Professional Experience

Summary   [back to top]

Innovative, customer-oriented technical professional analyzing - and building system solutions to - business process needs. Extensive experience leading organizational change, and organizing large domains of complex information into dynamic database-backed web sites, comprehensive training curricula, or printed documentation. Advanced skills in:

• organizational/strategic consulting
• solution development (esp. using FileMaker)
• web publishing
• technical communication
• curriculum development
• teaching/facilitation

Work History   [back to top]

• Principal, 2004-present

• Senior Consultant, 2000-2004
• Senior Technical Writer, 1991-2000

Organizational Strategist. Core contributor to reengineering of IT Support area (led initial vision/mission work, set strategy for IT info processes, etc.), and to strategic thinking within overall IT group and other groups on campus.

Web Publishing Champion. Instrumental in bringing the World Wide Web to MIT:

• core member of initial investigative team
• co-created original MIT and IS home pages
• advised/developed many web sites at MIT (including primary IT site) and beyond
• expert in HTML, CSS. JavaScript, etc.

Information Architect/Technical Communicator. Designed/implemented dozens of web sites and printed documents:

• co-created information architecture for IT department's web site (5000+ pages) et al
• created/edited many large web sites, technical documents, reference guides, release notes, man pages, catalogs, posters
• helped establish document styles/standards

Curriculum Designer/Trainer. Developed introductory and multi-day hands-on courses, taught them to thousands of attendees:

• created MIT's Web Publishing curriculum
• led MacOS, Windows, Dreamweaver intros

Solutions Developer/Consultant. Developed several dozen full system solutions for various groups on campus, usu. bringing together large, previously-dispersed information resources:

• IT Info: created integrated IT information repository, incl. product info, 1000+ FAQs, articles, user group schedules, pubs listings, IT project lists, IT staff/service roster, etc.
• Training: created MIT's first campus-wide training registration/administration system (handling 8500+ registrations/year for hundreds of courses offered by 8 groups)
• Other: created/revised client management systems, event tracking systems, membership/staff listing systems, etc.

Work typically included:

• thorough business process analysis
• development/implementation of database (FileMaker) back-end, incl. user interface
• development/deployment of dynamic web interface (often extensive)
• implementation of related non-technical process changes (e.g., revised appl. forms)

Created/maintained supporting server system (2 Mac OS X Servers running Apache/SSL, PHP/Perl cgi, with redundant array of related web/db servers for hosting client web pages/solutions).

• Design/Documentation Consultant, 1992

• Acting Documentation Mgr., 1990-91
• Senior Technical Writer, 1990
• Technical Writer II, 1988-90

Documentation Process Leader. Completely overhauled dept doc process, as writer/manager:

• supervised/coached/edited up to 6 writers
• defined standards for all pubs (30+ recurring titles, plus release notes, etc.)
• wrote/produced many documents (including several award winners)

Software Development Project Leader. Conceived of, championed, and led development team implementing OLH electronic document browser system (anticipating - but pre-dating - web technology by several years).

• Writer/Programmer, 1987-88
• Technical Writer, 1985-87
• Intern Technical Writer, 1984

Senior Technical Communicator. Key contributor to support of statistical software:

• created/revised 1000+ online help entries, multi-volume user guides, refcards, etc.
• created/delivered product/concept training

Programmer/Tester. Created/revised/tested components of RS/1 series of products:

• designed/implemented parts of user interface and statistical algorithms
• conducted software quality assurance tests

• Astronomy Teaching Intern, 1991

Business Process Consultant   [back to top]

"Kevin was a superb Performance Consultant pushing us to deal with difficult questions. He acted as a fatherly coach, knowledgeable expert, and eager participant with incredible balance. Plus he's fun to be with." - OED client

"It has been a pleasure to work with Kevin, and we consider him an extremely valuable resource to our office." - FRC client

Organizational Strategist

Championed systematic long-range thinking in IT Support and other MIT departments:

Information Systems. Ongoing contributor to strategic planning (esp. IT Support org.):

• IS Support Team Leaders Coordinating Team (member) - contributed to bi-weekly strategic decision-making, and to extensive revision of organizational structure itself (also assisted outside process consultant in preparing report).
• IT Self-Help Reengineering Team (originator/champion/team leader) - helped define core strategy for IT support providers (except help desks); led ensuing implementation efforts:

  Goal 1: Establish baseline IT knowledge in the MIT community (training/refbooks) Goal 2: Establish integrated IT information resource (IT info, and IS org. info) Goal 3: Establish distributed IT support infrastructure (train central providers, empower "local experts") Goal 4: Establish standardized access to IT tools (esp. software distribution)

• Support-IT Reengineering Team (member) - helped analyze existing / design new org. structure for IT Support.
• TQM Toolkit Project - created reference web site explaining use of TQM tools/techniques.
• IS 5 Year Planning Process - edited IS Support and IS-wide 5-Year Plans.
• IS Support Vision Process (facilitator/champion) - interviewed all department teams; collated/organized/presented results, incl. vision/mission statement; received staff-generated Plum Award.
• Athena Reorganization Planning Team (member, at special request of Athena Executive Director) - contributed to planning of merger of Athena with IS.

Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Office. "On loan" to this new department (formed from merging 5 units), contributed extensively in various capacities:

• proposed essential org. work structures.
• Systems Integration Team (member) - worked to assure that technological work and related business processes were coordinated at a high level.
• Training Team (member) - contributed to design/execution of new training management system in response to EPA mandates [see Training Professional page].
• provided web/database consulting.

Organization & Employee Development (OED). As web consultant, facilitated extensive team discussions about mission/goals of group and how to present them.

Harvard Task Force on Evaluation. Assisted team determining how to enhance program analysis/assessment skills across the University.

Solution Developer

Developed several dozen system solutions to meet business needs of various groups. Work included:

• thorough business process/system analysis
• development of database back-ends (usu. FileMaker)
• design/development of web/database interfaces
• hosting/maintenance of resulting systems.

Other Notable Development Activity

FileMaker Guru. Championed use of FileMaker database software at MIT; MIT's primary technical contact to FileMaker Inc.; expert on product, security issues, etc. First IS "Product Release Coordinator". Pioneered role of orchestrating organizational readiness (training, docs, help desk, etc.) for new versions of commercial products.

OLH Development Project Leader. Conceived, designed, and led implementation of OLH online document browser system, anticipating web technology.

Script/Interface Programmer. Largely macro level:

• Project Athena: contributed to initalization files.
• BBN: coded interface/algorithms in statistical SW.

Information Architect   [back to top]

"Kevin is the one writer for whom I never feel the need to proofread, as even his draft work is always close to perfect." - IS doc. mgr.

"When I offered him the job, he said that he would take it if he could spend a significant part of his time working on systematizing the documentation process. This was clearly the kind of initiative and leadership I was looking for in my staff." - Athena doc. mgr.

Web Publisher

Trailblazer in electronic publishing, creating the OLH electronic documentation system, and championing the World Wide Web (and leading ongoing support efforts) when it came to MIT. Expert in HTML, Cascading Style Sheets, etc.
[see also other pages - almost every project involved web interfaces, technology, etc., often extensively]

Web Site Development/Support. Championed the World Wide Web at MIT from its earliest days.

• IS Web Site Revision Team (adjunct member) - helped redesign/convert site (5000+ pages):
  • co-created information architecture:
    
  • created/executed implementation plan (built new directories, revised many pages)
  • contributed to development of standards
• IS Home Page Team (member) - addressed many requests/issues with IS site; provided technical expertise; created initial IS page style.
• Self-Help Team (leader) - created web-accessed data repositories for IT info; established Apache webserver with SSL/PHP. [see Consultant page]
• IS Pubs (member) - spearheaded efforts to bring the web - and IS support for it - to MIT:
  • co-created MIT's first home page
    
  • co-created IS's first home page; led effort to convert entire IS document set to electronic (web) form.
  • consulted to many groups (incl. MIT departments, MIT Club of Boston, non-MIT groups) to help them create/troubleshoot web sites
  • created MIT's web publishing curriculum [see Training Professional page]
• CWIS Exploratory Team (member) - made initial explorations into how to bring the web (and other electronic technologies) to MIT.

Interface Design/Usability. Extensive experience designing/building usable web interfaces:

• Usability Team (member) - trained in usability concepts; worked with groups to assess usability of their web interfaces (conducted tests, evaluated sites); designed several interfaces to address usability concerns.
• SAPweb Team (member) - designed/implemented first MIT web interface to SAP enterprise system, ultimately revising business process model.
  

Electronic Browser. Conceived/created electronic document browser system (Athena OLH) years before web was known at MIT. [see Consultant page]

Technical Communicator

Extensive professional skills in creating technical documents (from conception through writing to production), and in supervising writing staffs (editing individual efforts, establishing standards and common work systems, coordinating work strategically across entire documentation domain).

Information Systems. As Senior Technical Writer, organized/maintained entire document suite. Revised/edited many publications, incl. List of Publications (introduced categories for usability).

Project Athena. Responsible for entire Athena documentation set, serving as Acting Manager before merger with IS. Oversaw all writing (up to 6 writers), involving more than 30 titles (plus man pages, release notes, etc.) that usually needed revision or full rewrite every year. Edited all documents. Wrote many core documents, such as:

• merged a variety of disparate reference cards into a single Athena Pocket Reference, increasing effectiveness and reducing costs:
  
• created award-winning (STC, SIGUCCS) Welcome to Athena document from many disparate sources, issuing it in themed folder/"pocket protector" containers.
  

CalTech. Consulted to Division of Biology to completely revise documentation of their multi-component GENESIS neural simulation software. Documented hundreds of commands, procedures, objects, etc., revising programmer's notes (or C comments). Also provided input on user interface.

BBN. Supervised full lifecycle of multi-volume documentation set (manuals, refcards, online help) for statistical software product line. Made complex statistical concepts accessible to end users.

Other Writing Projects. Provided services, usually pro bono, to various groups/efforts:

• Am. Physicians Fellowship: Edited 116-page conference proceedings.
  
• Program for Young Negotiators: formatted training materials, reports.
• Landmark Education: devised reporting sheets, formatted program material, etc.
• various theater groups: designed/produced over a dozen programs for theater events.

Training Professional   [back to top]

"This is the best computer class I have taken at MIT.... Kevin is an outstanding teacher." - feedback from class participants

"I particularly appreciated Kevin's abilities as a trainer. I don't think I've ever seen a technical trainer do as good a job of reading a room of participants and using the information real-time." - assessment by fellow trainer (a process consultant)

Curriculum Designer / Technical Trainer

Experienced trainer with a Masters of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Designed curricula and led many training sessions on technical and other topics. Focused on teaching end users core technical skills, notably web publishing skills.

Web Publishing Curriculum/Training. As part of core effort to bring the Web to MIT [see Information Architect page], created and taught MIT's primary web publishing curriculum:

• created initial "Publishing on the Web" presentation for SIGDOC peer group; converted this into very popular 3-hour "Web Publishing Overview" session - presented it more than 125 times at MIT, to thousands of community members.
• created 2-day hands-on "Web Publishing: Basics" course; taught or co-taught this more than 65 times (to 500+ people); created all course handouts, sample files, and related reference web site.
• co-created 2-day followup course "Web Publishing: Intermediate", focused on templates, style sheets; co-taught this a dozen times before handing it off.
• helped introduce Dreamweaver HTML editor to MIT, by leading product release team, integrating software into curriculum.
• introduced Cascading Style Sheets to MIT, in presentations, special web site, and the "Intermediate" course.

IS Training Team. Standing member of Curriculum Team; advised other trainers on their course materials; evaluated other training at MIT (e.g., early reengineering training); taught many technical topics, including:

• Windows
• Mac OS
• Netscape
• FileMaker
• Dreamweaver
• Claris Home Page

Also helped introduce third-party web-based training service (Element K) to community.

Other Training-Related Experience:

• Conference Presenter. Prepared/delivered presentations on advanced technical topics to peer-based special interest groups (SIGDOC, SIGUCCS, NERCOMP, etc.)
• Curriculum Advisor/Trainer. Assisted development/dissemination/teaching of Prog. for Young Negotiators curriculum.
• Leadership Coach. Coached participants in leadership/self-expression programs.
• Software/Statistics Trainer. Created and delivered (both at company offices and client sites) presentations on software topics and related statistical concepts.[see also Information Architect page]
• Intern Astronomy Teacher. Interned in teaching science (prepared/taught sessions, graded papers, etc.) at summer program attended by gifted 11th graders.

Training Administation System Developer

Designed/built the web-based training registration system currently in use by the major non-academic training providers at MIT. Led transfer of that system/knowledge to an enterprise architecture. Consulted extensively on training technology issues.

Training Registration Business Process Redesign Team (leader) - led community-wide group defining MIT's process/technical requirements for transferring training administration services to SAP's Training & Events Module from current system (see below).

Integrated Training Administration System (designer/developer/maintainer) - Created and later revised complex training information/registration system, including originating, developing, and championing each of its main components:

• large relational database system (FileMaker-based) for data management, with interface for registrars and training providers:
• extensive web interface for customers, including main static web site (Training at MIT) and dynamic access to online course listings, registration/cancellation features, etc.:
  
• comprehensive MIT-wide Training & Development catalog, combining previously separate listings from a dozen groups:
  

EHS Training Team (member) [see also Organizational Strategist section] - advised in a variety of areas to help team build a training management system to succesfully meet EPA mandate:

• technical aspects of registration systems
• design of curriculum and supporting materials
• selection of vendors for curriculum design, web-based training delivery, etc.
• web site architecture. design, etc.

Artistic Experience   [back to top]

Director/Producer etc.

Directing. Have directed a variety of full-length plays, one-acts, and scenes (coached other productions, not listed):

   Shakespeare/Classical:

• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Troilus and Cressida
• King Lear
• Comedy of Errors
• ... plus scenes from Cymbeline, As You Like It, Richard II, Henry IV, Sonnets, Goethe's Faust

   Others:

• Little Women (Alcott/adapted by me)
• Theatre II (Beckett) & Suicide in B flat (Shepard)
• Provincetown Plays [two evenings] (O'Neill, Glaspell, Steele, etc.)
• world premieres of 3 one-acts
• ... plus scenes by Chekhov, Miller, Beckett, Blessing, etc.

Film/Video. Created (directed/edited) hour-long video documentary:

• Speaking of Marriage (interviews with couples about long-term relationships)

Production/Design. Contributed to managerial/technical sides of many theater companies (financial admin., advertising/publicity design, grant writing, serving as officer, etc.) and to specific shows (hanging/running lights, designing/building sets, running box office, etc.) Of special note:

• Producer for world premiere of Maddy Far Away (Bill Bryant).
• Program Designer for over a dozen theatrical programs (including data-gathering, page design, production).

Affiliations. Longstanding relationships with various theater groups, including:

• Poet's Theater (member, prod. asst.)
• Shakespeare & Co. (trainer)
• Nausikaa Theater (co-founder)
• MIT Dramashop (officer)

Writer

Screenplays. Received Screenwriting Certificate from Emerson College, May 2000. Attended MIT IAP course "Adapting Linear Storytelling in an Interactive Age", January 2001 and 2002. Have written half a dozen screenplays (plus outlines for others, not listed):

• Fantasm
• An Onslaught of Memories in the Days of Disco Dancing
• 1676: Bacon's Rebellion
• "Collusion" (film version)
• Hearts Grown Cold Cannot Feel the Sun
• A Night to Remember

Plays. Have written over a dozen plays, including the following staged works:

   Original:

• The Kennedys and the Cunninghams (one-man show)
• "The Mirror" (poetic one-act)
• "Kill" (Pinteresque one-act)
• "Social Security" (vignette)
• In Time of the Mending of Nations (political drama)
• The Chin-Up Bar (urban drama)

   Adapted from existing material (also directed these productions):

• Little Women (from the novel)
• "Majesty" (scenes of kingship from Shakespeare, music by Handel)
• "Love By Proxy" (dramatization of Shakespeare Sonnets)
• Who Are the Witches? (dramatization of historical texts)

Poetry. Several hundred poems in three (unpublished) volumes:

• Getting Ready for the Nineties
• Letting Go
• Shards of Love

Songs. Composed/performed 75+ songs, several commissioned for original theatrical productions.

Stories/Essays. Have written several dozen short stories/essays. Writer for college newspaper. Created high school literary magazine.

Performer

Acting. Performed extensively in college and semi-professional theater, with much formal training. Recent/notable roles:

   Independent Film:

• Metal (Metal Productions) - Dick Lumbly

   Shakespeare:

• A Midsummer Night's Dream - Quince
• As You Like It - Jaques
• Much Ado About Nothing - Don John
• scenes - Romeo, Macbeth, etc.

   Other Classical:

• The Duchess of Malfi (Webster) - Antonio
• The Kids Aren't Alright (adaptation of Euripides' Orestes) - Menelaus
• The Misanthrope (Moliere) - Clitandre
• Everyman (anon.) - Everyman

   Modern:

• Holiday (Barry) - Johnny Case
• The Kennedys and the Cunninghams (Cunningham) - all characters [one-man show]
• "The Actor's Nightmare" (Durang) - Henry Irving
• The Homecoming (Pinter) - Teddy
• Man and Superman (Shaw) - Tavy

Also appeared in more than 30 other roles, in works by Shepard, Beckett, Stoppard, Kopit, Brecht, e. e. cummings, Pirandello, Williams, Aristophanes, etc.

Music/Voice/Dance Performance. Play guitar, have participated in various groups, including choral, classical performance, renaissance dance groups.

Training. Extensive training in arts of performance, esp. voice:

• Shakespeare and Company month-long actor training program (led by Kristin Linklater), and later training
• Ivan Midderigh voice workshop
• Pilgrim Theater voice workshop for singers

Skills   [back to top]

Professional/Organizational Skills

Have highly-developed skills in working with people to understand and improve the processes that affect them:

• Leadership Skills: committed builder of systems that improve processes/enable changes of behavior; articulate champion of strategic goals; natural facilitator; incisive listener, interested in including everyone's contributions.
• Process Analysis Skills: advanced ability to analyze complex systems (technical, psychological, business process, informational, etc.); able to pay great attention to detail yet keep an eye on the big picture.
• Communication Skills: advanced writing/editing/production skills, in a variety of media (paper, web, video, etc.); equally facile with technical and non-technical topics; especially adept at organizing large information sets (e.g., web sites), creating interfaces.
• Training Skills: experienced trainer/curriculum designer, able to anticipate learners' needs and work with a variety of skill levels; excellent presentation skills.
• Motivational Orientation: entrepreneurial, self-starting, customer-focused approach; innovative; risk-taking; resourceful; creative; logical; thorough; passionate.

Technical Skills

Have advanced skills in many computer environments/tools:

• Operating systems: Mac OS/OS X (incl. Unix base, Terminal, cron, etc.), Mac OS X Server, various Unix flavors (Sun, SGI, etc.), some Windows.
• Database Software: expert in entire FileMaker product line (Pro/Unlimited/Developer/Server/Mobile) and related techniques and technologies (e.g., Web Server Connector, CDML markup language, plug-ins, security issues, etc.); MIT's technical contact to FileMaker Inc.; FSA member; early tester; regular DevCon attendee.
• Web Publishing Tools: Macromedia Dreamweaver, various browsers (Netscape, IE, etc.), various SSH/FTP/Telnet tools (scp, Fetch, SecureCRT, BetterTelnet, etc.).
• Web Server/Programming Technologies: Apache/SSL, PHP/MySQL/cURL, some Perl/C programming, csh/AppleScript scripting, x509 certificates, Timbuktu.
• Web Standards: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, some XML.
• Graphics Software: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator; various formats (GIF, JPG, TIFF, Flash); some work with Macromedia Flash/Director, etc.; scanning.
• Document Preparation Software: MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Quark Express, Adobe InDesign, PageMaker, Acrobat (PDF); Emacs, BBedit text editors.

Education   [back to top]

Degree Programs
	Harvard University: Graduate School of Education    Cambridge, MA M.Ed. 1995 Counseling and Psychotherapy (Ducey) Developing Discussion Leadership Skills (Christensen) Adult Development (Kegan) Psychology of Girls and Women (Rogers) Teaching and Learning (Duckworth) Evaluation of Programs and Policies (Weiss) Curriculum Theory - The Village as Learning Environment (Oliver) Service Learning: A Teaching Methodology (Stemmermann/Truitt) Authority, Community and Organizational Change [incl. Tavistock Method Weekend] (Powell)
	Massachusetts Institute of Technology    Cambridge, MA B.S. 1984 in Humanities & Science (Psychology & Literature) in the Program for Science, Technology, and Society High-level course of study bridging science and art through psychology: Physical Sciences: Solid-State Chemistry, Physics (Mechanics, E&M, Vibrations/Waves), Special Relativity, Exploration of the Solar System Mathematics: Calculus, Differential Equations, Complex Variables Biology/Psychology: General Physiology, Introduction to Psychology, Brain Science and Behavior, Cognition and Perception, Affect: Feelings, Development of Behavior, Human Development Literature/Philosophy: The Bible; Major Authors (Marx, Darwin, Freud, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Sartre); Literary Interpretation; Literature, Ideology, and National Experience in the United States History/Science: Ancient World: Rome, The Scientific Revolution, The Nature of Scientific Revolutions (Kuhn), The Industrial Revolution, The Chinese Revolution, Psychoanalysis and History Technical Writing: Scientific & Engineering Writing, The Scientific Essay, Science Writing for the Public, Naturalist Writing Theater Arts: Acting, Tragedy, Comedy, 20th-C. Drama, Directing Thesis: "Dante's Vita Nuova: A Study in Psychology and Literature"
Certificate/CEU and Other Professional Development Programs
	Emerson College: Division of Continuing Education - Screenwriting Certificate 2000: Writing the First Screenplay (Jaffe) Screenplay Structural Analysis (Thompson) Screenwriting Workshop (Brody) ... plus attended many Screenwriting Industry Saturdays
	Duncan-Nevison - Condensed Certificate in Project Management 1997
	Mediation@MIT - Mediator Certificate 1994
	Landmark Education - many courses 1992-4: Curriculum for Living: The Forum, Advanced Course, Self Expression and Leadership (also coached this course later), Wisdom Seminars: Breakdowns, Vitality, Sex & Intimacy, Commitment, Inventing Oneself, Living Passionately Introduction to the Forum Leaders Program, Leadership Conference Communications Course I & II
	Harvard University: Extension School - several courses c. 1985: Software Quality Control Probability & Statistics
	Other - various dates Information Mapping Project Management Negotiation Mediation Managing Change Migrating to FileMaker 7 SGML XML etc.