Work Experience
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Founder of Scout Design Company
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Product Director
Sep 2025 - Present
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Took ownership of new product and development team, leading to successful national launch.
Developed near-term roadmap based on customer feedback and market research.
Designed new features to meet customer needs and spark customer delight.
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Product Discovery and Design
User Story and Acceptance Criteria
Product Roadmapping and Vision
Shape Up Framework
Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)
Wireframing (Balsamiq)
Prototyping (Figma)
JIRA, Confluence
Director of Product Design
Nov 2023 - Sep 2025
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Designed new features and epics, produced wireframes and prototypes, and scoped phases for release that deliver incremental value to end users
Demonstrated prototypes and new and emerging designs to clients, stakeholders, and technical teams for feedback and refinement
Co-developed the company’s discovery framework and tools and led onsite and remote requirement gathering sessions with the company’s largest State-level client
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Product Discovery and Design
User Story and Acceptance Criteria
Product Roadmapping and Vision
SAFe Agile
Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)
Wireframing (Balsamiq)
Prototyping (Figma)
JIRA, Trello, Confluence
Product Owner
Jun 2019 — Oct 2023
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Instrumental in leading organizational transformation from Agile/Waterfall to full SAFe Agile framework as company’s first Product Owner
Improved team predictability by leading six Program Increment (PI) Planning sessions each year for Agile Release Train (ART) which included fully onsite, fully remote, and hybrid events
Served as PO on three scrum teams making up over 50% of the ART: refining and prioritizing backlogs, juggling priorities, communicating with stakeholders, designing UX/UI, and writing Acceptance Criteria in order to deliver incremental value to end users
Developed company’s discovery framework and tools and led onsite requirement gathering sessions with Illinois Department of Human Services
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User Story and Acceptance Criteria
SAFe Agile
Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)
Wireframing (Balsamiq)
JIRA, Trello, Confluence
Technical Writer
Jun 2016 — Jun 2019
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Created and designed end-user software documentation and release notes, templates, infrastructure, and documentation for modular SaaS product, including over 30 user guides and over 200 knowledge-base articles
Designed and maintained help center support sites on Zendesk
Led WCAG 2.0 accessibility compliance efforts
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Zendesk
End-user documentation and instructions
Flow diagrams
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, InCopy, Acrobat
Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)
HTML/CSS
Adjunct Faculty,
Visual Communications and Design
Sep 2013 — May 2020
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Taught 16-week courses on Publication Design and Typography and Layout in the Visual Communications and Graphic Design department.
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Print Design
Typography
Visual Hierarchy
Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
Higher Education
Microsoft Office
Technical Writer,
Office of Safety and Mission Assurance
Dec 2013 — Jun 2016
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Worked with subject-matter experts to write technical articles for the NASA Safety Center and Office of Safety and Mission Assurance websites
Wrote scripts for safety videos and created content for various safety materials
Wrote annual Safety Month message for NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden
Led NASA Safety Center initiative for accessibility (Section 508) compliance
on web
Worked with developer to create and design mobile apps
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Technical Writing
Script Writing
Print Design
Email Campaign Content
Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)
Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
Sitefinity
HTML/CSS
Managing Editor, Book Press
Aug 2010 — Dec 2012
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Managed designers and copyeditors and oversaw production on all titles.
Designed book interiors and covers.
Designed promotional material including Press catalogs, Press 35 Year Anniversary Poster, print advertisements in APR and The London Review, and promotional materials for individual titles.
Created and maintained databases for book inventory, author information, and cover images.
Designed and coded Press website in HTML/CSS.
Spearheaded and maintained social media relations.
Created and sent out uncorrected proofs and advanced review copies.
Spearheaded Press venture into epublishing.
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Book Cover and Interior Design
Poster Design
Catalog Design
Marketing Design
Ad Design
Project Management
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat
Microsoft Office
HTML/CSS
Marketing Board Member
May 2010 — Dec 2015
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Designed logo, postcards, posters, programs, and bookmarks
Listed events in online and print and obtained local media sponsorship
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Logo Design and Brand Identity
Poster Design
Marketing Design
Ad Design
Props Design
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
Technical Editor, Magazine
Mar 2010 — Mar 2012
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Formatted and designed layout of national poetry magazine
Converted various types of documents in to workable files
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Print Design
Magazine Design and Layout
Adobe InDesign, Photoshop
Planner
Jun 2006 — Aug 2007
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Created and edited legal documents of land analysis
Created company newsletter which included researching, writing and editing articles, and planning layout
Updated and completed over 50 State RFPs
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Writing and Editing
Proposal Writing
Print Design
Newsletter Design