PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE


FedEx Office – Portland, OR

April 2017 to Present

FedEx Office provides services and access to printing and shipping. Services include copying and digital printing, professional finishing, signs and corporate print solutions. Shipping services include packing for FedEx Express or Ground service.

Store Lead Consultant

Working effectively with little or no supervision consultants must anticipate and meet the needs of customers by accurately processing complex printing and shipping orders in addition to providing complete pricing information. Ensure all customer questions and concerns are resolved quickly to the customers satisfaction.

  • Perform daily opening/closing store procedures ensuring cash drawers and transaction balances at close of day.
  • Acquired knowledge through training and previous experience regarding complex company software to process jobs and pricing accurately. Effectively operate printing, binding, large format printers, laminating and copying equipment.
  • Jobs produced for customers included but not limited to: flyers, print and mount posters, banners, signs, presentations, catalogs with tabs and architectural blue prints. Other products and services also available.
  • Process packages for domestic and international shipments, ensuring accuracy of customer provided information and on-time delivery. Pack customer items for shipping while adhering to company pack and ship guarantee.

Schawk! – Chicago, IL

March 2010 to January 2016

Schawk is a marketing communications company that creates, produces and delivers promotional media content through online and circular vehicles that drive consumer response for many of the world's retailers and manufactures.

Production Artist

Worked in conjunction with art directors, digital asset managers and photo retouchers to develop accurate and high quality artwork for Sears weekly and mid-week circulars. Approximately one-million circulars were printed and distributed across North America.

  • Adhering to tight deadlines responsibilities include building, populating and maintaining electronic files for Sears weekly sales ads from concept to release.
  • Complied to strict accuracy requirement, assuring pages were released to client and printer with no printed errors.

Aquent – Chicago, IL

January 2001 to September 2003 and December 2006 to March 2010

One of the world's largest talent agencies, specializing in the placement of graphic art professionals into temporary and temporary-to-permanent positions.

Freelance Graphic Artist

Company assignments included but were not limited to:

  • Shawk Retail Marketing Built and revised pages from thumbnails for weekly newspaper inserts for Sears circulars. Created mock-up books for client proofing. Implemented changes and corrections for release to print.
  • Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Adhered to brand standards, created and updated marketing tools, which included print and electronic materials. Established templates and style sheets for program agendas and books.
  • Dearborn Real Estate Education Formatted real estate education training books and home inspection guides.
  • Rotary International Updated articles and ads for a monthly magazine, The Rotarian.
  • KPMG Assisted in the creation, modification and production of new client proposals.
  • McGraw-Hill Created charts and graphs for online educational materials.
  • Experian Credit Corporation Designed various marketing materials and books.

Kaplan Professional Publishing – Chicago, IL

June 2006 to December 2006

The leading provider of test prep books and study materials for a number of high-pressure and high-stakes high school and college entrance exams. Position was eliminated due to company reorganization

Print Production Artist

Collaborated with Director of Production to implement book designs for Kaplan Publishing. Oversaw the completion of 20 to 30 books through art creation, layout, and corrections to final print-ready pdfs.

  • Worked closely with editors and authors to develop and maintain aggressive print-production schedules. Communicated and coordinated with production editors regarding changes and corrections to layouts.
  • Monitored accuracy and style in page layout. Entered first- and second-pass changes into electronic files and ensured the quality of the final print-ready pdf files.
  • Created new templates from design specifications and developed necessary artwork. Built and modified mathematical equations using MathType software.

O'Meara-Brown Publications, Inc. – Chicago, IL

July 2005 to June 2006

Publishers of Lakeland Boating, a magazine for recreational boating in the Great Lakes, and Great Lakes Angler, a fishing magazine for the Great Lakes region. Each monthly periodical has a subscription base of 30,000 to 50,000.

Associate Art Director — Lakeland Boating

Worked with external clients to create or update publication ads and boat listings while maintaining a precise timeline for completion of each issue.

  • Consulted with clients, recommended design concepts and coordinated text and images. Supplied and proofed pdf soft proofs to clients through e-mail and fax.
  • Created 30 to 50 page brokerage section of the magazine each month. Produced laydown board and coordinated with internal sales representative for page count, deadlines, and outstanding ads.
  • Generated final pages per laydown board, created press-ready pdfs and verified that all fonts, images, trapping, and PDF-X1 standards were followed. Uploaded final files to FTP site and worked with printer on final proofs.

Biohit Inc. – Neptune, NJ

January 2002 to August 2006

Manufacturers of manual and electronic liquid handling products and devices specifically for laboratories and the medical industry. Headquarters located in Helsinki, Finland. Work with this client was on a freelance basis.

Graphic Artist

Consulted with National Accounts Manager on a wide variety of marketing pieces, promoting the company's various products while establishing brand awareness.

  • Conceived marketing piece objectives and designed them according to specific marketing goals, strategies and objectives. Pieces include magazine ads, sales literature, T-shirts, and pdfs for sales force.
  • Developed and designed pages for the European corporate catalog to meet U.S. marketing needs and layout specifications.
  • Produced design concepts, proofed and ensured quality control through job completion. Worked with internal sales representatives and appropriate vendors to obtain price quotes and specifications.

PacifiCare/Secure Horizons – Cypress, CA

October 1998 to January 2001

One of the country's largest providers of managed healthcare services for Medicare beneficiaries and employer groups.

Graphic Production Artist

Supported the marketing department by designing and producing marketing materials, with an emphasis on developing member materials.

  • Worked with strategic teams to develop Annual Notification of Coverage that adhered to strict approval deadlines by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Produced 50 different versions of a 20-page booklet that reached a total of 600,000 members in eight states and met HCFA-mandated guidelines.
  • Assisted in developing and introducing printed materials for a new product line, PacifiCare Senior Supplement. These group retirement plan brochures assisted in the sale of this product to large employer groups, allowing the product to be successful in its initial release.
  • Developed, maintained, and updated advertising for marketing that adhered to HCFA guidelines. Created and organized a system for internal marketing clients to conveniently access ads for use in newspaper and print media.
  • Created various visual marketing tools for senior management such as competitive reactiveness and wheel of membership diagrams. These tools helped to support marketing strategies for the sales and marketing teams.

Fifield Printing, Inc. – Stanton, CA

October 1984 to October 1998

A privately owned, full-service commercial print shop with ability to print one to five colors.

Pre-press Manager/Graphic Artist

Managed pre-press department. Scheduled and delegated the workflow of a small staff.

  • Collaborated with external clients to design and produce newsletters, brochures and corporate identity packages, consisting of one to five colors.
  • Pre-flighted and trapped digital artwork, created proofs and assisted on press checks.
  • Arranged digital artwork for correct multiple-ups or pagination.