Resume
Experience
ART DIRECTOR
Agriculture & Animal Health Team
Signal Theory • 2021 - June 2023
Left position to move to Portland, OR
Fast-paced team shepherd. Achieved high levels of client satisfaction on John Deere by navigating time-sensitive constraints, advocating for creative production teams and meticulously coordinating communication across numerous project components and disciplines.
Digital brand juggler. Developed and maintained simultaneous creative initiatives for Merck Animal Health, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver a variety of on-brand campaigns across web, video, email, social media, print, tradeshows and more.
Resourceful cause champion. Orchestrated a highly successful, award-winning campaign for the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault by designing an impactful creative concept and led the creative team to produce compelling cross-platform work on a limited budget that drove donations beyond client expectations.
Ironclad brand guard. Established and enforced brand guidelines and visual standards for a variety of clients, ensuring quality and consistency across all touchpoints and platforms.
Future-proofer. Routinely researched industry technologies, trends, and best practices to leverage new approaches in creative projects.
ART DIRECTOR
Food Team
Signal Theory • 2018 - 2021
Brand builder and subject expert. Led strategy-based rebrands for Cargill’s key beef lines, overseeing 10+ brands. Creative authority on the brands, products, target audiences, and meat consumer trends.
Conceptual collaborator. Collaborated on compelling campaigns for product lines, utilizing digital, print, and in-store tactics. Tactfully sold creative concepts to clients, building rapport and trust.
Photography art director. Conceptualized and led food photoshoots for diverse Cargill brands, expanding photo libraries. Ensured client satisfaction with meticulous pre-production planning and close collaboration with chefs, achieving seamless execution for the team.
Team cultivator. Mentored design and copy interns in growth-focused portfolio projects, fostering collaboration and inspiration. Advocated for their career advancement and full-time employment opportunities.
Creative pipeline planner. Expanded outreach and connections with local creative colleges and events. Conducted intern portfolio reviews and collaborated with creative leadership in the intern selection process.
ASSOCIATE DESIGNER
Food Team
Signal Theory • 2016 - 2018
Versatile design triage. Seamlessly integrated into a dynamic work environment to handle diverse and fast-paced projects across over 15+ food-based clients, accommodating evolving project priorities.
Discerning design specialist. Leveraged keen attention to detail to ensure consistent and polished design output across social media, print materials, packaging and large-scale production.
Brand expander. Collaborated with Art Directors to elevate the presence and market reach of both new and established brands across diverse platforms, including print, web, and social media.
Design asset coordinator and production assistant. Maintained clean design files, asset libraries, and project documentation for organization and accessibility. Assisted in the production and preparation of design assets, including image editing, retouching, and formatting.
Visual brand custodian. Adhered to brand guidelines and design standards to maintain consistency in visual elements and deliverables.
Continuous learner. Kept up with design trends, industry best practices, and emerging technologies to enhance design skills and knowledge.
Education
B.A. in Graphic Design,
minor in Communications
Wichita State University, 2016
Technical Skills
WordPress
Keynote
Microsoft Office
Google Workspace
Workfront
ClickUp
Agile
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
Bridge
Xd
Chat GPT
Midjourney
Light experience in Figma and After Effects
Soft Skills
Creative adaptability
Emotional intelligence
Servant leadership
Curious collaboration
Optimistic problem solving
Awards
Silver. District 9 American Advertising Awards
Best of Public Service, Gold and Silver. Kansas City American Advertising Awards
Most Innovative & Gold. Kansas City Direct Marketing Association AMBIT Awards
Gold. American Marketing Association Wichita Awards
Gold. VETTY Awards (Animal Health Industry)
AIGA Kansas City Design Awards.
Claims to Fame
DEI pioneer. Co-championed the formation and leadership of Signal Theory’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employee Resource Group, with a focus on empowering women and BIPOC in the advertising industry. Orchestrated and executed grassroots workshops and programming while collaborating closely with company leadership to drive meaningful policy enhancements
Intern Mentorship Program author. Initiated and spearheaded the development of Signal Theory’s Summer Intern Mentorship program, leveraging experience as a former intern and active Internship Committee member. Effectively presented and secured buy-in from company leadership, resulting in the program’s ongoing implementation and continued success.
People Plan committee member. Enhanced the overall employee experience by implementing strategic changes to prioritize company benefits, feedback processes, work anniversaries, cultural celebrations, and retention initiatives. Proactively nurtured a thriving company culture to drive higher retention rates.
Cross-team creative negotiator. Led an innovative inter-team stock asset initiative, optimizing the availability of high-quality assets for creative projects while ensuring efficient and cost-effective solutions for clients. Collaborated with the legal department to establish streamlined best practices for asset usage, subsequently training and enforcing adherence to usage agreements among all branch creatives.
Internships
2016 Creative Intern
Signal Theory
2015 Summer Design Intern
Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
2014 - 2016 Design Intern
Wichita State University Housing
Volunteer
2023 Design Volunteer
Inspiring Girls USA
2019-2021 Big Sister
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas
2016-2018 Volunteer
American Institute of Graphic Arts, Wichita