R. Stephen Gracey

Content Strategy / User Experience

1417 Larchmont Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107
216.394.4762 | rsgracey@gmail.com | Twitter: @rsgracey | LinkedIn: RSGracey

About Me

Elevator: Ten years experience as guerrilla web guy.

The Skinny: Strategic thinker with a talent for simplifying the big picture and an unwavering focus on users. Compassionate leader, helping everyone achieve their best. Globally-recognized blogger on web content strategy, modeling, and management. Gifted communicator, engaging speaker, and regular presenter at national conferences.

Tags: Inventive, patient, smart, creative, analytical, funny, collaborative, systemic.

“Stephen has something of an ideal skill set […] He inspires the people he works with to reach beyond perceived limitations and do their best work, but he also has a pragmatic streak and knows when it’s time to let go of loftier aspirations and do what needs to be done.”

Samantha Bailey, Information Architecture Consultant, Baileysorts.com
(more at http://linkedin.com/in/rsgracey)

Professional Experience

Web Content Manager – Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland [2006 to Present]

Manage the architecture, style, voice, and effectiveness of the Cleveland Fed’s public website and intranet. Devise content strategy, design and monitor web analytics, and lead social media outreach. Chosen for highly selective three-year ‘Emerging Leader’ training program after only four months, completed 2010.

• User experience: Conducted organization’s first audience definition and research. Conceived branding and content strategy based on taxonomy of topics and perspectives. Built usability lab with SMI eye-tracker and Be-Gaze analytics.
• Web analytics: Designed and implemented full measurement and reporting system based on WebTrends SmartSource Data Collector (SDC). Certified WebTrends professional.
• Project management: Led major redesign of website based on TeamSite CMS. Built content templates, CSS and standards-compliant presentation, and workflow.
• Social web: Launched first social media communications strategy, leveraging Co-Tweet, Twitter, and Youtube to improve engagement and brand awareness. Track effectiveness across sites.

Bishop’s Assistant for Information Strategy – Episcopal Diocese of Ohio [2000 to 2006]

Brought on board to modernize and direct all aspects of communication for more than 100 congregations and 20,000 communicants across Northern Ohio.

• Website redesign: Transformed the organization’s website into a dynamic, branded, easy-to-navigate information source for the entire diocese. Conceived and launched The Bulletin, a weekly web news center covering all aspects of diocesan life and news. Reoriented all diocesan communication toward website as an information marketplace.
• Newspaper transformation: Redesigned the diocesan newspaper as a quarterly full-color magazine. Shifted emphasis from news and announcements to practical, mission-oriented storytelling. Built and managed network of freelance writers and conducted all vendor relations.
• Contact management / CRM: Designed and built first comprehensive relational database to model complex diocesan organizational structure: Individuals, households, parishes, clergy, and committees. Database anchored all diocesan communication across all channels.

• Strategic leadership: Networked extensively among counterparts across the Episcopal Church, teaching and influencing communications, consulting with other dioceses to implement similar strategies in their local contexts.

Manager, Ernst & Young LLP [1995-1999]

Initially hired as Senior Consultant within the professional and organizational development department. Promoted to Manager after less than a year. Role shifted rapidly to manager of all entry programs.

• Training: Led successful overhaul of new hire program content and delivery, creating a vital and powerful program. Grew programs from 15 to over 30 sessions per year, from 45 participants per session to more than 70, with over 1200 new hires trained and over $1 million in budget per year.
• International program management: Spearheaded development and pilot delivery of Global Consultant Orientation program, a large-scale international effort involving frequent travel to Europe.
• Project management: Conceived and managed development of innovative, immersive online program teaching cross-cultural communication, leading a team of graphic and instructional designers, writers, content experts, programmers, and testers, and gathering feedback from experts around the world.

Articles

“Infrequently Asked Questions of FAQs” A List Apart, No. 303, 2010. (http://www.alistapart.com/articles/infrequently-asked-questions-of-faqs/)

Technical Summary

• OS: Windows, Mac OS X, and Mac OS X Server
• Web: HTML, CSS, XML, PHP, and Lasso Professional
• Databases: Filemaker and MySQL
• Graphic and Web Design: Creative Suite: Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Acrobat, Illustrator
• Information Architecture: Visio, Axure
• Content Management: Joomla!, WordPress, Autonomy/Interwoven TeamSite
• Web Analytics: Certified WebTrends Professional, Google Analytics
• Productivity: MS Office, Lotus Notes

Education

M.B.A., Computers & Information Systems, University of Rochester (1993)

B.A., French Language & Literature| B. Music, Voice Performance, Oberlin College (1989)

Currently working toward M.S., User Experience, Kent State University (Expected 2011)

Languages: Fluent in French. Understand Spanish, Italian, and German.