is a lifestyle and design is a necessity, it was no surprise to me when I
discovered my creative abilities at the early age of 14 with the help of
my grandfather John who was also a designer. Fascinated by the
software programs he used (PageMaker back in those days) and the
hum of his huge 300dpi Epson laser printer (I’m dating myself), I was
inspired to design flyers for my class trips while my classmates were
busy trying out for school sports.
My creativity and passion for aesthetics truly started to develop when
I entered high school. During those four soul-searching years, I
became the layout editor of the school paper and also embarked on
the role of historian for my school’s chapter of the Future Business
Leaders of America (FBLA). During my tenure in FBLA, I won 3rd place
in Desktop Publishing at the 1998 State Leadership Conference in
Rochester, and then 1st place the following year. This presented me
with the honorable opportunity of representing New York State at
the national competition in Chicago.
I knew that a career in design was the obvious choice, so I continued
my studies in Digital Design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where I
learned and honed my skills in design fundamentals, lettering and
typography. Upon graduation, I headed back to the Big Apple to
jumpstart my career in design as a Graphic Designer at a downtown
printing company, which later led me down the path of becoming a
Junior Designer for a marketing company in TriBeCa.
With a strong desire and keen eye for print design, I decided to enter
the world of publishing about two years ago as an Associate Designer
for Metrosource Magazine, a gay lifestyle magazine based out of SoHo.
I took what I learned from that experience and took the next step. I
was offered the position of Art Director at Analysts In Media,
publishers of four B2B magazines. I stayed there for about a year and
decided to return to the consumer side of publishing. Now, I am the
Art Director for HX Magazine, a weekly gay party paper distributed
throughout New York City. Wherever I might be, I'll be ushering a new
breed of glossy that infuses cutting-edge consumer design.
.
Entertainment Industry Expo, Edelman, Federated Department Stores, Gartner, Hewlett-Packard, Jaguar
Motors, Metrosource Magazine, west elm, White & Case, LLP, and Williams-Sonoma Stores.
