50+ Virginia Press Awards | B.A. Graphic Design & Media Arts, Summa Cum Laude
Award-winning Design Director with 15+ years leading visual strategy across print, digital, and experiential platforms. Proven record of delivering 700+ creative assets annually with 98%+ on-time publication for two regional newspapers. Recipient of 50+ Virginia Press Association awards, including Best in Show, for layout, storytelling, and creative direction. Skilled at translating complex goals into clear campaigns that build brand presence, engage communities, and drive measurable results.
• Design & Branding: Creative Direction, Visual Storytelling, Branding & Identity
• Digital & UX/UI: Website Design, CMS (BLOX, WordPress), Digital Advertising
• Technical: Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects), Motion Graphics, Video Editing
• Leadership & Production: Team Management, Workflow Optimization, Print Production, Campaign Development
Drive visual strategy and creative execution across print, digital, social, and promotional platforms for two regional newspapers, strengthening brand consistency and reader engagement.
Oversee an in-house and freelance creative team while delivering award-winning ads and layouts, managing 700+ creative assets annually.
Collaborate with editorial, advertising, classifieds, legal, circulation, and leadership teams to streamline workflow, reducing layout errors and achieving 98% on-time delivery for both papers.
Consolidate weekly workflows into unified production files, cutting revision cycles by 50% and ensuring seamless, on-schedule publication of two newspapers.
Maintain and update two newspaper websites in BLOX CMS, posting new content several times per week and managing placement of ~10 web ads per month with a near-zero error rate.
Lead development of the company’s first mobile app, coordinating external developers and internal stakeholders to expand digital reach and create a new reader channel.
Project-manage rollout of a self-service portal for legal notices, obituaries, and classifieds, overseeing platform integration, landing page design, pricing, and cross-department coordination to enable 200+ transactions monthly and boost self-serve revenue.
Designed ads, layouts, and promotional materials for internal departments and external clients across print and digital platforms, producing 700+ creative assets annually.
Paginated two weekly newspapers, created ad dummies, and supported estimating and planning for ad placement and sectioning to align revenue goals with balanced design.
Managed weekly e-edition production and led post-publication social media strategies, driving stronger engagement and visibility of featured stories.
Created and scheduled branded social media graphics to promote content, contests, and community campaigns, strengthening audience interaction across both publications.
Produced promotional videos using Premiere Pro and developed motion graphics in After Effects to expand digital storytelling and promotional reach.
Contributed to promotional giveaways and branded collateral for community events, increasing visibility for both the newspaper and local sponsors.
Collaborated cross-functionally on special sections and seasonal campaigns, delivering custom graphics and layouts under tight deadlines.
Developed the Kids’ Corner feature page in collaboration with local schools, generating ~$1,000 in monthly ad revenue while engaging youth with student artwork and custom puzzles designed for multiple age groups.
Co-developed a six-week Holiday Bingo campaign to encourage local shopping, designing custom bingo cards and overseeing ad creation for 24+ businesses. The campaign generated $6,000+ in ad revenue during a slow sales month, while increasing foot traffic and goodwill for local retailers.
Amber Ridge LLC | 6-month contract: Oct 2021 – Apr 2022 | Gainesville, VA
Collaborated on the production of 9 magazines and two 500-page member directories, ensuring accuracy, visual consistency, and timely distribution to members, boards, and committees.
Designed and maintained convention websites and registration pages in CMS platforms, supporting 500+ registrants and guests per event and coordinating sponsor recognition across digital and print.
Supported the planning and execution of three national conventions annually, each serving 1,500+ attendees and featuring 30 sponsors.
Produced thousands of onsite materials per convention, including 500+ documents, guides, packets, signage, lanyards, name badges, and sponsor-branded giveaways such as coozies, hand sanitizer, and notebooks.
Liaised with printers in multiple cities to coordinate large-scale production and shipping, achieving 100% on-time delivery of critical materials for four conventions.
Assisted the executive team with logistics planning, travel coordination, and scheduling, improving event efficiency and supporting successful national gatherings.
Laurene Craig Graphics | 2008 - 2020 | Remote
Collaborated on the production of 9 magazines and two 500-page member directories, ensuring accuracy, visual consistency, and timely distribution to members, boards, and committees.
Designed and maintained convention websites and registration pages in CMS platforms, supporting 500+ registrants and guests per event and coordinating sponsor recognition across digital and print.
Supported the planning and execution of three national conventions annually, each serving 1,500+ attendees and featuring 30 sponsors.
Produced thousands of onsite materials per convention, including 500+ documents, guides, packets, signage, lanyards, name badges, and sponsor-branded giveaways such as coozies, hand sanitizer, and notebooks.
Liaised with printers in multiple cities to coordinate large-scale production and shipping, achieving 100% on-time delivery of critical materials for four conventions.
Assisted the executive team with logistics planning, travel coordination, and scheduling, improving event efficiency and supporting successful national gatherings.
AOL / Time Warner / Verizon
Designed and launched AOL Canada’s Shopping and Weather Channels, building user-focused e-commerce and content platforms from the ground up.
Created UX/UI features, prototypes, and marketing assets for U.S. content hubs including Women’s, Home & Garden, and Parental Controls, enhancing usability and brand engagement.
Partnered with product managers, developers, and designers in a 16-person cross-functional team to deliver responsive, accessible digital experiences to AOL’s subscriber base.
Contributed to seasonal campaigns and interface enhancements that aligned with brand standards and improved customer retention across a platform serving 10M+ members.
B.A. in Graphic Design & Media Arts
Southern New Hampshire University | Summa Cum Laude