Deb Barrett Email & Phone Number

Technical Writing and Editing - Writing and editing of technical documentation for various businesses. Projects include:•Writing and editing online help content for a proprietary software application to be used by Allstate Insurance agents and support employees in writing policies for their customers.•Edited proprietary documentation for Underwriters' Lab (UL).Business Writing and Editing - Writing and editing a variety of materials for individuals and small private businesses, including dissertations, brochures, employee handbooks, training materials, presentations, reports, and newsletters. Projects include:• Created/developed/edited certification documentation and test questions for professional associations in facilities management and building trades. • Edited website content for automotive industry, standardizing & creating a single "voice" from the input of multiple writers. • Edited process and procedures for the pharmacy group of a national drugstore chain. These processes and procedures were written by employees and submitted to company headquarters for approval.• Edited book manuscript written by a university professor to teach an efficient, targeted course and curriculum design/development method to university faculty. • Edited doctoral thesis in accounting for a non-native English-speaking university graduate student. Course Materials Development - Created self-study training for various businesses. Projects include:• Created training materials and test questions for Accounting professionals for Becker Professional group..• Created instructor and participant materials for Technical Support (Call Center) New Hire training at CCC Information Services.Executive Think Tank - Participated on a team of experienced business professionals working with a local Fortune 100 company to address that company’s key business performance issues.

Landen Consulting is a management consulting firm that helps private and public sector leaders increase revenue, reduce risk, and drive positive change by optimizing the performance of environmental, organizational, and human capital.We provide strategies and approaches that address the challenges facing business and governmental decision-makers today, delivering innovative solutions in environmental business strategy, ecosystem services, operational excellence, and organizational development & transformation.Through our years of experiential results, numerous success stories, and constant research & development efforts we have a demonstrated track record of results in a range of strategic and operational advisory & support services. We have roots in both the business community and the environmental community, and also that unique space called 'environmental business' (our founders' first eco-business started measuring its carbon footprint in 1994) - we bring a unique depth and perspective of how to merge business and environmental concerns in a way that acknowledges the needs of both. We support our clients and consultants with a high-performance framework that combines analytical excellence, a grounding in research & empirical data, a robust knowledge and technology infrastructure, and overall resourcefulness & ability to think on our feet to provide services and solutions customized to each client's business need - we recognize that our clients and their challenges are not 'cookie-cutter' and neither are our solutions. Landen Consulting is a member of Green America's Green Business Network (we have successfully completed a comprehensive screening process and have been approved to be listed as a socially and environmentally responsible —or green— business in Green America's National Green Pages™ directory).

The Patch is an online-only newspaper serving communities across the United States; the Darien Patch focuses on Darien, Illinois. My weekly column profiled businesses and business people with a connection to Darien. • Identified businesses of interest, focusing on independent businesses covering a wide variety of fields.• Scheduled and conducted interviews with the founders and owners of 47 different businesses.• Wrote the story of each business, including how and why it began, its specialties, and how the owners incorporated their values into these businesses.• Shot photographs of the owners, products, and workplace to accompany each article. Took photos in offices, shops, warehouses, factories, and homes.

Responsible for hardware and software technical and user training for employees and customers in the healthcare industry.• Created and implemented participant feedback survey for workshops to assess content, materials, facilities, and instructor performance.• Created and implemented template to standardize workshop materials.• Introduced and incorporated the use of job aids as a training and performance improvement tool.• Instituted formal Sales training workshops for U.S. Sales force.• Designed and implemented first Sales training and Technical training workshops for European business partners to facilitate company’s entry into European marketplace. Trained business partners from Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, and the Netherlands.• Increased number of workshop sessions offered by 42%, and increased enrollments per workshop by an average of 50%.• Awarded stock options by Board of Directors for contributions beyond job description.

Responsible for software technical training of installation and support employees in the auto industry.• Created feedback channels and measurements for training, including student and management surveys, instructor reports, and performance-based testing and certification.• Created internal assessment tool based on the Malcolm Baldrige model to identify organizational strengths and weaknesses, and to serve as the basis for organizational performance improvement plans.• Led cross-functional training initiative for strategic technology shift, and created employee brochure to explain the initiative.• Led creation of cross-product job aid to support the creation of new support position.• Edited other managers' presentations, correspondence, brochures, and client documents for correctness, clarity, and impact.• Expanded curricula in technical knowledge, job skills, and customer service skills. Increased training days by 10% while decreasing cost per student by 32%.

• Redesigned and rewrote software support entry-level training to meet changing job requirements• Coached instructors to develop their technical and teaching skills.• Established help desk for education questions and concerns. • Designed, developed, and taught courses on system concepts, diagnostic approach, and installation and operation of information systems.• Developed diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual aids to explain technical concepts.• Prepared and administered written evaluations of students’ knowledge, performance, and professionalism.• Instituted quality improvement efforts across four Education departments to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to develop action plans for the individual teams and the group as a whole. Communicated this approach to other groups within the company and initiated its use throughout the broader function.• Recognized with Branch Manager’s Award for exceptional contribution.

B.A., Teaching Of French, Also Spanish

Activities and Societies: Volunteer Illini Projects (VIP) - Read to blind graduate and undergraduate students; St. John's Parish Council.

Education record