Recent Experience
MAY 2019 – March 2021
Lead Content Strategist/Designer – Fannie Mae
- Wrote product copy for 6 launched apps and served as lead content designer for one product team
- Set standards, drove adherence to UX writing best practices by creating design system writing guide
- Designed and delivered writing best practice training rated 4.5/5 for usefulness with a 92 NPS
- Created 1st voice & tone guide in company’s 80+ year history
- Sparked creation of Enterprise inclusive writing guide and trained division officers in its use
- Led 1st organization-wide content community of practice growing attendance by 225% in 2 years
JANUARY 2018 – MAY 2019
Sr. Content Strategist (contract) – Fannie Mae
- Led content strategy and IA redesign for Multifamily section of FannieMae.com resulting in 10% lower calls to support staff and increased reading ease from grade 23 to grade 8 on average
JULY 2016 – JANUARY 2018
Digital Creative Communications Consultant – Aquilent / Booz Allen
- Developed and tested consumer-focused IA for store.SAMSHA.gov rated 25% more discoverable
- Created IA and led content migration of 300+ document NIAID AIDS clinical studies site into Drupal
- Led content team in Agile CMS migration of Fitness.gov from planning through 1st release
APRIL 2012 – APRIL 2016
UX Designer/Front-end Developer – Rad Campaign
- Created custom taxonomies, content types, content strategies, and information architectures resulting in:
- 1st page Google search rankings for consumer health client
- Increased findability and navigability for disability services client
- Enabling a political lobbying client to defeat a gubernatorial candidate in Virginia who opposed women’s access to reproductive health services
Earlier experience
MARCH 2011 – APRIL 2012
Public Affairs Specialist (GS14) – HHS
- Reduced helpdesk tickets to division’s contracted vendor by 15% and cut staff response time to internal partner requests in half by creating and delivering custom HTML & CSS training to digital communications division staff
OCTOBER 2006 – MARCH 2011
Dir. Online Communications – Clean Water Action
- Increased online donations by 20% by designing and implementing lapsed donor email program
OCTOBER 2004 – OCTOBER 2006
Dir. Communications & Admin – Center of Concern
- Increased member retention by 50% by designing and deploying new donor email program
APRIL 2004 – OCTOBER 2004
Online Content Manager – Assn. of Trial Lawyers of America
- Decreased spam reports of email newsletter by 35% by applying content best practices
APRIL 2000 – NOVEMBER 2003
Web Manager – Greenpeace USA
- Saved the organization 98% per month on technology costs by custom designing a content management system and by managing a 16 month redesign and migration of multiple websites to on-time, on-budget completion
Approach
- Curiosity and philosophy of beginner’s mind
- Bringing a design mindset to writing
- Speaking candidly without venom
- Tactical execution mindful of the big picture
Education
Certified Design Thinking Facilitator – LUMA Institute
Certification in designing, planning, and leading design thinking workshops for large and small groups.
UX Design Certificate – CareerFoundry
Six month, 400 hour program specializing in UX process and methods.
Plain Language Writing Certificate – PlainLanguage.gov
Federal employee training intensive in plain language writing techniques.
M.A. Film & Video Production – American University
Concentration in screenwriting. Winner Best Screenplay AU Student Film Festival.
B.A. Interdisciplinary: English, Politics, Psychology – Catholic University
Semiotics, critical discourse analysis of visual media, psychology of art. Awarded Magna Cum Laude.
Community Engagement
DC Content Strategy Meetup – Member
UXPA DC – Member/Volunteer
Hexagon DC – Member