Business Leader

1988 to present: Page Designs Inc, Marketing and Technical Communication (a wholly-owned corporation). I started the company as a sole employee and grew it to 18 employees in 2000. The two headed company: marketing communication and technical communication. I ran the company and worked as a marketing consultant and technical communicator. I also lead the company through industry phases that included typesetting, desktop publishing, graphic design, and finally into a full-service marketing agency.

Currently, I am developing a communication initiative for industry-specific software companies, including guidelines for internal and external marketing and technical communication. All communication would be geared around one central message that distinguishes the company from competitors, gains a uniquely identifiable position, and is directly related to company growth and profitability.

From January through June 2003, I took a six-month professional sabbatical. During my sabbatical, I analyzed and planned my professional future, and it turned out to be so much more – completely life changing: professionally, socially, and spiritually. I am desperately making time to write a book about my experiences and life lessons learned.

Graduate Writing Adjunct Professor, St Michael’s College, 1996–2001

Master of Science in Administration, St Michael’s College, Vermont

Interviewed and included as a resource in Big Vision, Small Business by Jamie Walters, Ivy Sea Publishing, 2001

Over the years, I have been asked to participate in organizations or run for offices. People ask me because, as they know, I am someone who can lead, who can see a future vision and attain it, and who can organize people behind a cause. Life is change, and I thrive when at the leading edge of that change.

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Experienced on Boards of Directors

Board President, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) 2000–2002; leading a transformation in board governance; Board Member, VBSR 1996–2000

My greatest board work occurred while a member of the Board of Directors for the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), a statewide business organization. During my tenure as Chair, I oversaw a total revamping of the board governance. When I first joined the board, it was completely populated by founders of the organization. When I was elected chair, half the board was up for election (as required in the By-Laws), except none of the founding members stayed on. As a result, I had a board that was half new (eight members). Soon four of the remaining founding board members resigned (they didn’t like the new direction the board was taking), and they were replaced with new members. So my board had twelve new members, three founding members, and myself. I led the effort to recreate the new board governance, to comply with this “second-tier” board’s way of working. This change took upwards of a year (with meetings stepped up from quarterly to bimonthly), yet it was accomplished. The board did tremendous work though. We grew a membership base (that was stagnating at around 300 members) to about 450 members.

Class President, Vermont Leadership Institute, 1999–2000, organized by the Snelling Center for Government. The program teaches leadership skills for both the public and private sector. I was elected President of the group (endearingly referred to as “governor”) by my colleagues.

Co-Chair, Vermont Legislature’s Commission on Childhood Poverty, 1995–1996. Formed by joint Vermont Legislative (Senate and House) fiat to research and report on the state of poverty for kids throughout the state. The chairs (myself and a Rabbi) eventually presented our findings to the Legislature, testified at numerous Committee meetings, held press conferences and interviews, and were able to get a number of initiatives added to the appropriations budget to address this cause.

Vermont Delegate, White House Conference on Small Business, 1995. Appointed one of sixteen delegates to Clinton’s White House Conference on Small Business. Delegates from across the country caucused and created an agenda of 60 action items which we presented to Congress for consideration. Over 40 initiatives were legislated into law.

Board member for the New American Schools initiative to create a new academic curriculum for the Essex Elementary School; invited as a business mind and perspective.

Director of Inventory, then Chair of the Board for the Welcome Alternative Food Cooperative in Poughkeepsie NY (where I oversaw the transition from the basement of a church to a storefront location).

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Knowledgeable as a Technical Communicator

Twenty-Five years experience as a technical communicator and teacher
Authored and editing over 100 technical guides covering a wide range of topics and formats
Clients include:

IBM
IDX Systems
Channel Health
Vermont State Colleges
Systems & Software
Bio-Tek Instruments
Fletcher Allen Health Care
Vermont Creative Software
Champlain Software
Portfolio Software
National Life of Vermont
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Vermont Tax Department

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Papers and Presentations

2005; Seattle international STC conference; Taking a Sabbatical session, submitted for consideration

2005; Seattle international STC conference; New Skills for the Technical Communicator; joint session

2004; Baltimore international STC conference; Progression host

2004; Baltimore international STC conference; Profitable Marketing Strategies session

2004; Baltimore international STC conference; Advanced Marketing panel

2002; Nashville international STC conference; Policies and Procedures panel

2002; Nashville international STC conference; CIC SIG progression table session

2002; Nashville international STC conference; Writing a Contract session

2002; Nashville international STC conference; Basic Marketing session

2002; Nashville international STC conference; Responding to an RFP session

2002; Addison County (Vermont) Chamber of Commerce conference; Socially Responsible Business
Practices session (invited)

2000; Orlando conference; Writing for Results overview presentation

1999; Cincinnati international STC conference; Writing for Results overview presentation

1999; PCOC regional STC conference; Writing for Results overview presentation (invited)

1998; Anaheim international STC conference; Writing for Results overview presentation

1998; InterChange regional STC conference; Writing for Results overview presentation (invited)

1995-1999; Vermont chapter meetings; sessions on Writing for Results overview, Business Consideration for the Independence (twice), the Teaching of Writing session, and another session somewhere along the line (I have notes of giving five presentations, but I don’t know the topic of the fifth; ah how the mind dulls with age)

1990s; Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility annual conference; presented three different sessions on socially responsible business practices.

1990s; Numerous articles for The Communicator, Vermont chapter newsletter

1992; Strategies for Growing a Small Business, graduate thesis, first-hand research

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Dedicated to STC

Vermont Chapter

Co-Founded Vermont Chapter with three other members
Chapter Newsletter editor for two years:

1998 issues won Distinction at International Newsletter Competition

1999 won Excellence at International Newsletter competition

Membership Committee manager

Nominating Committee manager

Use of my office for both chapter and business meetings

STC National

International Art Competition Judge: 2001, 2002, 2004; lead judge in 2004

Management Stem Manager, Baltimore International Conference

Membership Manager, CIC SIG, 2000 to present

Luncheon host at International conferences: four different years

Rough Drafts drummer during Open Jam for Nashville (2002) and Baltimore (2004), also for the Band after the Awards Banquet in Baltimore

Current candidate for Region One Director

Current member of the Communication Committee for the Transformation

Table host at numerous annual conferences

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Awards

2001; Summit Creative Awards (national competition) for Engelberth Proposal Items

2001; American Graphic Design Award (national competition) for Environment 2001

2000; Honorable Mention from The Communicator Awards (national competition) for the Espresso Ristorante Advertising Campaign

2000; Excellent from the Northeastern Economic Developers Association (regional) for the Livable Jobs Toolkit

2000; one of six nominees for the Community Service Awards given by the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

1999; Employer of the Year from the Vermont Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Association (Burlington’s parent organization), for well, being the greatest employer for women that year; officially recognized by Deborah Markowitz, Vermont Secretary of State; Michael Obuchowski,

Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives; Bernie Sanders, US House of Representatives; and Jim Jeffords, US Senate

1999; Employer of the Year from the Burlington (VT) Business and Professional Women’s Association, for well, being a great employer for women

1998; Distinction and Best of Show from Boston STC Regional competition for Environment 1997 (It didn’t get submitted to the International competition because they wanted us to sign to have them submit it, and we overlooked this little detail)

1999, Excellence from the Communicator Awards (national) for Environment 1998

1999; Merit from Boston STC competition for Environment 1998

1999; Merit from Boston STC competition for Fall For Health

1999; Excellence from Apex Communications (national award) for the fx/Scholar Quick Start Guide

1999; Distinction from The Communicator Awards (national) for the ConnectR User Guide (The company I wrote this for wouldn’t let me submit this book to STC as its author; they said any award received would be just for their company. So I didn’t submit it.)

1999; Achievement from Boston STC competition for fx/Tools User Guide

1999; Excellence from Boston STC competition for VSBIT Programs and Procedures

1999; Honorable Mention from the Communicator Awards (national) for the 1996 Annual, Gift, and Community Report

1998; Achievement from the Montreal STC competition for Laboratory Order Entry and Results Review System (book and quick review card)

1998; Achievement from Boston STC competition for Automated Correspondence Standards

1998; Merit from Montreal STC competition for Day-to-Day Calendar User Guide and Quick Start Guide

1998-present; annual Honor Roll recognition as a member of Child Care Counts, from the Child Care Fund of Vermont, for child-friendly business practices for employees’ families

1997 – present; recognition from the US Department of Education for the America Goes Back to School initiative, for elementary education-friendly business practices for employees’ families

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Affiliations with Other Professional Organizations

1994–Present, member of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR)

1992-Present; member of Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (LCRCC)

2000-2002; Chair, Board of Directors, VBSR

1997-2000; Member, Board of Directors, VBSR

1997-2001; Member, Education Committee, VBSR

2000-2002; Member, Public Policy Committee, VBSR

1998-2002; Member, LCRCC Public Policy Committee

1999-2000; Leader (elected) and participant, Vermont Leadership Institute of the Snelling Center for Government

2000; co-chair, Search Committee for principal of Essex Middle School, Essex Vermont

1998-1999; Business representative for the Livable Wages Campaign by the Peace and Justice Center, Burlington Vermont. Presented at two press conferences (including one for Burlington’s Mayor) and two testimonies before Vermont Legislative committees

1997; co-chair, Commission on Childhood Poverty, a group form by joint resolution of the Vermont Legislature. Authored both the interim and final report, presented and testified to three Legislative committees, held press conference

1995; Appointed delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business called by President Clinton; one of 16 Vermont delegates

1993; Board Member, New American School initiative for Essex Elementary School, Essex Vermont

1981-1984; Inventory Director then Chair of the Board of Directors for the Welcome Alternative Food Cooperative, Poughkeepsie NY

1991-1993, Member, Graduate student/faculty advisory board, Saint Michael’s College

1999-2000; Member, Business advisory committee for US Vermont Representative Bernie Sanders

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