Curious how I became a creative leader sitting at the intersection of technology and education?

Let’s start from the beginning.

BFA, VCU School of the Arts
Communication Arts + Design
1998

I knew in the 7th grade that I wanted to be a designer. For years, I dreamed of moving away and going to a prestigious design school. My first college tour at the Pratt Institute in New York ended with faculty member telling me I was crazy for not immediately applying to VCU—one of the best design schools in the country. Certainly not the feedback I was expecting, but it was a pivotal conversation, and I’m glad I listened. I received my degree in Communication Arts + Design from VCU. (Marrying a Pratt was purely coincidental.)

Access, Roanoke, VA
1999 – 2001
Multimedia Designer

As “Access Employee Number Four” and the company’s first outside hire, I was extremely fortunate to be immersed in all aspects of running an agency from the very beginning of my career. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized how formative this experience truly was. Not only did this job teach me how to wear many hats, but the work our small team produced was consistently recognized at local and regional awards shows. This job shaped my reputation within the local design community and set the high-water mark for my personal expectations and standard of excellence.

Client Base: education, healthcare, biotechnology, athletics, hospitality, economic development, community engagement, non-profits, community arts and entertainment

Type of Work: web design, website animations, interactive quizzes, ad campaigns, print collateral, photo shoots, direct mail, visual identity, motion graphics, event planning, trade show booth design, training materials

r+m creative, Cary, NC
2001 – 2004
New Media Designer/Developer

At r+m I was partnered with another technically minded creative. We shared a common curiosity for how technology could be used to communicate in a creative way. We were surrounded by an extremely supportive team that placed high value on creative innovation. It was through a lot of trial and error that we found new and effective ways to produce interactive content to support more traditional tactics. The camaraderie and creative safety I felt on this team is something I carry with me and strive to create for others.

Client Base: education, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, state government, community engagement

Type of Work: website design and front-end development, motion graphics, interactive presentation materials, 2D product animations, print collateral, direct mail, b2b sales materials, magazine layouts, event planning, trade show booth design

The O’Connor Group, Roanoke, VA
2004
Senior Art Director

Even though I was only at The O’Connor Group for eight months before I was recruited to the “big agency” in town, it was an important step in my career progression. I was hired as the senior-most creative on the team. For the first time, there was not another creative overseeing or managing my work. It wasn’t until this point that I truly appreciated how “looking down” for ideas and support is just as important as looking up.

Client Base: education, healthcare, manufacturing, economic development, community arts and entertainment

Type of Work: ad campaigns, print collateral, direct mail, PR/media kits

ndp, Richmond, VA
2004 – 2011
Creative Director of Interactive
Associate Creative Director
Senior Art Director

During my tenure at ndp, I was a contributor, mentor, and manager. I served as a creative director and project lead on many of the integrated campaigns. I oversaw the work of designers, copywriters, web designers, developers, photographers, and videographers. One of my core responsibilities was to help grow the skills of the team by creating mentorship opportunities and hands-on learning experiences. I was frequently called in as support when projects fell behind schedule or were not meeting expectations. At the time, it was estimated that only 3% of U.S. Creative Directors were female. This role let me flex my ability to manage complex, interconnected systems and processes across multiple teams and industries.

Client Base: education, healthcare, economic development, community arts and entertainment

Type of Work: website strategy and design, brand development, 360° ad campaigns, social media strategy, art direction, TV production, motion graphics, event planning, trade show booth design, creative leadership, client presentations, creative team management

Franklin Street, Richmond, VA
2011 – 2019
VP, Creative Strategy
Creative Director
Associate Creative Director
Senior Art Director

My decision to join Franklin Street, a healthcare brand consultancy, came from a desire to focus on a specific industry, gain deeper market insights, and produce more strategic creative work. A few years after I was hired, the Executive Creative Director was named CEO. The lessons learned through the change in leadership and subsequent philosophical pivot were extraordinary. I was fortunate to have a seat at the leadership table where I could see the implications of every decision that was made. It was a difficult journey. We had to rebuild many facets of the business from the ground up and mitigate significant employee turnover while maintaining existing client relationships and delivering work we were already contracted to do. I learned a lot about myself as a leader, what I value in a leader, and how much strain a system can take. (A TV spot I produced and directed was nominated for an Emmy, which was cool, too.)

Client Base: healthcare: hospitals and healthcare systems, nationwide

Type of Work: brand vision workshops, focus groups/user testing, website strategy and design, social media campaign development, digital marketing, 360° ad campaigns, art direction, online video and broadcast TV production/direction, brand rollout planning, agency leadership, new business pitches, creative team management

EAB, Richmond, VA (remote)
2019 – Present
Senior Creative Director

When I heard that EAB, a leader in educational technology, research, and marketing, was looking for two senior directors to help define a new digital agency team and build a unique service offering from the ground up, I was intrigued. After my experience at Franklin Street, I was confident that I could approach this new opportunity with eyes wide open. I also really liked the idea of being part of a start-up within the safety and security of a much larger, research-centric corporation.

As the Senior Creative Director, my role spans many facets of our business: departmental leadership, creative team management, project level creative strategy and execution, operational support, and business strategy.

• In just under 3 years, we have grown the team from 3 to over 20 people and are hiring

• We are on track to hit our annual goal of $3.5 million by the end of June

• We have made recent adjustments to our process and product offerings to ensure that all 2022 contracts hit a target profit margin of >45% with a 3-year renewable contract term

• Clients commend our team’s strategic thinking and partnership and have seen outsized results from the work that has been produced

My time at EAB has given me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the education industry. It has also let me experience the procedural and cultural differences between a large, product-focused business and the consultative creative agencies that I had previously worked for.

Client Base: education: colleges and universities, nationwide

Type of Work: targeted and comprehensive website strategy and design: technical auditing, UX strategy and wireframing, data flow and governance mapping, information architecture, content strategy, copywriting, ADA compliant visual design systems, interactive media production, SEO, project and task management, creative team leadership, department leadership, product/service development and definition, internal training and workshops