My Path to Leadership:

While I am typically a reserved and introverted person, I have continually found myself placed in leadership positions. I have also found myself teaching and directing people for things such as choreography, music, graphic design techniques, and now institutional brand compliance. As the Director of Branding and Design for Institutional Communication at the University of West Florida, I lead and manage the departmental designers as well as the visual brand for the institution. I have come to accept and appreciate my role as a leader, and I am working to grow my skills in communication and management to be more effective. From an educational perspective, I currently host annual workshops reinforcing the UWF institutional brand for campus communicators, and I hope to one day teach design in higher education. I believe in life-long learning and encourage my team members to seek out professional development and training for skills they want to improve. I strive to support and nurture them on their individual career paths, providing guidance along the way.

My Design Origin Story: 

One momentous day in the late 1990s, I got a promotion in the mail addressed directly to 12-year-old me for an overpriced subscription to Teen Magazine (in defense of the price, it also came with a Giga Pet, an absolute must have of the time). I carefully filled out the form in secret, since I was not yet a teen, and gathered up some cold, hard cash, including some loose coins, to secure my subscription. When the clandestine first issue finally arrived with the baby face of Michelle Williams gracing the cover, my first true link to graphic design was made. I would scour the pages of every subsequent issue, from cover to cover, soaking in every word, photo, product, and advertisement. I never imagined that I would one day have the opportunity to design ads, let alone an entire magazine. I am grateful to now be able to extend this love of editorial design to print and digital advertisements, UWFs bi-annual alumni periodical Connection Magazine, and so much more.

My Philosophy on Creativity:

My personal creative philosophy is centered around being open and receptive to ideas that can come from anywhere. I believe it is vital to keep the problem or problems you are solving on the top of your mind, so that when you encounter unexpected inspiration, you can make an instant connection with how you can use it to your advantage.

How I Define Leadership:

• My leadership style lends itself to both servant and democratic leadership theory. I put my trust in you and your expertise, and I value your input for decision making. I carry a portion of the design workload right alongside you, and I will step in to help balance the team workload whenever needed.

• I strive to lead by example and offer support. I will not dictate how a designer should embark on their work. Your process is specific to you.

Expectations for Myself: 

• As your leader, I will provide clear, defined roles for your overarching duties, as well as help you navigate and set boundaries for working with others and how they should work with you. At a project level, I will make sure the level of instructions is relative to the project at hand and skill level of the designer.

• I will provide a safe space for thoughts, feelings, ideas, and mistakes. You will never be shamed for an idea or a mistake. We are all growing and learning together. 

• I will ensure you have the tools and resources to effectively do your job. 

• I will provide support for your professional development and long-term career goals. 

• I will sing praises of your work and ideas, and I will take responsibility if things go awry.

• I will seek out opportunities for my own personal and professional growth.

Expectations for my Team: 

• I will help you prioritize, however daily prioritization and awareness of deadlines will be up to you. 

• I will learn about your personal working style and motivators, as well as how you would like to receive feedback, but it will be up to you to tell me if something is not working.

• Communicate with me when you feel your workload is potentially approaching the point of becoming unmanageable, or when you do not have the tools and resources to effectively do your job. 

• Creativity comes from constraints, so I encourage you to find gratitude for stringent project details and stipulations.

• Take advantage of slow periods in your annual workflow. To do that effectively, you will need to keep a running list of things you need to research or concept-out. Without utilizing these slow times, in a fast-paced, in-house environment, you may not have time for the necessary creative process for larger projects.

• Seek out opportunities for your personal and professional growth.

Personal Idiosyncrasies:

• Being a self-starter is essential for a productive team. If you understand the mission and what is expected of you, you don’t have to wait for me to tell you what to do. 

• I believe our work should reflect authenticity, and any inspiration should dissolve into the essence of the piece, while the creativity is front and center. 

• Try to ensure that all elements have a purpose and help communicate the overarching message. Although sometimes a little undefinable pizazz is needed. I’m a big believer in the idea that you must know the rules to break them.

Nonnegotiables:

• Combative behavior is not welcome on our team, as it does not contribute to a safe space for ideas.  

• Unwillingness to take feedback and grow will stifle the progress and dynamic of our team.

• Constant negativity will not solve any perceived issues.

Commitment:

Our work has great value beyond creating pieces that will fill our portfolio. These projects make a difference in the perception of our organization which translates to support for our mission and vision and the overall experience of our institution. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, or the sometimes tidal-wave-level of projects, but I challenge you to think back to what inspired you to become a creative and harness that inspiration, making it a guidepost for your motivation. Our team operates with integrity, honesty, creativity, and authenticity. You can trust that I will be right by your side as we work through our design challenges and create our best work.