Mission Statement
To obtain a faculty position at the college level utilizing my skills as a graphic designer and advertising agency owner, bringing a real-world practicum to my students by preparing them for the job market. My diverse background in art appreciation and multimedia applications can bring a versatile environment into the classroom setting. This can be furthered by incorporating my experience in international travel, work in heightening awareness of non-profits in developing countries and my years of establishing brand identity for businesses to enhance the learning environment.
Experience
I. Work
KFR Communications, LLC (2/05 – present)
Owner of advertising agency producing all modes of graphic design from concept conceptualization to implementation. These include logos, brochures, stationery, advertising, signage such as billboards and vehicle wraps, electronic and print newsletters and other printed promotional material. The process also entails diverse products such as apparel branding, packaging design, annual reports, and vacation guides for the commercial, non-profit, and government sectors. Additionally, the firm handles all aspects of website design from domain name registry and hosting up to full design of the sites – both informational and eCommerce – on content management based platforms. The agency also incorporates other diverse avenues such as photography, illustration and copywriting in the core business as well as in its book publishing division, which has produced over 100 titles to date.
Ocean County College (9/03 – 7/05)
Responsibilities as part of the graphic design team included concept creation, layout and design, promotional items, brochures, fliers, annual reports, special events advertisements, posters and course catalogs for entire college community. Interfaced with each department as separate clients as their needs and budgets varied.
Volunteer Activities (11/04 – present)
Worked with various non-profits including Christian Surfers (nationwide organization as well as local NJ chapter), St. Paul’s Youth Group and Student Activists for Africa by volunteering my time as well as my graphic and website design skills in creating logos, t-shirt setups, business cards, posters, a video documentary, and websites for public interaction and to build awareness of their respective causes. Also served as a judge for International Academy of Visual Art
II. Academic
New Jersey City University
Teacher Assistant – Advertising Design, Fall 2011
Instructed students in using InDesign for layout purposes and helped them develop advertising campaigns including posters, brochures and postcards. Students were responsible for interacting with non-profits to develop their campaigns, giving them experience with designer-client relationships and the opportunity to see their work used both on and off campus. Coached public speaking and presentation of student concepts. Promoted weekly critiques and group discussions to teach students to evaluate artworks and enhance their skill sets.
Teacher Assistant – Life Drawing I & II, Fall 2010
Worked individually with students to help them gain awareness of the process of figure drawing and composition using live models. Cultivated critical skills, understanding the historical, contemporary, and cultural uses of the figure in art. Encouraged artist growth by capitalizing on strengths and fostering experimentation with less familiar techniques to increase competency in the expressive power of line/mark, value, form, space and texture. Developed lectures focusing on the different parts of the anatomy. Maintained a weekly sketchbook journal with in-class notes, exhibition notations, and analyses of 100 drawings from the textbook.
Education/ Certification
- M.F.A., Graphic Design, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ, 2011, 3.8 GPA
- B. S., Graphic Design/ New Media Design, Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY, 2002, 3.5 GPA
- Continuing education classes, courses and seminars in business, sales and marketing and software training
- Leadership Certification, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ, 2005
- Web design classes, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, 2002
Technical Skills / Expertise
I. Skills
- Graphic design
- Conceptualization, layout, implementation
- Print preparation – one to four color process, spot varnish, die cuts, color separation, large format printing
- Vinyl application
- Website design
- Informational and eCommerce
- Drawing and painting
- Pen and ink, gesture, figure drawing, portraiture, technical illustrations
- Oil and acrylic painting
- Ceramics
- Hand built and wheel-thrown forms
- Glaze formulation and kiln firing
- Photography / Videography
- Shooting and editing
- iStock Internet collection contributor
II. Hardware
- Mac / PC
- Large format printing
- Mutoh 1604 ValuJet large format printer
- Royal Sovereign RSC1650 laminator
- Graphtek 7000-160 plotter
III. Software
- Adobe CS5 Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash
- WordPress, CSS, HTML
- Adobe Premiere, Sound Booth, After Effects
- Quark Express 5
- Corel Draw 11
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Wasatch ripping software
Exhibitions (solo shows)
2011 MFA Thesis Exhibition, New Jersey City University
Preservation of Space, The Visual Arts Gallery
2007 Selected Works, Ocean County Library
Jackson, NJ
Awards / Publications
- I. Awards
- American Graphic Design Awards, 2005*
- American Inhouse Design Awards, 2006, 2007, 2008*
* full list available at www.kfrcommunications.com/awards.shtml
II. Publications
- Whispers in the Pines: The Secrets of Colliers Mills, 2009
Cover design and all interior illustrations
- Voices in the Pines: True Stories from the New Jersey Pine Barrens, 2009
Cover design and all interior illustrations, winner of silver IPPY Award
- Big Book of Brochures, 2006
Brochure design for Plumsted Township was selected for inclusion
III. Undergrad Honors/Achievements
- Cum Laude
- Captain of track & field team ’01-‘02
- Scholarships for art and pole vaulting
Professionals Affiliations
- Kappa Pi Honorary Art Fraternity, Eta Rho chapter
- College Art Association
- International Academy of Visual Arts
- Art Educators of New Jersey
- Bridge Business Networking Group
- Christian Surfers
References
Furnished upon request.