Standards-based design, development, writing and editing for the web
2009 - present: New Media Communications Officer, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Current challenges:
1999 - 2009: Senior Officer New Media, Canadian Union of Public Employees
I managed the redesign and re-architecture of cupe.ca for its 2005 re-design. In 2003 I was project manager for cupe.ca which was redeveloped using a user-centred design method and migrated to open source technology.
I presided over and did the development, organization and design of the first web site redesign for Canada's largest union in September 2000. The site won the Canadian Association of Labour Media's award for best web site for the year 2000 and for 2006. The current site won Labourstart's Labour web site of the year award in 2004 and 2005.
1992 - 1999: Communications Specialist, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
I rennovated the design and content of the union's national newspaper, Perspective to make it more professional, informative and attractive. Under my leadership, Perspective won three CALM awards, for best news and best overall for a national union publication. My design for a campaign poster also won a CALM award for best design.
I designed, created and maintained the union's first web site. I also wrote press releases and did media relations for the union, including during the 1997 national postal strike.
1990 - 1992: Campaign Researcher, Ontario Federation of Students
I wrote, edited and designed posters, leaflets, buttons, briefs to government for the students federation. My date rape awareness poster, "The definition of NO" was used for ten years after I designed it and won an award for advocacy marketing.
1989 - 1990: National Bureau Chief, Canadian University Press
I wrote and edited a weekly newswire service for Canadian campus newspapers for an eight month "term of office." I also made major rennovations to the co-operative's bulletin board system (used to distribute news electronically among member papers), setting up regional bulletin boards and automating the transfer of news stories between them.
1988 - 1989: Québec Bureau Chief, Canadian University Press
In addition to writing and editing stories from Québec for the national news exchange, I planned, created and gave workshops and seminars on topics related to producing a newspaper: from copy editing and newswriting to layout and design.
1988: Reporter, Toronto Star
I was a summer intern at the Star. I wrote a lot of stories and learned a lot about the commercial media.
1985 - 1988: Editorial Board, McGill Daily
Walking into the Daily office one warm day in September 1985 was the first step on a (ever-lengthening) journey that's led me to here. I was photo editor, news editor, then co-ordinating news editor at Canada's oldest (if not its only) student daily newspaper.
