Burt Aycock • burtaycock@hotmail.com • 828-264-7269 • 768 Hillcrest • Boone, NC 28607

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EDUCATION
M.A. – English with Concentration in Technical & Professional Communication – East Carolina University (ECU) - 1999
B.A. – English Major. Philosophy Minor - Appalachian State University (ASU) - 1991

EXPERIENCE
2001 – present • Director of Marketing, ECR Software Corporation (ECRS) – Boone, NC
Oversee all aspects of B2B marketing for successful retail software company: Lead generation, corporate identity, branding, positioning, go-to-market strategies, product copy writing, editing, brochure design and production, direct mail, SEO/SEM, media relations, trade show planning and execution, trade show booth design, telemarketing training and management, advertising strategy and design, web analytics tracking, multimedia production, product sales training, website design and maintenance, press releases, customer testimonials, identification and maintenance of strategic customer references, informational graphics, graphic design, customer retention, strategic hiring/training, employee productivity, employee appraisals, quarterly ROI analyses, annual budgeting, procedural documentation, interim hardware product management, product evaluation reports, CRM design and development, corporate data governance, cooperative partner relations, strategic account communications, voice/audio design and procurement, reseller partner communications, webinar planning and execution, and username/password administration for public and reseller web sites.

Selected Projects and Accomplishments

• Designed company’s first multimedia marketing demo
  
• Designed first- and second-generation web sites for North American reseller partner network
  
• Co-wrote design specifications and use cases for de-coupled Java-based fuel pump integration product
  
• Wrote evaluative report on design and serviceability of early generation self-checkout system
  
• Designed and implemented functionality and procurement specifications for optional gift card module
  
• Originated and developed company’s first customer-centric installation logistics documentation
  
• Designed and coordinated seven annual sales and marketing conferences for North American reseller partners
  
• Designed structural, functional, and packaging specifications for 30-foot in-line trade show booth
  
• Configured, organized, and marketed multi-attendee webinar for special interest customer group
  
• Became first departmental manager to operate successfully off-site using primarily internet-based communications
  
• Continue to direct long-term strategic marketing efforts resulting in company’s perpetual distinction as a leading software vendor for the retail industry (see 2006 RIS News Retail Software LeaderBoard annual survey results)

2000 – 2001 • Direct Installation Logistics Coordinator, ECRS – Boone, NC
Served as logistics and documentation lead for direct sales channel development. Worked closely with multiple departments to oversee the purchasing, receiving, staging, installation, and early-stage support for directly provided retail automation systems. Originated and developed technical logistics manual defining customer-side responsibilities necessary for successful installations of point-of-sale systems. Designed and deployed comprehensive preparatory packages for system installers detailing logistical, technical, and training requirements.

1999 – 2001 • Technical Writer / Marketing Assistant, ECRS – Boone, NC
Assisted lead technical writer with creation of online end-user documentation for primary point-of-sale product. Authored first eighty-plus articles for primary product’s support knowledgebase. Transitioned to lead in multiple areas including copy writing, advertising design, graphic design, web design, direct mail design and execution, media relations, customer testimonial production, and reseller partner communications.

1994 – present • Freelance Illustrator/Graphic Designer/Marketing Consultant/Writer – Greenville/Boone, NC
Work with a wide range of individuals and privately owned businesses in a variety of professional capacities to produce cartoons, illustrations, web sites, band posters, animations, restaurant menus, outdoor signage, marketing copy, wearable designs, and online yard sales.

1998 – 1999 • Shop Manager, Precision Printing Group – Boone, NC
Scheduled and managed employees, oversaw all document duplication and binding, processed end-of-day financials, assessed incoming jobs for cost and viability, converted documents for cross-platform output, and managed service and maintenance relations for all shop equipment. Provided proof-reading, editing, layout, and graphic design services.

1994 – 1997 • General Manager, Book Warehouse – Boone, NC
Duties included store setup and initial opening, hiring/training/scheduling employees, inventory maintenance, daily/weekly/monthly/yearly financials, purchasing, advertising, community relations, store maintenance, employee appraisals, event management and promotion, and cross-promotional activities with local business owners.

1993 – 1994 • Production & Layout Manager / Cartoonist, The East Carolinian newspaper, ECU – Greenville, NC
Primary tasks included the electronic layout and design of full format university newspaper published twice weekly, blue-sheet paste-up press preparation, graphic design, and content quality control. Secondary duties included writing and illustrating two-tier comic strip for weekly publication.

1994 • Editorial Assistant, The Concord Saunterer, Dept of English, ECU – Greenville, NC
Tasks included proof-reading, editing, OCR scanning and manipulation, production, and layout.

1992 – 1993 • Editorial Assistant / Production Designer, the minnesota review, Dept of English, ECU – Greenville, NC
Duties included layout and design, cover art solicitation, content arrangement, copy editing, advertising solicitation, and contributor correspondence.

1992 – 1993 • Teaching Assistant, Dept of English, ECU– Greenville, NC
Responsibilities included teaching two sections of freshman composition using the process approach. Guided students through writing projects designed to improve their individual abilities to compose clear, well-supported, and creative theme papers on a variety of topics. Special attention given to improving evaluative, descriptive, and persuasive writing skills. Assigned and provided feedback for weekly journal entries designed to help students explore special interest topics through persistent free-writing. Conducted one-on-one student conferences to address the needs and concerns of individual students. Staffed departmental writing lab and assisted undergraduates with computer-based composition projects.

COMPUTER/TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE
Adobe Suite, Macromedia Suite, MS Office Suite, OpenOffice, GoToMeeting Remote Desktop, RoboHelp, CoolEdit Pro, FTP, Sugar CRM, Maximizer CRM, Linux Command Line Editing, Installation/Setup of CMS (Content Management System), HTML, CSS.

ACADEMIC/SCHOLARLY INTERESTS
Rhetorical theory’s applications to modern marketing communications (MarCom), Bakhtin’s “superaddressee” implications for MarCom, systems theory applications for TechCom and MarCom, DITA, Erasmus’ “copia” and MarCom, eLearning, metaphor’s role in MarCom, XML as Babel enabler, Sign Language and TechCom, service learning, and the use of multimedia for “proof of concept” to reduce strategic and functional ambiguities in early-stage software product development.

VOLUNTEER WORK
• Meals On Wheels Driver, Watauga County Project on Aging – Boone, NC (2000-2003)
• Co-Curator/Resident Artist/Show Organizer/Gallery Publicist, Nth Degree Gallery – Boone, NC (1997-2000)
• Coordinator, Watauga County Arts Council Artist Placement Service – Boone, NC (1998)
• Brochure Designer, Pitt County Domestic Violence Shelter – Greenville, NC (1994)

AWARDS/HONORS/CERTIFICATES
• Attendee, WinWriters Conference – San Diego, CA (2000)
• Multimedia Design Workshop (William Horton) – Altanta, GA (1995)
• Most Valuable Team Member – The East Carolinian – Spring Media Banquet – Greenville, NC (1994)
• Most Likely to Create His Own Language – The East Carolinian – Spring Media Banquet – Greenville, NC (1994)

OTHER INTERESTS
Family time, drawing, computer illustration, animation, journaling, guitar, sound design, hiking, golf, swimming

MEMBERSHIPS
Society for Technical Communication

References and portfolio available upon request