Resume

contact information

Tom Sakell
5513 33rd Street North
Arlington, VA 22207
703.598.6857
tom@harborsights.com

Professional

• Webmaster, Principal / Harbor Sights / 1997 – present
  Founded a small business to create high-end websites for medium-sized businesses, working full cycle from concept to deployment.
  • Designer: Storyboarded ideas; laid out concepts; and posted online drafts. Provided art direction, graphics, photographs and hired illustrators. Offered full marketing packages for clients.
    
  • Programmer: Wrote JavaScript, ActionScript and CGI scripts; used Cascading Style Sheets; and authored code in ASP and XML.
    
  • Editor: Wrote, rewrote or edited content. Employed excellent writing and tremendous editing skills. Offered an outside view to a client’s industry, and converted complex information and ideas into clear, compelling narratives.
    
  • Project Manager: Created online marketing campaigns with search engine optimization strategies; scheduled work and provided timelines with clients; managed free-lance illustrators and database programmers for complex sites.
    

  Case studies

  • Project managed and helped design haircuttery.com, a national chain of hair salons. Working with client’s collateral, used large images in fast-loading, Flash pieces and created JSP zip code finder to guide reader through tips on hair care based on that area’s weather report.
    
  • Taught corporate web development training seminars for computer professionals.
    
  • Built company from one client in 1997 to 40.
• Manager, Interactive Communications / ESI International / 2006 –
  ESI International is a global business training company based in Arlington, VA. I planned and produced websites and online portals and developed global web solutions.
  • Developed content, creative and applications for company website (esi-intl.com), with 60,000 monthly hits while marketing classes and online promotions.
    
  • Led strategic, creative and technical online projects for India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China to attract new customers; enable class registration and payment; gather user information and profiles; and train staff and consultants in five countries.
    
  • Represented internal business as liaison with IT department, evaluated business and technical requirements and built interactive solutions to help internal and external clients access secure information.
    
  • Crafted and art directed corporate narratives and overviews using Flash and DHTML to guide online users through dense areas of websites.
    
  • Enforced best practices and standards for information architecture use cases, usability, usability testing and Section 508 compliance, while defining user paths for optimal user experiences
    
  • Created search engine optimization strategy and secured Top 4 rankings for targeted keyterms, which drove more than 40% of site traffic from search engines.
    
  • Managed Google Analytics tracking program in SEO campaigns, identified user paths in online campaigns and websites and adjusted online content and architecture based on results.
    
  • Served on globalization team with consultants to create strategy for global website, to unify the company’s 18 different websites and registration systems. Crafted technical paths and introduced Sitecore content management system.
    
  • Introduced Web 2.0 tools to create online community and social network. Created podcast program with RSS feeds on program management and business analysis that garnered Top 4 rankings in Google, top industry ranking in iTunes and gathered 100 subscribers in four months.
    
  • Managed people, multiple projects and led teams in interdepartmental projects to create online user experiences in data collection, content delivery and online community builds.
    
  • Certified in ADDIE instructional design methodology and applied rapid prototyping to model project plans to help clients better understand project schedules.
• Webmaster / Visual Networks / 2004 – 2006
  Visual Networks was a networks system company that produced hardware and software solutions to optimize network performance. The company was acquired by Fluke Networks in 2006. I produced the online corporate message and brand, using a synthesis of text, images, interactivity and motion.
  • Blended Flash, HTML, Cold Fusion, JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheets for 2005 website redesign (visualnetworks.com), intranet overhaul and extranet construction. Developed color palettes, type guidelines and style online and in print.
  • Engineered sites with strict, usability guidelines for three-click navigation and Section 508 compliance. The result offered online, interactive demonstrations for a technical audience, ranging from executives to engineers.
    
  • Composed empathic campaign for brand and executed throughout online Flash pieces, marketing publications and interactive sales demonstrations: Technical professionals seeking information for quandaries.
    
  • Developed sales demonstrations using Captivate to replace 60-minute WebEx demonstrations. With sales engineers, produced 50- to 90-second demos with audio, multiple product screens and narratives to educate readers and generate sales leads.
    
  • Created company’s first extranets for resellers and channel partners, to create direct sales channels.
    
  • Managed IT project to build a content management system to allow back-office staff to upload bulletins and technical updates, improving efficiency and accessibility.
    
  • Devised search engine strategy to dramatically improve SEO performance. Earned top 10 rankings in critical VoIP and Ethernet areas.
    
  • Coordinated Cold Fusion and Onyx process to track sales leads, contacts and site traffic.
    
  • Designed print collateral (white papers, brochures and trade show booths) in InDesign and Quark on PC and Mac platforms. Managed freelance designers.
    
  • Hired and art directed teams of photographers on-site for product shoots and executive portraits.
    
  • Managed project teams across IT, Engineering, Marketing and Product Management departments during development of interactive products.
• Graphics, Design Editor / USA TODAY / 1991 – 1997 Managed visual presentation of Baseball Weekly, a print tabloid at USA TODAY (350,000 circulation). Independently and in teams, developed short- and long-term projects in editorial news and features and directed design and covers.
  • Worked with world’s best newspaper graphics department to create compelling graphic stories.
    
  • Liaison to all production-oriented departments at USA TODAY; hired free-lance photographers, illustrators and graphic designers; envisioned and directed photo shoots remotely and on-site.
    

• IXDA-DC (Interactive Designers)
  
• SDX (Society of Newspaper Design)
  

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