Overview | Requirements | Highlights | Technical Writing, Technology Journalism, Management, Instructional Design, Consulting | University and High School Teaching | Online Initiatives | Education | Continuing Education | Academic Awards | Publications | Writing Samples | Languages | References | Download

Overview

Technical Writer-Editor / Documentation or Training Manager / Instructional Designer / Technology Journalist

Requirements

Please inquire for salary requirements.

Geographic preferences: Western Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland; east coast of U.S.: Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Bethesda, Rockville.

Part- or full-time acceptable.

Highlights

• Outstanding record as a tech writer, manager, team leader, instructional designer, and trainer.
• Managed teams of from five to ten senior technical writers, editors, and training specialists for documentation, HTML, online help, and training projects for major companies in the Internet and telecommunications industries.
• Significant background in English teaching at the university and high school levels in both the United States and Germany.
• Featured technology columnist in newspapers around the world. Have authored over 1,000 articles on technology for consumers. A small sampling of articles is available here.
• Taught popular computer applications to business professionals.
• Facile with myriad operating systems and applications, including Windows, Mac, Linux/Unix, Word, WordPerfect, PowerPoint, FrameMaker, RoboHelp, Visio, PageMaker, Ventura, Quark XPress, Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Illustrator, Articulate, Captivate, Audition, MS Access, Excel, Dreamweaver, Expression Web, InDesign, WordPress, Drupal, Artisteer.
• Good knowledge of HTML and Web site design, XML.
• Outstanding communications, leadership, and management skills.

Technology and Writing

Senior Technical Writer/Editor and Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

As writer/editor:

• Edit public-facing technical documents to ensure grammatical correctness and adherence to stylistic standards.
• Assist authors in writing documents.
• Act as agency expert in matters of language, style, and usage.
• Participate on committees and in agency initiatives to improve the quality of writing in public documents.
• Style guides used include NRC's in-house style manual, the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) Style Manual, and the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Write procedural documents for internal use.
• Create and administer the Publication Branch's quarterly customer satisfaction survey via SurveyMonkey.
• Received performance awards and certificate of appreciation in this position.
• Highest performance rating over the past 8 years: "Outstanding."

As COR:

• Administer the NRC's enterprise-wide technical editing contract (valued at $4 million). Responsibilities include coordinating editorial efforts, ensuring quality, approving changes to contractor personnel, budgeting, invoice approvals, and general contract administration.
• Level II COR certification (120 hours of training).
• Security clearance level: L.
  

Technology Columnist

• Wrote weekly technology features for dpa's English service.
• Initiated dpa's computer technology reporting service, which became one of the most popular features of this international news wire's English-language offering.
• My articles appeared each week in many newspapers around the world and were routinely translated into Spanish and other languages.
• Initiated the "computer helper" series of question-and-answer articles, which became a weekly staple in dozens of newspapers around the world.
• Oversaw translation of technology articles from German into English.
• The German Press Agency dpa is one of the world's largest international news wire services.

Senior Instructional Designer

• Managed the educational offerings in the area of Investor Reporting.
• Designed and developed a range of online training materials (performance support) and classroom materials for some of Fannie Mae's major desktop applications for lenders.
• Received "hot performer" award after seven months at the company.
• Tools used: Adobe Captivate, Adobe Audition, Articulate, Word, PowerPoint, among others.

Documentation Manager

• Managed a team of four to seven senior technical writers for the U.S. research and development wing of Software AG, Inc.
• Responsible for staffing, evaluation of employees, scheduling, and other managerial tasks.
• Trained employees in use of XML, documentation procedures, and software.

Documentation Team Leader

• Managed a team of six to nine senior technical writers, editors, and training specialists for large-scale documentation, HTML, online help, and training projects.
• Trained employees in use of HTML, documentation procedures, and software.
• Worked with management on staffing needs.

Lead Writer / Program Support Manager

• Formerly Cincinnati Bell Information Systems (CBIS).
• Designed curricula and courseware for proprietary and off-the-shelf software.
• Developed and wrote training materials for end users and developers.
• Promoted to program support manager position; responsibilities included assisting clients in understanding and working with custom database software.

Technical Trainer and Editorial Consultant

• Taught classes in Word, Windows, and Web authoring.
• Training ability rated as "very good" and "polished."

Senior Editor and Technology Consultant

• Managed editorial and desktop publishing teams during production of large-scale documents for the World Bank, Alpha-Omega's largest client.
• Consulted with clients to determine their needs and priorities in both document production and technology.
• Coordinated work between writers and editors.
• Oversaw the company's computer-related purchasing decisions.
• Created and implemented company Web sites.
• Managed and coordinated freelance editors.
• Documentation edited and desktop published included software manuals, country studies, annual reports, technical documents, procurement guidelines, and multi-volume books.
• Established a successful marketing campaign, which included creating and maintaining marketing materials such as promotional brochures and newsletters.

University and High School Teaching

Adjunct English Instructor

• Taught an evening course in college writing for the Department of Literature to students in American University's Washington Mentorship Program.
• I was responsible for designing the course, teaching it, grading papers, and attending selected faculty meetings.
• Created an online writing community to house and inspire student writing projects.

English Teacher

• Taught English and advanced English to Germans and native English speakers in grades 8, 10, 11, 12, and 13.
• Teaching performance was rated "outstanding" by an independent review committee.
• Tenure granted after serving one year at the school.

Lecturer, Department of English

• Designed and taught courses in advanced American language and literature, culture, and German-English translation.

Instructor, Department of English

• Designed and led courses in American literature and culture during the tenure of a Fulbright fellowship in Berlin.

English Instructor

• Taught day and evening courses to adults in Business English and typing.

English Instructor

• Taught composition and literature during the course of my doctoral studies.

English Instructor

• As a teaching fellow in the exchange program between the universities of Maryland and Mainz, I led courses in language and literature in conjunction with Prof. Dr. Winfried Herget's lectures on early American literature.

English Instructor

• Taught composition, literature, and creative writing while working toward my M.A.

Online Initiatives

• Created PhotoCamel (2005) and grew it into one of the Internet's most popular sites for professional and enthusiast photographers. Sold in 2012.
• Created PoetryCircle (2005), which now ranks as the Internet's most active independent poetry forum. Sold in 2017.
• Performed SEO work for commercial sites.

Education

A.B.D., English
University of Connecticut, Storrs, 1987
Completed all coursework and 16-hour comprehensive written and oral examinations toward Ph.D degree.
Grade point average: 3.9 (4.0 scale).

M.A., English, Pedagogy
University of Maryland, College Park, 1984
Special concentrations in teaching, writing, editing, publishing.
Grade point average: 3.9 (4.0 scale).

B.A., English, Journalism
University of Maryland, College Park, 1982
Undergraduate major subject grade point average: 4.0; overall grade point average: 3.8 (4.0 scale).

Continuing Education

• Meeting the Needs of the Student through Differentiated Instruction (2024)
• Transforming Instruction Through the Integration of Web-Based Resources (2024)
• Activating the Voice of the Student Through Digital Tools, 2020
• Teaching Students in Blended Classrooms, 2020
• Using Digital Portfolios to Foster Student Learning, 2019
• Digital Citizenship, 2015
• Learning and Teaching with Web 2.0 Tools, 2015
• Innovations in e-Learning, 2010
• Inclusion of Special Needs Student Populations, 2010
• Educational Psychology, 2010
• Adobe Flash CS4, 2009
• Innovations in e-Learning, 2009
• Adolescent Psychology, 2009
• Teaching Methods, 2008
• Teaching Reading II, 2008
• Teaching Reading, 2004
• Educational Assessment, 2004

Academic Awards

• Fulbright Fellowship to Germany, 1987
• Phi Beta Kappa, 1982
• Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Society), 1982
• Various other awards: graduated cum laude (B.A), with honors in English, 1982; Writer's Fellowship Monetary Award, University of Connecticut, 1986; teaching assistantship awards, Universities of Maryland and Connecticut, 1982-87; multiple Dean's List appearances.

Publications

Click here for samples. Summary: Academic articles, over a thousand newspaper articles (mostly on technology), book reviews, interviews, creative writing.

Languages

English (expert), German (fluent), French (rudimentary).

References

Available upon request.

Keywords

Documentation Team Leader, Manager, Technical Documentation, Technical Writer, Instructional Designer, Technical Editor, Training, Technical Trainer, Program Support, Director, Manager, Software Tester, Public Relations, International Public Relations, PR, Team Leader, Journalist, Journalism, Training and Documentation Manager, Desktop Publishing, RoboHELP, Online Help, Word, FrameMaker, Rational ClearCase, ClearQuest, Visio, PageMaker, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Office, Windows, Telecommunications, Internet, Language Instructor, HTML, XML