Most of my colleagues know me as a thinly-disguised bass player and an enthusiastic, if not terribly accomplished, chef. However, I do offer a professional profile and some creds that may interest potential clients, employers, and the rabidly curious. For those who choose to keep reading, here’s my resume:
Professional Capabilities Summary
A brand-centric designer, writer and photographer with more than 20 years in marketing communications, I offer high-level, ready-to-use creative work, coupled with sound judgement, strategic awareness, and a strong customer service ethic.
Creative & Production
• Print and Web Design
• Writing and Editing
• Content Creation
• Packaging
• Photography, Video
• Outdoor Advertising
• Trade Show Exhibits
• Signage / Sign Systems
Operations & Admin
• Production Management
• Project Estimation
• Negotiation
• Research and Analysis
• Strategy/planning
• Quality Control Support
Work Experience (full-time employed)
Senior Marketing Specialist, Genrose Stone and Tile, Inc., Middletown, CT, March 2021-January 2023
Designed and produced product and brand collateral. Researched and wrote content for internal and external use. Provided high-resolution photography for merchandising, web and email campaigns, advertising and social media. Created and produced content for social media. Enforced brand standards across all corporate divisions. Negotiated and facilitated projects with external vendors.
• Researched, wrote and mapped all-new website for flooring division, eliminating approximately 1/2 of development time
• Designed and produced internal and external messaging, signage, and sample labels to support retail and wholesale channels
• Shot, recorded and edited high-resolution video: interviews with influential customers and product installation procedures
Marketing Communications Production Manager, Ultimate Nutrition, Inc., Farmington, CT, 2017-2019
(Manufacturer and marketer of dietary supplements; 200+ product SKUs, 20+ countries, multiple languages, 90% export).
Produced packaging, advertising, promotions, social media content and collateral. Maintained consumer and distributor web sites. Coordinated and managed domestic and international trade show exhibits. Created and implemented internal communications and training materials to support manufacturing, sales, regulatory, and quality programs.
• Managed and coordinated 10+ branded exhibition events per year, including high-security celebrity athlete appearances and large-scale trade show exhibits in USA, Germany, India and Russia
• Expanded athlete appearances, paid ads, and branded exhibits grew domestic sales 8% in 2016
• Manufacturing and Quality divisions saved approximately $28,000 per training module by producing custom training videos in-house for hygiene, safety, maintenance, and security. (Script, direct, shoot, and edit)
• Developed, tested and implemented code-scanning data control procedure to correctly identify product labels during internal inventory transfers, eliminating catastrophic packaging production errors
Marketing Communications Specialist, Ultimate Nutrition, Inc., Farmington, CT, 2014-2017
Designed and produced FDA-compliant product labels and packaging. Wrote and produced web content and advertising. Created, implemented and enforced brand identity standards. Photographed products, models, forensics and events. Produced outdoor, transit, web and email campaigns. Negotiated, facilitated and administered contracts with packaging and print vendors, IT vendors, and sponsored athletes.
• Created and implemented paid web ad campaign to grow share in neglected female fitness enthusiast category, growing sales 81% for flavored BCAAs, and 19% for premium proteins
• Revised 171 product labels within 3 months. Made all labels FDA-compliant and brought required package elements to zero errors. Brought all foreign-language product labels into compliance with foreign ministry (HealthCanada, EU Codex, FSSAI) regulations
• Consistent, systematically-produced packaging and labels reduced trademark challenges and IP legal fees, and disrupted counterfeiters, driving 11%+ gross sales growth in three major foreign markets
• Revised site map (architecture) of distributor web site, resulting in 90% reduction in user complaints to sales
• Created, equipped and implemented internal photography and video studio
Work Experience (consulting)
Award-winning Graphic Designer, Writer, Photographer, Self-employed, Concurrent
Design and produce brand identity systems, environmental and museum graphics and exhibits. Design and produce education, promotion and collateral materials for fine arts and performing arts organizations. Design and produce signage and sign systems. Create email, print, outdoor and transit campaigns, web sites, and print collateral. Train and advise colleagues and clients in project estimation, contract administration and production management.
• Hartford Stage Company subscription brochure was their highest-ever subscription-drawing instrument
• Start-up Tilcon Corporate Comms. department was made self-sufficient within 19 months of a two-year consultancy
• Case-bound book describing industrial design-build process won the prestigious Building Owners and Managers Association Marketing Publication Award. (Research, writing, creative direction, photography)
• Wadsworth Atheneum educator booklets, distributed to schools throughout Southern New England, consistently raised attendance each year of campaign, and won the New England Museum Association Publication Award
• Sikorsky CEO and senior officers used custom virtual environment photo-composites as the central deciding factor to evaluate ~$9,000,000 campus landscape renovation project proposal
Proficiencies:
Microsoft Office, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat; WordPress, Shopify, Final Cut Pro. Expert photographer with still & video experience, Expert in live sound recording and lighting. Expert in digital, offset, flexography, gravure, letterpress and screen printing techniques and processes.
Professional Development:
• EAS seminars for FDA label compliance (Nutrition and Dietary Supplements)
• Edward Tufte’s Information Design and Presentation Course
Continuing Education:
• Aquent UX fundamentals
• Advanced HTML5 and CSS3
• WordPress integration
• JQuery Mobile & Javascript
Extra-Career:
• Professional musician with composition and recording experience
• Licensed Real Estate Agent, and Consultant to Commercial and Corporate Relocation firms
• Fundraising for Dogology (pet rescue)
• Design donor to Operation Fuel, Inc.
• Design donor to Connecticut Historical Society
Freelance Clients Served Include:
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Ballet
Connecticut Historical Society
Hartford Stage Company
New York Philharmonic
Otis Elevator Company
RM Bradley
Sikorsky Aircraft
Stanley Works
Tilcon Inc.
Yale University
Wadsworth Atheneum
Education:
BFA, University of Hartford
MBA, University of Connecticut