Career Experience

Creative Direction

Coffee Cup Media: 2011- present. Principal, Creative Director, Design Technologist. 

  • Expert art director, copy editor and interactive and social media strategist, and front-end development. 
  • Designer and developer of branding, SEO, advertising and marketing strategies, including the identity design, direct mail, and email campaigns
  • Social Media manager for multiple clients, 
  • Expert application of UX and UI design and development of site map and wireframes.
  • Specialist in Joomla and Wordpress platform design and development, web hosting management, MySQL, and the deployment (to date) of more than 51 sites. 
  • Common sense consulting for small-to-medium sized business. 
  • Provide dynamic client training through the use of live presentations, custom-designed training materials and informational seminars for website operation. 
  • Perform regularly website security and performance monitoring for more than 25 sites 
  • Major interactive projects include art direction, UX design, and development of websites for: 
    • High Swartz Law
    • LaVoie Health Sciences 
    • International Institute for Restorative Practices
    • Reading Terminal Market
    • TGW Conveyor Systems
    • Task Force for Global Health
    • Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church.
    • SERV Behavioral Health Systems
    • many others…

Aquent Studios at Merck & Co., North Wales, PA, June 2020 to April 2021, Design Steward

Contractor position with Content Automation at Merck & Co., North Wales, Pennsylvania

  • Working within an Agile team work to create, adapt and harvest Imagery, and tactics
  • Building composites consisting of brand imagery and messaging to be utilized by agency and job owners within the Content Management System (CMS)
  • Utilizing proprietary tools, along with Adobe Dream Weaver, or like software, to output table-based HTML for emails and other digital marketing materials.
  • Completion of the production build for digital and print tactics, matching to approved mockups, using Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, proprietary tools, and CMS
  • Collaboration with content management team members and editorial to ensure final production files are consistent with business expectations; resolve any errors and produce output for Medical and Legal review
  • Work closely with brand teams, creative agencies, and regulatory team members to ensure that accurate and compliant content is used in promotional materials
  • Assist the Agile team with tasks as assigned

Burb Media: February — September, 2019. Community Editor

  • Content manager and editor for GlensideLocal.com hyper-local news website serving Abington, Cheltenham, and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. 
  • Increased site traffic by 500%, from 30,000 page views per month. This doubled in the first month, reaching nearly 200,000 page views four months later.
  • Brought a quality journalistic approach to the content, initiating the “Walkabout” series that introduced local readers to interesting residents and business people from their local community. 
  • Stories included local reporting of police and fire emergencies, government affairs, human interest pieces, and commentary.
  • Upgraded featured graphics and professional level photography. 

Art270: 2008 — 2011. Senior Interactive Director 

  • Design, construction, and deployment of CMS-driven, standards-compliant websites, email campaigns, Powerpoint presentations, SEO campaigns, and online marketing consultations. 
  • Specialized in Joomla and Wordpress open-source content management system design and deployment and fluent in CSS, HTML, and design technology. 
  • Directed and deployed the redesign of websites for Bartol Foundation, Astral Artists, Episcopal Community Services, and others. www.art270.com.

Thomas J. Paul: 2007 — 2008. Freelance Art Director 

  • Design and production work on a variety of promotional and informational projects from clients such as Masterfoods (Snickers, M&Ms) and Johnson & Johnson. 
  • Designed and coded web site projects for J&J products and programs; Johnson & Johnson’s. InformationEDGE  and its LifeScan rebate program. 

State & Main Associates: 2005 — 2007. Managing Partner

  • Creative Director and Information Technology officer for a restaurant consulting firm
  • Responsible for menu design, logo design, business planning reports, web site design, and marketing programs for small and large independent restaurant clients. 
  • Installed and administered a network of Macintosh and PC systems along with a Microsoft Small Business Server. 
  • Co-managed team of fourteen employees and interns 

Princeton Financial Systems: 2004 — 2005. Freelance art director. 

  • PFS builds financial management software for Fortune 500 companies. 
  • Responsible for the design and production of in-house print collateral and corporate communications. 
  • Projects include production of program materials for annual client conference (PFACC); product brochures; in-house communications; and other collateral. 

Roadside Magazine/Ball Publishing: 1990 – 2007. Founder, publisher, editor, art director. 

  • Bootstrapped publications exploring the back roads and Main Streets of America, targeting towards an upscale educated audience. Sold to Ball Publishing in 2000, reacquired in 2002.
  • Responsible for freelance coordination, production, distribution, information technology, and advertising sales for a magazine with a circulation topping out at 20,000. 
  • Managed a staff of 14 full-time and freelance employees at any given time.
  • Art directed and wrote copy for direct mail promotion that generated a 9% response. 
  • Roadside was featured in Yankee Magazine, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and on National Public Radio, Food Network, History Channel, and more.
  • Designed and developed one of the earliest blogs on the Internet in 1997. 
  • Other responsibilities included public speaking, media appearances, and strategic planning. 
  • Published in print from October, 1990 until February 2001.

Darby O’Brien Advertising: 1994–1997, Freelance art director

  • Art and photo direction for Westfield Gas & Electric Annual Report for the years 1995 and 1996
  • Art direction for Heckler Brau beer collateral and P.O.P. displays. 
  • Art and photo direction for Great Barrington Savings Bank print advertising campaign campaign also involving copy writing and photo editing.