Creative Director/Art Director 
Award winning, conceptual designer, art director skilled in brand management, B2B marketing, and print production with extensive client contact. Ten plus years of creative learner centered workforce development.

Extensive experience as a headline writing Creative Director with experience in developing advertising concepts, as well as layouts for magazines, direct mail, POP, and web. Also experience in overseeing photo shoots, and extensive client contact. I have experience in project management, including managing time, establishing priorities, distributing responsibilities, and meeting deadlines.

Also experience in heading a staff of five including: art directors, copywriters, typesetters.  Experience working with production managers and traffic managers. And experience in mentoring staff, supervising printers, photographers, illustrators and other vendors. I have written and produced radio.

Advertising Creative Director 
Led and participated in all creative efforts for more than a decade of creative experience design ensuring delivery of creative at the quality level of the highly recognized and successful brands. This included, advertising campaigns, collateral, direct mail, trade show design, outdoor, marketing materials, package design, digital assets, for B2C and B2B. Created concepts, presented and produced: concept to completion.
One particular success: Created a Direct Mail campaign that saved 400 jobs by keeping the factory open. Another factory was built to keep up with orders!
•	Developed firm's initial pitch offerings and brand story based on market analysis which directly led to winning multi-year contracts from entry level to $1 million plus.
•	Led graphic designers, art directors and support personnel in $4 million agency.
•	Contracted and managed the work of freelance artists and outside design services.
•	Recruited national talent for illustration and photography for ad budgets in $6k-$12k range. 
•	Created and supervised production of printed materials in support of product awareness, brand identity and effective sell through creating client loyalty.
•	Negotiated and managed all vendor and supplier relationships.
•	Consistently led firm's communication and presentation efforts with client-side C-level executives that facilitated strong project management and prioritized client's strategic goals.
•	Managed estimates/budgets from advertising, brochures, to complex direct mail 3-D assets with budgets from $20k and up.
•	Wrote and produced radio advertisements for debt consolidation airing regularly.
•	Directed creative management and developed achieved average project profit margins of 35%. 
•	Foster repeat clients through consistent successes. 
•	Ability to adapt, incorporate feedback. 
•	Skilled in developing internal and external partnerships.

Experience in the following industries: Audio, Beverage, Banking, IC Chip scale packaging, Coating chemical additives, Asphalt polymer additives, Education, Electronic components, Fiber optics, Finance, Food service, Hvac, Insurance, Paper making felts, Publishing, Real estate, Telephony, Testing equipment, Transportation automotive, Trucking, Valves, Vending, Pool sanitizing chemicals.

•Adobe CC-Creative Suite •InDesign •Photoshop •Illustrator •Dreamweaver •QuarkXpress •SharePoint •MS Office •Word •Power Point •Excel •PC & Mac Platforms 

EDUCATION
East Carolina University, MAED, [18 hours of art direction coursework] 2005
Portfolio Center for Art Direction & Graphic Design, Atlanta, Diploma 
UNC-Chapel Hill, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Dean’s List

EXPERIENCE
	  
Creative Director, Freelance, Building The Brand, Charlotte, NC            2018 — present
 
Assoc Prof of Graphic Design   Art Institute, Charlotte, NC                  2001 — 2018
Technical Trainer and Workforce Development, on-ground and online delivery of instruction. Curriculum development project management.  

Creative Director     Strike Force Marketing , Charlotte, NC	             1993 —  2001
Accounts: ABTCo, Akso Nobel, BASF Dispersions, Bath Wizard Fiberglass Repair, Buyer’s Direct Mortgage, Dividend Mortgage, Hays Valves, Hygeia Health Services, Vending Tree, Lake Park, Pace Performance Automated Controls Engineering, Philips Components, S&D Coffee, ShellCase Chip Scale IC Packaging, Shakespeare Marine Radio, Volvo Trucks, WorldSound Stereo Speakers, 
a division of International Paper. 

Creative Director      The Downs Group, Charlotte, NC 	                      1988 —  1993
Accounts: Abitibi Building Products, Alcoa Fujikura Fiber Optics, BASF Dispersions, Carolina Freight, Conbraco Valves, Cooper Power Tools, Cyril Bath. Fasco Automotive, Harris Semiconductor, IRC, Kemet, LCI Corporation, Porrits & Spencer, Royal Insurance, SCAPA Group, Thomas Built Buses, Unaform Forming Fabrics.


CREATIVE AWARDS (75)

Business Marketing Association Carolinas
2000-Gold
1999-Best in NC, Ten Gold, Three Silver, Bronze.
1998-Three Gold, two Silver, Bronze
1997-Gold, five Silver, two Bronze
1996-Gold, two Silver, five Bronze.
1995-Gold, two Silver, two Bronze.
1994-Two Silver, two Bronze.
1993-Gold, Silver.
1992-Three Gold, Silver.
1991-Silver, two Bronze.
1990-Best of Show, Gold, Silver, two Bronze.
1989-Gold, seven Silver
	
Pica Award 
    1996-Special Judges Award: Brochures 4/c

Business Marketing Association Nationals ProComm
1995-Award of Excellence
1989-Award of Excellence

Addy Awards Melbourne, Fla. 1989-Gold

Addy Awards Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tri-State 
1988-Award of Merit

Creativity: Art Direction Magazine
     1987 Certificate of Distinction