Art Director

*** ***** **** ******

Fruitland Park, FL *****

EDWARD P. RIZZO Phone: 352-***-****

*********@*****.***

www.coroflot.com/rizzonian/portfolio

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

SUMMARY QUALIFICATIONS

OF

Multi-faceted, technically savvy commuinication professional with over twenty years experience in

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advertising, marketing, corporate communications, multi-media production, and sponsorship development.

Outstanding strategic leadership in developing, managing, and implementing the full range of marketing

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strategies for small to mid-size businesses, multinational corporations, and nonprofits.

Exceptional skills and experience in project and event management, developing and implementing events

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and projects from conception to completion.

Proven expertise in multi-media production, advertising campaigns, new product launches, direct mail

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campaigns, brand development, collateral material, technical guides, media kits/media guides,

logo/packaging design, corporate communications, trade show exhibits, sponsorship programs, pre-press

production, sheet and web press printing, photography (studio and location), video (production and

editing), multi-media production, and management of website design and construction.

Demonstrated strength in building, developing, and supervising performance teams.

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Flexible and adaptable. Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with people at

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at all levels of an organization.

Technical proficiencies: Adobe Creative Suite 6, QuarkXpress, MS Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

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Outlook. Expert knowledge of photography, both studio & location, along with video production & editing.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2014 – Present – Rizzonian Productions, Fruitland Park, Florida

Creative Director

Managing a team of creative specialists in a wide array of Marketing/Communication projects. From concept

through project design & production to presentation or launch. Call and find out what we just completed and what

we are currently working on.

2004 – 2014 - Halifax Media Inc., The Daily Commercial, Leesburg, Florida

Art Director

• Direct leadership of full service, in-house agency, providing public relations, graphic design and

advertising solutions for small to-mid-size businesses and non-profits, while leading and developing a team

of seven graphic designers.

• Manage day-to-day production of HarborPoint publications, a daily newspaper with circulation of 30,000

and two weekly newspapers with circulation of 20,000 and 40,000, along with two monthly magazines and

over 20 specialty magazine publications annually.

• Modernized specialty publications to “magazine” style, generating increased sales revenue over the last ten

years.

• Opened new revenue streams in advertising sales and circulation, successfully increasing overall revenues

within 2 years of project initiation.

• Developed business partnership with Leesburg Bike Festival, an annual event of 300,000+ attendees.

Developed high-gloss “magazine style” publication that grew from 24 to 84 pages. Magazine sales alone

generated over $15,000 in incremental net profit each year for the past eight years.

Established media sponsorships with over 100 non-profit organizations, resulting in increased advertising

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sales and customer circulation.

Served as a critical marketing, business partner “extension” for local businesses that cannot afford in-house

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marketing staff, generating credibility as a go-to marketing resource that can produce results.

2001 – 2004 - Ron Rietdorf And Associates, Knoxville, TN

Director of Campaign Services

• Developed and executed strategic marketing and sales initiatives, driving immense success of fundraising

campaigns for various national fraternities and alumni organizations.

• Raised $1M for the Kappa Alpha-WVU, $2M for Phi Kappa Alpha-FSU, $750K for Sigma Phi Epsilon in

Miami, OH, and $1M for the Kappa Alpha-Auburn.

1997 – 2001 - Waterwise, Inc. (subsidiary of Westbend Corporation), Leesburg, FL

Creative Director

• Established new brand and corporate identity, developed and executed various marketing initiatives for

family-owned health product-company, specializing in distribution and sales of water distillation systems,

air purifiers, juicers, and shower filters for the consumer goods market.

• Designed and executed profitable direct mail campaigns, generating incremental net profits of over $100K

in both 2000 and 2001.

• Pioneered trade show marketing initiative and attended targeted shows in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Tampa,

1995 – 1997 - Better Built Media, Inc., The Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL

Art Director/Production Coordinator

Managed an extensive technology overhaul from manual, paste-up production to Mac-based production network

involving three image setters (with RIPs) and 35 Macintosh desktop workstations.

1993 – 1995 - United Advertising, Want-Ad Press, Mahwah, NJ

Designer/Production Coordinator

Designed, produced, and edited ad campaigns for two weekly shopper magazines.

1991 – 1993 - American Express, New York City, New York

Manager - Creative Media Department

• Directed all aspects of multi-media production and staging for corporate communication initiatives,

covering sales and incentive meetings ranging from 15-1500 attendees, held domestically and

internationally.

• Managed staff of 17, including six to ten graphic artists and production assistants, developing multi-media

solutions within allotted budgets ranging from $10K to $500K per event.

• Managed technology overhaul from vendor-based process to a Macintosh solution, increasing revenue

stream from $30,000 to over $100,000 within first year.

1985 – 1990 - KPMG, New York City, NY and Montvale, NJ

Manager of Visual Communications – Corporate Communications

• Directed and produced all multi-media products for corporate communications initiatives. Co-produced

five annual partnership meetings (2000 attendees per event) and three computer-audit group events.

• Managed staff of seven, producing sales and proposal presentations for 140 U.S operating and 25

international offices.

• Converted production process to an in-house Macintosh system, reducing annual operating expenses by

over 50 percent.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Promotion. West Virginia University,

Morgantown, WV

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