Writing Environments

Unstructured (FrameMaker and Word) and structured documents including XML and DITA, using FrameMaker.

CMS and database publishing; shared and re-purposed content to multiple media, including print/PDF documents, blogs, forums, and wikis.

Single-source development for different media: print, PDF, Kindle/e-books, online help, Eclipse help, wiki, and HTML, including HTML5.

Template, book, blog, wiki, and web site design with multiple tools. File and format conversion from legacy environments to new systems (unstructured to structured; Flare, Word, and FrameMaker migrations).

Comfortable with cloud tools and technologies including Confluence, Jira, Sharepoint, Dropbox, Amazon, and Google apps and Drive.

Electronic review, approval, collaboration, and auditing tools.
Source control tools: CVS, SharePoint, ClearCase, WebDAV.

Content Creation

Expert with Adobe Technical Communications Suite: FrameMaker, RoboHelp, Acrobat Captivate. Adept with FrameMaker add-ons: Framescript, IXGen, MIF2Go, and Webworks (ePublisher). Tech Comm Suite Prerelease Team (through five release cycles).

Expert with Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, and the other Creative Suite tools: Dreamweaver, InDesign, Illustrator, Lightroom, and Premier.

Professional still and video cameras and editing equipment/software.

Adept with Web 2.0 tools: WordPress; Confluence; HTML editors; Google Apps; Drupal.

Strong social media skills using Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Con­stant Contact, Mail Chimp, Twitter, HootSuite, Kickstarter, and others.

Proficient with MadCap Flare (MadCap training and beta tester), Office tools, multiple XML editors, and other writing tools.

Expert at ebook creation in Kindle and EPUB formats.

Operating Systems

Windows client and server packages

UNIX (Solaris) and AIX, clusters

Red Hat Linux Enterprise, CentOS, clusters

Debian and other embedded Linux

Cisco and similar CLI-based OSes

Mac OS X

Some Android, including Andy (emulator)

Server, Client/Server, Virtual

Network security applications and appliances; AAA/RADIUS clients and servers

Web: Apache, Confluence, Drupal, IIS. Share­Point, Wild Apricot, WordPress

Shell and some web / PHP scripting

Some VMware; WebSphere

DBs: MySQL/MySQL Cluster, Oracle and OHI

Networking

Routers, switches, network and cloud storage, and security appliances.

Storage array management including virtual storage, deduping, disaster recovery.

Layer 1 and 2 LAN/WAN technologies: ATM, Ethernet, CAN Bus, MPLS, WiFi, cell

Layer 3 and 4 services: security applications, video/voice over IP, VPNs, distributed appli­cations, middleware, storage appliances, etc.

Principal Technical Writer

LG Energy Solution Vertech

(formerly NEC Energy solutions) Westborough, MA

2017-Current

Design and implement documentation for new products and update existing documentation for grid-class battery energy storage systems supporting solar farms, wind farms, legacy power stations, and enterprise/campus microgrid and UPS systems. Documentation set includes hardware installation and operations guides, software manuals and online help, and safety documentation to meet regulatory requirements.
Assisted marketing communications with technical content for web site and presentations.

Led a local documentation department and supervised remote writing teams.

Forge strong relationships with subject matter experts, regulatory staff, and product stakeholders in multiple departments to improve both the documentation development and the review processes. Represent technical publications in cross-functional groups.

Hands-on member of the installation team, in addition to documenting the process for publication.

• Support engineering groups that used both Agile and waterfall development methods.
• Created the company’s first formal documentation product development process.
• Proficient with Agile, the company’s PLM and documentation control system.
• Implemented documentation format redesign to improve usability and support multiple output formats (HTML, PDF, online help).
• Implemented documentation format redesign to improve usability and support multiple output formats (HTML, PDF, PDF-to-print, online help). This included a standard way to share content across the documentation set to ensure a single consistent message reached our customers.
• Used Six Sigma style continuous improvement loops to drive new product documentation process.
• Drove new and improved tool adoption for documentation production, review, and distribution
• Implemented a faster, more efficient review process to improve accuracy and accountability.
• Managed and supervised translation and localization.
• Led rebranding and redesign efforts to improve the company’s hardware labels to ensure regulatory compliance and LG corporate branding guidelines.

Forged strong relationships with subject matter experts, regulatory staff, and product stakeholders in multiple departments to improve the documentation development and the review processes.

Principal Technical Writer

Contract at OasisWorks

Billerica, MA

2021-2022

First writer at this software startup that develops remote server configuration and monitoring software and SaaS products. Designed initial documentation and Confluence doc templates. Develop user guides from internal documents, subject matter expert interviews, and personal experience using the product. Processed code-generated API Guides to PDF..

Single source output from FrameMaker to PDF, HTML5, and Confluence.

Implemented electronic document review, approval, and audit trail to reduce review time and impact on engineers and other reviewers and to ensure that comments and edits are incorporated appropriately.

Principal Content Developer

Contract at Actifio

Waltham, MA

2015-2016

Developed and implemented an improved server software upgrade procedure that reduced time and effort from several days and several people to a single person working 4-5 hours. Member of cross-functional task group working on customer-installable upgrade procedure.

Planned, wrote, and delivered company’s first hardware/software installation guides for storage appli­ances, fibre channel switches, and storage arrays. Writing reference architecture document.

Created the company’s first public documentation web site. Developed a multi-platform publishing solu­tion going from FrameMaker to HTML5, PDF, SalesForce and SalesForce Knowledge using Adobe RoboHelp or Webworks.

Applied simplified English rules to increase content understanding and ease of use by ESL employees.

Developed system of variables and templates to support product OEM efforts and product rebranding.

Wrote and edited troubleshooting articles for SalesForce and knowledge base pages.

Web Content Director/Writer

Contract at
Fidelity Investments

Merrimack N.H. and Boston MA

2014-2015

Developed and implemented a strategic plan for content management of a system architecture group’s Confluence design document-of-record and API documentation site.

Wrote new content and edited and rewrote existing content. Collaborated with architects on project plan spaces and other documentation that explained system architecture to less technical stakeholders.

Created page templates for standard pages and API documentation. Space-level Confluence admin; picked and installed plugins to add functionality and increase usability.

Editor and Publisher

The Groton Line

Groton, MA

2009 — 2016

Created and ran a hyperlocal news site that provided an average of more than 1000 unique visits per day and a reach of more than 60% of 10,000 town residents.) enhanced with an interactive email list (1700+ people), and social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) integration.

Live coverage of meetings and special events using Storify and CoverItLive.

Dell, Inc.

Worked in three Dell business units, writing a wide variety of hardware, software, and application devel­opment documentation. Details of each position are in the next three rows.

Senior Writer Advisor

Dell Services

Wellesley MA

2013 — 2014

Contract position working with Agile software development and database teams on a massive health insurance porting project for Harvard-Pilgrim Health Care. Support two separate teams, one working on accumulator development management and the other developing pricing and adjudication processes. Created Word and FrameMaker documents to record business rules, project design, technical specifica­tions (as-planned documentation) and detailed implementation specifications (as-built documentation). These chapters are the base for processes, configuration, and trouble-shooting documentation.

Harvard-Pilgrim trained in health-related privacy procedures and HIPAA compliance.

Senior Writer Advisor

Dell EqualLogic
Nashua Design Center

Nashua NH

2011 — 2013

A multi-faceted role with three components in a network storage appliance business unit:

•Senior Writer role included planning, developing, producing and updating topic-based documenta­tion. This included new products, such as web/mobile storage administration tools and legacy docu­mentation sets for new releases using Flare 7, 8, and 9. Participated in cross-functional product teams. Monitored customer support forums, Facebook, and Twitter as a Social Media and Commu­nities authorized “poster.”

•Toolsmith responsibilities included first line support for computer and network problems, authoring and production tool troubleshooting (Flare, FrameMaker, Adobe Acrobat, HTML help), and testing new tools and procedures. Liaison with L10n translation team. Worked with and trained staff on Flare, SVN, and other tools. Sharepoint admin; intranet web admin. Collaborated with writing teams to develop internal procedures and Best Practices for the department.

•Build Captain duties included developing department processes and procedures for Flare, FrameMaker, and CMS environments to print and 508-compliant PDF and HTML help.

Dell trained and certified in Social Media and Communities (a six-course series).

Web Content Architect

Dell EqualLogic

Nashua NH

2011

Contract position developing an internal competitive intelligence web site to assist sales staff by provid­ing competitive product information. Included multiple taxonomy web site design, implemented using multiple taxonomies in a MySQL database feeding a customized WordPress CMS back end.

Salesforce Consultant

Actifio

Waltham, MA

2013-2014

Collaborated on a project to convert specialized storage optimization software book-based documenta­tion into Salesforce Knowledge knowledgebase articles. This involved working with the documentation team and Salesforce specialists, to develop a process and tools to convert FrameMaker book-based docu­mentation into lighter weight topic-based articles. The end result created a new documentation platform to more effectively reach the company’s user community and strengthen its CRM strategy.

Senior Technical Writer

Contract at
Lasermax Roll Systems

Burlington, MA

2010 — 2011

Long-term contract with three goals: 1.) Develop an automated migration path to move legacy docu­ments from PageMaker to FrameMaker, 2.) Develop and implement an efficient documentation develop­ment workflow to allow single-sourcing, improve content reuse, and reduce time-to-market, 3.) Develop a documentation set for a new product that provides real-time QA for high-speed printers.

Senior Technical Writer

Contract with DSM/Sarlink

Leominster, MA

2010

Developed a standard-operating-procedure manual for SAP QM processes used by an international plas­tic manufacturer. Created a new internal manual for print and PDF delivery by interviewing staff, testing procedures, and implementing a standard task-based DITA-like template.

Senior Technical Writer

Contract with OpenPages, Inc.

Waltham, MA

2009

Developed and documented AIX server cluster installation procedures for a multi-server distributed busi­ness rule application. Created new manuals and online help. Updated existing FrameMaker templates. Documented hardware and software installation and configuration, inter-server communication, virtual­ization, and database integration.

Senior Technical Writer

Contract at Juniper Networks

Westford, MA

2008 — 2009

Created new content, updated, and rewrote existing material for a carrier-class RADIUS server running both on stand-alone systems and on high availability MySQL Cluster setups.

Used DITA-style topic-based writing for new material. Published as XML, HTML, and PDF.

Specialty areas included hardware and software installation and security configuration. Worked with developers to simplify and speed up cluster installation procedures.

Manager of Tech. Pubs

Color Kinetics/Philips Electronics

Boston/Burlington, MA

2007—2008

Started Color Kinetic’s internal technical publications department. Produced installation guides, data sheets, user guides, software and hardware manuals, and packaging for consumer and professional prod­ucts. Integrated flat file and database content into documents. Set readability and ease-of-use standards to improve usability and reduce translation costs.

Implemented electronic document review, approval, and audit trail to reduce review time and impact on engineers and other reviewers and to ensure that comments and edits were incorporated appropriately.

Manager of Technical Communications

Rivulet Communications

Portsmouth, NH

2004 — 2006

First/lone writer at a video-over-IP equipment startup. Developed network planning, administration, and hardware/software installation guides; online help, terminal text help, and product-specific HTML intranet portals. All documentation was single-sourced, modular, and reusable.

Worked with engineering team so that functional specs were developed in a format that evolved into the first draft documentation. Worked with programmers to develop simple and effective GUIs.

Tech Publications Consultant

Contract with Meetinghouse Data Communications

Portsmouth, NH

2003 — 2004

Performed a use-case analysis of wireless LAN administrators’ tasks. Developed a customer-centered documentation plan to reduce client and server software installation time and the number and length of phone support calls. Produced new installation and configuration documentation for half a dozen operat­ing systems’ client components, quick start guides, and online help. Also edited and rewrote print docu­mentation to install the firm’s RADIUS server product and client software on a variety of platforms.

Post-Master’s Fellowship
in Media Management and Entrepreneurship

Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Florida

M.S. Journalism
Concentrations in magazine editing and electronic media

Ohio University in Athens, Ohio
Thesis: Microcomputer Use by Daily Newspapers

B.A. Communications

Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio

National Press Photographers Association Short Course:Visual Storytelling

“All the cutting edge technology I learned in college— typewriters, film splicers, glue — is now in a museum; the one thing that hasn’t changed is how to tell a visual story.”— Bob Dotson, Keynote Speaker

WordCamp

Two days of Intermediate and Advanced WordPress topics

Edward Tufte: Presenting Data and Information

“Fundamental design strategies for all information displays: sentences, tables, diagrams, maps, charts, images, video, data visualizations, and randomized displays for making graphical statistical inferences.”

Poynter Institute for Media Studies:
Building Effective News & Information Websites

“A practical process for building websites with HTML5, CSS3 and other essential web technologies. How responsive design can be used to build one site for multiple desktop and mobile platforms. Essential web design principles.

Dell

Series of courses leading to internal Social Media and Communictions certification.

Memberships

Four-year Council (Board) Member and Senior Member of the New England Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication; American Society of Media Photographers; Charter member of Local Independent Online News Publishers; Mystery Writers of America, National Press Photographers Association, Online News Association.

Personal Projects

Webmaster, designer, and administrator of more than 25 WordPress sites. Samples linked from artc.net.

Independently publish novels and other books in print and ebook-Kindle formats.

Event photography and videography for the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter.

Manager of several special interest communities or mailing lists.

Owner and administrator of several Google Groups, including Technical Communications Suite Users, Lone Technical Writers, and the TalkAboutGroton community list.

Wrote XyWrite 4 Macros for McGraw-Hill Publishing, 1993, and The Expert Advisor: XyWrite III+ for Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1989. Numerous magazine and newspaper articles.