Mary Ann Lawrence

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Proficient in both MacIntosh and PC versions of Adobe Creative Suite - Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

• Proficient in QuarkXpress and CCI - both NewsDesk and NewsGate.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including but not limited to PowerPoint, Word and Excel

• 10 years experience in project management, planning and publication design.

• Skilled at presenting technical and abstract concepts in a clear and concise way.

• Excel at use of typography to convey particular feeling and message.

• Strong ability to work as part of a team to creatively tell stories visually.

• Pursuing certification in web design, completion of HTML and CSS training

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC (275,000-circ. daily newspaper)

Assistant Sports Editor for Design/Sunday (Aug. 1999-Oct. 2008)

• Work with reporters, copy editors and photographers to creatively tell stories and to brainstorm new elements that better communicate the message to readers.

• Supervise designers working on projects and pages. Set style and tone of section, seeking to reflect our community with energetic and dynamic design.

• Design and plan Sunday section.

• Design and plan all projects such as NFL and NBA previews.

• Design and plan all redesigned elements such as game preview and coverage packages.

• Work with advertising department to find ways to fund projects and space for each special section.

• Guide production team to meet strict deadlines on nightly basis. This is especially important when we have games finishing with moments to spare to get the outcome out to our readers.

The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC (275,000-circ. daily newspaper)

Lead Designer (Sept. 1998-Aug. 1999)

• Designed sports front three-four times a week, including Sunday, worked on projects, special sections, advance pages

• Worked with photographers, picture editors, copy editors and reporters to create reader-interactive centerpieces.

The Kansas City Star, Kansas City, MO (350,000-circ. daily newspaper)

Lead Designer (Sept. 1997-Sept. 1998)

• Designed front twice a week, worked on special sections, advance pages.

St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, FL (400-000-circ. daily newspaper)

Intern (May 1997-Sept. 1997, extended three-month internship)

• Learned design from top designers in the industry, while working on the sports copy desk editing stories, writing headlines and working with columnists and reporters to improve story flow.

EDUCATION

Eastern Kentucky University

B.A. in Journalism (minor in Political Science), May 1997. GPA: 3.57

• While working on my Bachelor's degree, I was also working full time at the student newspaper, where I was editor my senior year.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Edward Miller Leadership Seminar

• Attended seminar with prominent leadership coach, where I honed skills in individual assessment and coaching.

Knight-Ridder Leadership Training

• Worked with experienced team leaders to become more skilled in running meetings efficiently, meeting team goals and communicating ideas across departments.

Society of News Design Annual Conference and Workshop

• Attended five of these professional development seminars where I learned new software as well as kept up-to-date on design trends and standards.

AWARDS

Associated Press Sports Editors

Top 10 Sports Sections in the United States

• Nine of 10 years I was in charge of the design and planning of the Sunday sports section.

Society of News Design

Award of Excellence

• Five awards of excellence in Sports design in an international competition.

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