About

I have more than 10 years of experience in marketing and visual communications, primarily as an art director for technology, non-profit, and publishing firms, including owning and running my own graphic design company.

Currently, I'm managing a team delivering on all aspects for the marketing and communications of a private university. My responsibilities include overseeing the design for web, print, environmental graphics and social media at PLU. I also lead teams responsible for customer service, campus mail and campus digital production.

 

EXPERIENCE

Executive Creative Director of Marketing and Communications at PLU // OCTOBER 2013 – present  

  • Responsibilities include managing and mentoring 20 team members across five departments, providing annual assessments on performance and setting individual performance goals. 

  • Lead a multi-disciplinary team responsible for the recruitment of students, fundraising and community outreach

  • Partnered with our development staff and led the creative team in producing our 2020 video and digital outreach campaign, which led to a 44% increase in donor participation and exceeded last year’s goal by 14% resulting more than a million dollars raised in two days

  • Designed billboards and light rail graphics for a regional promotional campaign

  • Led the creative direction for the university anthem video and built a team of active visual storytellers responsible for creating motion graphics for our digital and social media platforms

  • Environmental design and development of wayfinding, monument signs and office spaces including a new 15,000 square foot nursing simulation lab that opened last month

  • As a member of the senior leadership for the advancement division, I collaborate with other directors to develop internal programs that foster a healthy organizational culture, professional development, annual budget reviews and to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our communications  

ACTING Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at PLU // APRIL 2013 – OCTOBER 2013

  • Managed a 17-person creative team responsible for the engaging and experiential design of our brand including: 

  • The PLU homepage, our online magazine and more than 100 departmental websites

  • Content development, social media, marketing research and data analytics

  • Marketing and communications, public relations and crisis management

  • Photography and video production

  • Graphic design encompassing brand management, print, web and social media visual development

ART Director of Marketing and Communications at PLU // JUNE 2002 – OCTOBER 2013

  • Partnered with university departments and divisions on key initiatives surrounding recruitment, retention, promotion and fundraising

  • Oversaw all aspects of design for print and web and served as the creative liaison for outside agency work and production

  • Established and maintained brand standards

Art Director for Ocentrix, Inc. // July 2000 – January 2002

As the marketing Art Director for a web-centric software company based in Seattle, my duties encompassed art direction, design, vendor management, and various marketing and advertising campaigns for the Harley Davidson brand. Highlights include:

  • Developed websites for the corporate office, the marketing site and for outside clients

  • Worked on various marketing and advertising campaigns for Harley Davidson and Toyota

  • Supervised brand management for Harley Davidson dealer websites, including working with the corporate office to ensure brand and messaging compliance

Art Director for becker&mayer! // May 1997 – July 2000

During my tenure at becker&mayer!, a Kirkland based book packager, I managed the design and quality control over the yearly production of 70 books and book-plus products for national and international audiences. While there, I was privileged to have collaborated with clients on incredible publications including:

  • Lest We Forget, an award-winning interactive book

  • An interactive historical baseball book for ESPN sports writer, Tim Kurkjian

  • “How to Be” Elvis / Marilyn Monroe books

  • Educational / Children's books for Disney and Scholastic

  • The Mystic Seaport museum book

Art Director for Northwest Parent Publishing // June 1992 – May 1997

I was responsible for the design and production of four award-winning weekly regional news magazines focusing on families.

  • Redesigning the news magazine which led to a 40% increase in revenue

  • Art direction of cover and interior photography

  • Supervising, training, and hiring the design team

  • Creating a new production process that allowed expansion from 96 pages to 196 pages

  • Teaching classes on design and production during a 3-day national seminar sponsored by the Parenting Publications of America

Principal of 3 by 5 design // September 1990 – August 1993

I was the founding principal of a full-service design firm that specialized in serving the non-profit and Asian American sectors. I provided art direction, press checks, as well as brand development and application for clients such as The City of Hope Cancer Research Foundation, the Seattle Supersonics, The International Examiner and the Japanese American Citizens League.

Skills

  • Mac and PC proficient // Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, and expertise in all aspects of commercial printing and prepress

  • Digital and multi-media design for mobile, interactive, and spatial environments

  • More than 15 years of management experience

Awards

2020-21 National Council for Marketing and Public Relations design competition judge

2020-21 American Marketing Association student competition judge

2020 Resolute Magazine // Featured in an article on mentorship and building student success

2019 UCDA National UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DESIGN CONFERENCE // Presented on building an effective in-house creative team and strategies to maximize resources.

2018 CASE Circle of Excellence // Silver Award for the 2017 PLU Christmas Concert poster // Creative Director

2014 Climate Leadership Award // “Second Nature” video // Executive Producer

2014 CASE District VIII Recognition Program // Gold Award, Special Constituency and Research Magazines for “Business Scene” // Creative Director

2012 CASE District VIII Recognition Program // Silver Award for PLU’s Admissions view book, “U” magazine // Creative Director

2009 CASE Circle of Excellence // Gold Award for “U” magazine as the most improved admission publication // Creative Director

2008 Quigg Award for Technology and Innovation // Design and implementation for the new Office of Admission website // Creative Director

1999 Print Regional and How International // Design Annual // Art Director

1997 Parenting Publications of America // Best Design Supplement // Art Director

1996 Parenting Publications // Best of Show for a cover story about an ADHD child // Art Director

Education

1990 B.F.A. in Graphic Design, University of Washington

1990 B.A. in English Literature, University of Washington

2014 Green Belt Six Sigma certified

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

AMA
American Marketing Association

CASE
Council for Advancement and Support of Education

UCDA
University College and Designers Association

 

Online Portfolio: Simonksung.com                           I
Contact: ssung@earthlink.net                          !
Phone: 206.228.8434