Business Analysis | Product Management | Technical Writing| Management | Fundraising | Events Coordination | Marketing | Volunteer History | Employment History | Education | Awards & Activities

Also available in PDF

• Current resume in PDF format
• PDF of functional resume, including dog experience

Professional Skills

• Canine-related experience is also available>>

Business Analysis

• Elicited, documented and evaluated business requirements for complex projects, working across multiple organizations.
• Interfaced with SMEs in technology, merchandising, fulfillment, customer service and finance to decompose high-level concepts into detailed requirements.
• Built use cases and models that clearly depicted process flows relating to specific business requirements. Documented existing operating procedures and recommended efficiencies for complex, highly interdependent ecommerce platform that serves 80+ clients.
• Worked closely with internal and external customers to identify goals and objectives, document new and updated business processes, and ensure that business needs are met.
• Conducted interviews and facilitated requirements elicitation sessions.
• Communicated effectively with technical and non-technical personnel. Gathered and evaluated requirements for project elements that require software development work.
• Communicated information needed to fulfill these requirements effectively to partners, business and technical staff in both oral and written forms.

Product Management

• Collect, track and manage feature requests from internal and external clients. Prioritize requests for scheduled releases based on factors such as ROI, business need, funding available and projected roadmap.
• Develop product requirements documents to capture long-term goals/vision as well as considerations. Prioritized features for product inclusion. Created abstracts to address short-term objectives. Both documents included user stories and high-/mid-level business requirements.
• Research and analyze competitive data, industry trends, and user needs to build product roadmaps that span several years and include multiple releases.
• Engage clients to determine real needs vs. superficial trends. Troubleshoot product features for existing platform.

Technical Writing

• Published user manuals and online help system for a variety of software applications, from web services to satellite software. Worked closely with developers and technical experts to ensure accuracy and consistency.
• Created and maintained MS Word templates that are fully automated and take advantage of field codes.
• Created and maintained Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to maintain a consistent interface for the user.
• Standardized, tested and formatted training materials. Tasks included creation of new exercises to address key features and user tasks, validation testing, working with technical staff to ensure adequate coverage of key issues, and creating new style and template for materials to provide a complementary look between training and documentation.
• Redirected the focus of paper documentation to task-based topics that are independent of the user interface.
• Managed growing technical writing team. Provided direction for current and future projects. Defined goals and prioritized tasks.
• Investigated new products for possible use and worked to resolve documentation issues with the toolset being used to deploy the help.
• Involved in finding solutions that do not require a third-party product to compile and deliver help systems, facilitating last-minute changes with little risk.
• Edited and coordinated corporate proposal efforts in response to government and commercial RFPs. Tasks include editing all sections for consistency, format and content; tracking input through all stages of production; and producing final submittals. Proposals ranged from 30 to 500+ pages in length.

Management

• As Documentation Manager of AGI, responsible for a growing technical writing team. Involved in assignment of tasks, managed a $100K print budget, and in charge of hiring/firing decisions.
• As PA/DE Coordinator for Great Dane Rescue, in charge of over 50 active volunteers. Built a team leader organization that was emulated in other chapters. Tracked statistics to better understand where resources were required and was on-call for all emergency situations. Responsible for life/death decisions.
• As Partner in Nose2Nose, LLC, jointly responsible for all marketing pieces. Heavily involved in budget decisions and act as the public liaison for our company.

Fundraising

• Organized and managed annual benefit brunches for Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. Events raised approximately $4K net a year and featured many themed raffle items, a guest speaker and picture contest.
• Co-Chair for first year of a walk for rescue held in DE that raised over $4000 net profit. The event included demos, veterinary services, rescue groups, AKC events and vendors.
• Past PA/DE Coordinator and current volunteer for Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League. Managed over 50 active volunteers who organize and regularly attend events designed to raise public awareness and funds throughout the year.
• With the help of another volunteer, organized a 2-day educational seminar on behalf of rescue. Arranged speaker, facilities, advertising, guest rooms, food service, book sales, etc. Net profit of over $2K.

Events Coordination

• Arranged brunch accommodations, selected speaker and topic, coordinated schedule of events and room layout. Worked with a small group of volunteers to coordinate the various events at the brunch.
• As Co-Chair of the dog walk, involved in choosing location, coordinating free merchandise, arranging coverage of event in the tri-state area through different media, and following up with sponsors and vendors to ensure customer satisfaction.
• As Chair of the Annual Conference for the local Philadelphia Metro Chapter of the Society for Technical Communications (STC), arranged internationally recognized speakers and workshop presenters, conference location and layout, food services, classroom facilities and schedules for up to 12 sessions daily plus a keynote speaker. The 2004 Conference won the prestigious Pacesetters Award nationally and was used as an example of excellence in local conferences.
• As part of the Programs subcommittee for STC, determined locations and dates of monthly meetings based on past attendance data. Involved in choosing the topics offered during the monthly STC meetings. Arranged meeting accommodations, menu choices and schedule of events.
• While working as a government contractor, provided technical services for nine conferences held quarterly. Services included arranging meeting accommodations, preparing materials for meeting presentations and generating technical meeting reports.
• Based on the success of the educational seminar held for rescue, formed Nose2Nose, LLC, with a fellow volunteer. Nose2Nose is a full-service company offering seminars in PA and DE. This for-profit venture is going strong, with 3 seminars booked for 2005 and 6 for 2006. Set up and delivery include engaging nationally-recognized speakers, determining advertising and promotional activities, booking facilities and layouts for both dog and non-dog seminars, arranging for food services, and more.

Marketing

• Organized and managed the first annual Conference for the local STC chapter. Well attended and won prestigious Pacesetters Award at the national level in 2004.
• Designed and implemented several informational brochures for rescue that are used at public events. These not only promote rescue but are educational in nature.
• Created several on-line forms that allow rescue coordinators to collect, maintain and manage data about adopters, dogs and volunteers. This information can be used to track areas of weaknesses and plan for marketing campaigns.
• Maintain website for PA/DE chapter of the Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League that lists current dogs, our mission and more information. Also maintain website for the local great dane club (Great Dane Club of Central Pennsylvania) and my own website to promote my activities and interests.
• Organize and attend regular 'Meet & Greets' at local events and hot spots to create public awareness of rescue's nonprofit group and its mission.
• List moderator for local email group of volunteers and adopters.

Volunteer History

• Member, Inter
• Volunteer, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, 1999-Present
• PA/DE Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, 2002-2004, 2008-Present
• Director, Policies & Procedures, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, 2002-2004
• Vice-President, Society for Technical Communication (STC), 2003-2004
• Chair, Philadelphia Metro Chapter (PMC) Annual Conference, STC, 2003-2004
• Manager, On-line Competition, STC-PMC, 2002-2003

Employment History

• Product Management, GSI Commerce, Inc, King of Prussia, PA, 2009-Present
• Business Analyst, GSI Commerce, Inc, King of Prussia, PA, 2007-2009
• Sales Communication Manager, GSI Commerce, Inc, King of Prussia, PA, 2006-2007
• Senior Technical Writer, DoubleStar, Inc. West Chester, PA, 2004-2005
• Senior Technical Writer, TruePosition. King of Prussia, PA, 2002-2004
• Contract Technical Writer/Editor, Keane & Associates. New Hope, PA, 1996-Present
• Learning Products Engineer, Hewlett-Packard. Mt Laurel, NJ, 2000 - 2002
• Senior Documentation Specialist, Global Logistics Technologies, Inc. King of Prussia, PA, 2000
• Senior Technical Writer/Editor, bigchalk.com. Wayne, PA 2000
• Documentation Manager, Analytical Graphics, Inc. Malvern, PA., 1996- 2000
• Senior Technical Writer/Editor, SEMCOR, Inc., Warminster PA, 1990-96
• Technical Writer/Editor, Stores Automated Systems, Inc. Bristol, PA, 1995-1996

Education

• Intro to FrameMaker, Certificate of Completion
• Intro to JavaScript, Certificate of Completion
• Intro to Information Systems, Writing Computer Manuals, Drexel University
• MA in English Literature, Villanova University
• BA in English Literature, Chestnut Hill College

Awards & Activities

• Vice President, Society for Technical Communication (STC), 2003-2004
• Chair, STC-PMC Conference, 2003-2004
• Manager, On-line Competitions, STC, 2000 - 2002
• Award of Merit (1), Process Manager Integration Help System - STC, 2001
• Awards of Merit (3), various reference manuals - STC, 1999
• Award of Excellence (1), Programmer's Guide (Co-authored) - STC, 1999
• Letter of Commendation, SEMCOR, June 1995
• Individual Achievement Award, SEMCOR, April 1995
• Employee of the Quarter, SEMCOR, August 1991
• Awarded Scholarship to Villanova University, 1987-88
• Dean's List, Chestnut Hill College, 1984-86
• Awarded Early Admission to Chestnut Hill College, 1982