This page summarizes my work in:

• technical writing
• instructional development
• journalism
• content development
• marketing
• advertising

…or what like to call “rendering unto Ceasar.”

Freelance technical writer/instructional developer

Current

Developed and edited user and administration guides for various clients:

• Steelcape (Los Angeles-based security startup; 2006)
• Ceiva (Burbank-based maker of digital picture frames; 2006)
• Life Fitness (Chicago-based maker of fitness equipment; 2002-2003)
• John Crain (Chicago-based maker of industrial seals; 2002)
• Open Port Technology (Chicago-based IP communications startup; 1998-2000)

Freelance journalist

Current

• Wrote and edited articles for print and online publications including:
• Chicago Tribune newspaper
• CMA Today magazine
• Hyde Park Herald newspaper
• Shinnyo-En Foundation Web site (http://sef.org/)

Freelance marketing/advertising writer

Current

• Wrote and technical newsletter articles for Aldridge Electric.
• Wrote advertising and brochure copy for Pratt Marketing.
• Wrote radio spots and promotional copy for Levy Restaurants.

User education manager/technical learning lead

Rapid7, Inc., 2008-2015

• Built and managed team that educates customers to solve IT security problems using Rapid7’s solutions. SC Magazine gave UE content a top score of five stars in a 2014 review. In a 2014 product survey, users mentioned UE content as one of their favorite features.
• With team, developed in-product context-sensitive Help, Online Help; user, administrator, installation, quick-start, API, and other guides for multiple products; videos, and community blogs on time-sensitive topics, such as scanning for zero-day vulnerabilities.
• For security controls assessment solution, researched and wrote procedures on how to implement controls on Microsoft Windows servers and workstations using best practices, such as Group Policy Object deployment. Managed and edited a contractor who wrote additional procedures.
• Wrote training courseware for product certification classes.
• Wrote and edited release notes for multiple products.
• Worked with User Experience designers and engineers to make User Interface text intuitive, instructive, and concise.
• Created and maintained a style guide for documentation and user interface text.
• Led project to internationalize UE content.

Web master and content developer

American Association of Medical Assistants, 2003-2006

• Co-designed and supervised development of AAMA’s Web site, aama-ntl.org (since redesigned).
• Maintained content for site.

Software/technical skills

• Adobe: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Framemaker, Robohelp • Filemaker Pro •
• MadCap: Flare 
• Microsoft: Word, Excel, PowerPoint 
• Techsmith: Camtasia Studio 
• Google: Google Docs 
• Web design: WordPress 
• Version control: Mercurial, GitHub 
• Platforms: Mac OS, Windows, Linux 
• Code and scripting: HTML,  XML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON