I am an experienced, 30+ year digital professional with diverse experiences and skillsets.
Corporate Experience
During my tenure with a Fortune 500 company, I had the opportunity to tune my craft as an enthusiastic web designer. I started as an administrator in the IT Training department. While my role was primarily administrating the computer-based training lab, along with maintaining an informational intranet site. I led an initiative to deliver web-based training via the intranet, which would provide improved on-demand training, along with cost savings.
With the desire for more involvement with online content delivery, I joined the company’s Corporate Marketing & Communications Intranet department. Similar to my previous position, the initial role was to manage operations, while also posting press releases on the company’s intranet. During a five year period, our team proactively worked with management to deliver high quality communications, along with the killer apps on the intranet; the employee online people directory, Google Enterprise Search and Targeted E-mail, an employee querying and blast email application.
After a period of merger activity, I found a new challenge, as Product Manager of Search on the company intranet. During my two year tenure, I successfully managed operations of the search products, as well as added to the functionality and productivity of the search products, including mobile employee search capability and an enhanced search engine results page with faceted search.
I then moved on to another large company within the transportation industry, where I had a front-end development role within their eCommerce group. During this time, I discovered digital accessibility, as I was planning to transition from front-end web development to user experience. I was part of a team which, in two years, made the company’s eCommerce website and native mobile application more accessible, to meet conformance with the Department of Transportation’s Air Carriers Accessibility Act.
Accessibility Consulting
After obtaining my initial digital accessibility chops, I transitioned to a role within the IT consultancy industry as an Accessibility Engineer. There, I gained additional accessibility experience, learning the ins and outs of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), as well as Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATS) / Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs). I also picked up hands-on testing knowledge with native mobile applications. I transitioned into a Sales Engineering role, where I scoped out services, such as accessibility audits and design reviews. I skilled up on a new accessibility management system, and flourished within a growing team. I was promoted to manager of that team, and grew the team to meet demand. We also took on additional responsibilities, such as kiosk reviews, JAWS scripting scoping, and AT user flow scoping. We developed demos of the companies key products for prospects and existing customers.
Freelance Experience
Technically, I have been a freelance web designer since 1994. During my first year of online access, I developed an interest in creating pages similar to the ones I saw online. At the same time as learning HTML, I also started an email newsletter which offered online travel resources. After creating a website to host the archives to the newsletter, several travel agents who happened to be recipients of the newsletter, requested my services to create websites for them. One of those travel agents happens to be a current client, whom I’ve worked with for over 15 years.
Between 2000 and 2005, I re-prioritized my web design activities, to allow for more web site design projects, and less web site maintenance. During the resulting period prior to 2007, I cut back further on web design activities, due to my day job. When I became unemployed at the end of 2007 due to cost cutting activities, I decided to freelance 100% of the time, while continuing to search for full time employment.
During my full time freelance work, I’ve enjoyed a great diversity in projects. I’ve also worked solo and with other designers to deliver top notch, effective websites.