where I've been 🌍️
Contrast.  Associate Creative Director, January 2025 – Present
• Direct brand strategy for major CPG initiatives (Tyson, ALDI), unifying visual identity across 50+ SKUs to drive category growth and brand recall.
• Manage and mentor a team of 5+ designers, illustrators, and production artists, increasing design efficiency by 30% through systems thinking and implementing AI tools.
• Champion AI integration into creative workflows, reducing production time and accelerating speed-to-market for hero assets and templatized systems.
• Lead cross-functional partnership with strategy, account, and client teams to translate business objectives into breakthrough creative platforms.
Self-Employed.  Creative Consultant, January 2023 – January 2025
• Served as fractional creative leader for DTC and enterprise clients, translating C-suite business goals into creative briefs, design KPIs, and brand systems.
• Presented strategic creative rationale to stakeholders ranging from startup founders to Fortune 500 brand directors, consistently achieving client re-engagement.
• Built design operations strategy and reusable brand assets, allowing non-designers to self-serve low-complexity content while maintaining brand integrity.
Brands include: Altria, ALDI, Nature's Path, Tyson, Ameren Illinois, BlytzPay.
Conagra Brands.  Design Director, January 2019 – January 2023
• Partnered with Product, Marketing, and Executive leadership to translate business strategy into brand design solutions for brand restages, product launches, seasonal drops, and brand activations across Duncan Hines, Slim Jim, BoomChickaPop, Glutino, and others.
• Managed external design agencies and freelance talent, negotiating SOWs and ensuring final deliverables met brand quality and budget standards.
• Built master templates and component libraries, reducing production time and enabling consistent brand expression across hundreds of SKUs.
Brands: Duncan Hines, Slim Jim, Hunts, Glutino, BoomChickaPop, Kid Cuisine, Udi's.
The Marketing Store (HAVI).  Senior Designer, January 2018 – January 2019
• Served as lead creative on McDonald's flagship account, leading concept development and 360° campaign execution for McCafe global redesign, Happy Meal (Disney/Marvel collaborations), and national promotions.
• Partnered with McDonald's brand marketing and franchise stakeholders to ensure all creative aligned with brand guidelines, QSR compliance, and promotional legal requirements.
• Collaborated with CRM and digital teams to ensure creative consistency across email, push notifications, in-app messaging, and loyalty touchpoints.
PepsiCo.  Senior Designer, January 2016 – January 2018
• Developed brand design strategy and visual identity systems for Quaker, Tropicana, Naked Juice, and Kevita, driving revenue growth and brand love across the Nutrition portfolio.
• Partnered cross-functionally with Marketing, R&D, and Insights to deliver 360° brand experiences across packaging, digital, and retail touchpoints.
• Participated in consumer research activities, translating customer insights into actionable design requirements and final solutions.
Equator.  Designer, January 2015 – January 2016
• Specialized in private brand packaging for ALDI, HEB, and Sam's Club creating brand systems that disrupted the discount grocery category.
• Directed photoshoots and collaborated with food stylists and photographers to capture on-brand imagery for packaging and retail applications.
Dark Matter Coffee.  Creative Director, January 2013 – January 2015
• Led brand creative direction for a fast-growing specialty coffee roastery, establishing visual language defined by psychedelic illustration and retro-futurism.
• Directed packaging, retail environment art, and music industry collaborations (Mastodon, Judas Priest, Thrill Jockey Records, Numero Group).
• Commissioned and art-directed illustrators (Sam Nigrosh, Raul Urias, and Jason Brammer) to differentiate the brand in Chicago's competitive market.
• Oversaw creative for Mothership roastery opening (2014) and limited-edition releases including Sun Ra tribute "Astro-Black" and "Doom Chuggy" metal blend.
The Dupuis Group.  Designer, January 2011 – January 2013
• Designed brand identity systems and packaging solutions for CPG clients across food, beverage, and consumer product categories, working within a nimble agency environment that specialized in innovation and branding.
• Contributed to award-winning packaging work for Fortune 500 and emerging startup clients.
• Contributed to innovation pipelines from insights through commercialization, helping clients develop new product categories and disruptive branding strategies.
• Supported creative presentations and client communications, helping articulate design rationale and strategic recommendations.
• Conducted market research and trend analysis to support the agency's reputation as an "early trend spotter".

Education.
Truman State University, January 2010.    Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication




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