Experience

Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts (Oliver Art Center)

• United States
• Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Director

  • Nov 2022 - Present

  I am thrilled to be at the helm as executive director of this 75-year-old arts organization with a mission to support the arts and artists in northern Michigan! I will rely on my business administration skills, fine arts degree, marketing background and nonprofit experience to achieve organizational growth and member engagement while serving the community at large. I am thrilled to be at the helm as executive director of this 75-year-old arts organization with a mission to support the arts and artists in northern Michigan! I will rely on my business administration skills, fine arts degree, marketing background and nonprofit experience to achieve organizational growth and member engagement while serving the community at large.



Decorative Design Works

• United States
• Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO / Creative Director

  • Jan 2011 - Present

  Decorative Design Works is a boutique brand that offers unique personal accessories, gifts, and home décor products for retail and wholesale markets with a theme of bringing historic pattern and design into our everyday lives. As CEO, I oversee the long-term strategy, set budgets, determine business goals and delegate projects to my team. As creative director, I design all graphics related to brand messaging, product design, and marketing and coordinate with vendors to publish print materials on-budget. From concept and design to manufacturing, marketing, and distribution, I develop and manage the product mix, achieving placement in a variety of world-class institutions and retail boutiques. Highlights include receiving the Accessories Designer of the Year, Award from RAW Indianapolis in 2012, and having a product featured on MarthaStewart.com in the Weddings section. • Produce graphics, product catalogs, and product photography for a cohesive brand experience. • Design in-person and email marketing campaigns to increase annual revenues. • Manage a large library of graphic content for daily back-up and easy retrieval.



Sargent Road Association Foundation

• United States
• Civic and Social Organizations

• Director Of Communications and Membership Coordinator

  • Jan 2019 - Dec 2022

  As Communications Director and Membership Coordinator for the Sargent Road Association Foundation in the Mud Creek Valley area of Indianapolis, I enjoyed engaging with residents, local officials, city agencies, and nonprofit partners to expand the reach of our nonprofit community organization. Highlights include: • Produced monthly e-newsletters to engage members, doubling subscriptions the first year. • Assembled annual reports, fundraising collateral, and outreach materials to increase transparency. • Coordinated board communication, prepared advisor reports, and orchestrated virtual and live events. • Created new website with online donation forms and calendar, increasing page views by 49%. • Created branded merchandise for passive income and to increase brand recognition. In my role as Board member, Communications Director and Membership Manager at SRA I served as the primary point of contact for the org, and had full ownership of all content, visuals, web and social media outlets, and membership touchpoints. My focus was on member/donor outreach, engagement and growth, stewardship of the overall mission and setting long and short-term goals to expand our reach. I implemented significant change management initiatives to drive improved outcomes in these areas. I worked to strategize targeted fundraising campaigns, developed and executed annual giving campaigns, managed our memberships, advocates for our community, and helped coordinate our various service programs and events.



Stand Out Custom

• United States
• Advertising Services

• CEO and Senior Marketing Strategist

  • Jan 2016 - Dec 2022

  SOC is a boutique marketing agency working with a wide range of businesses and organizations to provide marketing and branding support services and consultation. As CEO and Senior Strategist, I helped clients exceed their marketing goals through a creative approach to branded products and merchandise with a focus on customer connections to forge lasting relationships. Our scope of work included a range of services and projects such as: • Creating unique custom products and brand experiences for a variety of national companies, including BET Networks, Amazon Video, Facebook, Google Chicago, Raymond James Financial Advisors, and more. Our merchandise has been utilized for corporate gifting, employee incentives, client thank you gifts, and event swag all over the US. • Building custom eCommerce stores on WordPress/WooCommerce, Shopify, and Squarespace platforms. We also handle kitting, warehousing, and order fulfillment for a range of clients in the corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial sectors. • Designing, sourcing, and decorating merchandise for events and promotions, as well as retail and wholesale markets. Working with suppliers from across the globe, we coordinate all aspects of product creation from graphics and packaging to pricing and fulfillment. We work with vetted contract decorators as well as handling many decoration projects in-house. We are often able to provide unique decorating solutions where others have failed. • Providing consultation services to a variety of clients looking for help with brand development, product line development, and eCommerce solutions. With a strong background in retail mail order, retail and wholesale gift marketing, product creation, and promotional products, Stand Out Custom brings a wide range of experience to each project, allowing us to craft a solution perfectly tailored to fit a client’s particular circumstances.



In The Air Corporation

• Creative Director

  • May 1997 - Apr 2013

  As Vice President and Creative Director of this specialty retailer, I refined our business strategy to shift from an existing national mail order model to a multi-channel, global approach at a time when eCommerce was just taking off. This expansion resulted in significant revenue increases and expanded opportunities. I carried out several functions during my career with In The Air over the course of many years. Areas of focus included: • Managed the strategy, copywriting, and design of an annual 40 page direct-mail catalog and eCommerce website with 100’s of SKUs across a wide variety of product categories • Held decision making roles as a product buyer, handling vendor negotiations, orders, and contracts • Evaluated product mix, pricing strategies and inventory levels, and analyzed sales data to meet seasonal demands • Developed and supervised in-house design and decoration capabilities for a variety of gift and apparel products to address gaps in our product line, allowing for the creation of premium, exclusive products, and quick adaptation to changing market trends • Managed product mix and inventory levels for various retail “pop-up boutiques” at events with up to a million visitors