A corporate art director in South Carolina, I’ve held diverse marketing-related positions in the Greenville-Spartanburg region since 1990.
Mostly I’ve served in art director roles in the health care industry, but I’ve also worked in nonprofit, event/entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and state agency settings. Responsibility highlights include creative direction, art direction, graphic design, brand execution and compliance, team leadership and facilitation, process supervision and improvement, TEDx conference curation and leadership, photography, writing, editing, content management, website planning, social media strategy and execution, and fundraising.
You want details? I’ve got ‘em. I love details so much that my details have details.
Creative roles & responsibilities
Creative direction & brand management. The last couple of decades — since 2013, in particular — have provided opportunities to drive or help drive big-picture creative initiatives for organizations in the non-profit and health care industries as well as govern adherence to overall brand requirements. This includes:
acting as creative director and brand manager for subsets within a SC regional health care brand, first through design and management of materials for service lines (orthopedic, philanthropy, rehab, surgery, social media, fitness, and campuses), then through management of all brochures and booklets throughout the system;
analyzing, designing, troubleshooting, and improving systems for creative teams — systems that ensure thorough education, efficient and responsive workflow, guides and templates for multiple-medium design execution, and effective team structures;
integrating technological tools throughout operations where it makes sense;
fielding questions about and policing logo usage;
interfacing and collaborating with stakeholders and team members to explore, analyze, and define strategic creative purposes and goals;
conveying vision within and spearheading team brainstorming sessions to conceptualize, analyze, and determine initial design approaches and concepts;
directing teams of creatives to ensure all projects and campaigns are expertly managed from start to finish, executing cohesive and innovative visual work that upholds brand identity and excellence across all mediums;
directing quality control measures to ensure consistent use and application by all parties, internal and external; and
facilitating surveys and debriefs to analyze effectiveness of processes and outcomes, and determining how insights may affect future processes and outcomes.
Strengths include a welcoming and active solicitation of others’ knowledge, opinions, and ideas; an intimate-to-sufficient knowledge of most, if not all, mediums, methods and processes; strong analytic and decision making skills; an ability to balance business needs with creative solutions; and a high comfort level with nonconformist thinking and calculated risk-taking to maximize impact for targeted audiences and team member satisfaction.
Art direction. In the 1990s, my work roles began to shift more and more frequently toward facilitating teams of contracted and/or in-house talent, ensuring that project aesthetics and functionality align with strategic marketing and branding goals while maximizing each team member’s strengths. This includes:
interfacing and collaborating with client representatives and team members to ensure complete and accurate information;
determining which print and online communication vehicles and artistic elements will best represent a given concept or initiative;
articulating the vision to team members;
overseeing multi-medium projects and campaigns through all phases of development, edits, and final execution, pitching in myself as skill and timeline dictates;
directing, reviewing, and approving photography, videography, designs, copy, and production;
working closely with content providers and developers to design, create, and maintain websites;
drafting and communicating schedules, production logistics, and budgets; and
leading special-purpose teams and committees; for example, photo archive system development and design template compilation.
Strengths embrace a keen attention to brand consistency and quality; a knack for collateral system design which balances high standards with production efficiency; and skill in marrying strategic objectives with practical, creative solutions. Primary emphasis has been business-to-consumer, with a few years of business-to-business.
Graphic design. For 30+ years, I've designed and developed diverse communication and advertising projects. Examples include magazines, brochures, websites, microsites, print and web ads, product sales and consumer information sheets, direct mail pieces, video, playbills, posters, stage design, newsletters, trade show displays, calendars, annual reports, books, point-of-purchase displays, signage, vehicle wraps, apparel, promotional items, and more. At times I'd execute each step myself — from writing and design to photography and pre-press production — while at other times I'd collaborate with writers, illustrators, photographers, designers, and production artists. Software specialty is Adobe Creative Cloud; familiar with WordPress, Squarespace, Dropbox for Business, Microsoft Office, many digital asset management and project management platforms, and more. During an earlier era when such things mattered more than they do now, I earned numerous industry awards and recognitions — I can probably dig up the list if you’re interested.
Experiential design. Rooted throughout my career in functional design logic, my graphic design work has always placed human need and experience at its core. In the 1990s and 2000s, this way of thinking morphed naturally into a user experience focus for web projects. In the last decade, this aptitude has risen to new heights as I’ve learned the philosophies behind and led TEDx conferences — events well known for their ability to immerse audience and community members within innovatively curated talks, entertainment, and activities.
Writing & editing. I've written promotional blurbs, blog posts, feature stories, news articles, brochure copy, and direct mail letters for various public relations, marketing, and personal projects, including many published on a weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly basis. I've also generated copy for manufacturers, consulting with product managers and engineers to create easy-to-read magazine ads, sales literature, spec sheets, and technical manuals. I champion the Oxford comma, but will defer to AP style if tackled, bound, and gagged.
Still photography. Using DSLR, SLR, and medium-format systems both in the studio and on location, I've shot numerous portraits, products, editorial topics, and events. I’m skilled with digital image correction and manipulation techniques. I really do miss the darkroom, though.
Leadership
Change cultivation. Engrained in TED/TEDx ideals, communities, and movements since 2011, I’ve not only witnessed the power of ideas to transform minds, lives, teams, organizations, and communities, but also helped drive this transformation in Greenville. I understand that positive, lasting change is catalyzed not by a superficial modification of words and behaviors, but by addressing — deeply and thoughtfully — what individuals and groups believe and trust to be true.
From 2015 through 2018, I drove a series of meetings and collaborations with senior leadership to introduce a TEDx volunteer movement within my employer’s organization. The effort stalled, but If I navigate the merger happily, I’ll wield that torch again in 2020.
General management. Outside of industry-specific management duties executed by creative leaders, I’ve been privileged to fill roles that developed general management skills. For example:
recruiting, educating, motivating, and mentoring teams of volunteers and contractors;
nurturing business and sponsorship relationships;
resolving conflicts respectfully and objectively among team members and other stakeholders;
tracking budget and resource allocations;
writing proposals, justifications, instructions, and policies;
positioning team members to use their talents optimally;
communicating goals as well as each person’s role in achieving them;
maintaining an open, positive culture and high morale;
developing an ability to roll with the punches while remaining objective and flexible;
sifting through organizational “noise” to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information and issues;
identifying solutions by leveraging team members’ expertise and problem-solving skills; and
actively seeking feedback from individuals and teams about how management may improve.
Miscellany
Event planning & logistics. With about 8 years of cumulative experience, I’ve planned and helped execute community and corporate conferences, meetings, and recognition events, ranging from intimate gatherings to productions for audiences of 400+. This includes all aspects of event planning, such as finding appropriate venues, selecting vendors, organizing volunteers, ensuring smooth transitions between spaces, and coordinating catering.
Content management. Before this ever became a buzzphrase, I designed systems for organizing, storing, “versioning,” publishing, and archiving collections of verbiage and visuals.
Social media management. A technology addict, I've been involved with corporate, nonprofit, and entertainment social media initiatives (strategy, writing, and of course visuals) consisting of blogs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. I’ve written and overseen social media guidelines and best practices and served as admin and moderator for many groups, accounts, and pages.
Fundraising. Accompanied by the necessary prospecting, research, and budget documentation, I've written sponsorship proposals, grant applications, and letters to persuade potential donors. I've led and participated in one-on-one corporate sponsorship solicitations and provided ongoing customer service for many corporate accounts.
Mac network admin. Armed with an advanced knowledge of the Mac operating system and desktop publishing tools, I've specified, purchased, and maintained Mac hardware, software, and networking products for many employers. This includes single-user workstations as well as multi-user LANs.