EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

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Crain's Cleveland and Crain's Detroit Business

April 2016-April 2021

Position: Creative Director, retired

Duties: Responsible for overall design, photography, graphics and presentation. Significant art direction of freelance illustrators and photographers. Represented newsroom interests as a liaison with online, production, marketing and advertising. 

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The Plain Dealer 
October 1999-March 2016
Position: Assistant managing editor/Visuals
Duties: Responsible for overall design, photography, graphics and visual multimedia — at its peak, a staff of over fifty award-winning picture editors, photographers, videographers, designers and artists. Represented newsroom interests as a liaison with online, production, circulation and advertising. Led redesigns in 2001, 2009 and 2013. Substantial reader interaction. 

The Detroit News
March 1995-October 1999
Positions: Hired as an assistant art director, news. Promoted to graphics/design editor in January 1997; promoted to assistant managing editor/presentation in June 1998.
Duties: Responsible for graphics, features and news presentation, special project design, general art direction. Directly managed a staff of twenty designers and artists.

The Dayton (Ohio) Daily News
February 1993-February 1995
Positions: Hired as art and design director. Promoted to visual news editor.
Duties: Responsible for design, picture use, graphics and art direction. Assumed supervision of the photography department in mid-1994.

The South Bend (Indiana) Tribune
April 1985-February 1993
Positions: Hired as graphic artist. Promoted to graphics editor.
Duties: Responsible for overall design, graphics and illustrations. Assumed leadership of the photography department in 1987.

Wooster (Ohio) Daily Record
January 1985-April 1985
Position: Cooperative advertising specialist/News artist.
Duties: Provided advertising support by finding national cooperative money for local clients. Designed special sections. Illustrations and information graphics as needed.

Wayne County (Ohio) Sunday Express
September 1983-January 1985
Position: Account representative/News artist.
Duties: Designed feature and cover pages. Illustrations, editorial cartoons and information graphics as needed. Advertising sales and production.

NON-NEWSPAPER WORK EXPERIENCE

Bell & Howell Microphoto: Manufacturing supervisor, 1981-1983
Wooster Community Youth Center: Youth service agency director, 1979-1981

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Society for News Design: President, 2014; Vice president, 2013; Secretary/treasurer, 2012; board member; education and training director; Region 4 director; competition committee member; President of the 2014 Malofiej jury; SND Best of News Design Competition judge, 2014 and 2005; SND Best of Digital News Design judge, 2013. Co-host, 34th annual workshop. Received SND President’s Awards for excellence in volunteerism, 2005 and 2012. Shared Best In Show honors, 2015.

Frequent speaker at professional conferences and journalism schools, including: Malofiej Graphics Summit, 2014; SNDS (Scandinavia), 2013; American Press Institute, 2006 and 2007; SND international conferences, 2005, 2006 and 2012; regional SND Quick Courses; ACES national and state conferences; Midwest Press Institute; AP Ohio; Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University; Ohio University School of Visual Communications; Kent State University; Bowling Green State University; Cleveland State University; Cleveland Institute of Art. Knight Visiting Professional, Michigan State University Journalism School, February 2002.

Freelance experience: Designer and picture editor, LeBron James: The Making of an MVP, 2009; Commemorative sports book design; redesign of The Michigan Catholic newspaper; redesign of the Sun News newspaper group.

AWARDS/PROFESSIONAL HONORS

Society for News Design: More than 200 personal and 540 staff SND Best of News Design awards including 2015 Best in Show (in partnership with Photographer/Illustrator Andrea Levy), numerous Judges Special Recognition, Gold, Silver, Bronze medals and Awards of Excellence; part of The Detroit News team designated one of the world’s top 20 designed papers, 1995. During my tenure at The Plain Dealer, the paper has appeared on SND’s Top Ten list for the highest award total 14 times.

Other significant awards include: Majeri Award for Innovation and Leadership in Journalism Graphics, presented by Ball State University, 2014; POYi Editing awards, 2004, 2008; Regional Emmy nominee, 2012; chain-wide Best of Gannett, 2nd, 1995; Inland Press Association Sweepstakes award, 1992. Named the Northern Ohio Illustration Society’s NOISmaker, 2003. Inducted into the Press Club of Cleveland Hall of Fame, 2018.

EDUCATION

The College of Wooster 1973-1977
Bachelor of Arts degree, Fine Arts; minors in Biology and Psychology. Independent Study honors.