NOTES ON DESIGN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Design Educator and Founder of ModernPhoenix.Net
Amy has over thirty years of experience with providing full service video production and special events. She is an alumni of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism with a B.A. in Broadcast Production. After working in video production at Honeywell and Timberline Productions, Amy started her own video production company that she ran for over 25 years. As owner of Chili Pepper Productions, she created many award winning corporate videos, television commercials, and fundraising videos for clients across the country and internationally. Amy worked with clients as video producer/director managing all aspects of their video production. She managed from one to sixty freelance cast and crew on various types of video productions including television commercials and corporate communications. She worked with scriptwriters, videographers, graphic artists, video and sound editors/designers to create and bring together all elements of the project. Amy's goal, always, was to create a finished piece that ideally exceeded client's expectations. At Chili Pepper Productions, Amy managed projects resulting in annual sales up to $500,000. Amy has been able to give back to the community by providing pro-bono fundraising assistance to non-profits through her video production and special event expertise. She has also volunteered for, and served on many non-profit boards across the valley serving a variety worthy causes.
Aside from Amy's video production experience, she is also passionate about education. Currently, she is serving her second term on the Creighton Elementary School District governing board. Amy initially got involved with the Creighton school district as a committed parent volunteer. Amy served as PTO president and was instrumental in marketing and recruiting for Biltmore Prep's Spanish Immersion program. As a volunteer, Amy has learned a lot about the challenges public schools face as well as the successes that are possible when you have the right team of people who are dedicated to making a difference for not just their own kids but for all of our children. Amy comes from a family of educators and has been advocating for public education for many years.
Job Titles:
- Art Director, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Carole Anne Bailo directs financial management and strategy at Sessions College. Carole Anne is a seasoned financial professional with an extensive and varied background in both profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has worked extensively with venture capitalists to fund start-up companies and has played a major role in bringing several companies through the IPO process and/or merger and acquisition. Carole Anne has served as Chief Financial Officer for the Center for Developmental Disabilities, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Carole Anne is a Certified Public Accountant who holds degrees from Pace University, Queens College, and an MBA in Taxation from St. John's University.
Job Titles:
- Filmmaker and Multimedia Author
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Controller at Sessions College
Christine Colotla is the Controller at Sessions College, supervising the team responsible for accounting and financial aid processes. Christine is a seasoned financial professional with more than 10 years of finance, financial aid, and accounting experience at firms ranging from H & R Block to JC Penney and Overstock. In her most recent role, Christine managed an accounting team at Ameritech College of Healthcare in Draper, Utah. In the role she was responsible for company reporting regarding cost management, budgeting, forecasting, auditing, and revenue. Christine holds a finance degree from the University of Utah and a Masters in Accounting from Colorado State University.
Job Titles:
- Web Design Author and Speaker
Job Titles:
- Owner / Multimedia Developer, Quip
Job Titles:
- Financial Aid Director
- Director at Sessions College
Debra Richards, Financial Aid Director at Sessions College, has served in financial aid roles for over 16 years in helping students navigate financial aid in order to reach their goals through education. She has served as a Financial Aid Counselor, Financial Aid Manager, and Financial Aid Director at many for-profit and not-for-profit higher education institutions. Debra has served as a Certifying Official for VA and TA education benefits and attends the annual Financial Aid Conference conducted by the Department of Education to stay current with federal regulations. She holds degrees from ITT, University of Phoenix and a Master's degree from Western International University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Executive Management Team
Dr. Meryl P. Epstein is the Dean of Academic Affairs for Sessions College. In a dynamic and evolving role, Meryl is responsible for faculty training and evaluation, outcomes assessment, and curriculum development. Working with our Sessions College Faculty, Department Heads, and our Advisory Board, Meryl directs program planning and institutional improvement activities, providing academic leadership and guiding program development, accreditation, and more. Dr. Epstein is focused on helping the innovative Sessions College team to continue to achieve the mission of preparing design professionals. Meryl strives to inspire excellence and is consistently focused on supporting the existing creative and positive environment of Sessions College.
Outside of Sessions College, Meryl has extensive experience in design, education, and leading academic teams and has served as Dean of Academic Affairs, Program Chair, Doctoral Development Faculty, Art Director, Graphic Design Manager, Higher Education Faculty member (online and on-ground), Change Agent, and Exhibiting Artist/Photographer. Highlights from her career include implementing and leading the graphic design of three different museums (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Arizona Science Center, and Arizona Historical Museum) and receiving the first Arizona AIGA fellow award. Meryl holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from Argosy University, MFA in Fine Arts (Photography) from Arizona State University, and BFA in Graphic Design from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Job Titles:
- Senior Designer, Phillips Design Group
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Arts and General Education
Elizabeth Embleton-Smith is an artist, sculptor, writer, and teacher whose professional focus is on creativity and motivation. A professional Costume Engineer for 25 years, she has worked in theatre, opera, ballet, television, and film. Among her clients are Ballet West, Sundance, Disney/Marvel Studios, Independent Lens, and Warner Bros/Sony Studios. After earning her Bachelors of Science in Human Services and a Masters Degree in Psychology at University of Phoenix, she has worked with several universities and corporate groups as a guest lecturer, focusing on communication and motivation within organizational psychology, and served as an Academic Adjudicator for The University of Phoenix, Axia College, and Western University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Admissions Advisor
Before joining Sessions College, Senior Admissions Advisor Garrett Morrison worked as a Digital Artist for 14 years in agency and in-house design. He specialized in company branding, marketing, traditional and online media, website management and market analytics. He received his BA in Studio Arts from the University of Southern California and studied Hard Surface and Environment Modeling at Gnomon - School of Visual Effects, Games and Animation. When Garrett isn't playing competitive beach volleyball, he enjoys golfing, watching movies, playing video games, spending time with his family and cheering on the Arizona Cardinals.
Job Titles:
- Chief Academic Officer
- Member of the Executive Management Team
- President
- President of Sessions College
Gordon Drummond has served as the President of Sessions College since February 2011. Gordon is an educator and instructional designer with a passion for art, design, and technology who joined Sessions in 2001. As President, Gordon's role is to provide the leadership to help our school directors achieve their goals in education, operations, marketing, and student services teams. His key tasks include managing accreditation, licensing, and relations with government agencies and other institutions, coordinating strategic and educational planning, and representing the school at conferences, seminars, Webinars, and other public events. Prior to Sessions College, Gordon gained cutting-edge instructional design and online content expertise in director roles at Kaplan, Inc., and LearningBrands. Throughout his career, Gordon strives to create a positive environment for teaching and learning and a culture of planning, execution, and accountability. Outside of Sessions College, Gordon has extensive experience in school accreditation. Since 2007 he has served on the Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools, where he was Commission Chair from 2013-15 and served on the MSA Board of Trustees. Since June 2017, he has served on the board of the Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC). Gordon holds a Master's in English Literature from The University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Job Titles:
- Senior Admissions Advisor
Before joining Sessions College, Admissions Advisor Jackie Moore worked as a web designer in San Diego for 3 years. Prior, she received her Bachelor's from Loyola Marymount University degree in fine arts with an emphasis in painting and drawing. As a fine artist with a background in digital arts, Jackie hopes to help individuals dive into the digital art world and develop their own creative skills. Her goal is to help others excel, find their artistic passion and guide them through their journey with digital art.
Job Titles:
- Character Rigger and Animator
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Admissions
As Senior Director of Admissions, Jessica's goal is to help students find the best path to achieving their career goals. She has spent nearly a decade in the print industry, learning to take designs from the digital screen and bring them into a tangible reality that clients can hold in their hands. As a working mom, she can relate to the challenges inherent with finding time in an overloaded schedule to broaden one's education, and she is passionate about guiding students who feel the pressures of a full-time agenda. When not at Sessions, Jessica can be found balancing freelance design with spending time with her kids, playing video games, and checking out Arizona's growing number of craft breweries.
Job Titles:
- Senior Graphic Designer, Martz Parsons Agency
Job Titles:
- Graphic Design and Advertising Design
John Gawley is a creative residing in the Midwest. After earning his Bachelor's of Arts degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Phoenix, Gawley began his career working for the Phoenix Suns, NBA where he worked with clients such as Anhesuser-Bush, Coca-Cola, Toyota/Lexus, and Southwest Airlines. After the 2008 recession at the end of the 2008-2009 NBA season, Gawley relocated to his hometown of Omaha, Neb. where later that year he became the Creative Director at Omaha Magazine; transforming this city magazine into an award-winning publication.
In 2015, Gawley served in the role of Brand Director for a contractor working at the intersection of architecture and construction-SGH Concept-where he led the transition from a house of brands to a branded house. In 2020, Gawley became the President of AIGA Nebraska and found himself exploring his next career options due to Covid-19. Beyond graphic design, Gawley also enjoys creative outlets such as photography (architecture, athletes, ballet, and artist portraits), and woodworking/construction projects.
Job Titles:
- Accounting Assistant
- Assistant at Sessions College
Karen Wolfinger is the accounting assistant at Sessions College. She has worked in a variety of accounting roles in assisting customers/students with their financial needs. Karen has worked in a variety of industries which most recently includes higher education. She has an extensive knowledge of accounts receivable, accounts payable, billing and payment processing. Karen holds degrees from Community College of Allegheny County and a Bachelor's degree from University of Phoenix.
Job Titles:
- Freelance Painter, Illustrator, Multi - Disciplinary Artist
Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Admissions
- Senior Director of Admissons
As Senior Director of Admissions, Kimberly mentors the Admissions Team to guide incoming students, as well as organizes marketing and communications to prospective students and alumni. She held an active role as the Vice Chair for her city's Arts and Cultural Commission for three years, where she managed projects that encouraged cultural diversity and improved livability through art. Prior to joining Sessions College, she was a Graphic Designer and Marketing Coordinator at ICM Document Solutions. Kimberly earned an Associate in Applied Science in Graphic Design from Glendale Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oregon State University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Business, with a focus in Marketing and Analytics. Aside from the professional world, Kimberly enjoys studying environmental justice issues, hiking, kayaking, and coffee.
Job Titles:
- Senior Web Designer and Developer
Job Titles:
- Professional Illustrator from Phoenix
Landon Armstrong is an Addy Award-winning professional illustrator from Phoenix, AZ with over 15 years of experience. After graduating from the Art Institute of Phoenix in 2005 with a Bachelors in Multimedia Arts and Animation, Landon has worked steadily in various creative industries as a commercial illustrator and animator. His clients have included International brands like Disney and Cirque du Soleil as well as musical acts such as ZZ Top, 311, My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold, and others. Recently the majority of his work has been for various ad agencies and apparel companies. You can view his work at LandonArmstrong.com.
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Manager of Faculty and Curriculum Development at Sessions College
- Manager, Faculty and Curriculum Development
Lauren Hernandez is the Manager of Faculty and Curriculum Development at Sessions College. Lauren is an artist, educator, and former middle-school teacher with a passion for everything art-related. Lauren holds two degrees in Art Education and Painting from Arizona State University. Her role as Manager, Faculty and Curriculum Development is to collaborate with the academic team to provide faculty support, serve on academic committees, facilitate credit transfer, and more. Ultimately, Lauren's goal is to help further art education in any way she can. Outside of work, Lauren likes to take care of her plants and hang out with her bird.
Madison Stratford is a Course Editor at Sessions College. In her role at Sessions, Madison ensures the course content follows current industry standards. Additionally, she is passionate about creating high-quality, intersectional, student-centered instruction. Madison is an intermedia artist and educator who has previously instructed digital arts and animation classes at Arizona State University and Maricopa Community Colleges. She obtained her BFA in Sculpture from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington, and as a Merit Scholar, she also studied at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. Madison obtained her MFA in Intermedia Arts from Arizona State University in 2020, where her research focused on the ethics of Artificial Intelligence. When Madison isn't creating educational content, she enjoys learning foreign languages, traveling, visiting museums, and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Artist, Editor
- Senior Manager, Course Development
Mark Waters is an artist, editor, and veteran of the publishing industry. Mark is the the Manager of Course Editing and Instruction at Sessions College, responsible for coordinating development and updates to course content and media with Sessions College faculty. In his role, Mark is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and effectiveness of instructional content and supporting course administration in the learning environment. Mark brings 23 years of experience in the newspaper industry where he created award-winning graphics and media for news stories. While working at the Arizona Republic, Mark used video production as a way to tell stories for their online affiliate. Mark earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communications and a minor in Art from the University of La Verne in La Verne, California.
Job Titles:
- Admissions Advisor
- Operations & Finance Support Specialist
Before joining Sessions College, Admissions Advisor Melyssa Solis worked in print media, which included working on projects such as branding, social media, and signage. She also worked as a freelance designer creating logos, flyers, business cards, and posters while catering to each client to help their businesses grow. Melyssa graduated in 2016 with a Bachelors in Graphic Design, and enjoys hiking, drawing, watching movies, and spending time with her family. Melyssa hopes to help current and future designers advance and continue in their future endeavors.
Admissions Manager Michael Flores is a Cartoonist with an AAS in Graphic Design from Mesa Community College in Mesa Arizona. Coming from a family of automotive mechanics, his first career choice was to follow in the footsteps of his father and brothers and be a mechanic, but at the age of forty five decided on a career change and worked to obtain his degree in an art field. Michael's accomplishments have been working as a freelancer designing logos and business cards, as well as working as a marketing representative creating e-blasts for mailing lists. In his spare time Michael enjoys creating YouTube videos where he demonstrates to viewers his style of drawing cartoon cars, his favorite subject.
Job Titles:
- Freelance Animator and Book Illustrator
Job Titles:
- Digital Media and Software / Training Consultant
Pat Perigo is a photographer and print production professional. She has twenty three years of experience in print production (eight years in catalog production), and a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography & video production. Pat has extensive experience working in the San Francisco and Phoenix areas in digital design, color correction / conversion, digital photography / retouching, studio and location photography, stock photography editing, commercial lab printing, graphic design, and freelance web design. She has worked in gallery and museum management for over twenty years, including three years of service as a curator in San Francisco. Pat has taught photography, design, and gallery management at the college level and trained staff in ADVO & Modern Color Printing.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director, Snoack Studios
Job Titles:
- Design Director / Creative Director, Creature