Education Specialist

Instructional Designer

I am an experienced instructional designer of over 10 years, having engaged young and adult learners with pedagogically rigorous and highly creative interactive experiences for the web, desktop computers, and mobile apps.

Teacher/Trainer

My passion for education also includes over 20 years of in-person teaching, in the areas of English as a Foreign Language and improvisation, as well as work as a professional corporate trainer in the areas of communication skills, team building, and innovation.

Editorial Director: Director of the Creative Writing Department of CompassLearning, a major educational software publisher. Managed a team of 20 writers & copy editors. Developed animated, interactive courses for high schoolers that were a market differentiator and brought in sales revenue of nearly 10 million dollars in year one of release.

Instructional Designer: Designer of content and instructional approach for Alchemy Systems, a leading e-learning training provider, with a focus on manufacturing environments. Clients include Coca Cola, Tyson, Cargill, and Hillshire Brand Foods, generating millions in revenue and 3-6% annual growth during tenure.

EFL Teacher: Spent 1 year as a contract English teacher in Lisbon, Portugal, for both private and business students. Spent 2 years working for NCB English Language Institute in Tokyo, Japan, students encompassing teens and adults. Students were able to meet language requirements for both work and study abroad opportunities.

Improvisation Teacher: Worked for the Hideout Theatre in Austin, TX as a teacher of improvisation skills for over 15 years. Students included all ages and professional disciplines, gaining the skills to be more comfortable in social and public speaking environments.

Corporate Trainer: Trainer of soft skills for business professionals at companies such as Google, Whole Foods, Altria, Tetrapak, and Seton Hospital. Sessions positively impacted efficiency and innovation, enabling students to be more collaborative and creative.

• Alchemy Systems: Instructional Designer – Austin-based (2013-present) 
• Sonata Learning: Instructional Designer – Chicago-based (2017-2019)
• AMS Pictures: Instructional Designer & Writer – Austin-based (2013-2019)
• Hideout Theatre: Teacher/Trainer – Austin (2003-2015)
• CompassLearning: Editorial Director – Austin (2006-2009)
• Sapient, Inc. (Human Code): E-Learning Software Producer – Austin (1999-2001)
• NCB English Language Institute: English Teacher – Tokyo, Japan (1995-1997)

Proficient on both Windows and Mac, expert skillset with the following tools: MS Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, Articulate Storyline, Camtasia, Final Cut Pro, ChatGPT.