Qualifications:
Work Experience:
10/2010-present Senior Copywriter, Campbell Mithun
Minneapolis, MN
Writer and strategist for a full service advertising agency. Design social networking and search optimization strategies. Creatively conceptualize and write digital and print marketing materials, banner ads, web page copy, and widgets for brands and companies such as Land O'Lakes, Best Western, and Frontier Communications.
9/2007-10/2010 Senior Copywriter, MRM Worldwide
Minneapolis, MN
Award-winning writer and strategist for a global Internet advertising agency. Designed digital, social, and search optimization strategies. Creatively conceptualized and wrote digital marketing campaigns incorporating video scripts, banner ads, web page copy, blogs, and widgets for a wide variety of well-known brands and companies such as H&R Block, General Mills, Purina, National City Bank, and the United Way.
- Lead writer on the largest online marketing campaign to date: H&R Block's You Got People campaign
- Lead writer and strategist on Purina's Unforgettable Tail campaign for Chef Michael's, which was so influential that it caused Purina to change its packaging to include my phrase "unforgettable meals"
- Lead writer on Gold Medal Flour's site overhaul and historical recipe book
7/2000-9/2007 Communications Manager, Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches
Minneapolis, MN
Writer and designer at internal agency for busy, dynamic social service nonprofit. Responsible for all internal and external communications at the largest program, including media promotion of the biggest food drive in the state.
- Successfully juggled writing and design projects for 14 diverse programs, each with its own audience, focus, and client base: newspaper and radio ads, annual reports, brochures, web pages and posters
- Helped to lead and implement agency-wide branding strategy
- Developed a market analysis to identify high potential areas and transformed Minnesota FoodShare's March Campaign PR approach from a static dependence on newswire services to a hands-on, individual local approach, doubling statewide food drive results from 12.5 million to 25 million pounds
11/99-7/2000 Corporate Communications Writer/PR Specialist, Advanced Respiratory
Shoreview, MN
Wrote product brochures, PR materials, and web site contents for a medical device company.
- Edited clinical materials and ghostwrote articles for outside publications
- Instrumental in creating marketing materials for launch of worldwide sales
- Skilled in translating medical jargon into understandable, accurate text for patients
9/94-11/99 Publications Coordinator, Minnesota State Bar Association
Minneapolis, MN
Copy editor, production assistant, and writer for MSBA publications.
- Specialized in simplifying legal jargon for more readable communications
- Trained staff on complex custom software through group and one-on-one training and provided support by writing an accessible and humorous software manual
9/96-6/99 Graduate Instructor, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Writing and literature college instructor. Won Outstanding Graduate Instructor in Creative Writing Award.
9/93-11/99 Freelance writer
Wrote marketing copy, reviews, how-to articles, essays, automotive copy, and even encyclopedia entries for a wide variety of trade, consumer, political, academic, and business publications.
Awards and Publications:
- Winner of the 2008 Web Marketing Association's Best Professional Services Integrated ad campaign for H&R Block's Project Truman
- MN Magazine Publisher's Association's Gold Excellence Award for a regular column
- Eleven professional fiction publications, including reprints in two Year's Best anthologies and one Honorable Mention
- Dozens of nonfiction written and on-air pieces on Minnesota Public Radio and in publications such as The Daily Planet, Upholstery Journal, the Women's Press, and the Louisa May Alcott Encyclopedia
Education:
MFA, Creative Writing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1999
BA, Eugene Lang College, New School for Social Research, New York City, 1992
