PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Motivated professional with over 10 years’ graphic design experience. Expert at creating illustrations and solving problems on the fly while working within demanding daily deadlines that require critical thinking and quick solutions. Creative and effective communicator with over 5 years’ management experience.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Team leader/senior lead designer
USA Today Network Des Moines Design Studio, Des Moines, IA
June 2013-present
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Serve as creative leader for team of 11 designers and two copy editors leading the way in design, illustration and creative concepts.
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Oversee design and production of 12 newspapers across Wisconsin and New York that all work within daily deadlines.
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Maintain design standards and edit content for clarity and style.
Presentation editor/creative director
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Fargo, ND
April 2011-May 2013
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Redesigned paper and created and maintained design standards.
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Managed a team of 2 designers, and 1 graphic artist.
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Created illustrations, graphics, art directed and edited content for quality and clarity.
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My work was picked up by noted design blogger Charles Apple which led to the Forum and myself gaining national acclaim for its design work.
Designer/copy editor
Lincoln Journal Star, Lincoln, NE
May 2010-April 2011
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Primary 1A and Sunday 1A designer.
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Created graphics and illustrations for news and features.
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Edited content for clarity and style.
Lead designer/news editor
Twin Falls Times-News , Twin Falls, ID
October 2006-May 2010
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Managed a team of 4 designer/copy editors and 3 pre-press technicians.
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Created and graphics and illustrations for news, sports and features.
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Maintained design standards and edited content for clarity and style.
Reporter/copy editor
Aberdeen American News, Aberdeen, SD
December 2004-May 2006
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Covered Brown County Commission and general news.
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Copy edited/designed two nights a week.
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Edited content for clarity and style.
TECHNICAL/SOFTWARE SKILLS
Proficient in the following programs: Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, Microsoft Word and Excel, Quark, CCI, NewsGate, LayoutChamp and various online content management systems.
AWARDS
Wisconsin Newspaper Association
1st: Overall page design (2016)
1st: Front page design (2014)
1st: Overall page design (2014)
1st: Graphics (2014)
Minnesota Newspaper Association
1st: Design portfolio (2012-13)
1st: Typography and design (paper as a whole) (2012-13)
1st: General excellence (paper as a whole) (2012-13)
3rd: Use of information graphics and graphic illustrations (2013)
North Dakota Newspaper Association
1st: Information graphic (2013)
1st: Feature page (2013)
1st: General excellence (paper as a whole) (2012-13)
1st: Front page design excellence (2012)
1st: Design excellence (paper as a whole) (2012-13)
EDUCATION
Valley City State University, Valley City, N.D., 2004
Bachelor of Science in communications, minor in history
WEBSITES
Personal: billwambeke.wixsite.com/mysite
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bill-wambeke-845b83b7/
NewsPageDesigner: newspagedesigner.org/profile/BillWambeke