Professional Summary

Brand and people-focused multidisciplinary creative leader, organized and collaborative, skilled at translating insights into culturally tuned, high-impact work. I guide teams with clarity and encouragement, consistently elevating creative standards and strengthening brand recognition.

Work History

Senior Graphic Designer | Wintrust Financial Corporation, Rosemont, IL 04/2022 – Present

• Lead designer for the “Great Rates” and “MaxSafe” campaigns, the company’s most successful product launches to date, driving $340M in deposits in 2023.

• Art directed the 2024 Super Bowl commercial and its year-long integrated campaign, overseeing art direction, set design, and prop development.

• Spearheaded the “Branding Roadmap” initiative to establish cohesive visual standards and ADA-compliant design systems, strengthening consistency and market trust.

• Collaborate directly with the VP of Creative and senior design team to conceptualize campaigns; mentor junior designers to elevate creative output and maintain brand excellence.

Art Director, Graphic Designer, Photographer | Freelance Various Locations 05/2008 – Present

• Branding, logo design, illustration, photography, and marketing consulting for entrepreneurs and small to mid-size businesses.

Marketing Director | BrandFWD, Chicago, IL 11/2016 – 11/2017

• Boosted creative output by 400% through reorganizing the in-house studio, fostering a culture of innovation, and improving team workflows.

• Directed large-scale photo shoots and led art direction for a 180-page catalog, enhancing visual

  storytelling while streamlining production to cut time and costs by 75% and deliver three months early.

• Oversaw creative development across all marketing materials, ensuring brand alignment before final CEO approval.

Art Director | Lumisource, Home Furnishings, Elk Grove Village, IL 07/2019 – 02/2021

• Built scalable creative processes in a fast-paced startup environment, ensuring agility and consistency as the company expanded.

• Transformed sales pitches through interactive presentations and data visualization, elevating storytelling and audience engagement.

• Directed product photography and implemented a structured digital asset management (DAM) system, streamlining workflows and improving creative efficiency.

Marketing & Neighborhood Coordinator | LISC Americorps, Peoria, IL 10/2014 – 07/2015

• Increased community foot traffic by 50% into the non-profit by rebranding the East Bluff Neighborhood

  Housing Services (EBNHS), and by creating a more welcoming and recognizable identity.

• Partnered with community leaders and city officials to drive a neighborhood rebranding and

  beautification initiative, strengthening community engagement and revitalization efforts.

• Secured grant funding and sourced mural artists to create a community mural, enhancing

  neighborhood identity, fostering local engagement, and supporting the area's beautification efforts.

Lead Designer | Marketplace Selections, Beverage, Peoria, IL 05/2013 – 04/2014

Graphic Designer | 03/2012 – 05/2013

• Led the visual creation of brand materials for top craft beer and wine companies in the country, including Stone Brewing, Rogue Ales Brewery, Left Hand Brewing Company, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Bogle Vineyards.

• Scaled creative output and workflows to support company growth, enabling the sales team to expand from 8 to 24 members.

• Designed point of purchase, tradeshow displays, restaurant menus, e-blasts, and social media content.

Assistant Photographer | Bradley University, Peoria, IL 08/2011 – 12/2012

• Second photographer for campus events, news, and staff headshots.

Photography Assistant Intern | Lucero Photography, Fullerton, CA | 05/2009 – 07/2009

• Assisted lead photographer with lighting setup, equipment organization, and on-set preparation for photo shoots. Edited photos and designed client photo albums for print.

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Graphic Design, Photography | Bradley University | Peoria, IL

Skills

• Creative Direction

• Art Direction

• Visual Storytelling

• Branding

• Logo Design

• Presentation Design

• Data Visualization

• OOH Design

• Design Strategy

• Photography & Photo Editing

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop,

  Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, XD)

• Adobe Workfront

• Microsoft Office Suite

• Google Suite

• Asana, Slack, Monday.com

• Figma

• Digital Asset Management (DAM)

• Client Relationships

• Team Development/Mentorship

• Multidisciplinary Team Leadership

• Creative Workflows/Optimization

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Remote-First Team Management

• Critiquing & Quality Control

• Project Management

• Español (Intermediate Spanish)