About—Skills

15+ years' corporate experience defining communication and training needs
...and developing the most effective way to deliver your message

About | Skills

Writing, Editing, Content

  • Superior communication skills—writing, research, interviewing, content development, presentations, classroom teaching, layout/design, and a wide variety of presentation technology/tool use (15+ years).

  • Finely detailed editing for grammar, mechanics, flow, format, standards, technical accuracy, author/system consistency, vocabulary level, industry terminology, audience appropriateness, usability (15+ years).

  • Regular use of company-specific and standard style references, including AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style, Modern Language Association (MLA), Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, Microsoft Manual of Style (15+ years).

  • Development and maintenance of EDS and HP project and corporate standards, including templates in multiple applications (13 years).

  • Proven ability to learn subject matter and software quickly, including high aptitude for scientific and technical subject matter. Strong in obtaining and organizing information from subject-matter experts or managers and clearly communicating it to others (15 years).

  • Professional experience with huge range of subject matter and audiences—IT systems design/development to soft-skill leadership, call center processes to corporate security, business continuity to quality/testing, system users/customers to high school students and staff.

  • Extensive use of Information Mapping (also received formal, weeklong classroom training).

Training Design, Development

  • Extensive IT industry corporate instructional design experience, including e-learning via web, intranet, and hard copy content; online documentation and user manuals; job aid/quick reference; blended learning, instructor-led training, distance learning, self-study, and train-the-trainer (15+ years).

  • In-depth work in communications and training development life cycle methodologies (ISDs), including needs analysis, design, development, testing, and maintenance/QA/continuous improvement. (15+ years).

  • Extensive use of Information Mapping (also received formal, weeklong classroom training).

  • Corporate process definition, documentation, analysis, and improvement experience—in business, training, and education environments (7 years).

  • Texas teaching certificates—Journalism, English, Science, Business, English as a Second Language (ESL, just awarded in May 2022), Reading/Language Arts.

Websites, Web Applications

I've redesigned and edited existing sites for accuracy, clarity, usability, and consistency—and to make programming more maintainable. As with all my work, I focus on your business or communication goal and gather enough information about you and your audience to create an online experience that meets your goal. Although website design isn’t my primary service, I've periodically developed smaller websites for paying clients and as volunteer work since the early 2000s.

Strong content plus effective design—As a business writer, I know how to make website content work with the site's design and navigation because I've made it all work together on my own. Additionally, I'll consult with you on ways to make your site better overall for your users. Your website staff will find working with me easy because I understand both the advantages and limitations of websites.

  • Website design and navigation

  • Content development

  • Usability design

  • Corporate website standards documentation and development (for HP and EDS)

  • Updates, edits, regular maintenance

Project Management

My 10 years' experience managing corporate communication and training projects means that I can work independently and follow a project schedule. I know when to seek your input and when to move ahead. However, you always have the final word on everything; this is your project.

  • Extensive project management experience, including use of industry-standard project management software applications including MS Project. I’m described by management and clients as extremely organized, efficient, and innovative in getting things done in a team environment (10+ years).

  • Persistent drive to find effective ways to collect and analyze project and user data to determine communication/training updates, identify client needs, pinpoint potential problems, and stay abreast of trends (13 years).

  • Simultaneous management of two EDS training development teams—performance appraisals, development plans, salary administration, full P&L responsibility (budget, outlook, variance reporting).

  • Reported directly to head of EDS Corporate Security worldwide; trusted with extra security clearance plus training of upper-level management.

Technology, Software
(partial list)

  • Software: MS Office 2007, 2010, 2019. MS Word, Excel, Outlook (all functions), Project, PowerPoint, Publisher, Lync, Visio. Dreamweaver, FrontPage, basic HTML, Captivate, Camtasia, iTutor, Authorware (course/demo authoring). SMART Board/Notebook, Eduphoria, SchoolWires/Skyward, Safari Montage (LMS). Photoshop, Picasa. HP Virtual Rooms, NetMeeting, Zoom, eRoom, SharePoint. iLinc (virtual classroom). VPNs (Citrix, Cisco). Adobe Acrobat Professional, SnagIt. DropBox. SquareSpace, Weebly.

  • Apps: Google Docs, Drive, Forms, Classroom, Calendar, etc. Evernote, iCloud (mobile, desktop). Poll Everywhere, Go To Meeting, Kahoot, Remind, Confer (conference documentation), LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, SplashTop (mobile projector control), iOS, Android.

Other Related Skills

  • Process definition, documentation, analysis, and improvement skills—in business and training situations (7 years).

  • Teaching and presentation experience—in corporate roles and public school positions at the high school level (12 years).

  • Lifelong photography experience in digital and print formats, including skill in multiple photo and graphics applications. My photojournalism-style photography (using unposed photos to tell a story) works well for showing off a company’s or group's personality. I have 6 years’ photography experience as part of professional positions and 20+ total years’ experience in photojournalism, including formal college training as well as recruiting and training a high school yearbook staff that won the Texas state championship.

  • I'm a trained Skywarn storm spotter and have my amateur “ham” radio license; I have strong scientific and technical aptitude and enjoy working with this type of subject matter. My bookshelves are filled with a combination of science and history books along with all kinds of great stories and classic literature.

  • Texas teaching certification in secondary-level (high school and junior high) English, Journalism, English Language Arts/Reading, Science, and Business.