#Creative Director/#Manager/#Educator/#Leader
#Art Director/#Creative Services/#Project Manager
Hands-on, award-winning Creative Leader with a proven record for effectively communicating strategic goals into actionable design solutions and ensuring that the Creative team carries out the overall creative direction. Produces compelling, engaging creative that effectively expresses an organization’s brand positioning across all media. Provides direct supervision and ensures that creative vehicles are produced efficiently and released on a timely basis. Quickly assesses the talents and abilities of every member of the team and utilizes them to the fullest capacity. Accustomed to serving as a working member of the team, creating new artwork from concept to finished art. Open to a variety of opportunities and available to travel, if required.
Professional Skills
Creative
Develops and maintains a consistent brand/creative identity for the organization that is aligned with the brand’s positioning and contributes to profitable sales growth, plus the development of a favorable brand image among customers and prospects
Strong ability to provide clear creative direction and provide timely and helpful feedback to improve creative processes to keep work on budget and schedule
Propagates this brand/creative identity across all media, with equal emphasis on offline and electronic media
Establishes and implements a distinctive creative perspective/point-of-view for each brand
Leverages consumer and market research for relevant insights into customer and market opportunities that will help shape creative development and production
Team Leadership
A confident and decisive creative leader who can handle projects from the ground up while delegating and directing a creative team
Actively and positively contributes to the overall strategic and financial success of the organization through regular contributions to the general management of the company, including strategic and tactical planning, budgeting and special projects
Oversees quality control evaluating creative team members and their work
Leads and manages the creative team in a collaborative way designed to encourage creative, innovative, and imaginative ideas, while still holding each member of the team responsible for their own work
Cultivates an environment that allows for open communication and maintains a positive and exciting energy
Leads ideation through brainstorming and by providing helpful feedback and direction
Production
Establishes and maintains creative production standards, systems, procedures, policies and reports to manage and coordinate all aspects of the creative process, including art direction, design, photography, copy writing, product preparation, prepress and printing to produce excellent quality materials on time and within budget
Plans and implements all photo shoots and video production, such that brand imagery is achieved that clearly expresses the brand positioning
Drives improvements in the creative process and capabilities
People/Resource Management
Ability to effectively prioritize workload to meet deadlines and work objectives. Uses resources effectively and efficiently. Is reliable in work habits. Able to organize and self–direct execution of tasks/duties
Understands the essence of brands in all aspects of design, and continually communicates this to the creative team
Works with creative team on style/branding guides to meet internal needs, as well as external partners and vendors
Recruits, develops, mentors and retains high-caliber and high-potential creative and production professionals
As necessary, develops and manages third party vendors or contractors to provide products or services necessary to meet the department’s deliverables commitments
A highly-seasoned educator, uniquely qualified to train/mentor employees
Communications & Collaboration
Establishes positive, highly productive working relationships with all levels of organization
Ensures that inter-departmental relationships with counterparts are positive, productive and seamless, so maximum efficiency is achieved in all interdepartmental creative processes
Collaborates with other departments to produce high quality design for both internal and external client projects
Client Relationship Management: External & Internal
Works with clients to ensure clients' needs are continually met, creative goals are on track
Advanced experience managing creative development in a client–service environment
Participates in research efforts to uncover customer insights that enhance customer experiences and service design solutions as they relate to clients
Excellent presentation skills and communication abilities at all levels of organizations
Advertising Agency and Design Experience
Owner, Art Director, Graphic Designer and Product Photographer, 1995–Present
Prine Design—Nashville, TN
Ideation, creation, and production of client projects encompassing comprehensive advertising campaigns, corporate branding, publishing, education, and the entertainment industry
Commercial photography for corporate and publishing clientele
Effectively communicate strategic goals into actionable design solutions
Ensure that the creative team carries out the overall creative direction
Produce compelling creative effectively expressing an organization’s brand across all media
Provide supervision, ensures creative vehicles are produced efficiently and released on time
Quickly assess talents/abilities of each member of the team, utilizes them to the fullest capacity
Accustomed to serving as a working member of a team, creating new work from concept to final
Creative Services Director, Graphic Designer and Photographer, 1996–2001
The Potomac Group—Nashville, TN
Coaching, fostering teamwork among and overseeing the work of a staff of in-house and freelance graphic designers, illustrators and photographers
Project management, budget management, and timeline management for a variety of client projects
Organize a variety of daily tasks and meetings for a range of clients and those responsible for producing advertising and marketing projects
Ensure that all design work reflects consistent client image
Develop and reinforce creative standards, oversee design projects for quality, printing and deadlines
Ensure that best practices and promotion of process improvement provide and efficient workplace
Nurture client relationships as well as relationships between department and third-party vendors
Production Manager, 1995–1996
TFS Graphics—Nashville, TN
Project management, budget management, and deadline management for a variety of client projects
Oversee operation of P.M. shift management duties and deadlines
Organize a variety of daily tasks and meetings
Ensure that best practices and promotion of process improvement provide and efficient workplace
Effectively communicating strategic goals into actionable solutions
Creative Director, Graphic Designer and Photographer, 1992–1995
Lawrence, Spence & Associates—Murfreesboro, TN and White Bridge Communications—Nashville, TN
Coaching, fostering teamwork among and overseeing the work of a staff of in-house and freelance graphic designers, illustrators and photographers
Project management, budget management, and timeline management for a variety of client projects
Organize a variety of daily tasks and meetings for a range of clients and those responsible for producing advertising and marketing projects
Ensure that all design work reflects consistent client image
Teaching Experience
Lower Columbia College, Assistant Professor, Department of Art & Design, 2022–Present
Volunteer State Community College, Assistant Professor, Department of Art, 2021–2022
Southeast Missouri State University, Assistant Professor, Department of Art, 2017–2019
O’More College of Design, Fine Arts/Liberal Arts Department Chair, Associate Professor, 2015–2017
O’More College of Design, Graphic Design Department Chair, Associate Professor, 2013–2015
Middle Tennessee State University, Term Lecturer, Department of Art , 2012–2013
Dixie State University, Associate Professor, Department of Art, 2006–2012
Washington State University, Teacher of Record/GTA, 2004–2006
Lipscomb University, Photographer, Photography Instructor, 2001–2004
O’More College of Design, Advertising/Graphic Design Instructor, 1998–2004
Nashville State Community College, Graphic Design Instructor, 1996–2003
Education
Washington State University
Master of Fine Arts, Photography and Design/Drawing
Graduate Teaching Assistantship, Departmental Fellowship awards
Middle Tennessee State University
Master of Arts, Clinical Psychology
Graduate Research Assistantship award
Bachelor of Arts, Visual Art with Photography and Graphic Design emphases
Technical/Software
Proficient in Mac OS or PC environment and relevant graphic design applications. Expertise with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat. Adobe Dreamweaver, WordPress, HTML, Word, PowerPoint and Excel knowledgeable. I am also an adept product photographer with a range of experiences in studio lighting design. I have used Proofhub, Jira, and Trello for project management.
