(To Read My Writer's Resume or CV, Click Here)

EDUCATION
University of Cincinnati: Bachelors of Science in Biology.
University of Cincinnati: Masters of Arts in English; Professional Writing.
Pacific University: MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry

PROJECTS

• Wrote and edited material for Expedia.com.
• Wrote copy and ad material for the Hadley Green agency.
• Wrote articles for magazines like Northwest Palate, Seattle Woman, Servo, and others.
• Authored a game strategy guide for Nintendo Power gaming magazine.
• Wrote technical articles and conference reports for www.webservices.org.
• Published technical articles in journals such as MSDN Magazine and XML and Web Services Magazine.
• Authored “Expert” columns on FrontPage for Microsoft.com.
• Helped forecast, design and manage successful titles for Microsoft Press Fiscal Year 2003.
• Co-authored two books for Microsoft Press on Microsoft .NET My Services.
• Produced content and published restaurant, entertainment, and venue reviews for AOL Digital City Seattle and for AOL Digital City Richmond.
• Managed Hailstorm user education and web content team. Included the build and updating of Microsoft product web site “Passport.com” as well as Hailstorm portal page on MSDN. Also managed the production of six SDK docs and developer tools and apps for those products; products included .NET Passport, Hailstorm, MSN Messenger, and others. Team included Programmer and Technical Writers, Editors, Web Developers, and QA.
• Managed XML SDK projects with a developer focus for Office group at Microsoft.
• Merged Internet and intranet sites for Integrity Broadband and Spike Technologies; developed site architectures and prototypes. Documented wireless broadband technologies for implementation.
• Managed a team of web developers, content providers, and graphic artists in developing the Intranet site at Capital One.
• Built the architecture for and implemented an extensive web-based performance support system for a call center environment at Capital One. Also measured customer satisfaction.
• Consulted for IBM Web site projects for their SAP consulting group.
• Designed, authored, and maintained Intranet Web sites for AT&T, using Front Page, Visual Interdev, and IIS. Maintained NT web servers.
• Designed automated software and hardware demonstrations using animation and a video camera tool in WinHelp Office for use in training and marketing.
• Created online help files in Windows 95/Windows NT using Robohelp/WinHelp Office 5.0, in Windows 3.51 using Robohelp 3.1, and in Windows 3.1/Windows NT using Doc-to-Help software.
• Instigated Usability testing on software packages, documentation, and intranet sites.
• Developed training and marketing materials for Vertex Technologies, Strategic Decisions and Integrity Broadband Networks. Wrote and edited technical manuals and system documentation for AT&T, Cincinnati Bell, the CARS Corporation, Strategic Decisions and Vertex Technologies, Inc.
• Wrote and designed marketing and Public Relations literature, as well as produced content and design of their corporate web site, for Sartech, Inc. Project documentation and proposal writing for bar code systems analysis at Sartech, Inc.
• Edited and co-authored academic papers and proposals on robot vision, motion and artificial intelligence in conjunction with faculty at the University of Cincinnati Engineering Department.
• Judging the Society for Technical Communications (Southwestern Ohio division) technical writing contest (97,95,94).

PUBLICATIONS

• Becoming the Villainess, Steel Toe Books, April 2006. 
• Understanding Web Services Specifications and the WSE, Microsoft Press, January 2004. [links to Amazon^TM]
• Female Comic Book Superheroes, Pudding House Press, January 2005. 
• Interview with Matthea Harvey at the Poetry Foundation web site Features, March 2008. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/journal/feature.html?id=181239
• "Pop Culture and Poetry," Centrum's Experience Magazine, Spring 2008.
• "Seattle's Literary Scene," Seattle Woman Magazine, November 2005. Available online at http://www.seattlewomanmagazine.com/november05-3.htm
•  "Girlfriend Getaways: When You Need to Get Away From Everyone but Your Friends," Seattle Woman Magazine, May 2005. Available online at: http://www.seattlewomanmagazine.com/may05-1.htm
• "Bar Food in Seattle," Northwest Palate Magazine, January/February 2005 issue.
• Chef profiles: Seattle Woman Magazine, January and March 2005 issues of Seattle Woman Magazine.
• "Finding the Perfect Scone," Northwest Palate Magazine, January/February 2004.
• "What Would You Trust a Robot to Do?" Servo Magazine, November 2003.
•  "Control Replication with ActiveX: Providing on-demand synchronization from client applications," SQL Server Magazine, July 2003.
• “Restaurants with Class(es),” Northwest Palate Magazine, March/April 2003.
• “Using Web Services Enhancements to Send SOAP Messages with Attachments,” MSDN Online, February 2003.
• “DIME: Sending Files, Attachments, and SOAP Messages Via Direct Internet Message Encapsulation,” MSDN Magazine, December 2002.
• “Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4,” Nintendo Power Magazine, volume 163. December 2002.
• “Display Real-Time Database Information on Your Site,” Microsoft Office Assistance Center, September 2002.
• “Simplifying Coding for .NET My Services,” XML and Web Services Magazine, April 2002.
• "XML Messaging Interface for .Net My Services," XML & Web Services Magazine, August 2002.
• “Developing Web Services with C# and SQL Server,” C# Today, July 2002.
• “What is .NET Passport?,” Web Services Journal, August 2002.
• Contributing author for Microsoft .NET My Services Specification, MS Press, 2001.
• Co-authored paper on "Fundamentals of Machine Vision" for the Handbook of Industrial Automation, Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, 2000.
• For poetry publications, see www.webbish6.com\poetry\publications.htm

COMPUTER SKILLS

• ASP.NET and XML Web services
• Visual Basic .NET and C# development with Visual Studio .NET
• Microsoft FrontPage, Macromedia Dreamweaver and HomeSite
• HTML and dynamic HTML (DHTML)
• Certified in Information Architecture
• XML, XSLT and XPath
• CSS and JavaScript
• Adobe PageMaker 6.5, Visio
• PaintShop Pro/Adobe Photoshop/ImageReady
• SAP R/3 Certified
• Robohelp 6.0 and WinHelp Office suite
• RoboHTML, WebHelp, and JavaHelp
• Web Server Administration

AWARDS and ACTIVITIES

• Two poems from Becoming the Villainess included in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, 2007.
• Member of the PSA and AWP
• Member of Women in Technology and Digital Eve Seattle
• For poetry-related awards, see my writing CV.

WORK HISTORY

Expedia.com -2006-2007

Contract Web Content Provider
Wrote and edited hotel infosite content for Expedia.com. This work included research and interviews with hotel personnel.

WES RATAUSHK AND ASSOCIATES -2002-2005

Contract Web Content Provider
Provided content for children's technology web site, as well as expert columns for Microsoft's FrontPage and MSDN products.

MICROSOFT - 2000-2002

Acquisitions Program Manager, Microsoft Press
Managed over 30 books on web development and web services topics. Managed authors, schedules, marketing plans, and deployment of books through channel. Represented MS Press at conferences and trade shows.
User Education/Web Content Manager
Managed the Hailstorm Developer Services User education and web content team for Passport, Hailstorm, MS Instant Messenger, and other back-end web services. Recruited and managed team of writers, editors, and web developers. Managed six SDK projects, including developer tools and sample applications. Managed relations between technical book and article publishers and MS concerning Hailstorm.
User Education Manager
Managed XML documentation for Office Programmability group, including managing the Smart Tag SDK and the SharePoint Team Services CAML documentation. Duties included managing and hiring full-time and contingent employees, providing articles for MSDN, and managing the update of an older HTML and XML SDK for Office XP.

CAPITAL ONE - 1999- 2000

Multimedia Manager
Organized large, web-based performance support system for a variety of internal applications, as well as the delivery of daily communications, for call center employees. Architected the Intranet site for the Customer Relations and Training Division. Managed and motivated twenty Intranet team members. Provided new technology research, such as search engine evaluations, and aided in the integration of new technologies, such as XML.

AT&T - 1998 - 1999

Senior Software Development Specialist
Maintained and authored Intranet web pages utilizing Microsoft FrontPage and extensions. Maintained and administered web servers. Authored online help for the web and for Visual C++ applications. Managed web technology team and projects and investigated new technologies. Coordinated internal user-developer relations, and was in charge of managing content architecture and production for intranet systems.

VERTEX TECHNOLOGIES -1997- 1999

Technical Documentation Consultant
Authored animated software demonstrations for training the sales force and for marketing purposes. Authored online tutorials and help systems using Robohelp 5.0 for Office 97. Authored online help, user guides, technical manuals, and training materials for multiple versions of Absolute Control manufacturing software and report-writing software. Developed marketing materials and established usability standards for documentation and GUI. Introduced usability testing procedures. Prepared marketing and training material for introduction to a web-based forum.

STRATEGIC DECISIONS INC. - 1997- 1998

Technical Communications Manager
Authored online help systems using Robohelp 4.0 for Office 97. Developed the GUI of a Category Management software package by utilizing graphics tools and Visual Basic. Authored user guides, technical manuals, and training materials for multiple versions of CATMAN-Do!, Strategic Decisions' Category Management software. Developed marketing materials and established standards for documentation and GUI.

SARTECH - 1997

Contract Technical Writer
Supervised, edited, and authored bar code system proposals, projects, and system documentation. Designed and authored marketing literature, including brochures, catalogs, business summaries, and advertising letter campaigns utilizing Word 7.0, Excel and PowerPoint. Designed graphics using Visio and Paintshop Pro. Met aggressive deadlines.

INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER ROBOTICS CORPORATION - 1994-1997

Contract Technical Writer
Authored system documentation, technical instruction manuals utilizing Word 6.0 and Visio 2.0. Authored online help manuals using Windows 95 authoring kit and Doc-to-Help for Windows 3.11. Help set up their intra-office system using Lotus Notes.