Resume

Chris Anderson

Strategic Designer

Expertise
Clients
Work Experience
Education

For 22 years, I have bridged business and customer goals, first as a designer, writer, and front-end developer, then as a strategic marketer, and then as a leader of teams of designers, writers, developers, and marketers. Competent designers are always creative problem solvers, but not always technically versed, not always capable communicators, and not always strategic thinkers. My unique contribution is conversing fluently in words, pictures, strategy, stories, and code.

Expertise

Web & Product Design

  • Design Thinking 80% 80%
  • Persona Development 65% 65%
  • Information Architecture 100% 100%
  • Wireframing & Prototyping 85% 85%
  • UI Design 100% 100%
  • UX Writing 80% 80%
  • User Research 25% 25%
  • User Testing 50% 50%
  • Front-End Development 80% 80%
Design Portfolio
Case Study

Branding

  • Business Development 76.5% 76.5%
  • Brand Strategy 95% 95%
  • Brand Identity 95% 95%
  • Brand Management 90% 90%
Design Portfolio: Branding

Digital Marketing

  • Inbound Marketing Strategy 90% 90%
  • Conversion Optimization 76.5% 76.5%
  • Marketing Automation 80% 80%
  • Copywriting 65% 65%
  • Digital Advertising: SEO / SEM / Display 72.5% 72.5%
  • Systems Integration 85% 85%
Case Study

Presentation Design

  • Analytics 76.5% 76.5%
  • Logic & Rhetoric 76.5% 76.5%
  • UI Design 100% 100%
  • Visual & Verbal Storytelling 90% 90%
  • Public Speaking 90% 90%
Design Portfolio: Presentations

Leadership

  • Vision Casting 80% 80%
  • Strategic & Tactical Planning 85% 85%
  • Budgeting & Expense Management 60% 60%
  • Direct Report Management 75% 75%
  • Multi-Tier Management 50% 50%
  • Coaching 70% 70%
  • Hiring & Firing 50% 50%

Project Management

  • Big Picture: Balancing Scope, Schedule, & Resources 75% 75%
  • Art Direction 75% 75%
  • Waterfall Methodology 60% 60%
  • Agile Methodology 45% 45%
  • Stage-Gate Methology 50% 50%
  • Managing Distributed Teams 60% 60%
  • Outsourcing and Offshoring 50% 50%

Technical Proficiencies

Design & Prototyping

  • Creative Suite (Id, Ai, Ps) 90% 90%
  • Sketch + Craft + InVision 50% 50%
  • Figma 25% 25%
  • WordPress + Divi 90% 90%
  • Keynote & PowerPoint 75% 75%
  • Miro 40% 40%
  • Canva 60% 60%

Web & Marketing Platforms

  • WordPress 90% 90%
  • Google Analytics / Search Console 60% 60%
  • Google Ads 50% 50%
  • FB/Meta Ads Manager 50% 50%
  • Mailchimp 65% 65%
  • Hubspot 85% 85%
  • Zapier 75% 75%
  • Github 25% 25%

Code Languages & Frameworks

  • HTML 85% 85%
  • CSS & SASS 75% 75%
  • JavaScript 25% 25%
  • jQuery 75% 75%
  • ActionScript 50% 50%
  • PHP 20% 20%

Project Management

  • MS Teams 80% 80%
  • Slack 55% 55%
  • Monday.com 85% 85%
  • Basecamp 50% 50%
  • Clickup 60% 60%
  • Asana 50% 50%
  • Trello 50% 50%

Clients

Some of the amazing brands I’ve worked with.

Work Experience

2023 – present

Director of Marketing

Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine • VA | SC

In 2016, I helped Dr. Aaron Hartman to launch Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine (RIFM). I continued supporting RIFM as a contractor for three years but stepped away in 2019. In February of 2023, Dr. Hartman asked me to return and oversee marketing and innovation for RIFM.
 

Highlights
  • In my first 30 days, I guided the team to launch an evergreen campaign, promoting and selling an online learning product.

2022 – 2023

Executive Director of Marketing

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary • MA | NC | FL

As a member of the institution’s senior leadership team, I was responsible for gathering faculty and leadership requirements to ensure our core products align with our internal mission and external market demand.
 

Highlights
  • Launched new Student Information System (SIS) and new student application in summer 2022 — resulting in a 30% increase in submitted applications, 44% increase in completed applications, and 47% increase in accepted applications.
  • Managed digital advertising (SEO/SEM/Display) — resulting in a 61% decrease in Cost per Lead (CPL) (2020/2021).
  • Led UI&UX improvement cycles on our multisite network including event management, student applications, course exploration, and vocational services.
  • Initiated and managed an offshore agency relationship resulting in 77% cost savings in web development services and responsible for three web-based products.
  • Guided marketing automation solutions utilizing Hubspot, Zapier, and Monday.com to drive efficiencies in lead nurturing, recruitment, and admissions.
  • Collaborated on an institutional incubator to nurture our best ideas through a stage-gate process.

2019 – 2022

Executive Director of Enrollment

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary • MA | NC | FL

I was promoted with the task of “fixing our core business model,” turning around a decade-long decline in graduate-level enrollment.
 

Highlights
  • Launched a new product line (Graduate Certificates) in April 2021 — posting 38% growth over two years.
  • Managed a $1.7 m budget driving $9 m in revenue.
  • Relocated to Charlotte campus to provide cross-campus, institutional leadership amid a perceived mergers and acquisition scenario.
  • Re-organized cross-campus, distributed teams united around a shared end-to-end student journey and sales funnel.
  • Managed direct reports responsible for inbound marketing, student recruiting, admissions, and onboarding.

2018 – 2019

Director of Marketing & Communications

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary • MA | NC | FL

I led the in-house design team serving the entire institution but focused on admissions, advancement, and the office of the president.
 

Highlights
  • Guided the redesign of the seminary’s primary website — resulting in 63% increase in page views and 91% decline in drop rate.
  • Developed and implemented the school’s inbound marketing strategy — resulting in 20% growth in 2019, 48% growth in 2020, and 60% growth in 2021 (185% growth from 2018–2021).
  • Managed the school’s primary social channels.
  • Served on the president’s cabinet as the primary ambassador for the institution’s brand.
  • Provided editing and ghostwriting services for the Office of the President.

Case Study

Gordon-Conwell 2018 Redesign

2008 – Present

Design Consultant

Boxen • MA | NC | SC | VA

I provide branding, web & product design, and digital marketing solutions for small businesses and nonprofits.

Clients Include: Smithsonian, Harvard School of Business, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, AARP, Bamboo Solutions, Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine (RIFM), Virginia Research Center, Family Practice Associates, Stuart Hall School, FOCUS, & America World Adoption.
 

Highlights
  • Redesigned SaaS client site including e-commerce storefront tied to SharePoint marketplace.
  • Two-year contract providing remote design & marketing support within an agile, product development workflow.
  • Successful brand launch for multiple medical practices contributing to rapid practice growth.
  • Provided design support for Harvard Business students (African American Student Union, India Conference, Israel Conference).

Case Study

Brand Identity: Richmond Integrative & Functional Medicine

2012 – 2017

Principal Designer

Alliant Studios • Fairfax, VA

I provided creative direction for Alliant Studios’ branding and marketing services, including strategic brand consulting for C-level executives and startup teams.

Clients included: AbilityOne, AFCEA, Chick-fil-A, Cru, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Prison Fellowship, ServiceSource, Veritas Forum, & the USO.
 

Highlights
  • Rebranded client through large-scale acquisition positioned externally as a corporate merger.
  • Provided presentation support for a client with five minutes to convince their CEO to invest in their multi-million dollar project (they succeeded).
  • Wrote, designed, and presented a corporate seminar reviewing a case study to explore affiliate brand models.
  • Brought web development services in-house by fulfilling initial web development services; then, hiring additional development support as our web-based clients expanded.

2007 – 2008

Web & Product Designer

Edge Media • Reston, VA

Worked with a small SaaS startup developing church and nonprofit web solutions (websites integrating custom CMS + church management functionality).
 

Highlights
  • Produced over three dozen custom solutions, averaging three sites designed and coded per month. Workflow:
    • Received project brief and low-fidelity wireframes
    • Designed 3–5 high-fidelity comps ✕ 3 alternative stylistic directions
    • Supported 3 cycles of client-requested revisions
    • Provided front-end development templates including: HTML, CSS, and custom ActionScript objects
  • Developed low pricepoint customizable web templates with over 200 downloads in the first month.

2006 – 2007

Instructional Designer

RedXDefense • Rockville, MD

I served on a cross-functional startup team developing explosive detection devices subcontracted through DARPA. My focus was technical instruction materials including digital simulation, product labeling, packaging, print and digital manuals.
 

Highlights
  • Designed and developed a virtual simulation training tool used to train counter-terrorist officers in Washington, DC and pilot soldier programs in Iraq
  • Provided presentation and pitch deck support for the CEO
  • Participated in cross-department user testing

2001 – 2006

Designer, Art Director, & Project Manager

Cru • Orlando, FL

I was responsible for multiple areas within an in-house design team serving an organization of 35,000 staff worldwide. Our primary focus was conference marketing for US undergraduate students.
 

Highlights
  • Managed the workflow of a variable team of 5 – 15 designers.
  • Managed internal client and external vendor relationships.
  • Managed the redesign of the US Campus Ministry website.
  • One-year field-staff assignment in Istanbul—building cultural bridges with Islamic students on four campuses in Istanbul.

Education

2008 – 2012

Master of Divinity

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary • Hamilton, MA

  • Graduated Magna Cum Laude
  • Delivered the student commencement address
  • Pierce Fellow
  • Resident Life Coordinator

Case Study

What does an MDiv have to do with design?

1996 – 2000

B.A. in Graphic Design

University of Illinois • Urbana, IL

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