Professional Accomplishments

Help and Training

  • Review and edit knowledge base articles to support the Mozilla Firefox web browser which is used by millions of people worldwide.
  • Reduced the need for on-site training by designing an extensive help system, including Flash animations, quick reference cards, hands on activities scripts and links to external resources, including a SharePoint site and wiki articles.
  • Designed a SharePoint site, including an interactive message board, calendars, document repositories and weekly blog.
  • Authored 10 computer based training modules, utilizing knowledge gained by interviewing scientific and technical subject matter experts.
  • Wrote and edited safety manuals to help construction and logging companies reduce accidents and workers compensation costs.
  • Wrote help articles for online office software used by independent insurance agents across the United States.
  • Wrote Help Desk training manual and solution scripts and reviewed solution scripts written by Help Desk staff for inclusion in a global support database.

Communication

  • Created PowerPoint presentations to inform users of new software features, using screen captures, photos and clip art to make presentations engaging and informative.
  • Designed advertisements for display on plasma screens at 7 corporate sites, reaching a global audience of more 10,000 employees.
  • Utilized broadcasting experience and voice training to record voiceovers for computer based training modules, saving the cost of hiring outside professional voice talent.
  • Authored weekly software support blog posts read by a global audience of more than 3,000 pharmaceutical research scientists.
  • Wrote and distributed announcements regarding software releases and outages via email, SharePoint site, and global support calendars.
  • Won Illinois News Broadcasters Association “Best Downstate Newscast” award for coverage of the largest cocaine seizure in Illinois State Police history.
  • Anchored newscasts, talk shows and election coverage, interviewing state, local and national newsmakers.
  • Wrote email newsletters alerting subscribers to sales and discounts at participating retailers.

Business Analysis

  • Interviewed technical and scientific subject matter experts to document software requirements and see requirements through to testing and implementation.
  • Documented requirements and defects in SourceForge, establishing deadlines and assigning them to appropriate developers for resolution.
  • Wrote use cases to guide development and documentation of software features.
  • Acted as point of contact for more than 3,000 developers, scientists and support staff worldwide.
  • Wrote user acceptance test scripts to be executed by global business leaders.

Customer Service

  • Handled more than 300 inbound customer service calls per week from performance improvement award program participants.
  • Processed more than 100 requests weekly for disability benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act.