Project Management

Project management is a new arrow in my quiver, but it builds on many of the skills that I used every day while working at newspapers. It is all about organization and teamwork.

I work with clients to understand their visions and goals, then brainstorm to determine an approach that we agree will achieve them. If the client has a specific graphical vision, we determine its viability and pursue that course. If not, I help formulate one in concert with the graphic artist assigned to the project. We have some very talented artists at Collin College.

Once the graphic artist does his or her work, I bring it back to the client, who offers suggestions and critiques. The project is not final until the client is happy.

I have been lucky enough to work on several interesting campaigns in my time at Collin College. From simple event announcements and speaking series campaigns to enrollment and awareness campaigns. One of those campaigns - Wintermester 2015 - netted the college a Gold Medallion Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR). I cannot take full credit for the win. It was, as illustrated above, a team effort. However, I will say that I played a significant role in its planning and execution. I am very proud of the win - my second gold award from NCMPR. The other was for a feature story in a local magazine.

Project management isn't just about award-winning campaigns, however. It is also about the day-to-day projects, of which, there are many. I am responsible for the production of two of the college's major publications - the yearly catalog and the registration guide, which comes out each semester. Those projects are all about organization. They require gathering information from dozens of departments, editing that information and forming it into tools that will be used by students, faculty and staff. I work closely with a graphic artist on the registration guide. I edit the catalog along with the team in our curriculum office. Together, we have created a more user-friendly document for readers and we continue to refine it as we move forward.