Introduction
Ken has over 30 years of experience in the fields of graphic design, marketing, and photography. He provides strategic creative direction for marketing campaigns within a broad range of industries and has developed the brand and marks for numerous organizations across the United States.
Through August of 2023 Ken was the Senior Manager, Creative Services for a California-based nonprofit organization. Prior to this role, Ken held titles of Communications Director, Creative Director, Art Director, and Creative Lead for various organizations across a broad range of industries. An experienced leader, he has managed and led teams of all sizes, in addition to mentoring others within the creative field.
Professional Profile
Over 30 years of experience in the field of creative arts, for a variety of industries including church ministry, nonprofit, healthcare, technology, medical, financial/corporate, pre-press, and commercial printing. Develops strong relationships with personnel to maintain corporate positioning, branding, and product marketing under budgetary restrictions and within product messaging.
• Innovative designer with eye for fresh approaches, current trends, and cutting-edge design.
• Proactive self-starter with track record of initiative, personal responsibility, ownership of work and a reputation for strong problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates strong innovation in design and layout, attention to detail, superior initiative, organizational skills, and ability to handle shifting priorities.
• Creative, dependable, and enthusiastic designer/leader with proven track record.
• Provides day-to-day support and guidance to teammates to ensure success in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strategic marketer with established history of developing brand strategies to reposition and retain brands successfully.
• Energetic contributor with proven detail-oriented goals and multi-tasking/organizational proficiency.
Education
South Torrance H.S.
El Camino College, Torrance, CA
CAREER CONTINUING EDUCATION
University of California, Irvine
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Fullerton
Adobe Professional Training
Additional Leadership Experience
CURRENT
Advisory Board Member
Pacific Crest Youth Arts Association
Pacific Crest Youth Arts Association
PAST
Board President, Member
ANHS Music Boosters
(2010-2013)
ANHS Music Boosters
(2010-2013)
Board Member
Fort Tejon Historical Association
(1995-1999)
Fort Tejon Historical Association
(1995-1999)
Board Member
Torrance Education Foundation
(1994-1996)
Torrance Education Foundation
(1994-1996)
Professional Experience
Free Wheelchair Mission • 08/2015 - 08/2023
Senior Manager, Creative Services (Creative Director and Brand Manager)
Managing brand identity and communication for a $10 million humanitarian, nonprofit organization that has distributed more than 1.3 million wheelchairs in 94 countries. Maintain brand consistency while collaborating with dozens of partner organizations across the globe.
Coast Hills Community Church • 06/2008 - 08/2014
Creative Director, Creative Lead, Communications, Graphic Design & Web
Creative leader for a large, corporate-structured nonprofit organization, with strong community ties that served more than 5,000 Orange County families.
Responsible for managing and directing all internal and external communications, including the corporate brand and identification across all avenues. Created communication strategies and served as the contact point for all public relations. Oversaw all creative direction and guidance while assisting all departments with needs including, but not limited to: print collateral, website design, large-format printing, stage design, photography, and projected media for event-specific and church-wide campaigns. Maintained and developed relationships with local and national print, web, and other vendors as needed.
Served as webmaster/designer and managed technical support for the corporate website. Managed all corporate social media presences. Managed teams handling all social media posts, calendars, art, and photography.
Served as liaison to local and national organizations and nonprofits tied to corporate and community campaigns, to create and provide relief and support worldwide.
Maintained a leadership role with staff and volunteer teams for graphic design, photography, event management, and logistics, as well as for material fabrication.
CME LLC [CMP Medica] • 09/1997 - 03/2008
Art Director [2005]
Provided creative direction and guidance, workflow management, scheduling and project development, staff training, and software/hardware budgetary responsibilities.
Collaborated with internal and external clients to develop marketing communications plans. Researched and recommended procedures for innovations in design and the implementation of products and/or services to enhance work environment. Responsible for direction of photography sessions for marketing pieces. Implemented creative brief and concept development breakdown in order to deliver creative, strategic and successful marketing communications plans and programs. Assisted in the strategic creative direction for marketing campaigns for clients in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Led design of high-profile corporate marketing and web-based materials.
Assistant Art Director [1999]
Assisted with art direction, daily supervision and leadership of graphic artists and workflow for all marketing pieces/collateral. Key contact person working as a liaison between the Creative and internal departments to facilitate projects in a timely manner. Supervised design and execution of marketing, corporate, website and sales materials for print and online publication. Responsible for understanding and meeting objectives for each project, including content, goal, budget and deadlines. Responsible for researching current trends in design and applying these where appropriate.
Senior Graphic Artist [1998]
Held leadership role in design and execution of marketing, corporate, website, and sales materials for print and online publication. Responsible for the maintenance and improvement of departmental infrastructure.
Graphic Artist [1997]
Designed and executed marketing, corporate, website, and sales materials for print and online publications.
Printer’s Paper Chase • 04/1997 - 09/1997
Art Director
Art direction, supervision and leadership of artists for various campaigns, giving direction and coordinating deadlines for individual pieces. Managed creative workflow for location. Liaison between clients and creative/pre-press/press departments.
Acordia Lloyd of California, Inc. • 11/1996 - 04/1997
Senior Graphic Designer
Management of Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing Department. Super-vision of marketing and client proposals from concept to completion. Charged with developing integrated marketing communications programs for clients in the high-tech, financial, and healthcare industries.
Sedgwick James of California, Inc. • 01/1994 - 11/1996
Senior Graphic Designer/Consultant/Instructor
Designed and executed proposals, marketing and sales materials. Graphic Design Consultant and instructor for all Sedgwick California offices. Produced strategic brand development concepts for new and existing clients to demonstrate a consistent look and feel for internal and external communications. Recipient of Sedgwick National Quality Award.
Alpha-Tec Systems Inc. • 10/1992 - 01/1994
Senior Graphic Artist
Established in-house Graphic Design/Desktop Publishing Department. Primarily designed all marketing materials and print advertisement. Created form and labeling control system to meet FDA guidelines.
Sorin Biomedical [Pfizer-Shiley] • 03/1991 - 06/1992
Graphic Artist
Responsibilities included marketing materials, forms design, layout, and design of product packaging, manuals, and labels.
Earlier employment available upon request.