Lora Kirmer

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About Lora

Background

I grew up in a small town on the Colorado side of the Colorado/Kansas border along Highway 50. Not like 10,000 people small - smaller. Think less than 1,000 people in the town, and only about 100 students in the high school total. My parents raised me and my brothers to be independent and believe that there is nothing we cannot do if we put our minds to it. So, I dreamt big. After completing high school, and through earning the Daniels Fund Scholarship, I pursued a BA in Communication with an interdisciplinary study in Automotive History at McPherson College in McPherson, KS. McPherson gave me unique and fantastic opportunities - an internship at the Studebaker National Museum, a study trip in Japan, another internship at a major automotive event company in Monterey, CA, and tours of many, many car collections with the chance to meet owners, restoration professionals and celebrities. Post-graduation, I took some time to work before going back to school to earn my Master of Arts in Communication Studies at Kansas State University. I combined my knowledge of communication theories and my interest in automotive culture and uses to study the link between transportation and communication. Topics included forced car ownership, transportation deprivation and lack of pro-social participation, and rural America’s reliance on transportation for community building. I’m passionate about well-planned cities that support multimodal transportation.

What’s the deal with the automobiles?

The car culture in America is my niche interest. The best way to learn about it? Immerse myself. I was heavily involved in McPherson College’s widely-recognized automotive restoration program. My automotive interests guided my studies in communication as I learned about the beginning of car culture in America, the messages we create with our choices in transportation, and the motivations behind integrating new automobile technology with the bodies of vehicles from days gone by. These lessons led me to pursue my Master’s degree at Kansas State University. I studied the tie between communication and transportation. The link is not so obvious to some, but to me, it is blatantly obvious. Without access to reliable transportation, we lose opportunities and a form to connection with our communities. In my free time, I research transportation deprivation, forced car ownership, the rhetoric of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology campaigns, acceptance and rejection of AV, and observations about what these messages say about our society.

Find me on LinkedIn.

Résumé - .pdf

EXPERIENCE

Community Engagement Coordinator Geoprobe Systems®

Salina, KS 2024 - Present

Responsibilities 

Understand company culture to effectively educate community at events  
Seek opportunities to boost company visibility at events in Salina and nearby communities, including Western Kansas 
Conduct outreach activities, coordinating volunteers and resources for a professional company presence  
Innovate and collaborate with the HR director to implement strategies to engage a broader talent pool 
Evaluate sponsorship requests in partnership with the HR director 
Establish connections with high school and college groups for potential future talent 
Introduce innovative ideas to improve employee recruitment 
Proactively explore the intersection of HR and Marketing for talent recruitment, using data to identify opportunities 
Work with the HR team on internal employee engagement activities

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & EVENTS THE GARAGE, SALINA AREA EDUCATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM (SEAMA)

Salina, KS 2022 - 2024

Leadership:

Provide strategic organizational guidance and support to the Executive Director

Help to guide, build, and support staff and assist with project management
Assist the E.D. with tracking progress toward the strategic plan and other organizational goals

Board support and engagement

Assist the E.D. in providing board members with information, tools, and
resources that enable the board to govern and support the organization effectively
Coordinate logistics for board meeting

Compliance:

Maintain and ensure compliance with organizational financial controls and with all
federal, state, and city regulations
Maintain liquor license and follow all health and safety regulations

Human Resources:

Interview, hire and train staff, volunteers
Produce weekly staff and volunteer schedules
Oversee the operation of the front desk, volunteering department, gift store, and facilities align with museum’s vision and values
With the Board and E.D. develop and maintain employment policies that create and maintain an empowering and respectful workplace
Engage with volunteers to utilize their skillsets and maintain positive working relations
Recognize staff and volunteers for milestone anniversaries and time commitments

Facilities:

Manage the routine and long-range general upkeep, repair, replacement, aesthetics,
and extends the useful life of the museum’s facilities and grounds
Work with cleaning service and volunteers to ensure facilities and grounds are at museum quality standards
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of short-and long-term routine maintenance
protocols to ensure safe and efficient building operations and museum assets
Coordinate facilities, planning, maintenance, improvement, and expansions; as well as the security process appropriate to the museum’s collection and other assets that must be preserved
Ensure excellence in The Garage’s uses of technology for internal and external programming and operations

Development Services:

Communicate the benefits of museum membership to guests
Maintain positive relationships with VIP members, guests and donors through respectful and prompt communication
Respond to member and donor requests, grievances and questions
Work closely with the Development and Marketing teams in creating, updating, and managing newsletters, volunteering programs, brochures, etc.
Perform other duties as assigned by the E.D., and act in the capacity of other positions as needed

Events:

Secure event bookings and assist external hosts with vendors
Plan internal events for museum members and VIP guests
Oversee all events held within the museum facility
Coordinate and staff all external events
Promote partnerships with local vendors

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Community engagement coordinator Child Advocacy & Parenting Services, INc. (CAPS of Salina)

Salina, KS 2021 - 2022

Volunteer Coordination:

Engage volunteers to meet varied needs in agency programs through active recruitment, recognition and retention strategies
Maintain volunteer records

Marketing:

Develop and implement agency-wide, annual marketing plan
Write content for contractors to increase the community’s awareness and to engage new and existing donors by telling CAPS story through its child abuse prevention and intervention programs and fundraising activities.
Coordinate marketing campaigns through varied mediums including social media, internet, direct mailings, radio and TV for all of CAPS Programs and fundraising events

Donor Relations:

Develop annual fundraising calendar with the Executive Director and Fundraising Committee
Plan and implement fundraising activities to meet annual goals through individual donations, local foundations, corporate sponsorships and event sales
Interact with the public on the telephone, in the office and in the community as a CAPS advocate and serve as the backup to the CAPS Office Manager
Manage contributions and cultivate individual and corporate donors through a strategic use of customer relationship management database in partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Directors
Acknowledge receipt of contributions in a timely manner with coordinated response from the Business Manager and Executive Director

General Office:

Prepare written communications on behalf of agency
Actively participate in monthly all staff meetings and monthly leadership team meetings
Assist hosting community meetings with warm hospitality
All other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

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Communications Coordinator Lyon County History Center

Emporia, KS 2019 - 2021

I took over the History Center’s social media pages on February 1, 2020. I steadily increased followers by an average of 2 followers per day, and increased engagement by an average of 25% within the first three months.

Job responsibilities:

Maintained the social media presence of the Lyon County History Center on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Oversaw internal and external communication for the Center
Assisted the Deputy Director in event planning and management
Organized and researched interactive events for patrons

In COVID times, my duties expanded to:

Management of front desk duties, such as greeting patrons and organizing meetings with the Director and Deputy Director
Sanitized all areas, especially heavily touched items
Tracked guest capacity and limit the number of patrons in the building
Monitored all local outbreaks and recommend schedule adjustments as necessary

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Project Manager Assistant, Research Assistant Our Town, Our Kids

Dr. Greg Paul

Manhattan, KS 2018 - 2019

Assisted the Project Manager of the KSU Juvenile Justice Collaborative in the following areas:

Financial:

Created price comparisons, purchase orders, expense reports, and fulfilled general accounting needs

Logistics:

Coordinated meetings, car rentals, and hotel rooms for data gathering excursions
Managed the Project Manager’s calendar

Research & Data Gathering:

Fulfilled research requests for the Project Manager
Traveled to study sites to gather qualitative data concerning juvenile justice in western Kansas

Final Report of project

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Research Assistant Kansas State University

Dr. Heather S. Woods

Manhattan, KS 2019

Assisted Dr. Woods during research of AI communication techniques, specifically the use of Amazon Alexa in smart home applications
Presented work at the 106th annual meeting of the National Communication Association
- Kirmer, Lora and Heather Suzanne Woods. “Platforming the Kinesthetic Rhetorics of Amazon Echo Auto: Efficiency Extension and Platform Capitalism.” 106th annual meeting of the National Communication Association, Virtual due to COVID-19, November 2020. (Panel organizer-Communication in Transition).

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Instructor of Public Speaking Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 2018

Taught Public Speaking to Kansas State University students
Planned assignments, quizzes, and speech topics
Created classroom activities to foster learning beyond lectures

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Research Librarian Lyon County History Center

Emporia, KS 2017 - 2018

Management:

Managed a small team of volunteers to support the museum archive collection
Organized and documented archive materials

Research:

Researched information for events and exhibits

Outreach:

Planned events for the public to participate (example: Genealogy Workshop for Beginners, Community Game Night)
Created an online presence via social media platforms for the History Center

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News Anchor KVOE 1400 AM/96.9 FM

Emporia, KS 2017

On-air afternoon news anchor and reporter
Hosted long-form interviews on the Talk of Emporia twice weekly
Wrote and logged stories on KVOE.com and KVOE social media sites

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Interim News Director KVAY 105.7 FM

Lamar, CO 2017

Served as temporary News Director and on-air news anchor
Covered local stories in Southeast Colorado
Covered agricultural news impacting area farmers

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Tutor, Coach, Substitute Teacher Holly School District RE-3

Holly, CO 2016 - 2017

Tutored ineligible students after school twice weekly to reach eligibility
Managed tutoring services and scheduling of one-on-one tutoring
Substituted in Pre-K to 8th grade classrooms
Assisted coaching of high school cheerleading

Internships

Executive Assistant Intern McCall Events, Inc.

Monterey, CA 2015

Coordinated payment and contract deadlines with sponsors of the McCall Motorworks Revival
Acted as main liaison between clients and the company before and during events
Assisted in event set up and tear down

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Kakehashi Participant The Japan Foundation

Tokyo and Shizuoka, Japan 2014

Selected as one of 23 students in the state of Kansas to participate in a 10-day exchange program with students in the Shizuoka prefecture
Represented the state of Kansas and University of Kansas in Japan as a student ambassador

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Archive Intern Studebaker National Museum

South Bend, IN 2013

Created monographs of specific Studebaker vehicles to be sold in the museum gift store
Wrote articles for the Studebaker intern blog
Promoted events via Facebook and other social media presences

Skills

Based on the NIH Competencies Proficiency Scale

Interests

Quick Facts about me for those who like talent assessments:

Local tourism: Exploring one’s own home (or new home!) is a proven activity to ground oneself in their environment and feel part of a larger community, thus increasing happiness in where you live. I believe in seeing your home, whether that be property, town, or state, as a place worthy of exploring beyond normal routine and should be treated as a desirable destination.

Volunteering: Giving my free time to others brings much joy to my daily life and improves my mood consistently. Integrating volunteer work with work experiences increases the joy ten-fold. My volunteer experience includes building houses, animal shelter work, tutoring for low-income households, serving on boards & committees and being a Big in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina.

Automotive and autonomous technology: As mentioned in my “about me” section, I am immersed in all things automotive. I spend my free time researching updates in the field, the connection between human communication/psychology and vehicles, and the changes we see on the road with autonomous technology. Every new advancement creates a new space for communication, but also affects our existing lines of communication. In my mind, cars are community for much of America.

Running: Do I love it? No. Do I hate it? No. Do I keep doing it? Yes.