Karen England
1607 NE 105th Street
Miami Shores, FL 33138
(954) 232-2405
email: Karen@KarenEngland.com
website: www.KarenEngland.com
              www.WebSiteDesignsbyKaren.com

Return to Karen England's Resume

PROFILE

Well-rounded graphic designer with experience in web site design, publication, travel and theater advertisements. Highly motivated self-starter with excellent project and time management skills. I work well independently and as part of a team.  I have a strong desire to work for a company in the web and graphic design field to utilize my skills in support of major initiatives.

SKILLS

Photoshop 7, ImageReady 7, PageMaker, InDesign, Illustrator, Streamline, Acrobat, Dreamweaver MX, Fireworks MX, Flash MX, HomeSite, FreeHand MX, Quark, SWiSH, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, HTML, DHTML including CSS and JavaScript.

Mac OS X, Windows 98/ME/2000/XP.

EDUCATION

Florida State University, April 1997
Bachelor of Science - Communications GPA 3.75

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

KarenEngland.com / WebSiteDesignsbyKaren.com
Miami Shores, Florida  (July 2003 - to present)
Freelance Webmaster / Web Designer and Graphic Designer

MetroGuide.com, Inc.
Hollywood, Florida
April 2000 - July 2003
Webmaster/Senior Graphic Designer
* Established the graphic department from researching and buying the equipment, selecting all the software, developing the images required from photographs to clip art and defining the overall requirements and processes of the department.
* Web site re-design, creation, maintenance and upgrades for over 4,000 graphic-rich family of sites.
* Worked closely with our in-house technology department to maintain and create dynamic databases/websites.
* Responsible for all banner advertisements, tiles and pop-ups.
* Responsible for working with our affiliates to ensure our look and feel was correct and also so we could customize our sites to generate attention from customers.
* As the web designer for the company, I was responsible for continually adding appropriate photos for all of our guides (HotelGuide, LodgingGuide, MetroGuide, AttractionGuide, RetailGuide, etc.) to enhance the customer experience and to maintain our branding.
* Created and maintained the bi-weekly newsletter sent to all of our members and made sure that we had a cleansed member master for our members.
* Launched movie theater ads for Regal CineMedia that ran throughout southern Florida.
* Developed all printed materials for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Miami Herald and Bride’s Magazine from design to production.
* Designed billboard ads that were displayed throughout Florida as well as marketing material that was used in our advertising campaigns.
* Created various styles of custom clothing and apparel such as embroideries and screen print.
* I also filled the role of office manager with responsibility for hiring office personnel and the purchasing of equipment and supplies.

Little Rock, Arkansas
September 1998 - April 2000
Graphic Designer
* Responsible for working with clients to analyze their printing needs and recommend the best design, quality, quantity and printing method for each project.
* I was responsible for generating logos, designing brochures, stationery, business cards, newsletters, invitations and satisfying any other needs of our customers.
* I was involved in all aspects associated with a large-scale print shop, from pre-flight to print, Package Design, Typography, and Color Theory.
* I negotiated with all print vendors for magazine deadlines and specifications and was ultimately responsible for insuring that deadlines were defined and met.
* Ran, maintained and responsible for troubleshooting image setter and processors.

Center for Needs Assessment and Planning
Tallahassee, Florida
January 1996 - April 1997
Graphic Designer (While attending school)
* Responsible for recommending and justifying the utilization of MAC for graphics and the conversion of all files to the MAC environment. This entailed several years worth of files that had to be either converted or recreated.
* Developed instructional presentations and resource materials in order to assist the director in his presentations, seminars, workshops, consultations, as well as many other projects, depending on the client.
* I converted thousands of graphics, slides, presentations and reference material used to teach leaders how to be more effective in their roles in society.

Florida Food and Beverage News
Clearwater, Florida
August 1994 - July 1995
Art Director/Designer (While attending school)
* Created ads and logos for clients' specifications and maintained client satisfaction.
* Designed and implemented layout for monthly magazine which included periodical information on food and beverage products, trends, news, event schedules and much more.
* Working closely with the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to provide updated information on statues and regulations.
* Developed material, theme and all preparation for trade shows.
* Designed and produced page layouts using desktop publishing software.
* Proofread and checked each stage of production, from page proofs to bluelines.
* Helped plan for future issues regarding location of articles, photos and if need be, created the art.

Kibbutz Gesher
Israel
July 1991 - September 1992
Agricultural Apprentice
* Studied Hebrew and Middle Eastern cultures, history and religion (I lived there, farmed and studied Hebrew and spent time understanding the culture.)
* Responsible for irrigation, pollination, fertilization and harvesting of fruits and vegetables.

United States Representative Charles E. Bennett
Washington, D.C.
December 1987 - July 1991
Legislative Assistant and Staff Assistant
* When I first arrived in this office there were no computers in the office so I justified the need for automation, defined the requirements and selected the hardware/software for everyone in the office.
* Researched and drafted legislation on education and environment.
* Worked closely with Jacksonville's Port Authority (JAXPORT), an international trade seaport for Northeast Florida, to promote their initiatives.
* Assisted in drafting statements for the Congressional Record, the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress.
* Prepared the member for committee hearings, upcoming votes and meetings with constituents, government officials and interest groups.
* Helped evaluate the political outcome of various legislative proposals and constituent requests.
* Authored and edited monthly newsletter, press releases and weekly radio spot.