Resume
(printable version)
Tom Adair

Position Objective:
To join an energetic firm as a technical writer, document developer, “problem-solver” -- bringing to it, proven professional competency, technical-writing capability, success in documentation / archival schema, corporate communications, management and support. To begin such association as a net asset, with the ready capability to contribute to profits and reduce costs with minimal disruption.

Professional Summary:
Experienced, self-motivated and results-driven professional with extensive knowledge in technical writing and documentation, i.e., analyzing, creating and managing documents, -- and meeting goals which make doc-problem go away. Member of project teams, technology programs, and author of “white-papers” and technical documents -- developed high-dollar budgets, always staying focused on achieving results, measured against specific timelines, and agreed-upon goals. An experienced technical writer / documentation expert / archivist who combines creative thinking with practical results. Excellent interpersonal skills, in all areas of the org-chart -- efficient, well organized and accurate.

Employment History:
 

Content / copy writing for a well-established, multi-disciplined, web-development consulting firm called NewVista Web-Developers (www.newvista.biz.) NewVista features professional-level web development and SEO services to corporate clients in and around the southwest. Using both my technical-writing as well at my creative-content skills, I develop well written, easy-to-read web-content that is targeted to a specific audience. Additionally, I developed a content-matrix which allows me to follow the marketing function, integrate with the programming / development function, and parallel the financial stipulations of a given web development project. NewVista is recognized as a web-development firm of high standards, marketing savvy, and proven reliability. The client-list grew from a zero base to triple digits very rapidly due to their basic marketing approach:  customer-service first; followed by development standards, extensive verbal/written communication, frequent client-review, and 'on-time' project commitment.

NewVista believes that after design principles are met, ‘content is king.’ As head of the production team, I lead seven production staff, multiple contributing vendors, and four out-of-state affiliates. In a very short period of time, NewVista has grown to be recognized as a web-development firm of repute; one that is well-referenced, highly regarded, and professional in its web-production capability, and innovative marketing insight. In summary, I am the lead technical / content writer who helped NewVista grow from a glimmer of an idea to an established, regarded, “best-in-class” web-development firm.

Lead, ‘in-house’ technical writer for one of the largest public utilities in the southwest. I functioned as a tech-writer "problem-solver", where I documented software implementations and changes in their Project Management System. Frequently, I was designated a “SME”, (Subject Matter Expert), with responsibilities to write a segment from a technical point of view along with documenting internal and external information technology and business processes. I was a contributing member of the year-long Pilot Team that brought enterprise-wide applications from infancy to full implementation. I wrote various operational-segment documents, grouped and edited internal ‘white-papers’, established archiving schema, and retained implementation records to verify specific plan-dates. I had ‘dotted-line’ responsibility to 12 corporate managers and 6 indirect support staff. In addition, I also advised other managers, supervisors, and leads in their business-unit implementation. Units involved were – Business Systems, Scientific Systems, Engineering Operations Support, SNWS-(water origination), Remote Services, and the Intranet/Web-Team.

Recruited to facilitate and document a multi-million dollar, corporate-wide Siebel CRM (Customer Resource Management) project for a major, national, credit-card-provider. The project researched, reviewed, beta-tested, and implemented a pilot program which allowed online, real-time management of a customer base exceeding 10 million subscribers. The project used a Siebel Corporation interface to manage multiple platforms, (AS/400, RS6000, client/server), integrated into a sophisticated telephony, (Lucent-Genesys), environment with multiple, national and international, call-center locations. My responsibilities included documenting the project from a technical point of view, writing associated technical documents, and solving internal and external information technology and business issues. I was recruited to augment the documentation of the project because it had stalled. From a stalled basis, I wrote a re-activation plan to include new group-resources, new corporate-alliances and lines of communication, which moved the project back on schedule – enterprise wide. As head of the documentation team, we researched, documented and converted over 300 different hardware and software components; all client/server platforms, third party Siebel tools, and operating system components; 1000+ business-system items; and 90 network-related applications and hardware components used to facilitate a Siebel Call Center conversion. I had dotted-line responsibility with 22 personnel in four distinct geographical regions, and conferred with Directors, Managers, Supervisors, Leads, and personnel from Systems Engineering, Operations, Client Support, Security Administration, and Corporate administration.

Recruited to develop, augment, and document a multi-million-dollar, corporate-wide Year 2000 project under a “drop-dead-date” guideline. Responsibilities included documenting the project from a business and technical point of view along with analyzing internal and external information technology issues. I documented the plan from a zero basis -- researched, tested, and validated all hardware, software, and business/mechanical processes – enterprise wide, with more than 6,000 processes examined in the effort. I had dotted-line relationships with 14 personnel and eight assistants. These included: Managers, Supervisors, Leads, and personnel from Systems Engineering, Plant Operations, Client-Support, Security, Administration, and Corporate Administration. Additional responsibilities were to analyze, document, and manage a Corporate Disaster Recovery Plan for all Information Systems functions. In the event of a disaster, Y2K generated or not, this plan protected the life and safety of the employees; minimized the likelihood of being without critical information systems or phone capability for an extended period of time; and minimized the impact on business operations, including minimizing exposure to possible loss of revenue, and/or business.

Responsible for Information Systems of a smaller business unit whose functions needed to be interconnected corporate-wide. The unit had IBM-XTs from the ‘80s, and NO modern servers upon my arrival. My assignment was: “get us connected”, and document it – “on the fly”, in a 24X7 environment. This required liaison with: Systems Engineering, Networking, Operations, Client Support, Help Desk, and tele-communications functions. My responsibilities were multiple project management assignments, ad-hoc project requests, and prioritized support and maintenance of all hardware and software; plus documentation of the process. I was a member of the Information Systems Leadership Team responsible for developing LAN protocols for other business units of the corporation. This team was responsible for determining the information processing needs of the individual business units and developing and implementing strategic plans that best accomplished the goals. Additionally, I had responsibilities in the business unit’s Information Systems security procedures, documenting auditing policies and procedures, to ensure security was granted only to those authorized.

Recruited for a newly formed computer consulting firm specializing in marketing management. My duties initially were to create and document corporate support strategies, technical service plans and PC instruction procedures. I developed, then documented automated price-quote and inventory management methods, systems and operational procedures from a zero base. The company grew into a regionally recognized computer firm well-respected for its competency and reliability, with a client list peaking at more than 250 and revenues exceeding $2 million.

InterScope was a recruiting firm specializing in the placement of marketing and management personnel in high-technology industries. Clients ranged from $10 million to $4 billion in assets. My primary attribute was a reputation of  performance. I secured and trained my own staff, supervised all administrative and technical employees, wrote all corporate documents, and successfully manage the business development structure.

A small recruiting-consulting firm specializing in the placement of financial personnel in the banking industry. I recruited, hired, trained and managed a staff of fifteen sales people; supervised all administrative employees; wrote, implemented, and managed the marketing program.

Education
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Marketing
Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia – English

Additional Certification, Classroom-Training

 - Project Management Institute  

(Essentially, all Microsoft Office Suite products, and other mainstream applications – Adobe FrameMaker/Acrobat Suite, PlanView Project Management System)