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Summary
Skilled writer, editor and developer of online and print communications. Experienced training designer and developer. Expert at making complex information clear.
Professional Highlights
Business communication specialist since 1984. Independent consultant (full or part-time) since 1986.
Designed, scripted, and developed web-based and computer-based training and multimedia demonstrations. Designed and coded many iterations of commercial and educational web sites. Designed and developed many context and hypertext help systems. Established standards for online information for several organizations.
Wrote and edited numerous user guides, technical manuals, and training guides.
Wrote concise and persuasive marketing copy for products and services, including brochures, web pages, press releases, direct mail, magazine ads, case studies and white papers.
Managed and edited winning proposals for U.S. government and commercial sector clients.
Information Mapping expert. Certified instructional designer. Conversant with corporate and U.S. Government documentation standards. Experienced web master. Presenter at industry conferences. Published science fiction author.
Selected Experience
Nexidia, Inc. 2008. Designed and developed training and job aids for users of speech analytics software for call centers. Produced participant and facilitator guides and PowerPoint decks for both classroom and live web-based delivery. Tools: Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, PaintShop Pro, SnagIt, Captivate.
Tridia Corporation. 2003-2008. Created technical documentation and HTML-based help for Windows and UNIX software. Designed and developed web-based documentation. Tools: RoboHelp, Word, Acrobat, PaintShop Pro, HTML.
Digital Insight, an Intuit company, 2008. Updated over 3,000 pages of product information, converting from legacy files to RoboHelp and Microsoft Word. Standardized formatting and procedures. Designed and delivered training to enable client staff to perform updates going forward. Tools: FrameMaker, Acrobat and RoboHelp, Microsoft Word, PaintShop Pro.
Unisource Worldwide, 2007-2008. Created Help, internal marketing materials and web-based training for a B2B eCommerce site. Tools: Word, RoboHelp, JavaScript, Captivate.
PossibleNOW, 2007-2008. Consulted on design and requirements definition for web portals and web-based applications. Wrote specifications, white papers, and technical marketing documents. Tools: Word, PowerPoint, PaintShop Pro.
Various Clients, 2006-2008. Provided classroom training and coaching in business-writing skills for managers and engineers.
Digital Insight, Inc., 2005-2007. Wrote technical documentation for installing and configuring server-based software. Developed user documentation and Help for Internet banking applications. Designed and conducted a usability audit and wrote resulting User Interface Standards. Tools: FrameMaker, Word, RoboHelp, Acrobat, Visio, SnagIt, PowerPoint, Excel.
The Home Depot, Enterprise Data Warehouse, 2004-2005. Designed and developed web-based training and user guides for enterprise reporting software. Wrote system documentation for technical audiences and internal communications for management. Implemented and managed an online collaboration environment. Tools: Word, Visio, PowerPoint. Acrobat, Sharepoint, Qarbon Viewlet Builder.
eQuorum Corporation, 1998 -2003. Designed and wrote classroom training for technical and end-user audiences. Designed and developed guided tours for two eCommerce sites. Created first-generation web-based training. Tools: Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Macromedia Dreamweaver and Dreamweaver Learning Objects, Demoshield.
MedQuist, 2003. Developed a CD ROM-based demo to assist the client's sales force in presenting the features and benefits of a medical document management system. Tools: PaintShop Pro, DemoShield.
LOMA, 2002. Developed a CD ROM consisting of 70 interactive exercises to train customer service representatives in insurance and financial services companies. Provided interface design, custom artwork, and software development. Tools: Flash, PhotoShop.
FacilityPro, 2001. Created a course guide and job aid for end-users of an SAP-based B2B procurement system.
CADNET Corporation, 1996-1997. Created classroom training and technical documentation for CAD network plotting applications.
Platforms
Internet/Intranet. Microsoft Windows and Sharepoint. Apache Web Server. Linux/UNIX. Microsoft SQL Server. Oracle.
Tools
Microsoft Word, RoboHelp, HTML, Acrobat, FrameMaker, Pagemaker, Dreamweaver, Flash, Captivate, Homesite, FrontPage, JavaScript, Active Server Pages, DemoShield, Qarbon Viewlet Builder, PaintShop Pro, Fireworks, SnagIt, Corel Draw!, PowerPoint, Visio, Excel, Microsoft Project, Access.
Application Areas
Banking, accounting, human resources (personnel, benefits, and payroll), networking and telecommunications, manufacturing, ERP/SAP, EDW, call center, facilities procurement, document management, construction cost estimating, CAD, legal, project scheduling.
Employment History
Independent Consultant and Principal of Guidance Communications, Inc., 1996 - Present.
Documentation Manager (Contract), CADNET/eQuorum Corporation, 1996-2003.
Senior Information Designer, Documentation Team Leader, Dun & Bradstreet Software, 1993 - 1996.
System Documentation Specialist, Building Systems Design, Inc., 1991-1993.
Freelance Technical Writer and Consultant, 1986 - 1990.
Product Information Analyst, Senior Product Information Analyst, Unisys Corporation, 1984 - 1986.
Education
BA in Humanities. New College, Sarasota, Florida, 1975.
MFA in English. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1978.
Certificate in Computer Programming and Operations. Control Data Institute, Atlanta, 1984. Graduated with honors.
Certificate in Learning Design, American Society for Training and Development
(ASTD), 2007.
Key Seminars
Writing Procedures, Policies, and Documentation, 1984. Three-day Info-Mapping Specialist Training, 1985. Information Mapping Inc.
Teaching Technical Topics, 1986. Practical Management Inc.
Low Cost Multimedia, 1994. William Horton Associates.
Effective Management Skills, 1995. Boston University.
Advanced Macromedia Flash MX with ActionScript, 2002. Macromedia Inc.
Honors
Control Data Institute, Outstanding Student Achievement Award, 1984.
Unisys Corporation, Achievement Award for Excellence, 1985.
Society for Technical Communication, Technical Publications Competition: awards for writing and editing in 1987, 1990, 1992, 1997, and 1998, including the Atlanta Chapter Best-of-Show Award. Online Communication Competition: awards for help, web development, multimedia, and web-based training in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.
Named Associate Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication, 2004.
Contact Guidance at 770.621.0526 or use the form on our Contact page.

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