Senior Proposal and Technical Writer and Editor. Proposal Manager, Coordinator, and Desktop Publisher.

Looking for consulting and permanent positions in Maryland and Virginia.

Fifteen years of experience in proposals. Thirty years of experience in writing and editing. Twenty-five years of experience working in the government contracting field.

Extensive experience writing resumes, past performance, and management sections in proposal responses. Interview Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and present technical information in an understandable manner. Desktop publisher with expert level skills in MS Word, with knowledge of templates and large document management. Create graphics for proposals in PowerPoint and Visio. Organize proposal files on SharePoint and establish file naming protocols. Work with the Shipley process. Promote writing in plain language.

Possess the ability to work on multiple projects while under strict deadlines. Work well under pressure, adept at quickly finding the most efficient solutions to meet deadlines.

Education

BA, Sociology, 1983, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Member of the University of Maryland General Honors Program

Employment History

Consultant: March 2010 to current

Proposal and Technical Writer and Editor; Proposal Manager, Coordinator, and Desktop Publisher.

Select clients listed below.

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), Fairfax, Virginia: Temporary proposal editor for staff member on medical leave. Wrote past performance sections. Performed substantive editing for technical sections and rewrote in plain language. Identified compliance gaps.

Jungle Communications, San Francisco, California: Proposal manager, writer, and desktop publisher for a marketing company that provides language and creative services. Wrote winning proposals for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). Created templates for the proposal, resumes, and past performance. Worked with the owner to develop new content.

Xerox Corporation, Xerox Federal Solutions, LLC, Fairfax, Virginia: Desktop Publisher. Formatted large proposals. Analyzed the RFP to create delivery compliance and production documentation.

NETE, McLean, Virginia: Proposal Writer. Wrote, edited and formatted proposals. Created new templates. Created compliance matrix and writing assignments. Tracked responses from writers.

Signature Consulting Group, Windsor Mill, Maryland: Proposal and technical writer and editor. Part of the team to obtain the company's Level 2 Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) certification. Edited, formatted and contributed to the writing of processes and SOPs in six company handbooks to fulfill the CMMI provisions. Created in Word the company’s templates for reports and documents and created the proposal forms.

Edited, formatted, and coordinated proposal responses which dealt primarily with Electronic Health Records (EHR) for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Interviewed current and prospective employees and tailored resumes for solicitations. Created graphics for proposals. Evaluated proposals for compliance and made suggestions for creating persuasive responses. Created a form for tracking proposal completeness. Edited and formatted proposals and created new templates as needed.

Motorola, Columbia, Maryland: Technical writer. Worked with the marketing and proposal departments to develop new product content for an automated quote template.

Vision Technologies, Inc., Chantilly, Virginia: Editor and desktop publisher. Evaluated the RFP and created the proposal template and annotated outline. Volume lead for the past performance section.

IntelliDyne, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia: Edited the proposal and rewrote poorly written sections. Turned a verbose document into a one that was clear and comprehensible.

Dakota Consulting, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland: Technical and proposal writer. Interviewed managers to obtain information to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Wrote, edited, and formatted the SOPs. Interviewed technical personnel for project details to new create past performance documentation. Researched and wrote government agency background sections and company past performance sections for a proposal. Formatted and edited the proposal submission which dealt with Meaningful Use (MU) of Electronic Health Records (EHR). Redesigned the company’s proposal template.

NB Sciences, Gaithersburg, Maryland: Proposal manager for efforts involving up to three team members. The entire proposal process was done remotely. Created the Request for Proposal (RFP) outline, compliance matrix and proposal outline. Created the schedule and coordinated data calls with the writers. Edited and formatted submissions and inserted them into the master document. Created proposal, resume and past performance templates. Evaluated sections for compliance and provided feedback to writers. Created graphics in Visio or coordinated with a graphic artist. Interviewed candidates to tailor resumes.

DRS Technologies, Inc., Herndon, Virginia: Primary editor for a Department of Defense (DoD) proposal dealing with the training of the Afghanistan Air Force as maintenance personnel. Interacted with SMEs to clarify and develop responses. Worked under strict scheduling timelines. Assisted in proposal production and book checks.

Triple Canopy, Reston, Virginia: Editor and writer for the primary draft. Worked with managers and SMEs to develop and write section responses for a DoD proposal for security and program management support. Evaluated responses for compliance.

Proposal Development Consultants, Bethesda, Maryland: Desktop publisher and editor during the last critical days of the proposal schedule.

Proposal Writer: May 2009 to March 2010

InfoZen, Inc., 9420 Key West Ave., Suite 101, Rockville, Maryland, 301-605-8000

Assisted the Proposal Manager and provided full spectrum proposal support. Read and evaluated RFPs from government agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), General Services Administration (GSA), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Created the RFP summary, compliance matrix, writing outline, and schedule. Created proposal, resume, and past performance templates tailored to proposal specifications. Edited and rewrote technical sections so they could be understood by the layperson. Edited proposals for grammar, consistency in tone, and created the acronym list. Interviewed employees and prospective employees for the details required to tailor resumes to the response. Reviewed proposals for compliance.

Interviewed Program Managers in order to provide a complete project summary for the past performance library. Organized the proposal library and created a spreadsheet to track and summarize solicitations to assist in the identification of reusable sections. Created a library of reusable sections, in which the sections were sanitized in order to remove agency names and proposal specific references. Coordinated a proposal team with 22 subcontractors and created a library and tracking spreadsheet for data requests and responses, as well as maintaining books of the information for managers and writers. To assist writers with the RFP modifications and over 200 questions and answers, created a spreadsheet with multiple ways of referencing the subject areas. Edited company marketing material and white papers. Instructed writers on the use of styles in Word and created training documentation on Word.

Consultant: May 2005 to May 2009

Proposal and Technical Writer and Editor; Proposal Manager, Coordinator, and Desktop Publisher

Client list included: IT Solutions, Lockheed Martin, NetStar-1, Knight Point Systems, ASSYST, Supreme Soft, Inc., Multimax, SP Systems, ALM Professional Services, and NB Sciences. Worked as a newsletter volunteer for a non-profit patient advocacy group, the National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia (NATT) (renamed the National Blood Clot Alliance).

SAIC, McLean, Virginia: Desktop publisher. Formatted proposals using custom styles and SAIC’s style guide and formatting specifications.

Lockheed Martin, Gaithersburg, Maryland: Surge support editor for a large proposal team. The draft provided was poorly written and required a rewrite rather than an edit. Worked with the SME to develop a compliant response.

IT Solutions, Bethesda, Maryland: Interviewed SMEs in the Information Technology (IT) field at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to obtain information for writing SOPs. Edited existing SOPs and formatted them in the standard template.

NetStar-1, Gaithersburg, Maryland: Proposal manager for the solicitation. Produced the proposal outline, inserted appropriate content from past efforts, and incorporated daily assignments from numerous writers at three companies. Assessed compliance and edited and formatted the proposal. The effort was managed remotely by all participants, with only the production performed at the prime contractor’s location.

ASSYST, Sterling, Virginia: Evaluated and provided recommendations for improvement on document templates, color schemes, and various types of promotional material. Provided proposal and task order writing support.

Multimax, Largo, Maryland: Wrote and edited sections of the management plan. Created concepts and rough drafts for the proposal graphics which were then developed by the graphic artists.

National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia (NATT), (renamed the National Blood Clot Alliance), Rockville, Maryland: Designed a logo in Visio for use at trade shows and fundraiser activities. The logo provided a definition of the terms in the organization’s name and provided a visual representation of the disease. Edited the newsletter and made recommendations for layout.

Proposal Coordinator and Writer: August 2004 to May 2005

Xtria Government Solutions, Vienna, Virginia (relocated to the site of the parent company, Xanser Corporation, in Richardson, Texas)

Reviewed the RFPs for bid determinations from various federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Education (ED). Composed RFP questions for submission to the Government Contracting Officer. Wrote the RFP outline and response outline. Created the response templates based on the RFP requirements and composed the compliance matrix. Initiated the proposal kick-off meeting and created the agenda, which included a summary of problems areas, strengths, and weaknesses. Determined the writing schedule and review schedule. Selected appropriate sections from past proposals and sent the sections to the subject matter writers for review and adaptation. Edited and formatted the responses. Adapted the past performance to comply with RFP specifications, which included interviewing the project managers to provide the necessary details. Contributed to the development of the company’s proposal process. Created a library of reusable sections and a spreadsheet which tracked all aspects of each submission. Created charts, graphs, and graphics in Excel and Visio. Produced the tabs and covers and created binders for paper submissions.

Senior Support Specialist: September 2000 to April 2004

Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems, Denro Systems (formerly Litton Advanced Systems), Gaithersburg, Maryland (office closed and relocated to Northrop Grumman in Baltimore)

Performed a variety of functions in the Program Management department of a company that produced voice switch equipment for use in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) air traffic control towers. Proposal Coordinator for government proposal packages. Wrote, edited and formatted proposal submissions. Reviewed the RFP and created outlines and compliance matrices. Edited and formatted contractual reports. Compiled and edited corporate reports. Researched and resolved funding and billing issues to recover payments on unpaid invoices. Maintained Microsoft Project schedules for all programs.

As Data Manager for FAA contracts, created and maintained electronic and paper library of contract deliverables. Reviewed Federal contracts and created deliverables lists and schedules. Tracked delivery dates for determining quarterly contract bonus.

Editor: February 1999 to August 2000

The Design Group, Bethesda, Maryland

Proofread, edited and corrected copy at a marketing and design firm. Edited press releases for distribution. Wrote and edited client website content and reviewed site designs for quality control and user feature logic. Supported Account Executives by creating and maintaining client schedules.

Technical Writer: March 1997 to January 1999

Orbital Sciences Corporation, 20301 Century Boulevard, Germantown, Maryland

On-site contractor at the Department of Energy (DOE) in Germantown, Maryland. Supported the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), which produced the nuclear power source for the October 1997 Cassini mission to Saturn, a joint project with DOE, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Reported to the NE spokesperson who responded to the high profile national controversy concerning the safety of the nuclear power source. Produced briefings for presentations at public hearings and press conferences, and to decision-makers at NASA and the Office of Science and Technology at the White House. DOE event coordinator for attendees viewing the Cassini launch at the Kennedy Space Center. Composed and edited presentation material for briefings. Created computer graphics as visual aids. Provided visuals and information to news media. Conducted historical research on the nuclear space program in response to media requests. Compiled information packages for educational programs in elementary and secondary schools. Presented a historical overview of the department to DOE summer college interns.

Analyst: July 1992 to March 1997

RPI, Research Planning, Inc., 6400 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, Virginia
SRA Life Sciences, 8110 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, Virginia

Position held with two employers due to a change in the primary contractor assignment. Provided support in the Emergency Operations Center at the Department of Energy Headquarters, in Germantown, Maryland. Participated in the assessment of emergency management response at DOE sites. Trained DOE staff on the use of custom software. Technical editor for reports and briefings. Technical writer for operational procedures. Assisted in the preparation of proposals for government contracts. Prepared visuals for presentations. Received Communication Security (COMSEC) training and was the designated COMSEC Custodian with responsibility for the use, the maintenance and the destruction of classified COMSEC material and equipment. Coordinated the upgrade of communication equipment.

Project Coordinator: May 1990 to July 1992

RMCI, Research Management Consultants, Inc., P.O. Box 710328, Oak Hill, Virginia
ARC, Atlantic Research Corporation, 1375 Piccard Drive, Rockville, Maryland

Position held with two employers due to a change in the primary contractor assignment. Prepared briefing packages for clients of the DOE Visuals Library. Coordinated the production of briefings with Graphic Arts and other government departments and subcontractors. Produced a quality product while working under strict time constraints. Promoted services to DOE clients and prospective clients. Developed new catalog systems for expanding client groups. Coordinated and compiled special projects to aid library staff and clients. Wrote reports for DOE clients. Edited the computer system operations manual. Supervised and trained technical assistants.

Special Projects Manager and Personnel Coordinator: January 1988 to March 1989

Kastle Systems, Inc., 1501 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia

Liaison among three departments and quality control coordinator in the operations departments. Drafted solution proposals for chronic problems and evaluated the success of corrective actions. Recruited and hired staff for an 80 person department. Technical writer of operations manual and procedural updates. Developed employee training policies and schedules.

Monitoring Center Supervisor: October 1984 to December 1987

Kastle Systems, Inc., 1501 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia

Supervised 20 to 30 person shift in operations dealing directly with clients. Evaluated and trained employees. Responsible for solutions to problems involving both the tenants and equipment at 500 monitored buildings.

Computer Skills

·   Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Project, Access, and Visio

·   Adobe Acrobat and some Photoshop experience