I have extensive experience in graphic design over the past 15 years – in the field. I worked as a marketing director for the former Wild Oats Markets, graphic designer for a Kansas City metro printer, as a graphic designer and photographer for several small town newspapers and have had my own side business for 11 years. I won numerous awards from the Missouri Press Association for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 for design, advertisements, ad copy, house ads, photography, feature writing and newspaper layout - entire newspaper as well as front page. I have designed and laid out several visitor guide magazines, smaller glossy magazines, newsletters, logos, business cards, postcards, advertising folders and brochures, apparel, labels, journals, business forms, entertainment booklets and more. In addition, I designed, laid out and provided copy for newspaper special tab sections on subjects from Christmas to gardening to agriculture to home improvement to breast cancer and health. I have also designed and laid out five books for raw food authors and am currently writing and laying out my own historical non-fiction book. I work well with deadlines, am professional and understand the printing business and what it takes to take a project from planning stages to the final print. I also understand the newspaper printing business. I am versed in Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign CS5.5 and have these programs on my home computer to work with.