EXPERIENCE
Presentation editor – Chicago, IL, The Chicago Tribune, July ’13 to the present
- Blue Sky Innovation
- Create the visual identity and maintain brand cohesion for a new business publication aimed at news,
analysis and events surrounding innovation and entrepreneurship in Chicago (blueskyinnovation.com) - Design, build and maintain Blue Sky’s latest innovation resource, The Vault (blueskyvault.com)
- Design a custom-built website in conjunction with the Tribune News Apps team for publishing editorial content while allowing for maximum advertising impressions with unique brand publishing opportunities
- Gather assets from reporters, photographers and editors for a consistent online-first publication schedule while monitoring daily metrics to maximize reader engagement
- Coordinate the transition from the now legacy site into a new section within chicagotribune.com using Tribune Publishing’s new digital platform formatted for multiple devices
Design and technology tanager – Baltimore, MD, The Baltimore Sun, January ’12 to July ’13
- The Baltimore Sun newsroom
- Co-managed the creation of print, interactive and database-driven infographics, maps and blogs with the director of interactive design (baltimoresun.com)
- The Darkroom
- Design, develop and maintain The Sun’s photojournalism blog featuring photos, videos and other multimedia content in a device agnostic framework (darkroom.baltimoresun.com)
- Contribute stories, interviews and wire photo essays to help exceed lofty pageview goals ( 28 million from March – December of 2012 )
(Superstorm Sandy, Felix Baumgartner, John Milleker Jr.)
Freelance Graphic Designer, September ’02 to Present
- La Belle Vie – Baltimore, MD and Atlanta, GA, May ’12 to Present
- Website for a multi-line women’s wholesale apparel sales agency (lbvshowroom.com)
- West End Architectural Salvage – Des Moines, IA, May ’11 to Present
- Website, photography and social network marketing for the antique, reclaimed material and custom furniture store (westendsalvage.com)
- One Iowa – Des Moines, IA, May ’08 to August ’08
- Website for Iowa’s largest LGBT advocacy organization (oneiowa.org)
- MISIX Inc. – Chicago, IL, August ’07 to October ’07
- Website for innovative marketing group (misixinc.com)
- David Young Furniture Design – Solon, IA, September ’06
- Identity, print ads, postcards and signage
- Room Restyle – Chicago, IL, April ’05 to April ’08
- Website for interior makeover studio (roomrestyle.com)
- Lakeshore Athletic Clubs – Chicago, IL, September ’02 to January ’05
- Designer of quarterly print newsletter: Shorelines
- Designer and photographer of quarterly print program guide: Lincoln Park: At a Glance
Senior Web Designer – Des Moines, IA, Right Stuf, Inc., January ’05 to July ’11
- RightStuf.com
- Led web design department for Japanese animation (“anime”) producer and retailer (rightstuf.com)
- Supervised design process in conjunction with online store and content management software development
- Completed website redesign for 20th Anniversary in August ’07 along with new corporate identity
- Anime Today
- Produced, cohosted, edited and designed the first commercially marketed podcast dedicated to anime, manga (comics), and Japanese culture (animetoday.com)
- Nozomi Entertainment
- Provided website design and direction for Right Stuf’s production division (nozomient.com)
- Coordinated with Right Stuf’s marketing and production departments to develop and execute licensing announcements, retail sales and social media sites
PROFESSIONAL ACCOLADES
- Chicago Tribune Media Group
- 2013 Publisher’s Team Award as part of the Portfolio Expansion Team with Blue Sky
- 2013 MDDC Press Awards
- General Website Excellence: 1st Baltimore Sun Staff, “The Darkroom” (Best in Show)
- Online Commentary or Blog: 1st Baltimore Sun Staff, “The Darkroom” – See above link and contributions
- Business Reporting: 1st Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Baltimore Sun, “A year after closing of mill, lives still unsettled” (Best in Show) – Designed and produced online presentation (baltimoresun.com/sparrowspoint)
- Baltimore Sun Media Group
- 2012 Outstanding Newsroom Performer for 2012
- 2012 Monthly Outstanding Newsroom Performer for March and November
SOFTWARE KNOWLEDGE
Knowledgeable in both PC and Mac environments.
- Adobe CC: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects, Dreamweaver, Flash, Acrobat
- Notable languages and formats: HTML/CSS, Javascript, Google Fusion Tables, .php, .xml, .jsp, .swf, .flv
- Amazon EC2
- WordPress Publishing Platform
- Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
EDUCATION
B.F.A. in Graphic Design – Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
- Graduated with Honors and Distinction, May 2001
- Graphic Design in Rome, College of Design Study Abroad, Fall 2000
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
- ISU College of Design Annual – Spring ’00, ’01
- “Skin Deep” Body Paint Catalog
- “Undream” Video; Chair’s Award
- ISU Focus Grant Recipient – Spring ’01
- “Thumbnails” Video Presentation of Rome 2000 with designer Heather Dubinskas
- Tri-County Collegiate Print and Photo Showcase – Spring ’00
- “Skinscapes” Color Photography Series; Best in Show
- “Demons” Black and White Photograph; Honorable Mention
- ISU Honors Program
- Full Member – Spring ’99, Fall ’99, Spring ’00, Fall ’00, Spring ’01
- Associate – Spring ’98, Fall ’98
- Valedictorian – Spring ’97
- West High School, Waterloo, IA – ranked 1 out of 350