RESUME
Related Experience
Related Experience
Professional Summary
Instructional
Design
I've been designing online learning long enough to remember when we had to worry about whether a learner was connecting through dial-up internet. While the technology has changed dramatically over the years, my fascination with how people learn has remained constant.
For more than twenty-five years, I have worked at the intersection of education, technology, and storytelling, creating learning experiences that help people acquire knowledge, develop skills, and gain confidence. During that time, I have partnered with educators, healthcare professionals, subject matter experts, and organizational leaders to transform complex ideas into engaging, accessible, and effective learning experiences.
One of the things I love most about instructional design is that it requires equal parts creativity and science. Great learning experiences aren't built by simply adding technology, video, or flashy interactions. They are created by understanding what learners need to do, what might get in their way, and how to design experiences that help them succeed. My approach is grounded in learning science, adult learning theory, and evidence-based design, but it is also fueled by curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
Over the years, I have designed and developed more than 100 online learning modules, along with countless courses, multimedia learning assets, assessments, and professional development programs. My experience spans K–12 education, higher education, healthcare education, workforce development, and professional learning. I've worked with teachers, students, surgeons, faculty, administrators, and business professionals—each audience bringing unique challenges and opportunities.
I am particularly interested in the relationship between technology and cognition. While new technologies continually create exciting possibilities for learning, I believe their value lies not in novelty but in their ability to support meaningful learning outcomes. Whether I am designing a competency-based surgical curriculum, faculty professional development program, compliance training course, or online learning experience, my goal remains the same: to select the right strategy, the right medium, and the right technology to help learners succeed.
I also enjoy solving what I call the "boring content problem." Some of my favorite projects have involved taking highly technical, procedural, or compliance-based material and transforming it into learning experiences that are engaging, memorable, and even enjoyable. There's a unique satisfaction in watching learners become interested in a topic they expected to endure rather than enjoy.
The field of instructional design continues to evolve, and that's part of what keeps me excited about the work. From the early days of online learning to today's emerging applications of artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and learning analytics, I remain passionate about exploring new possibilities while staying grounded in a simple principle: learning experiences should help people do something they couldn't do before.
Faculty Development & Professional Learning
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been helping educators build the confidence, skills, and support networks needed to successfully adopt new instructional practices and technologies. While much of my work has focused on instructional design and educational technology, a significant portion of my career has also been dedicated to professional learning, faculty development, coaching, and change management.
For more than twenty-five years, I have designed and facilitated professional learning experiences for teachers, faculty, administrators, healthcare professionals, and organizational stakeholders. Whether introducing new technologies, supporting curriculum redesign, or helping educators adopt innovative instructional strategies, I have found that meaningful change happens when people are given opportunities to learn, practice, collaborate, and reflect together.
One of my favorite examples was the Picture This initiative, a multi-year professional development program designed to help teachers integrate video production into classroom learning. At the time, video production technology was becoming more accessible, but many educators lacked the confidence and technical skills needed to implement it effectively. I designed learning experiences that combined hands-on workshops, collaborative projects, online communities, classroom implementation support, and ongoing coaching to help teachers successfully incorporate media production into instruction.
The program focused on much more than teaching technology skills. Teachers learned how to design authentic learning experiences, manage creative projects in the classroom, and help students use media as a tool for communication, critical thinking, and content mastery. Throughout the project, I worked directly with educators in workshops and classrooms, supporting implementation and helping them overcome challenges as they experimented with new instructional approaches.
The success of that initiative led to Picture These, a second multi-year grant program that supported teachers in integrating arts-based learning strategies into core academic content. Working alongside a small team of educators, artists, and program leaders, I helped design and facilitate professional learning experiences focused on digital photography, visual arts, theater, and dance. It was incredibly rewarding to see teachers transform their instructional practices and witness the impact these creative approaches had on student engagement and learning.
Over the years, I have delivered workshops, conference presentations, faculty training sessions, and professional learning programs on topics including educational technology, online learning, instructional design, multimedia production, accessibility, emerging technologies, and innovative teaching practices. I have presented locally, nationally, and internationally, sharing strategies that help educators leverage technology to create meaningful learning experiences.
What continues to inspire me about professional learning is that every successful training initiative ultimately comes down to people. Technology changes. Tools evolve. Educational trends come and go. But helping educators gain confidence, develop expertise, and discover new possibilities for teaching and learning remains one of the most meaningful parts of my work.
Multimedia Production & Storytelling
Project
Management
My career in media production began long before online learning became commonplace. What started as a fascination with storytelling, filmmaking, and visual communication evolved into a lifelong passion for creating media that informs, inspires, and teaches.
For more than three decades, I have worked across nearly every stage of the production process, including concept development, scriptwriting, storyboarding, directing, cinematography, editing, animation, motion graphics, and post-production. Early in my career, I worked with community television productions before studying broadcast television and film production at Palomar College and later film production at San Diego State University. Along the way, I discovered the unique power of visual storytelling—not only to entertain, but to educate, influence, and inspire action.
Following graduation, I worked as a freelance videographer and editor for production companies throughout Southern California before bringing my media expertise into education. At the San Diego County Office of Education, I founded and led a dedicated educational media production department, building the studio, developing production workflows, selecting technologies, hiring and mentoring staff, and overseeing the creation of multimedia learning resources used by educators and learners throughout the region.
Over the years, I have produced content in a wide variety of formats, including documentary-style productions, instructional videos, green screen productions, animations, multi-camera studio shoots, classroom-based productions, live event coverage, and interactive multimedia learning experiences. My work has supported audiences ranging from K–12 students and teachers to healthcare professionals, faculty members, and adult learners.
What continues to fascinate me about media production is its ability to make complex ideas understandable. Effective educational media is not simply about capturing video—it is about helping learners see, understand, and remember. Whether filming a classroom lesson, documenting a surgical procedure, creating an animated explanation, or producing a professional development course, my goal is always the same: to use visual storytelling to enhance learning and improve performance.
Throughout my career, I have remained committed to exploring emerging technologies and production techniques. From the early days of digital video to today's AI-enhanced production workflows, immersive media, and interactive learning environments, I enjoy discovering new ways to combine creativity, technology, and instructional design to create meaningful learning experiences.
Perhaps most importantly, media production has taught me to see every project through multiple lenses—creative, technical, instructional, and human. It is this combination of perspectives that allows me to transform expertise into engaging learning experiences that resonate with learners long after the course or video has ended.
One of the lessons I learned early in my career is that even the most creative ideas can fail without effective project leadership. Whether developing online courses, producing educational media, implementing learning technologies, or leading large-scale professional development initiatives, successful outcomes depend on thoughtful planning, clear communication, stakeholder engagement, and disciplined execution.
For more than twenty-five years, I have managed projects ranging from short-turnaround multimedia productions to multi-year grants involving complex combinations of online learning, video production, technology implementation, curriculum development, and professional learning. Along the way, I developed a deep appreciation for project management as both a science and an art—the science of process and planning, and the art of working with people to move ideas from concept to reality.
My project management approach is informed by the principles outlined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and emphasizes collaboration, transparency, risk management, and continuous communication. I believe effective project leadership begins long before work starts. During project initiation and planning, I work closely with stakeholders to understand goals, identify success criteria, evaluate risks, clarify scope, establish timelines, and align resources to ensure projects begin with a shared vision and realistic expectations.
Throughout execution, I focus on maintaining momentum while balancing quality, timelines, budgets, and stakeholder needs. Having worked extensively with creative, technical, educational, and clinical teams, I understand that successful projects require both structure and flexibility. My role is often to help diverse teams stay aligned on objectives while creating space for innovation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Over the course of my career, I have led cross-functional teams responsible for instructional design, multimedia production, educational technology implementation, professional development, and curriculum development initiatives. These projects have involved educators, surgeons, healthcare professionals, administrators, software developers, videographers, designers, and subject matter experts, each bringing unique perspectives and expertise to the process.
I am particularly interested in helping organizations establish project management practices that support creativity rather than constrain it. Strong project leadership should create clarity, reduce friction, and allow talented people to do their best work. This philosophy has guided my work managing educational initiatives, building production teams, implementing learning technologies, and leading large-scale content development efforts.
In addition to applying project management principles in my professional roles, I have taught graduate-level coursework in project management for instructional designers, helping emerging professionals understand how effective planning, communication, resource management, and stakeholder engagement contribute to successful learning and development projects.
At its core, project management is about helping people achieve outcomes that would be difficult to accomplish alone. Whether leading a small team or coordinating a complex, multi-year initiative, I enjoy bringing together people, processes, and resources to transform ideas into meaningful results.
Leadership
Philosophy
Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to lead instructional designers, multimedia professionals, educators, healthcare experts, project teams, and cross-functional initiatives. While the projects themselves have varied widely, my philosophy of leadership has remained remarkably consistent: people do their best work when they feel trusted, supported, challenged, and valued.
Some of my earliest leadership experiences involved building and managing a multimedia production team at the San Diego County Office of Education. In addition to recruiting, hiring, training, and mentoring team members, I was responsible for developing the systems, workflows, and quality standards that supported our work. From equipment management and production operations to post-production workflows and digital asset management, I created processes designed to promote consistency, quality, efficiency, and accountability while still allowing room for creativity and innovation.
One of the most rewarding aspects of leadership has always been helping people discover capabilities they may not yet see in themselves. Throughout my career, I have often hired or worked with talented individuals who possessed tremendous potential but needed guidance, encouragement, and opportunities to grow. I enjoy creating environments where people can experiment, develop new skills, take on meaningful challenges, and gain confidence in their abilities. Watching a team member evolve into a trusted contributor or emerging leader remains one of the most satisfying outcomes of my work.
I believe effective leadership extends beyond managing tasks and timelines. It requires creating clarity around expectations, providing meaningful feedback, removing obstacles, and helping people connect their individual contributions to a larger purpose. My approach combines coaching, mentoring, collaboration, and accountability. I strive to establish high standards while also ensuring that team members have the support and resources necessary to achieve them.
At the heart of my leadership philosophy is the belief that great ideas can come from anyone. Some of the most successful projects I have led emerged from collaborative brainstorming sessions where hierarchy took a back seat to curiosity, creativity, and shared problem-solving. When people feel safe contributing ideas, asking questions, and challenging assumptions, innovation becomes a natural byproduct of the team's culture.
Whether leading a production team, managing instructional design initiatives, facilitating faculty development, or teaching graduate students, I view leadership as a service-oriented responsibility. My role is not simply to direct work, but to help individuals and teams achieve outcomes they might not have reached on their own.
Ultimately, I measure success not only by the quality of the projects delivered, but by the growth of the people involved in creating them. The strongest teams I have worked with were those built on trust, shared purpose, continuous learning, and a commitment to helping one another succeed.