ELISE SOROKA

1391 Pennsylvania Ave. #239

Washington DC  20003

+1 202 294 4271

elise@pocketskeleton.com

EMPLOYMENT

Wine Specialist, Whole Foods Market, P Street, Washington DC, August 2005 – October 2008

Responsible for wine selection, purchasing, inventory management, upkeep of department, and direction of staff in a high volume retail sales environment. Coordinate stock rotation and carefully manage extremely limited back stock storage area. Swiftly and accurately conduct all administrative and financial aspects of the department, including increasing gross sales, maintaining desired sales margins, and overseeing accurate inventory control.

Focus on balancing a selection of consistent, recognized labels with an array of eclectic, unusual wines to provide a reliable experience to customers while also introducing them to wines which surprise and delight, while maintaining a wide variety of selections that represent both quality and value.  Provide first-class customer service with friendly, thoughtful, thorough but not overwhelming information on wine and wine pairings.

Continue to develop and build upon solid, extensive foundation of wine knowledge learned from years of experience and remain up to date with current industry developments and trends. Maintain relationships with winemakers, importers, and distributors and attend industry tastings, seminars, and dinners to continue to broaden my experience. Mentor other wine team members and conduct staff tastings to increase the knowledge and experience of the entire staff.

Assistant Wine Specialist, Whole Foods Market, P Street, Washington DC, November 2004 – August 2005

Supported the Wine Specialist in a fast-paced, high-volume retail sales environment. Maintained neat back stock and efficient, thorough rotation of inventory. Managed sales floor and conducted business with vendors when Specialist was unavailable. Provided friendly, knowledgeable customer service. Balanced weekly financial records, managed routine responsibilities such as spoilage, handling of special orders, and reception of deliveries. Attended tastings both in and out of store, accumulating overall knowledge, supplemented with additional personal study.

Specialty Team Member, Whole Foods Market, P Street, Washington DC, May 2002 – November 2004

Maintained well-stocked, neat, and attractive department. Provided excellent, attentive, and friendly customer service.  Increased basic wine knowledge through experience and tasting from the shop’s selection with the guidance of the Wine Specialist.  Augmented learning with reference books, industry publications, and personal tasting notes.

Whole Foods Market, P Street Team Member of the Year 2002

Freelance Illustrator, Designer and Fine Artist, Pocketskeleton Labs, 1993 - Present

Produce digital and traditional book, spot and editorial illustrations under commission.  Participated in several group shows exhibiting paintings, drawings, mixed media and illustration work.

EDUCATION

BFA, Art, Carnegie Mellon University 1993