Creative Director, Educator, Type Designer. I have worked for agencies in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas over the span of my 20 year career in the advertising, pharmaceutical advertising, and luxury hotel & casino industries. I decided to work in academia after attaining my MFA in Graphic Design in 2013, and for the past 10 years have dedicated my life to giving back everything I know about the industry to future designers. While in academia, I started a BFA Graphic Design program from scratch, designed the curriculum, planning, budgeting and management of staff. I recently attained tenure, and run a successful Graphic Design BFA program. About the same time I started working in academia, I started designing typefaces, and have recently launched my own type foundry, Ampersand Type Foundry: www.ampersandtype.com where I sell my eclectic typefaces.

My skillsets in academia include mentorship and art direction of the many students who I have taught over the years. I am skilled in hiring, training, and advising staff; academic advisement; budget management; curriculum development; outreach and placement to local & regional companies for internship and employment opportunities. 40% of my academic contract is dedicated to research and creative development, which entailed maintaining my design firm (Blue Taco Design) and my roster of clients, along with designing typefaces.

My skillsets are diverse. In design they range from branding, advertising, collateral design, and apparel design; with experience in special printing processes, paper, collateral, and package design. I have worked on a range of projects and budgets from small branding & collateral projects for a small private high school in LA to have designed apparel for a large global brand that sells olive oil.

Design goals: to ensure the designs I create are clear & concise; Enjoy the process as much as the result; Create a partnership between the designer and the client.