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Senior Project Coordinator

Reagan Marketing + Design | 2021-2022

Reagan Marketing + Design (RM+D) is a distinguished full-service advertising agency located in East Grand Rapids, known for its extensive portfolio encompassing community initiatives and collaborations with local Fortune 500 companies. I joined RM+D to revitalize their digital department and oversee the profitability of web projects, among other responsibilities.

Key Achievements

1. Effective Agile Project Management: Spearheaded projects using Agile methodology, ensuring streamlined communication, well-defined objectives, and adaptive project plans. Resulted in consistently on-time and budget-compliant project deliveries.
2. Quality Assurance Leadership: Established stringent testing procedures and comprehensive reviews to maintain the highest quality standards throughout digital projects. This commitment to quality translated into elevated client satisfaction and impeccable deliverables.
3. SEO Excellence: Collaborated cross-functionally to enhance website content, implementing best practices that boosted organic search rankings and attracted targeted traffic.
4. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Leveraged expertise in Google Business Suites, including Google Analytics, to extract actionable insights. These insights drove informed decision-making, optimizing website performance, tracking crucial metrics, and enhancing user experiences.
5. Remote Workflow Management: Successfully navigated the intricacies of remote project management. Orchestrated seamless collaboration with distributed teams and stakeholders across various time zones. Established robust communication channels, integrated project management tools, and scheduled regular check-ins, ensuring timely milestone achievements.
6. Website Accessibility Checks: Conducted comprehensive website accessibility checks to ensure compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, fostering an inclusive online environment and enhancing user experiences for individuals with disabilities.
7. Alt Tag Authoring and Accessibility Maintenance: Wrote descriptive alt tags for images and diligently maintained website accessibility, ensuring that all digital content met accessibility standards to provide an inclusive user experience.
8. Client Relationship Management: Effectively maintained and nurtured client relationships, overseeing projects to ensure client satisfaction and promptly addressing their requests and needs, fostering positive long-term partnerships.
9. Community Outreach and Volunteer Engagement: Actively participated in community outreach initiatives and volunteer work, leveraging the agency’s resources and expertise to contribute to local causes and strengthen RM+D’s positive impact on the community.

Digital Experience Designer

Greatland Corporation | 2015-2018

Greatland Corporation, a prominent local tax software and supplies company headquartered in Walker, Michigan, extends its tax services nationwide, including collaborations with Fortune 500 entities such as the National Basketball Association.

Key Achievements

1. Brand Maintenance and Enhancement: Diligently managed and enhanced brand experiences for four internal brands, ensuring unwavering adherence to brand guidelines. This commitment to consistency and alignment fortified the brand’s identity.
2. Strategic Campaign Design: Developed and crafted the annual campaign, grounded in meticulous secondary market research. The campaign aimed to prompt customers to replenish their tax supplies.
3. Exceptional Campaign Execution: Orchestrated the annual campaign with precision, resulting in remarkable year-over-year sales growth, underscoring its effectiveness and impact.
4. UX/UI Design: Proficient in creating intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces by employing user-centered design principles, wireframing, prototyping, and conducting user testing to enhance overall user experiences.
5. HTML/CSS Development: Experienced in crafting well-structured and responsive web layouts using HTML and CSS, ensuring cross-browser compatibility, accessibility, and adherence to modern web standards.
6. CSS/HTML Email Development: Proficient in designing and coding responsive email templates using HTML tables, ensuring consistent rendering across various email clients and devices while optimizing for click-through rates and engagement.
7. Illustration and Digital Graphics: Created captivating digital graphics for social media and websites in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, employing illustrative techniques to enhance visual content and engage online audiences effectively.

Senior Creative Designer

MLive Media Group/Advanced Local | 2014-2015

Promoted to Senior Creative Designer, I played a pivotal role in maintaining design standards, handling white-glove accounts, and leading a team of designers in website development while creating animated online ads.

Key Achievements

1. Email Marketing Optimization: Revamped email marketing HTML/CSS templates based on industry best practices, resulting in an enhanced end-user experience. These templates optimized engagement across all screen sizes, email clients, operating systems, and browsers.
2. Team Development: Spearheaded the training and development of a team of WordPress designers and developers, equipping them with the skills to efficiently deliver high-quality projects.
3. Campaign Conceptualization: Conceptualized impactful campaigns tailored to the needs of white-glove accounts, aligning with client goals and consistently driving successful outcomes.
4. Design Oversight: Provided vigilant oversight, ensuring strict adherence to design standards and best practices across email marketing, digital advertising, and print advertisements.

Multimedia Designer

MLive Media Group/Advanced Local | 2014-2015

MLive Media Group is a small, local media company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that supports media production for its sister newspaper and media companies. Advanced Local, MLive’s sister company, provides newspaper and digital advertising services for MLive Media Group and others across the nation.

Key Achievements

1. Animation Expertise: Applied animation techniques to enhance multimedia content, creating visually captivating and interactive elements that further engaged the audience and strengthened brand presence.
2. WordPress Design and Development: Proficiently handled WordPress design and development, crafting visually appealing and functional websites that met client requirements. Mentored and trained a team of designers and developers to ensure the efficient delivery of high-quality WordPress projects.
3. Mass Digital Ad Production: Produced hundreds of digital animated advertisements at common Google sizes daily using Adobe’s Creative Suite, ensuring efficient and high-quality ad creation to meet demanding production requirements.
4. Team Training: Played a key role in training the team on new applications like Mixpo and WordPress, facilitating their swift adaptation to new technologies and tools, ultimately enhancing team productivity and capabilities.
5. Print Layout Design: Proficient in creating visually appealing print layouts that combine typography, imagery, and design principles to produce eye-catching marketing materials, brochures, and publications that resonate with target audiences.
6. Graphic Design: Experienced in graphic design encompassing a wide range of projects, including branding, marketing collateral, digital and print materials, and visual communication, consistently delivering creative and visually compelling solutions that meet client objectives.

WordPress Troubleshooting Developer

Kyros Digital | 2017

MenkLabs | 2017

Key Achievements

1. WordPress Website Troubleshooting: Provided on-call expertise in diagnosing and resolving issues with WordPress websites, swiftly identifying and remedying technical challenges to ensure seamless website functionality.
2. CMS Consultation: Offered expert guidance and consultation services on different content management systems, customization options, and optimization strategies to clients seeking to enhance their online presence and leverage the full potential of the WordPress platform.
3. Social Media Website Development: Leveraged technical skills to design and develop social WordPress websites, enhancing online visibility and engagement for clients seeking to expand their digital footprint and connect with entrepreneurs in Detroit.

SOCIAL MEDIA DESIGN AND DIGITAL PRESCENCE MANAGER

Jeff Miedema Homes | 2018

Key Achievements

1. Social Media Design: Crafted captivating and informative graphics across various social media accounts, enhancing the brand’s online presence and engaging the audience with visually compelling content.
2. Digital Presence Manager: Ensuring consistent brand representation and messaging across all digital platforms, thereby strengthening the brand’s online identity and resonance with the target audience.
3. Digital Marketing Consultant: Provided strategic digital marketing guidance and expertise, devising and implementing digital marketing strategies to boost online visibility, engagement, and lead generation.
4. Market Research Expertise: Conducted comprehensive market research, including identifying the target market and determining the most effective marketing channels to reach and engage potential clients.

Accessibility Designer/Partner

Nearsighted Studios | 2014-2018

I joined Nearsighted Studios in 2014 as a collaborator with friends (and my now husband), contributing to branding efforts, internal brand direction, and social media strategy while upholding high design standards and incorporating best practices for accessibility and usability.

Key Achievements

1. Internal Brand Management: Oversaw the internal brand’s overall experience, ensuring it maintained consistency, coherence, and alignment with brand guidelines.
2. Creative Direction: Provided creative direction, guiding the team’s artistic vision, and maintaining a high design quality across various projects.
3. Design Excellence: Incorporated best practices in design, including visual hierarchy, grid systems, and usability principles, to create visually appealing and practical design solutions.
4. Social Media Strategy: Collaborated with the team to develop and implement social media strategies, fostering brand awareness, engagement, and growth.

Accessibility Designer/Partner

Dani Leonard Designs | 2017-2021

Operating as an independent contractor since 2018, I provide valuable assistance to agencies with overflow design work, branding development, and design strategy while adhering to best practices and socially responsible design.

Key Achievements

1. Website Management: Managed and maintained websites, ensuring optimal functionality, user experience, and accessibility.
2. Brand Strategy: Conducted primary research and gathered secondary research to develop comprehensive brand strategies, aligning them with client objectives and target audiences.
3. Design Expertise: Implemented best practices in design, including responsive design, typography, color theory, and layout principles, to create visually compelling and user-friendly experiences.
4. ADA Compliance: Ensured ADA compliance in design, incorporating accessibility features to make websites inclusive and accessible to all users.
5. Socially Responsible Design: Fostered socially responsible design practices by considering ethical and sustainable principles, such as using eco-friendly materials, supporting diverse representation, and promoting inclusivity in design solutions.