Portfolio

I was born and raised in Franklin County Iowa.  Luther College educated me and I lived in Chicago for many years.  My children and grandchildren are still in Chicago.  I’ve worked as an insurance underwriter, a retail management professional, salesperson, a teacher and a writer. I returned home to Iowa to care for my elderly parents.

Much to my surprise, the Iowa I remembered was so much more than just a place to raise pigs. Franklin County has a rich prairie heritage, is loaded with historical sites and treasures, welcoming neighbors and good old fashioned entrepreneurial spirit.

It was the perfect place to begin Debworks – combining many years of experience in various fields into my own business.  It’s been said that I’m a connector.  I like to meet people, help assess their business needs and help when I can and introduce them to others when I can’t.

I’m a fan of the local business, support non-profit organizations in my community and work hard to give back.  Here’s just a few things I do at Debworks.

Media, Writer, Researcher

Media Relations Write and disseminate traditional and online marketing information.  This includes blogging, twitter, facebook, podcasts, vlogs as well as press releases, press conferences, radio and tv appearances.

Monitoring online mentions – Monitor the interwebs for mention of city, county, events, competitors, industry terms and phrases, staff and more for clients.

Train and educate client teams keeping them current with technology, news and product information.

Attending conferences for sponsors - filtering information, utilize to help educate client base.

Researcher. Especially in the technology, grant, funding spaces.  Use online tools to stay current and share information with clients.

Author - Age of Conversation 3

Marketing, Blogging, Facebook and Websites

Develop online marketing methods (Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc.) for clients

Maintain and write blog at www.debworks.com

Create fan pages on Facebook for various clients

Provide simple website solutions for small businesses

Instructor

Teach social media classes for Iowa Valley Continuing Education and North Iowa Area Community College.   Classes include Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Google Tools for both small businesses and individuals.

Program Associate for North Iowa Area Community College responsible for helping create, organize and promote continuing education classes in Franklin County.

Grant Writing, Editing, Photographer

Write grants for nonprofit organizations like Franklin County Historical Society, Church of the Living Word and Franklin County Arts Council.

Write and edit for local Franklin County Today paper.

Photographer for local area Chamber and Tourism activities; photos used in Chamber/Tourism online and offline promotions.

Public Speaker

Speaker for various conferences in the United States including 140 Character Conference in Des Moines in 2011, 140 Character Conference in New York 2011, Small Town 2010 in Hutchinson, Kansas and iBlog Conference 2009, and 2010 in Perry Iowa.  Live monthly presentations for Melaleuca clients.

A few of Debworks’ Clients:

Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County Tourism, Franklin County Historical Society, Hampton North Iowa Area Community College, Iowa Valley Continuing Education, iBlog and Jodi Halsted, Cornerstone Cottage, Geneva United Methodist Church, Purebred Pups, Nee Enterprises Inc.

SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
Microsoft Office, Publisher, Front Page

ONLINE TOOLS
Google applications, Capstone Services websites, Headway Theme for WordPress, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Flickr, LinkedIn

EDUCATION
Luther College – History and Landmark Education, Personal Development and Leadership Courses, ongoing