TLDR
I lead strategic content initiatives including marketing, video production and social media for SPARXiQ and the Trade Hounds app. I’m an Emmy Award winner with 20 years of media experience. I’ve trained social media managers, TV, web, and print journalists in some of America’s largest markets. I have a Ph.D. in instructional technology with a focus on VR, AR, MR and XR. My master’s degree is in digital journalism and design with a focus in social media, web and graphic design. My bachelor’s degree is in TV news with a focus in video production.
Let’s Dive Deep
I am fortunate to be on a superstar team of marketing pros. Together, we run marketing for Trade Hounds and its parent company SPARXiQ. My team’s social media marketing received over 250 million views in just a couple of years. We experiment content creation and new features inside the social media app we run. In addition to digital content like videos, graphics, blogs, and interactive quizzes, we also plan in-person events at trade shows and conferences across America.
Prior to joining SPARXiQ, I taught adult learners in person and online for 7 years at the University of South Florida totaling over 1,200 hours of live in-person training and 550 hours of live online training.
My love of innovation began in my former career as an executive TV producer at the San Diego Union-Tribune. I trained newspaper journalists to use cell phones to enhance their storytelling on multiple platforms. Not only did this enable us to provide more value to our community, it also helped save journalists’ jobs. It became very clear that smart training programs make a huge difference in empowering a company to flourish when others falter in the face of technological and logistical challenges. Leading so many people in a tumultuous time in the industry’s history imprinted in me a sense of responsibility to help workers develop new skills so they can keep their jobs and contribute to the success of their companies.
After 11 years of producing TV news in America’s largest media markets, I know the precision and creativity it takes to create high-quality content for big companies. I produced thousands of stories that aired on Tampa’s NBC and PBS TV stations, Tampa’s NPR radio station, San Diego’s ABC TV station, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. I used daily Nielsen data to refine my choices and measure my success. I learned how important it is to know your audience to customize experiences.
I received my Master’s in Digital Journalism and Design. I then became an instructor at the University of South Florida in 2015. I was charged with re-envisioning five classes to ensure students were prepared to enter competitive careers using cutting-edge technology. I was fortunate to also work for USF’s Innovative Education department. They hired me as a producer to create virtual reality campus tours to increase recruitment. It couldn’t have come at a better time because the coronavirus pandemic soon made it impossible to tour the university in person. In creating the tours, I met with stakeholders and subject matter experts across campus to help them tell their stories.
My time as a journalist, instructor, and VR producer made me see the power of storytelling when paired with polished and intentional visuals. My mass communications background makes me comfortable creating content for thousands of people. I know how to process complex information and format it in a concise way that makes people want to learn. I take pride in combining research-based strategies and learning principles with interactive multimedia presentations to make people better at their jobs.
I now get to apply those skills at America’s largest social media app for the skilled trades where we help people find jobs and improve their careers. I also manage marketing campaigns for manufacturers and distributors.