while supporting risk management, executive coaching, and employee relations nationwide. Established scalable people processes by creating policies, the employee handbook, branch manuals, job descriptions, orientation materials, recruiting systems, and training programs.

Improved recruiting, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, policy compliance, reporting, and training to strengthen HR operations. Increased employee engagement and workplace readiness by launching wellness and recognition programs and delivering safety, hazardous-materials, and orientation training.

Maintained personnel and financial records, processed accounting documentation, and assisted with reconciliations and reporting to improve day-to-day reliability. Supported HR operations in a manufacturing environment through staffing, orientation, benefits, policy administration, training coordination, and management reporting.

Master of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of New Haven.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Certificate in Employment Law from George Washington University.

Nonprofit Development Executive certification from MGRU.

Bookkeeping Professional Certification from Intuit.

Accounting Assistant Certification from Coursera.

Trauma-Informed Care Facilitator certification from Trauma Healing Institute.

Therapeutic Arts Practitioner certification from Transformation Academy.