Michelle Baer

Detail-oriented and analytical property claims professional with 15+ years serving the insurance industry through collaboration with adjusters, contractors, expert witnesses, litigators, umpire/appraisers and policy holders in the state of Florida. Experienced first responder to emergency and catastrophic events. Proven ability to document and analyze field data and provide a thorough and understandable work product to address client needs.

Construction Consultant - YA GROUP, FLORIDA

(2023-08 - 2026-04)

• Perform on-site damage assessments and moisture mapping of commercial, municipal and multi-family properties to determine extent of damage and document property conditions as a result of fire, water and hurricane damage.
• Generate, review and edit work product (i.e. narrative reports, service budgets, estimates, cost audits) prior to publication to conform to technical, grammatical, and company standards.
• Analysis of mitigation service invoices resulting in an average client savings of 23% or greater.
• Serve as company representative at industry events across the state of Florida, strengthening industry partnerships and improving client relations through strategic sponsorships and charitable contributions.

Quality Assurance Specialist - PAUL DAVIS RESTORATION, INC (PDRI), JACKSONVILLE, FL - JACKSONVILLE, FL

(2022-09 - 2023-05)

• Educated and collaborated with the franchise network estimators for improved compliance.
• Analyzed claims file and estimates from the franchise network estimators for compliance with carrier client specific service level agreements (SLA) and proper supporting documentation. Communicated required revisions and monitored progress to meet client deadlines.
• 99.4% accuracy upon internal reinspection of estimate reviews (5% reinspecting rate).
• Supported carrier client estimating software transition from Xactimate and CoreLogic / Symbility.

Consultant Coordinator / Team Lead - IN-LINE CONSULTING & ENGINEERING SERVICES, WOODSTOCK, GA - WOODSTOCK, GA

(2021-01 - 2022-09)

• Provided project management and administrative support to field consultants including file establishment and maintenance, client correspondence, project logistics and adherence to project deadlines.
• Review and publication of work product, including Xactimate estimates, narrative reports, budgets and mitigation and construction cost audits.
• As team lead, updated process documents and company templates as needed, led departmental meetings, developed and participated in the onboarding process for new employees, and successfully assisted in transitioning to X1, including deployment of cloud-based estimate sharing.
• Restructured department within first six months of hiring to better suit consultant needs.

Mitigation Estimator - DREYER’S DKI, ALACHUA, FL - ALACHUA, FL

(2020-04 - 2020-08)

• Provided emergency response to wind and water losses; submitted field documentation to the carrier, briefly explained the claims process to the homeowner and initiated mitigation efforts.
• Field documentation and preparation of mold remediation estimates in Xactimate; coordinated with involved hygienist, adjuster and homeowner(s)/tenant(s); clearances consistently acquired at first post-remedial air test.

Estimator - RESTORATION SPECIALISTS, GAINESVILLE, FL - GAINESVILLE, FL

(2019-12 - 2020-04)

• Estimated residential restoration projects necessitated by a covered loss; initiated contact and met with homeowner(s) to explain the restoration process and document field conditions.
• Submittal of estimates and supporting documents to carriers and/or TPAs for approval; consistently achieved 41% profit on TPA approved projects.

Permit Coordinator - TILLMAN & ASSOCIATES, OCALA, FL - OCALA, FL

(2019-08 - 2019-12)

• Prepared and submitted documents to local, state, and federal agencies to acquire permits for civil engineering projects (I.E. On Top of the World, Golden Ocala, and World Equestrian Center Communities).

Self Employed - WITTY & RYME ENGINEERING, CORAL SPRINGS, FL - CORAL SPRINGS, FL

(2014-09 - 2019-08)

• Inspected and documented residential and commercial property damage; prepared cause and origin reports and repair estimates to assist adjusters, litigators, umpires, and appraisers.
• Assisted in the appraisal and litigation (discovery) processes both for plaintiff and defense as well as trial preparation.
• Contributed to the company’s administrative and corporate duties.

Technician / Office Manager - AXIOM ENGINEERING, CORAL SPRINGS, FL - CORAL SPRINGS, FL

(2008-06 - 2014-09)

• Assisted forensic engineers in the field during property damage inspections including sketching to scale on site to perform tile flooring assessments.
• Prepared field sketches in AutoCAD.
• Responsible for general administrative duties including phone coverage, correspondences, file archive and response to records requests.

B.A. - English, Writing & Rhetoric - Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (2011-05)

B.A. - Interdisciplinary Arts: Philosophy - Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (2011-05)