Experience

Watermark Retirement Communities

• United States
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Creative Services Manager

  • Dec 2020 - Present

  Leading a team of 25 creative professionals in developing an amazing brand and culture while creating materials needed to market the 75 extraordinary senior living communities operated by Watermark. • Led the development and implementation of our corporate brand standards as well as updating all current creative to provide a fresh new look following these standards and creating consistency amongst all marketing vehicles. • Developed new roles within the department to fill talent gaps and provide efficiencies growing the team from six to twenty-five associates in a two-year span. • Reworked our portfolio of community logos for all our communities to provide consistency of fonts, leading, kerning and color as well as a template for the development of future logos for quick and consistent development. • Collaborate with our operations team to review community sign projects for brand consistency and develop new signs as needed to meet the guidelines of the town or village as well as our own brand standards. • Oversaw the creation and implementation of templates to be used for frequently requested materials to reduce the time spent on these projects and create more time for the continued development of the brand. • Managed the implementation of a Digital Asset Management system for the storage and ease of search of our creative assets as well as restructuring our internal folder structure for our working files. • Collaborated to develop efficiencies in our workflow tool and creative processes. • Management of suppliers, invoices and contracts within the company’s financial platform for the marketing team. Also work with others to train and troubleshoot within the platform. • Developed and continue to lead weekly meetings to provide updates to the team on new projects and initiatives. • Mentoring the team to develop both their personal and professional skillsets. Show less



CDW

• United States
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Manager, Creative Operations

  • 2020 - 2020

  Served as brand champion ensuring correct and consistent brand use throughout the company. Educated coworkers on importance of ensuring adherence to brand standards on internal and external materials. Worked with agency of record to receive and understand updates and new components of brand. Provided coworkers with clear understanding of brand to ensure correct implementation. Collaborated with internal creative teams and secondary agency partners to ensure consistency across materials being created. Developed and socialized guidelines for consistent use of brand elements and trademarks. Collaborated with and developed an understanding of partners’ logos and trademarks to ensure correct use. Performed hands-on creation of CDW brand treatments/logos.• Developed processes and efficiencies to produce on‐brand materials quicker and more efficiently.• Led redesign of corporate PowerPoint template, providing coworkers with a suite of on-brand designs.• Managed asset approval in DAM (Digital Asset Manager) to ensure ease of search and availability.• Managed, provided and approved access to marketing server shares.• Collaborated with IT to reduce server footprint after implementation of DAM.• Managed and audited licenses for Adobe Creative Cloud.• Ensured proper and cost-efficient licensing for corporate fonts, including purchasing.• Managed budget for software, creative tools, consultants and photographers. • Developed and ensured legally compliant product promotion copy (fine print) on marketing materials.• Empowered proofreaders with the ability to create product promotion copy. Show less

• Manager, Creative Production

  • 2010 - 2020

  Led a team of up to 14 designers, copywriters and photographers in the design and production of print and digital materials as well as video and photography for partners and internal clients. Ensured proper implementation of CDW brand look and feel across vehicles produced by all internal creative teams. Acted as single source for managing contractor talent on integrated planning and design team.• Worked with agencies and internal stakeholders to receive and understand updates to the brand. • Led monthly meetings with internal teams and agency partners to review creative, provide feedback and collaborate to ensure brand consistency.• Developed and executed plan to produce print publications in digital format, to increase the reach.• Promoted internally and via social media.• Developed customer surveys to provide feedback, and tracked and reported on metrics.• Developed product promotion copy (fine print) on marketing materials to ensure legal compliancy.• Managed, provided and approved access to marketing server shares. • Oversaw licensing and budget for creative software, fonts and stock photography.• Led the migration from an FTP to OneDrive for the marketing department.In 2012 launched digital versions of our publications consisting of individual online publications and an app. Today that idea has become CDW Digital which is a single repository containing all of our publications available online or by using the CDW Digital app.Implemented strict quality control standards at the beginning of 2005. Within a year we reduced our errors and the cost associated with them by over 80%. Today we have continued to improve our processes and are virtually error free.Oversaw the early adoption of InDesign and PDF to Press workflow, and was instrumental in the adoption of a paperless workflow for the production of our print material. We continue to improve our processes and have cut production time over the years by more than half. Show less

• Creative Group Supervisor

  • 2003 - 2010

  Managed and developed an eight‐person catalog design and production team. Conducted annual and quarterly reviews. Served as owner of pre‐press production process, assigning work and ensuring all deadlines were met. Tested catalog designs and content, using a digital survey tool to gain information to improve effectiveness. Owned program for the implementation of Intel brand logos in catalogs to ensure maximum reimbursement. Developed and implemented new quality control process accounting for a 25% reduction in errors on catalog pages. Show less

• Catalog Team Leader

  • 2001 - 2003

  Managed oversight and development of an eight‐person team responsible for the design and production of catalogs, reference guides and bind‐ins. Approved all materials before releasing to printer. Responsible for pre‐press process. Provided feedback to supervisor for annual reviews and monthly bonuses. Performed hands-on design and production of multiple catalog titles and bind‐ins. Developed concept as well as designed and produced a catalog showcasing new or hot technology products, which generated $600,000 in partner funding. Show less

• Senior Graphic Designer

  • 2000 - 2001

  Designed and produced catalogs, direct mail and other marketing collateral.

• Graphic Designer

  • 1998 - 2000

  Designed and produced catalogs. Clipped and retouched product images.



J.F. Wagner Printing

• Graphic Designer

  • 1994 - 1998

  Designed and produced projects, including logos, menus, stationery and brochures. Managed projects through pre‐production, including clean‐up, resetting forms, minor stripping and preparing art to go to press. Acted as liaison with clients to establish objectives, make recommendations, write copy, troubleshoot and follow up through pre‐ and post‐press processing to ensure respect for deadlines. Designed and produced projects, including logos, menus, stationery and brochures. Managed projects through pre‐production, including clean‐up, resetting forms, minor stripping and preparing art to go to press. Acted as liaison with clients to establish objectives, make recommendations, write copy, troubleshoot and follow up through pre‐ and post‐press processing to ensure respect for deadlines.



Din & Pangrazio

• Graphic Designer

  • 1990 - 1994

  Produced proposals, along with other visual materials, for use in high‐level client presentations. Designed and produced marketing and organizational pieces, such as conference and program mailers. Developed and maintained relationships with vendors. Created comps and key‐lines, using both computers and traditional methods. Produced presentation materials for proposed construction of the Chicago Board of Trade. Produced initial sign specification manual for Metra. Produced proposals, along with other visual materials, for use in high‐level client presentations. Designed and produced marketing and organizational pieces, such as conference and program mailers. Developed and maintained relationships with vendors. Created comps and key‐lines, using both computers and traditional methods. Produced presentation materials for proposed construction of the Chicago Board of Trade. Produced initial sign specification manual for Metra.