Graphic Design | Creative Production & Operations | Packaging & Print
Graphic designer and creative operations leader with 15+ years of experience across design, packaging, print production, and creative execution. Combines a hands-on creative foundation with 11 years of high-volume CPG packaging experience, end-to-end project ownership, technical print knowledge, process improvement, and team leadership. Skilled at moving between creative execution and operational strategy to produce work that is visually effective, technically accurate, and scalable.
EXPERIENCE
NIAGARA BOTTLING, LLC | Artwork Production Associate Manager | 2015–2026
• Led packaging artwork and creative production for more than 400 private-label beverage brands, managing projects from intake and revisions through regulatory review, preflight, approvals, final release, and manufacturing.
• Managed and mentored graphic designers and production artists while staying closely involved in artwork review, technical problem-solving, project prioritization, and quality control.
• Partnered with Marketing, Sales, Regulatory, Quality, Packaging Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, commercial teams, external vendors, and printers to align creative intent, technical requirements, timelines, and launch needs.
• Reviewed dielines, substrates, color requirements, mechanical files, proofs, and print specifications across flexography, gravure, offset lithography, and direct printing.
• Managed a 32% year-over-year increase in artwork volume by establishing transparent priorities, maintaining shared project visibility, and addressing risks early—without additional headcount or weekend overtime.
• Developed standardized documentation, onboarding resources, and practical workflows that improved consistency, reduced opportunities for error, and helped the artwork process scale.
• Coordinated prepress, proofing, vendor communication, and on-site press approvals to ensure packaging met brand, regulatory, manufacturing, and print-production requirements.
• Received the Leadership Excellence Award in 2023.
PRO SOUND & STAGE LIGHTING (PSSL) | Graphic Artist / Social Media Manager | 2010–2015
• Designed and production-prepared bi-monthly product catalogs distributed to more than 25,000 customers, including layout, image preparation, copy, preflight, print-quality review, and press-ready file creation.
• Created marketing materials, advertising, product photography, digital assets, and weekly email campaigns reaching more than 200,000 customers.
• Built a hands-on foundation in graphic design, production artwork, brand consistency, print preparation, and visual problem-solving.
CORE EXPERTISE
Graphic Design · Creative Operations · Packaging Artwork · Production Design · Print Production · Prepress and Proofing · CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) · Dielines and Substrates · Artwork Lifecycle Management · Creative Project Leadership · Workflow Optimization · Process Improvement · Cross-Functional Collaboration · Team Leadership and Mentoring · Vendor and Printer Coordination · Quality Control
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator · Adobe Photoshop · Adobe InDesign · Adobe Acrobat · Adobe Lightroom · Microsoft Excel · Microsoft Word · Microsoft Outlook · Microsoft Teams · Microsoft PowerPoint · Google Docs · Google Sheets · Customer Artwork Portals (e.g., Workfront, BLUE and SGS) · Microsoft Copilot · ChatGPT