Bella Vita Creative is a fine art photography studio based in Mount Vernon, Washington, serving the Pacific Northwest and beyond, providing romantic, timeless, and beautiful photography.I strive to provide exceptional customer service and to preserve a legacy that will be passed down to your children and grandchildren. While I’m all about digital, I still delight in providing tactile prints and other tangible products that are sure to be treasured for years to come.Because of my passion for all things visual, I am thrilled to provide clients with goodies and extras not usually offered by the average photographer. For one wedding couple, I recently created movie posters out of their engagement photos, as well as a fun reception video showing their growing up years, courtship, and engagement. Guests loved the extra-special touches and laughed and cried along with the bride and groom.I’m a member of PPA, the Professional Photographers of America, so you can be sure that I take photography very seriously and am constantly striving to challenge myself and improve my skills.My goal as a creator is to make your heart skip a beat, bring tears to your eyes (or at least make your chin wobble), make you laugh or bring a smile to your face every time you view the images you cherish.This is my passion, this is what I do, and I want to do it for you.

The Portrait Masters Awards and Accreditation was launched in 2017. This bi-annual event is the chance for professional portrait photographers around the world to compete for best-in-category and earn accreditation towards levels of mastery. I am currently one of six accredited Master Level Portrait Photographers in Washington State.

Communications/public relations geared toward community and alumni promotional programs that enhance the visibility of the college in the community and promote participation in the activities of the college.Conceive, develop, coordinate, and disseminate communications and marketing materials, working as part of the college’s comprehensive marketing and branding campaign.

Developed and instructed Careers and Marketing courses for students from diverse backgrounds, grades 9-12Successfully advocated for and advised senior class student in the hurdling of numerous personal obstacles to graduate and earn full-paid scholarship to community collegeMotivated students by incorporating real world skills in the classroom with an emphasis on technology, problem solving techniques, team building and safety skillsUtilized knowledge of learning styles to accommodate diverse student learning needsFacilitated and supervised the academic, behavioral and social development of more than 90 students through effective instruction, individual counseling and performance assessments according to course objectives and outcomesEstablished good interpersonal relationships by helping students feel valued, appreciated and included in classroom activitiesAssessed learning and performance through observation, testing, surveys, and feedbackResearched and developed curriculum frameworks for two Career & Technical Education courses to incorporate updated content and new state standardsAdministered Connections grant in the position of Student Resource Coordinator, providing one-on-one counseling and resources for struggling studentsServed as Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) student club advisor, coaching students to participation in the state convention through rigorous project-based activities

Managed an active community relations department for a public school district with 815 employees, 5,700 student enrollment and a 50-percent bilingual student populationCreated and implemented communications plans and strategies for a broad range of high visibility issues resulting in increased student achievement and community-wide appreciation for lifelong learning and support for public schoolsConceived, developed and personally sold advertising for annual school calendar, saving the district $3,000 in annual expendituresEarned "Award of Merit" from the National School Public Relations Association for the design of the Mount Vernon High School 2006-07 Course CatalogAuthored and designed all district publications on multiple platforms to effectively communicate to multiple audiences, including Web, press releases, news and feature articles, promotional materials, brochures, election information, calendars, radio, and televisionConducted interviews, provided photography, and wrote articles featuring student and staff accomplishmentsOversaw production of the Focus on Learning television program including selection of program topics, coordination of guests, TV crew, and production of the video shootBuilt valuable relationships with local reporters to gain reputation-enhancing media coverageSuccessfully increased the district's exposure and recognition by cultivating positive relationships with community leaders via participation in the Chamber of Commerce, Get a Great Life in Mount Vernon marketing campaign committee, and the Skagit County Public Information Officer (PIO) network

Managed projects for full-service graphic design business:Consulted with clients to establish project parameters, wrote proposals for design work, obtained sub-contractor bids, and developed self-promotional materials and press releasesConceptualized and executed design solutions to meet clients' business goals Select work:Mustard Seed Ministries — Identity, brochure, newsletter and postcard designMount Vernon Chamber of Commerce — Diamond Anniversary Gala Logo & Ad DesignMount Vernon School District — Concrete medallion design for new high school CTE buildingSkagit County PUD — Logo concept, first-place winner in international design competition