I love what I do:

 

As an experienced Creative Director, I blend innovation with a hands-on approach to elevate brand stories. I excel in integrating design and leadership, fostering team growth and collaborative creativity. Skilled in aligning marketing strategies with client and stakeholder needs, my work drives brand transformations and enhances market presence. I am adept at creating impactful designs that resonate with audiences and exceed business objectives.

What I can do:
Creative Strategy  •  Creative Direction  •  Design Thinking  •  Concept Development  •  Integrated Marketing  •  Advertising  •  Branding Development  •  Corporate Identity  •  Art Direction 

Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, XD, Acrobat)  Figma  •  MS Office  •  iWork  •  Online tools: Asana, Flipsnack, Mural, Gamma, Squarespace

Photography  •  Illustration

Leadership  •  Coaching and mentorship

Project management and planning  •  Presentation

Clients I have helped:
BHG Financial and subsidiaries  •  Cadaret Grant  •  Carrier  •  Crouse Hospital  •  FedEx Freight  •  GE Energy  •  HandHeld Products and Honeywell  •  Mersen  •  SRC  •  Sun Chemical

I solve creative problems:

 

VP, Creative Director
BHG Financial – A leader in loan solutions and creator of the largest community bank and product network in the U.S. (formerly Bankers Healthcare Group)
01/2021–present

  • Established an award-winning in-house creative team, significantly enhancing operational efficiency, doubling project capacity, expanding the team from 2 to 15 members, and achieving a high retention rate.

  • Collaborated with senior Marketing leaders on a comprehensive rebranding initiative, managing the in-house team for logo design, visual identity, and brand roll-out. Launched the rebrand in under 6 months, enhancing cost savings and brand consistency.

  • Led a remote team of graphic designers, art directors, and copywriters, driving brand awareness and significantly contributing to loan origination growth, which nearly doubled from $2.8B in 2021 to $4.1B in 2022.

  • Managed and executed $200K+ budgets for major U.S. fintech events (Fintech Nexus, Money 20/20), delivering booth design, social media, and collateral, enhancing event engagement and brand presence.

  • Designed 6 credit cards for BHG’s portfolio, collaborating with partners CPI Card Group, CompoSecure, and Fiserv. Supported card acquisition and spend stimulus campaign, capturing a 50% open rate, 10% conversion rate, and $350K savings in the first 3 months.

Creative Director
10/2012–12/2020

  • Worked closely with the CMO and cross-functional teams to create paid campaigns across multiple channels, generating 7,000+ monthly leads and over $175M in originations, elevating the company’s valuation to $2B+.

  • Spearheaded the development, launch, and governance of BHG’s brand family, expanding from 1 brand in 2012 to 10 brands in 2021, covering corporate, B2B, B2C, and internal employee experience.

  • Supported a monthly digital spend of ~$1.5M on cross-channel campaigns, significantly
    enhancing product credibility, brand awareness, and market authority.

Board of Governors Member
PGA Reach Central NY – A philanthropic arm of the Central New York PGA Section (PGA of America)
11/2022–present

  • Serve as a trusted advisory body, offering expert insights and guidance on branding and marketing.

  • Contribute to defining and strategizing business and marketing goals.

Professional Advisor + Board Member
Cazenovia College – A private college in Cazenovia, NY with a nearly 200-year history
02/2013–05/2022

  • Provided mentorship and guidance to seniors, achieving a 100% graduation rate for their final projects.

  • Collaborated with professors and students, offering input from project inception to completion, and actively participating in the senior exhibition.

  • Held a pivotal role on the committee panel, meticulously evaluating and reviewing final graduation presentations.

Creative Supervisor
Mower Agency – One of the largest U.S. independent marketing, advertising, and public relations agencies
07/2006–10/2012

  • Conceptualized and executed marketing materials and campaigns for major brands, including Carrier, Crouse Hospital, FedEx Freight, GE Energy, Honeywell, Mersen, SRC, and Sun Chemical.

  • Transformed strategic marketing objectives into compelling creative work, fostering client satisfaction and maintaining 10+ years of client relationships.

  • Offered creative support for 30+ RFPs and pitches, contributing to the acquisition of new clients and partnerships.

Art Director
10/2001–06/2006

  • Designed comprehensive brand visuals, including logos, websites, brochures, and advertisements in collaboration with copywriters and account teams.

  • Oversaw external resources, and negotiated costs and usage, working with photographers, illustrators, and print vendors to ensure seamless campaign production.

I give back to my community:

 

Portfolio review guest  /  Texas A&M, Department of Art/Viscom
2020

  • Conducted portfolio reviews for 4 graduating seniors, delivering constructive feedback to elevate the quality of their presentations. Provided valuable insights and guidance on navigating the transition into the workforce.

Design symposium guest speaker  /  Syracuse University, School of Design
2018

  • Crafted content and developed a presentation on successfully entering the workforce in Visual Communication, tailored for both in-house and agency environments, and presented the material to the School of Design faculty members and students.

Volunteer
2015–2020

  • Cafeteria staff, Rescue Mission of Syracuse
    Contributed to meal preparation and service for Rescue Mission residents and walk-in visitors, while ensuring the kitchen and cafeteria remained clean and well-organized, and assisting with various kitchen tasks as required.

  • Art Director, In My Father’s Kitchen
    Created promotional materials to raise awareness about the organization‘s mission to aid the homeless and designed merchandise to generate proceeds for supporting the cause.

  • Art Director, Sofie’s Giving Tree
    Crafted promotional materials to promote fundraising events and amplify the organization‘s mission, which is dedicated to offering support to children and their families in Central New York facing medical crises.

I learned cool things about advertising and design:

 

Syracuse University – College of Visual & Performing Arts
Master of Fine Arts – MFA, Advertising Design

King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
Bachelor of Fine Arts – BFA, Industrial Design/Graphic Design

Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan
Graphic and Packaging Design training

I feel honored:

 

2021 GDUSA’s American Inhouse Design Awards™ — Identity + Branding
Received 2 awards in the Identity + Branding category for 2 projects: Risk Management Solutions Group Branding and BHG Builds People Who Build BHG Branding

GDUSA’s American Inhouse Design Awards™ is the original and premier showcase for outstanding work by inhouse designers and their departments. 2021 showcases roughly 350 projects with near-record 6,800+ entries.

2020 IHAF Creativity Awards, Honorable Mention — B2B Multimedia Campaign
Lendit FinTech (Fintech Nexus) Conference campaign

The IHAF In-House Creativity Awards recognize creative excellence among internal agencies.

2019 Lendit Fintech Best in Show – Booth design

Lendit Fintech (became Fintech Nexus in 2022) is one of the largest fintech conferences in the U.S. with 350+ sponsors and exhibitors.

BHG Financial Awards — Q2 2024 Marketing MVP  •  2022 Legendary Leader  •  2019 Presidential Award  •  Marketing Impact Player of Month: January 2022, September 2019, February 2017  •  2018 Extra Mile  •  Annual Marketing MVP: 2020, 2018  •  2016 Annual Organizational Health  •  Peer of the Year: 2015, 2013  •  Best Attitude: 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 

2016 Successful Business Women Awards Honoree (Creative Services)

The annual Successful Business Women Awards celebrates women with outstanding business leadership, success, and achievements within Central New York. This program highlights the importance and impact of women in the region's business community.

2006 Pro-Comm Awards Agency Promotion Materials, Best of Division Award

The competition is open to marketers, agencies, suppliers, and manufacturers involved in campaigns utilizing promotion marketing in B-to-C and B-to-B.

2004 ADDY Silver Advertising self-promotion, Special Event Materials

The American Advertising Awards (referred to as the ADDY) is the advertising industry's largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 25,000 entries every year in local AAF Ad Club competitions.

2004 How International Design Citation of Excellence, Invitations/Announcements

How International Design Awards is the annual design competition organized by How Magazine, one of the most well-known magazines for graphic designers since 1985.

Work featured in Exploring Typography book by Tova Rabinowitz