Karen M. Boykin
Web Strategist / Information Architect / User Experience Analyst

[Career Chronology]    [Education & Seminars]    [Download Text Version]

Techniques include content organization, process flow and structure analysis, with the focus on site usability and user experience. Keep abreast of information architecture and web content management trends through the American Society for Information Science and Technology and the Asilomar Institute for Information Architecture.

Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Can deliver under tight deadlines; consistently demonstrate fast decision-making faculties, excellent people / project management and teamwork skills, flexibility and a risk-taking mentality.

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Project Management / e-Business Strategy

Federal Reserve Banks
Coordinate business and technology resources to deliver on milestones identified by the Federal Reserve Banks Financial Services Committee as part of the organization's high-priority business objectives. Develop strategies that streamline data management and improve customer relationships using the Financial Services information and transaction portal as the vehicle.

Partner with National Sales, National Marketing, and Product Delivery to develop and implement strategies projected to result in increased Financial Services revenue streams.

Lead a 12-member cross-functional team in the planning and execution of a large-scale web server migration from ColdFusion to WebSphere - all with minimal impact on internal or external stakeholders.

Assist in the technical direction and planning of Enterprise-wide projects, such as Interwoven's Teamsite Content Management System.

Successfully re-launch the national Financial Services website after leading the 6-month effort to completely redesign the information architecture from the ground up.

Investigate, document, and implement self-service email messaging capabilities for the portal as part of an overall Broadcast Messaging Strategy for both public and secure customer communications.

Frankel
Act as project manager, coordinating resources to deliver cost-effective internal and external large file information exchange capabilities, primarily using Internet-based technologies for brand marketing and advertising agency, Frankel. Key initiatives include the creation of a secure client review extranet, establishing online collaborative spaces, and implementing enhanced FTP services and usage analysis. Client groups include McDonalds, Frito-Lay, and USPS.

Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation
Provide technical leadership on special projects, such as a data communications system blending disparate customer information, accounting, and nationwide reservation data seamlessly, saving the Budget Rent-A-Car franchises time and money, as well as improving customer service at rental counters across the US and Canada.

Unilever / Helene Curtis - Consultant
Manage two laptop rollout projects to the Unilever / Helene Curtis 500-member national sales team, both on time and under budget.

CCC Information Services
Partner with CCC Information Services IT managers to incorporate application performance and quality assurance standards in the development workflow.

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Web Development

Federal Reserve Banks
Lead the business area effort to incorporate FRBServices.org into Teamsite Content Management System.

Successfully re-launch the national Financial Services website after leading the 6-month effort to completely redesign the information architecture from the ground up.

GATXRail
Design and develop original graphics, site structure, and content for GATXRail's Web site gatxrail.com. Produce the first GATXRail-focused intranet. Establish design and IA standards for GATXRail. Incorporate intranet-based CBT curriculum thereby training hundreds of employees in advance of company-wide ERP rollout.

Etcetera
Co-found website design firm We-Webit.com and implemented full life-cycle retail and informational sites.

Found website design firm August Rivers Corp. and implement full life-cycle retail and informational sites.

Co-develop webzine featuring original writings and graphic expressions.

Career Chronology

08/2001 - Present Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. (On leave)
(Financial Services - Sr. Web Architect / Web Manager)

07/1999 - 02/2001 Frankel. Chicago, IL
(E-Business Analyst)

02/1997 - 07/1999 GatxRAIL. Chicago, IL
(Internet Developer)

02/1996 - 02/1997 Littva-Mitchell, Inc. Chicago. IL
(PC Networking Consultant - Unilever/Helene Curtis)

09/1990 - 02/1996 WBBM-AM, WXRT-FM, Metro Networks. Chicago, IL
(News Reporter/Anchor/Producer)

04/1988 - 09/1990 CCC Information Services. Chicago, IL
(Stratus Systems Administrator - Technical Support)

05/1985 - 04/1988 Budget Rent-A-Car Corporation. Chicago, IL
(Senior Systems Analyst - Technical Support)

11/1983 - 05/1985 Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Chicago, IL
(Programmer/Analyst)

05/1980 - 11/1983 Harris Bank and Trust. Chicago, IL
(Scientific Programmer - Trust Investment Systems)

Education & Seminars