RESUME:

SUMMARY:

Proven leadership, management, communication, planning, project management and assessment abilities. Culturally and organizationally adaptable with strong interpersonal and collaboration skills. Experienced in fluid and fast-paced work environments; resourceful and adept in creative problem solving and critical thinking, training development and briefing senior leaders. Software proficiency includes the Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suites.

EXPERIENCE:

Overview

• Over 22 years of experience in the advertising/publishing field, including pharmaceutical, retail, direct response and experiential disciplines

• 20 years of experience in the US Army Reserve component, including over 4 years (cumulative) of active-duty experience at the tactical operational and strategic levels, developing operations and contingency plans, training plans and non-lethal targeting

  • Civil Affairs Planning Team Lead for a Civil Affairs Brigade (current)

  • Executive Officer of a 200-person US Army Reserve Civil Affairs battalion

  • Commander of a 32-person US Army Reserve Civil Affairs company

  • Civil Affairs Planning Team Lead at US Army Europe and Africa

  • Civil Information Management Team Lead at Joint Task Force Horn of Africa

  • Civil Affairs Team Leader in Eastern Afghanistan

  • Police Mentor Team Executive Officer and Team Leader in Southern Afghanistan

March 1999-Present
Associate Creative Director, BBDO Chicago Advertising Agency, Chicago, IL

Provide creative direction for the Ubrelvy and Qulipta brands of the AbbVie pharmaceuticals account. Duties include concept development and oversight of art direction and copywriting, the selection, direction and supervision of videography, photography, animation and illustration. Responsible for all communication aspects of broadcast, social, digital and print projects from concept to execution, including production and final quality assurance.

• Provide guidance, direction and supervision to junior team members

• Creative development and execution for numerous concurrent projects

• Deliver internal and client-facing creative presentations

• Collaborate with account management, strategy and production teams to advise clients on effective solutions to marketing challenges within budget constraints

• Team exceeded brand awareness and conversion targets in FY2023, 2024 & 2025

• Previous clients include: Blueprint Medicines, Coca-Cola, Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, City of Chicago, Goodyear, Kellogg’s, Milk Pep, Jack Daniel’s, State Farm, Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, Qwest/Century Link Communications, Volkswagen, Del Monte, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Oreo and BelVita, GE, Chamberlain and US Sprint

• Previous titles held: Graphic Coordinator, Pre-Press Production Specialist, Associate Art Director, Art Director, Senior Art Director

November 2024-Present (Part-time)
Civil Affairs Planning Team Lead, 364th Civil Affairs Brigade, Clackamas, OR

Analyze, plan and facilitate Civil Affairs and Civil Military Operations focused on the Indo-Pacific theater. Conduct assessment and analysis of unit training and enable development of operations, activities and investments (OAIs) of the command. Facilitate the analysis of civil and military resiliencies and vulnerabilities in the Pacific theater, partner nation emergency response capabilities and networks.

• Lead a 4-person Civil Affairs Planning Team

• Co-lead a cross-functional working group to plan and develop OAIs to effectively support active duty civil-military objectives in theater

• Developed and led brigade staff training to increase unit proficiency and optimize staff processes

August 2022-November 2024 (Part-time)
Executive Officer, 415th Civil Affairs Battalion, Portage, Michigan

Primary staff advisor to the commander; led over 40 members of the battalion staff in the military decision-making process and provided oversight to staff operations in support of unit training and operations. Provided direction to enable personnel, intelligence, operations, logistics, communications, medical, legal, ministry and civil affairs planning support to achieve command objectives.

• Managed the staff battle rhythm, command and staff briefings and training meetings to ensure synchronization of requirements and priorities throughout the organization

• Liaised with subordinate commands to enable effective staff support to unit operations

• Monitored and provided oversight to personnel readiness processes to maintain and increase battalion readiness

• Conducted collective staff training in the military decision-making process

• Led the battalion in the Commander’s absence

• Developed, coordinated and provided oversight to the execution of 2023 annual training for the battalion

• Led planning and supervised the execution of unit events to enhance team cohesion and increase morale

July 2020-May 2021 (Full-time)
Civil Affairs Planning Team Leader, US Army Europe and Africa, Weisbaden, Germany

Led a 4-person US Army Reserve Civil Affairs Planning Team in the planning of Civil Affairs and Civil Military Operations in support of the European Deterrence Initiative. Conducted assessment of civil resiliencies and vulnerabilities, analysis of partner nation emergency response capabilities and networks, and contributed to the non-lethal targeting enterprise to enable the operations, activities and investments (OAIs) of the command.

• Developed Civil Affairs Annexes to USAREUR-AF contingency plans and facilitated orders production for staff and subordinate units

• Managed the Civil Knowledge Integration process to provide civil inputs to training events and operational planning

• Developed and provided non-lethal targeting recommendations to the targeting board to support steady state and contingency operations

• Delivered staff briefings to the USAREUR-AF Commander

• Facilitated USAREUR-AF requests for rotational Civil Affairs forces, including the recommendation and codification of command relationships

• Conducted coordination with adjacent staff sections to include Public Affairs, Information Operations, Fires, Intelligence, Protection and Operational Plans

• Synchronized and coordinated planning with higher and lower echelons

March 2017-May 2019 (Part-time)
Company Commander, C Company, 432d Civil Affairs Battalion, Green Bay, WI

Led a 30 person US Army Reserve Civil Affairs company in the planning and execution of Civil Affairs and Civil Military Operations, to include coordination and cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organizations, and/or the private sector, and organizational analysis. Maintained compliance with personnel readiness requirements; planned, resourced, supervised and assessed unit training; ensured accountability and maintenance of unit equipment.

• Led the company during 29-day field training exercises at Ft. Polk, LA and Hohenfels, DEU, including pre-mission training and readiness requirements, logistical planning and supervision, and operational direction and oversight

• Developed annual company training plans and resource coordination

• Refined monthly training plans; supervised and assessed monthly training events

• Provided oversight and guidance on the professional education and development of soldiers within the company, to include quarterly and annual performance reviews

• Consistently maintained the highest personnel readiness in the battalion and brigade

• Selected as commander of the 2018 Ready Company; successfully ensured maximum readiness and training currency to deploy in support of overseas contingency operations

• Guest instructor for the NATO Civil Military Cooperation Center of Excellence in The Hague, Netherlands in June, 2018

May 2015-March 2016 (Full-time)
Civil Information Management Team Lead, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
(CJTF-HOA), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa

Led an 8-person team in the collection, collation, processing, analysis, production and dissemination of information describing the civil situation in 9 East African countries, and the East African region. Developed information and briefing products to improve military and civilian leaders’ understanding of the potential impact of actions on civil populations, and the impact of civil developments on military operations and forces.

• Directed and supervised project assignment, development and quality control

• Conducted coordination with adjacent staff sections, civilian contractors and embassy liaison officers to develop more effective analytical and assessment processes

• Acted as the primary information interface with South Korean, Japanese, UK and EU liaison officers assigned to CJTF-HOA

• Conducted research and analysis for the command and staff on United Nations and African Union Security Council resolutions affecting East Africa

• Developed a security force assistance activity matrix to inform senior command and staff of US and partner nation security force assistance activities affecting East Africa

• Led the team in producing and disseminating information and briefing products for the East African Security Conference, hosted by CJTF-HOA in Winter of 2016

• Conducted analysis of the potential impacts of catastrophic man-made or natural emergencies on multi-national operations

June 2011-March 2012 (Full-time)
Civil Affairs Team Leader, Provincial Reconstruction Team Paktya, Zormat District, Paktya Province, Afghanistan

Led a 3-person Civil Affairs Team in the planning and execution of Civil Affairs and Civil Military Operations in one of the most complex and volatile regions of Eastern Afghanistan. Acted as the primary military liaison to the Afghan government in Zormat District and was the primary civil advisor to the US Commander in the area.

• Directly responsible for the operational performance, safety, health, welfare, accountability, training and conduct of 3 direct subordinates and 1 local national Linguist

• Met with the District Governor on a near daily basis to advise and assist in the improvement of Afghan governance, basic services, institutions and infrastructure

• Facilitated Agribusiness Development Team engagement with local leaders, and USAID/DoS initiatives to increase the effectiveness of Afghan governmental systems between the district and provincial levels

• Implemented a coordinated civil information management system to facilitate informed operational planning

• Executed a direct messaging effort with ~50 key district leaders to assist in successfully neutralizing an insurgent attempt to incite violent protests

• Utilized a combination of local labor and support from the US Army Corps of Engineers to erect a 100-foot radio tower, increasing the reach of Afghan government messaging from ~35% of the district population to ~90%

• Facilitated local contracts for 3 road repairs to maintain economic and socially vital transportation links with the provincial capital

• Coordinated and facilitated humanitarian aid distribution to mitigate the negative effects of flooding on agricultural harvest

December 2008-September 2009
Executive Officer/Team Leader, Police Mentor Team Crazy Horse/Gunfighter, Regional Police Advisory Command-South, Kandahar, Afghanistan

Led a 15-person Police Mentor Team in Southern Afghanistan to advise, assist and train the Afghan Police in the conduct of their duties, and provide operational support to their activities. Acted as the primary advisor to 2 Afghan National Civil Order Police Commanders, and 2 District Chiefs of Police.

• Directly responsible for the operational performance, safety, health, welfare, accountability, training and conduct of 13 US personnel and 3 local national Linguists

• Collaborated with Afghan Police officials and multi-national counterparts on a near daily basis to plan and conduct joint operations and training

• Facilitated the replacement of a corrupt district Chief of Police, resulting in Police Officers receiving their full salary and decreasing unofficial taxation

• Developed and initiated a civilian weapons registration program in the district, decreasing civilian frustration with weapon confiscations and extending rule-of-law into the surrounding communities

• Designed and implemented an economic census of over 80 businesses in the district to identify key business leaders, enable economic growth, and assess the effectiveness of Afghan police in providing security

• Established a joint training/operations framework with Dutch army police advisors and US civilian contractors, eliminating duplication of effort and maximizing the effectiveness of police advisory activities

• Formulated an election security plan with Afghan police, government officials and US/coalition partners during the 2009 Afghan national elections, effectively preventing insurgent disruption of the electoral process

• Initiated a Pashto literacy program for over 40 Afghan Police Officers to increase the effectiveness and legitimacy of the Afghan Police

• Facilitated humanitarian aid distribution and medical care to alleviate the effects of a fire in the local community

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

Tactical Information Operations Course – 2024

Command & General Staff College – Common Core, Ft. Leavenworth Kansas – 2023

NATO Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Staff Workers Course, CIMIC Center of Excellence, The Hague, Netherlands – 2018

USAID/OFDA Joint Humanitarian Operations Course, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti – 2016

Army Logistics University Career Course, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Ft. Bragg, NC – 2013
(Commandant’s List)

Civil Affairs Qualification Course, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School,
Ft. Bragg, NC – 2011

Joint Fires Observer Course, Fires Center of Excellence, Ft. Sill, OK – 2010
(Distinguished Honor Graduate)

Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Fires Center of Excellence, Ft. Sill, OK – 2008
(Commandant’s List)

Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL 60605
B.A. Advertising/Design, 1999