SKILLS

Soft skills:

• Software: programming, technical writing, QA/CM, requirements gathering, release engineering.
• Product Test Life Cycle: User acceptance testing, automated scripted testing, manual testing.
• Management: SDLC processes, RUP, business analysis, small business management, Microsoft Project.
• People/communication skills: Training, help desk, customer support.
• Publishing: Technical writing (SOP’s, manuals), PR releases, editing, typesetting, layout design, web site work.
• Industry experience: Publishing, telecom, manufacturing, insurance, biotechnology.

Technical skills:

• Languages: Java, C, PostScript, HTML, SVG, SQL, Visual BASIC, JavaScript.
• Document processing: MS Office Suite, Visio, Flash, Quark, Archetype, PageMaker, Interleaf.
• Applications programmed: Publishing, database, finance, scheduling, telecom.

License: Connecticut Property & Casualty Insurance Producer

Currently: Working on a Web Developer Certificate at Gateway Community College, enhancing my website, doing software quality assurance

EXPERIENCE

DLS SOLUTIONS Inc., Danbury, CT, 2009 – present
Software Quality Assurance Specialist, Tech Writer
Duties:Checking functionality and progress of daily software builds, pinpointing and writing up any flaws discovered.
Achievements: Originated and maintained system constraint list and functionality specs.

Freelancer, 1999 – present

• Eisai/Pfizer, New York City, NY, Puzzle Expert Spokesman. Spoke and wrote on the relationship between Alzheimers and puzzle-solving (September-December, 2007).
• Peter Riitmeester, Netherlands, Programmer/Puzzle Constructor. Coded and generated math puzzles in C, created crossword puzzles, created kakuros (2005-2007).
• Scott Kim, El Granada, CA, Programmer/Wordsmith. Wrote ten Java GUI’s to generate word puzzles for Cingular’s Daily Puzzle, and a color maze generator Java GUI using SVG and PNG (2004-2007).
• Douglas Fink, Monroe, CT, Puzzle Constructor/Web Site Manager. Creating niche market theme puzzles (teen female, paranormal, etc.), maintaining web site (www.themecrossword.com) (2004-present).
• Adams Media Corporation, Avon, MA, Author/Programmer. Wrote 8 puzzle books; created puzzles (mostly crosswords); wrote computer programs; databased; built and managed website; proofread (2002-present).
• Random House, New York, NY, Freelance Proofreader. Proofreading, ghost-writing and test-solving chess, crossword books and trivia books (2002-2007).
• Unilever, Clinton, CT, Technical Writer. Wrote production and changeover SOP’s, QA dossier and employee handbook; optimized forms and spreadsheets; 2-month assignment grew into a full year (2003-2004).
• Book of the Month Club, Typesetter. Typeset 8 crossword books (1999).

COGNITRONICS CORPORATION, Danbury, CT, 2000 – 2001, 2005
Consultant (2005), QA Specialist / Software Engineer (2000-2001)
Duties: Java and C coding; customer complaint investigation; debugging; test plan development; test script design; technical writing; release engineering; prepared Bills of Materials; training; configuration; unit testing
Achievements: My unit test plan caught a chip design flaw; I created code for creating bundled CDs for customers

PENNY PRESS INCORPORATED, Norwalk, CT, 1989 – 2001
Consultant (2000-2001), Software Engineer (1989-2000)
Duties: Sole software support for a 100-person company; spearheaded life-cycle project management (included project planning, meeting agendas, design documentation, requirement documents, and status reports); performed business analysis, quality control, release engineering and documentation for Typesetting, Proofreading, Finance, Editorial, and Scheduling; programmed the following: constructor payment database, production scheduling, editorial delivery/change database, word list/clue database, layout, revision tracking, no-human-intervention titles, and archival recycling tools; managed in-house alpha testers; trained end-users on software usage; created user documentation; defined filenaming convention for all issue files; investigated/tracked end-user complaints and resolved coding issues; worked as a software/hardware/network help desk; tracked and repaired network breaks; formulated graphical design, recorded minutes at cross-department meetings.
Achievements: Upgraded a computer department from a few loosely-connected utilities into a total production system for over 30 titles with an output frequency of over one magazine a day; created EPS templates for over 700 different puzzle/answer diagrams; created over 750 page templates for generating direct-to-plate PostScript files with embedded font definitions, saving $175K/year in printing fees and up to 80 hours of typesetting time per issue; coded programs to construct crostics, crosswords, word searches, and other puzzles, saving over $35K/year in constructor fees and up to 80 hours of key-in time per issue.

PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Wrote technical documents (MGCP specifications, call flows and test plans) for Cognitronics.
• Wrote SOP’s, QA dossier and employee handbook for Unilever HPC in Clinton, CT.
• Coded (using Java and C) a system for creating custom documentation CD’s for clients
• Wrote eight crossword books for Adams Media
• Copy edited various titles for Penny Press, Random House, Sterling Publishing as well as some business books for independent publishers.
• Copyediting for the monthly company newsletter and the website for the Adam Miller Agency
• Coded/typeset eight books for Book of the Month Club.
• Programmed several no-human-intervention titles for Penny Press.
• Programmed puzzle construction, test-solving, editorial, proofreading, scheduling, constructor payment, typesetting (including Direct-to-Plate), archival and research functions for Penny Press.
• Did business analysis for streamlining workflows and automating for minimal manpower and optimal quality for Penny Press and Unilever.
• Wrote committee SOP’s and designed and coordinated PR for the SoNo Arts Celebration.
• Designed layout for Penny Press and Book of the Month Club.
• Programmed about 1500 EPS templates for Penny Press, as well as several for Book of the Month Club. Many of these files are fill-in-the-blank style for the non-static parts of the feature/page.

PUBLICATIONS

• Programmer, data/web manager, author, editor, constructor: The Everything Large-Print Easy Crossword Book, The Everything Large-Print Crossword Book (volumes 1 & 2), The Everything Large-Print Crossword Challenge Book, The Everything Travel Crossword Book, The Everything Challenge Crossword Puzzle Book, The Everything Easy Crossword Puzzle Book, The Everything Large-Print Travel Crossword Book.
• Typesetter, coder: QPB Crossword Puzzles, Book-of-the-Month-Club Crosswords (multiple issues for both)
• Webmaster: http://www.themecrossword.com
• Editor: The Joy of Crosswords (multiple magazine issues)
• Editor, contributor: Information Flow (Camex company newsletter),The Minuteman (fraternity newsletter).
• Proofreader: Gumption, Casual Crosswords, Snow Day Crosswords, L.A. Times Sunday Crosswords Vol. 23, The Boston Globe Sunday Crossword Puzzles Vol. 13, The Only Book, Leaders Gone Catty-WHompus, American Mensa Guide to Chess, U.S. Chess Federation’s Official Rules of Chess, The Chess Kid’s Book of King and Pawn Endings, Chess Openings the Easy Way, Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords, The Chess Kid’s Book of Tactics.
• Contributor: ThanksUSA, Justine Magazine, Ghost! Magazine, The Palindromist, Word Ways, Penny Press puzzle magazines (many titles), the Enigma, http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/namebugs.html
• Speaker: http://www.themecrossword.com/NPR.mp3

EDUCATION
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, Troy, NY, B.S. in Computer Science
NORWALK COMMUNITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, Norwalk, CT, Visual BASIC class
HOUSATONIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Bridgeport, CT, Journalism class
GATEWAY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, North Haven, CT, Web Developer Certificate

AWARDS
SoNo Arts Celebration, Artie Award recipient
GAMES Magazine “Palindromes with Personality” Contest, Grand Prize winner
Adult Volunteer in Action, community service award recipient

COMMUNITY SERVICE
SONO ARTS CELEBRATION, Board of Directors member, Volunteers chairperson, Children’s Art Playground chairperson, (coordinated 400 volunteers); ALPHA PHI OMEGA (National Service Fraternity), Sectional Service chairperson, Newsletter editor; NORWALK MENTOR PROGRAM, Mentor; STAMFORD NATURE CENTER, Event Planning Committee member; WESTPORT UNITARIAN SINGLES GROUP, Discussion group leader; ADULT VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION, member.

INTERESTS
Crossword construction/solving, palindromes, film, volunteering, cooking, home repair, novelty buttonmaking.