I don’t think I need to tell anyone that times are tough right now. What with unemployment high and consumer confidence low, the general outlook for anyone trying to earn an honest living these days, a group in which I include myself, is somewhere between dim and downright scary. Because of this, I’m publishing this somewhat unusual entry on Born Again Bird Watcher to try and make it transparent to my readers that I am open to professional opportunities they may have or of which they may know. Consider it a very informal online resume as well as an advertisement for Born Again Bird Watcher LLC.

The Basics

I hold three university degrees:

  • A Bachelor of Arts in English and American Literature from Lewis and Clark College
  • A Master of Arts in Education from George Fox University
  • A Master of Business Administration from the University of Oregon

I hold a valid license to teach Language Arts to students in grades five through twelve throughout the state of Oregon.

For more than a decade I was employed by Leupold & Stevens, Inc., maker of fine sports optics such as riflescopes, binoculars, and spotting scopes. While I began my tenure there as a technical adviser, I progressed through the marketing and communications ranks finally serving as the leader of the firm’s binocular and spotting scope development activities, as well as of the company’s market expansion from solely the hunting market into the bird and wildlife watching markets. My responsibilities in these positions included product development from concept to release and ongoing life-cycle management, sales force product training, marketing communications, and both sales and consumer shows on both a national as well as an international level.

I have extensive business travel experience in North America, Europe, and Asia (particularly Japan).

For the past two years I have owned and operated Born Again Bird Watcher LLC, a communications and consulting enterprise. In addition to providing all the content for and publishing the Born Again Bird Watcher and The Well-read Naturalist websites, I also write for other online as well as print media (including two active regular columns). My particular strengths are in a wide range of natural history subjects, as well as in both book and outdoor product reviewing; however I am fully capable of producing copy on just about any topic required. As to consulting, I have provided guidance and other services to both for-profit and not-for-profit entities in such wide ranging capacities as subject matter expert, photographer, product developer, researcher, marketing communications and social media adviser, product tester, technical writer, and event coordinator (including selection, planning, and on-site show management).

So what does all this mean?

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, be it large or small, discrete or public, in any of the areas outlined above, I would be very interested to learn more about the opportunity and heartily encourage you to contact me to discuss it in greater detail. I will be pleased to provide references as needed as well as examples of my writing as relevant to the project.