Freelance Writer

• Plan, research, and write for a variety of satisfied clients, including Washington State Parks, Mount Rainier National Park, Portland Fire & Rescue, Oregon State Parks, East Bank Communications, Transform Communications, and the City of Watsonville, CA.
• Ensure client vision and goals are met by successfully collaborating with experts, advisors, designers, and stakeholders to identify audiences, develop communication goals and learning objectives, and plan exhibit methods and media.
  
• Develop accurate and relevant content for targeted audiences by thoroughly researching primary and secondary sources, carefully analyzing and interpreting data, and identifying and interviewing subject matter experts.

Aug. 2000 - Present

Adjunct Assistant Professor
English, Professional Writing Program, Washington State University Vancouver, WA

• Inspire, teach, and advise students in the Professional Writing Certificate program. Evaluations consistently rank courses as superior. Comments include “[this class is] the best,” “great course and …wonderful teacher.” Courses recommended to others by former students.Classes include:
  
• English 405: Advanced Professional Writing and Editing. Coursework includes press releases, communication strategies, flyers and brochures, and feature articles for print and new media. Course culminates in a group service-learning project that provides a local non-profit with a communications or public relations plan. Class clients included Oregon Zoo, Clark County Historical Museum, New Blue Parrot Theatre Company and Speak the Speech, Inc.
• English 402: Technical and Professional Writing. Coursework includes research, evaluation, and interpretation of data; technical definitions, descriptions, and specifications; instructions and procedures; formal proposals and analytical reports, and memos and business letters. Course culminates in a final project where students write a formal document relevant to their industry or field of study (business plan, engineering specifications, scientific report, professional article).
• English 301: Advanced Writing and Rhetorical Conventions. Course focuses on persuasion, constructing logical arguments, errors in reasoning, and academic writing.
• Work closely with the Director of Professional Writing and other English department faculty to develop program goals and course outcomes; serve on various committees.
  
• Advisor and contributor to Inside Reporting textbook by Tim Harrower.
  
  

Director of Content Development / Managing Editor of www.AzasWeb.com
Proprietary Media, Inc., New York, NY

• Helped develop a national PR and marketing campaign for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) to support its mission to protect wildlife, conserve habitats, and raise environmental awareness. Communication strategy involved creating branded programs to highlight AZA's 1400 field conservation and research projects around the world.
• Planned, directed, and managed the content development for a variety of sponsored, branded programs, including print properties, formal curricula, traveling exhibits, and Web sites.
• Managed projects as well as in-house and contract writers, researchers, and designers.
• Planned, researched, and wrote exhibits and educational programs, including:
• Aza's Maze: Rainforest Adventure (AZA traveling exhibit sponsored by Starbucks)
• The Philadelphia Zoo & You: Saving Giant River Otters (interactive CD-ROM & Web quest curriculum)
• African Elephants (interactive CD-ROM & distance learning curriculum for Seneca Park Zoo)
• Beluga Whales (interactive CD-ROM and "aquarium-in-box" activities for Mystic Aquarium)
  

Senior Interpretive Writer
PPI Exhibit Design & Fabrication, Portland, OR

• Researched subjects and wrote exhibit text and audiovisual scripts on a variety of topics for informal learning centers, such as museums, visitor centers, zoos and aquariums
• Worked with museum directors, curators, educators, content experts and advisory boards
• Developed communication goals and learning objectives for exhibits
• Chaired Interpretive Process Committee to guide exhibit development process
• Member of committee responsible for developing company mission and values

Program Developer
Media Resources, Inc., Vancouver, WA

• Designed and developed multimedia CBT (computer-based training) programs that included learning activities, evaluation modules and performance data bases
• Ensured that all programs met the learning requirements of the National Fire Protection Association’s Standards for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications

Teaching Assistant
English Dept., University of New Orleans, LA

• Taught freshman English composition
• Professors and students evaluated performance as “superior” or “above average”

• Helped recruit, train, supervise and evaluate 80 undergraduate students in a peer tutoring program
• Co-developed and delivered a tutor training program that met the national certification requirements of the College Reading and Learning Association
• Designed, developed and delivered graduate and undergraduate writing workshops

• Designed, developed and delivered employee training
• Led after-hours book discussions

• Analyzed, organized and summarized testimony of automotive engineering experts
• Presented recommendations to attorneys

• Helped design, develop and deliver retail sales training program for point-of-sale systems for a grocery store chain of 85 stores
• Installed hardware and software; provided technical support