Employment:

Freelance Writer – September 2003 – Present

• Clients have included Calgary Health Trust, City of Calgary, Tourism Calgary, Accenture, Pounce Cat Treats, Miller Beer, CareOne Credit Counseling, SMART Technologies, and others.
• Worked closely with corporate communications and advertising agencies to produce compelling brochures, Web copy, voice-over scripts, radio spots, interactive campaigns and newsletter content.
• Applied search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to sites including Savvion and Evoco, improving site metrics.
• Created content templates using e-mail best practices for successful online newsletters for clients including Savvion and The Freedom Point.

Critical Mass – Copywriter – January 2001 – September 2003

• Developed concepts and content for award-winning interactive for a variety of clients, including Mercedes-Benz USA
• Lead copywriter on a variety of accounts, including Dell Computer Corp and Mercedes-Benz USA. Created Web site copy and online advertising units (outbound e-mail, banner ads, wireless communication). Lead copywriter on the Mercedes-Benz C-Coupe online campaign and CD-ROM (winner of a One Show Interactive Award)
• Crafted creative briefs for the online advertising team
• Conducted a “copywriting for the Web” workshop for Dell in Austin, Texas
• Contributed to pitches

SMED International  -  Senior Writer – May 1998 – December 2000

• Collaborated with internal clients and a creative Communications team to brainstorm, create, conceptualize and complete internal and marketing pieces including a Web site, brochures, annual and quarterly reports, invitations, memos, presentations, and advertisements

Smart Marketing – Researcher / writer – February 1997 – January 2001

• Researched and wrote marketing business plans for inventors

In Print:

Home to Home Magazine – regular contributor, “Architectural Insight” – 2008 – 2010

Apple Magazine: “A Gift of Life” – Jan/Feb 2004

Apple Magazine: “A Lasting Legacy” – Oct/Nov 2003

Blue Buffalo: “I’d Rather Be Late Than Have No Life At All” (fiction) – Spring, 1998

Literacy Co-Ordinators of Alberta Newsletter: Winter, 1997

Calgary Herald:
“There’s Gold in Them Thar Klondike Stories” – April 27, 1996
“Cookson Sticks to Familiar Formula” – September 9, 1995
“Yes, Even the Elephants Feel Joy and Sorrow” – August 15, 1995
“The New Victorians” – August 1, 1995

Canadian Horseman:
“Bill Pratt: Trans Canada Trail Blazer” – July 1995

Education:

Mount Royal College – Calgary Alberta

Professional Writing Certificate Program
1997

University of Calgary – Calgary, Alberta
Bachelor of Arts, Communication Studies
1994

Other Accomplishments:

First Prize, Short Fiction – Mount Royal College Writing Contest – 1997
“The Feel-Good Movie of the Year”