Hello!

Thanks for visiting my site. I am a seasoned and passionate creative director, art director and image maker. Currently living in the beautiful city of Los Angeles, CA. I began my career in ad agency, in-house and government design work, but have spent the past fifteen years in the TV entertainment world.

In my current job as Creative Director at Discovery, Science and Animal Planet, I lead and manage our design team and art direct creative conceptual TV key art campaigns for our marketing efforts. I'm well versed in applying my problem solving and management skills to all aspects of key art, print/digital media, TV/motion graphics, social media, press kits/communications, packaging, OOH event activation and multi-pronged national campaigns.

After taking art classes in jr. high and high school, and being amazed to learn it could become a career, I wanted nothing else. From then on, I pursued my love and continue to do so to this day. That "AHA!" moment, crafting a concept from a germ of an idea and seeing it through to fruition are what keep me coming back day after day. I love getting my hands dirty on a project and letting the human touch show through in the final design. 

Let's create some great work together! Email me for any inquiries or comments. Cheers!

Experience

Creative Director – Discovery, Science and Animal Planet
October 2018 – Present, Los Angeles, CA

• Collaborate alongside SVP and VP marketing, strategy partners, designers, and producers to direct, design and manage a high volume of key art campaign assets for three networks’ full lineup of programming as well as Discovery+ streaming offerings, often with short deadlines and rapidly changing schedules

• Art direct campaigns for the networks’ largest pop culture franchises, such as Discovery’s Shark Week, Gold Rush, Deadliest Catch, Naked and Afraid and Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl

• Source, hire and direct outside design agencies and freelancers to handle overflow work, overseeing the process from beginning to end 

• Built the internal network’s design team from the ground up, developing processes, workflows, resources and a deep freelancer base to accommodate all design needs

Creative Director/Art Director – Freelance
July 2017 – October 2018, Los Angeles, CA

• Freelance in-house at top entertainment design agencies, conceptualizing key art for clients such as FX, HBO, Netflix, Hulu, Starz, CBS Films, Freeform and YouTube

• Personally acted as creative director, art director, illustrator and client management liaison to provide one-stop graphic design services for companies such as Food Network, Travel Channel, WWE and City National Bank, amongst others

• Research and engage with vendors when needed, managing budgets and production timelines

Art Director – Travel Channel
May 2016 – May 2017, New York City, NY
April 2008 – May 2016, Washington DC

• Mentored, managed and art directed the in-house design team, guiding workflow from pre-production to on-time deadline completion

• Lead designer responsible for conceptualizing, compositing, designing and executing award-winning 360° TV key art marketing campaigns that were strategically on brand, in collaboration with the creative director, producers, copywriters and strategy leads - these campaigns include record ratings results for Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, The Layover, Ghost Adventures Live, Man v Food and Expedition Unknown

• Oversaw and art directed motion graphic houses to fully develop on-air promo packages

• Presented concepts to senior leadership and strategy partners

• Art directed photo shoots with network talent, including Andrew Zimmern, Samantha Brown, Adam Richman, Josh Gates, Bert Kreischer, Anthony Melchiorri, Bret Michaels and Don Wildman

• Supplied art direction to out-of-house freelance designers, finishers, graphic houses, photographers, sketch artists, illustrators and production companies

• Managed production timelines and budgets of all print vendor projects

• Deeply involved in 3 major design rebrands of the network

Designer – Discovery Communications
August 2007 – April 2008, Washington DC

• Designed a variety of print and online creative for network and in-house corporate clients including Discovery Communications, Travel Channel, Planet Green and Discovery Education

• Collaborated with a team of art directors, writers, project/print managers to streamline concepts and hone directions for presentation

• Maintained distinctive network brands across all projects

Designer – Federal Government
October 2003 – August 2007, Washington DC

• Lead designer on projects including identity development and collateral materials, web sites, annual reports, publications, brochures, exhibits, posters, marketing materials, presentations, briefings, mailing materials, signage, coins, video graphics and illustrations

• Met with clients to define project requirements, budget and present finished design concepts

• Developed project cost estimates and timeline schedules

Temp Designer – Kid’s Stuff
May 2003 – October 2003, Topeka, Kansas

• Designed page layouts for the company’s product catalog and point-of-sale materials

• Developed product line logos

• Inspected and corrected freelancer artwork in preparation for print

• Assisted senior designers with general duties, including presentation and file preparation

Jr. Designer – The Clockwork Group
August 2002 – January 2003, San Antonio, TX

• Designed print and web-based projects

• Shadowed and assisted senior designers with presentations and projects

Intern Designer – Federal Government
January 2000 – August 2001, Washington DC

• Collaborated with analysts to create a variety of finished intelligence and marketing materials, including charts, briefings, foldouts, logos, posters and awards

Education

University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO

• Bachelor of Fine Arts, Commercial Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design

• Graduated summa cum laude from a National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredited university

Awards

2017 Ex Awards, Best Use of Guerrilla/Street Marketing - Expedition Unknown: Hunt for the Yeti NYC OOH Event Activation
2017 NYC Addy Silver, Ambient Media Event - Expedition Unknown: Hunt for the Yeti NYC OOH Event Activation
2016 PromaxBDA Bronze, Online Takeover Promotion/Roadblock - Expedition Unknown Weather.com App Takeover
2016 DC Addy Silver, Advertising & Promotion Web Banner Ads - Expedition Unknown Weather.com App Takeover
2015 DC Addy Silver, Direct Marketing 3D - Booze Traveler Press Kit
2014 DC Addy Gold, Advertising & Promotion Banners/Rich Media - Bizarre Foods America MSN.com Takeover
2013 DC Addy Silver, Full Page Four Color Consumer Publication - Dangerous Grounds Print Ad
2012 CTAM MARK Silver, Affiliate Marketing Multimedia Campaign - Travel Channel Summer Detour
2012 PromaxBDA Promotion & Marketing Gold, Consumer Promotion Using Integrated Media - The Layover
2012 DC Addy Silver, Single Poster - Anthony Bourdain Cuba Poster
2012 DC Addy Silver, Mass Transit/Public/Airline, Interior - Travel Channel Summer Detour Subway Wrap
2011 PromaxBDA Promotion & Marketing Awards Gold, Trade Ad - Anthony Bourdain 100th Episode Ad
2011 Cablefax Award, Best Digital Marketing Campaign - Anthony Bourdain 100th Episode
2010 CTAM MARK Bronze, Promotion & Tune-In Campaign for a Single Program - Ghost Adventures Live
2010 PromaxBDA Design Gold, Illustrated for Print - Ghost Adventures Live Skull Poster
2010 PromaxBDA Design Bronze, Illustrated for Print - Ghost Adventures Live Hero Poster
2010 PromaxBDA Design Silver, Poster Campaign - Ghost Adventures Live Poster Series
2010 PromaxBDA Design Bronze, Folded Piece - Travel Channel Studios Brochure
2006 Print Magazine's Regional Print Annual - Minus Story/Okkervil River Tour Poster
2006 Silver International Davey Award - Minus Story/Okkervil River Tour Poster
2006 Silver International Davey Award - Minus Story West Coast Tour Poster
6x Federal Government Exceptional Performance Awards