Meet Jim Dee
Partner, Marketing Portland

(20+ years professional experience!)

Marketing expert (esp. professional services marketing) trained in business development best practices;   Industry / segment marketing & BD authority (esp. government, construction, nonprofit, and health care);   Expertise in proposal writing (700+ B2B and B2G proposals to date);   Accustomed to working with top-level executives / owners / partners / principals / directors;   Strong general business management experience (negotiating, budgeting, scheduling, team building, developing partnerships, forecasting / modeling, financial analysis, supervising, interviewing, hiring etc.);

Internet Marketing and Social Media;   Project management mastery (comfortable with large-scale projects and budgets, accustomed to a deadline-oriented atmosphere);   Professional communications in numerous written styles (corporate, journalistic, marcom / PR, creative -- samples below)   Impeccable research abilities;   Tech savvy with significant Internet development experience;   Presentation experience (speaking / presenting / teaching);   Artistic / creative talent.

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

Feb. 2001 to Nov. 2010:

Director of Marketing & Business Development for a Regional CPA and Wealth Management Firm. 

Case | Sabatini CPAs is a regional public accounting firm based in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Sister-company, CSD Financial, managed $50 million in assets. Highlights:

• Built an entire marketing and business development function. Wrote and implemented the firm’s first-ever comprehensive general and industry-specific segment marketing and business development plans. Coached partners and managers on marketing, sales techniques, SWOT analyses, etc. Implemented a firmwide sales incentive and BD plan.
   
• Materially participated in $1 million in recurring new business during my first year with the firm. Leveraged proposal writing / pricing / strategy expertise to assist in landing a significantly higher percentage of work.
   
• Launched a successful Tax e-Newsletter reaching 2,500 local business leaders. Initiative started with just 200 clients as both a marketing / PR and business development tool
   
• Developed firm’s entire government practice from the ground up since 2005. Firm doubled in size since I started in 2001. When firm split into two companies in 2005, we launched a public sector service line. Began with zero government clients; now have many dozens. Firm also acquired a post-secondary school practice (at my recommendation) in 2008, adding numerous clients into this overall practice and significantly improving profitability.
   
• Leveraged our position as trusted financial advisors to launch a successful retained search company. Launched CSD Career Services in 2007 to source financial controllers and CFOs for our client base. (I served as the primary Director of CSD Career Services, receiving 20-33% of each placement fee.)
   
• Consistently produce top-quality marketing materials (brochures, ads, press releases, communications, web sites, etc.) within a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment that requires resourcefulness and the ability to translate financial and/or technical concepts into easily accessible language. Maintain information about our practices, professionals, and the marketplace for up-to-date use in our materials.
   
• Leverage combined talents in writing, design, and programming to develop innovative products and services that set our firm apart from others. For example, I conceived, designed, wrote, and coded a Form 990 analysis tool for our web site's nonprofit industry area. Similarly, I developed an online calculator to help manufacturers and high-end retailers decide whether to use LIFO.
   
• Accompany client service professionals on sales calls and bid meetings. Lead the resulting proposal process and participate in pricing strategy.
   
• Serve as the lead representative for our college recruiting program. Attend career fairs and give presentations to accounting majors about public accounting as a career.
   
• Provide marketing consulting to firm clients. Mostly, this was for web development work and printed marketing collateral.
   
• Provide advanced computer consulting to clients. For example, innovated data crunching functions to help our accountants determine the percentage of school tuition that comes from Title IV funds. In other words: Out of an entire accounting firm (a place where they use Excel more than anywhere), they called me in to figure out how to implement the complex formulae required.
    
• Philosophy: A marketer needs to demonstrate measurable value and ROI in addition to producing marketing communications and collateral of unparalleled quality. In this way, marketers can become a true source of revenue to a firm instead of an overhead expense.

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Apr. 1999 to Feb. 2001

Senior Manager, Marketing Communications & Internet Services for a 10,000-Member Professional Trade Association.

Headquartered in downtown Pittsburgh, the Air & Waste Management Association facilitates communication among environmental engineers worldwide. Highlights:

• Promoted to the organization’s only Senior Manager after one year, including a 25% pay raise.
   
• Served as primary brand manager overseeing all communications, strategic marketing partnerships, marketing and IT personnel.
   
• Grew the web site to 150,000 page views / month through significantly expanded functionality and integration with this nonprofit’s association management software.
   
• Brought innovation to the complex marketing / advertising / PR campaign for a 4,000+ attendee conference and 50,000 sq. ft exhibition.
   
• Supervised a highly productive staff.

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Feb. 1997 to Apr. 1999

Marketing Project Manager (Proposals & Business Development) for a Global Professional Services Firm.

Deloitte (then known as Deloitte & Touche) is the largest of the “Big Four” professional services firms, employing 150,000 professionals worldwide. Our department supported 600 professionals in Pittsburgh alone, as well as CPAs and management consultants in several states. Highlights:

• Hired in marketing and quickly earned a unique dual role in business development.
   
• Wrote and project managed a winning $2 million public sector “Office of the Chairman” proposal (reserved for clients of national significance).
   
• Wrote numerous Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation and consulting proposals for the mid-cap "Solutions" consulting group (ranging from roughly $75,000 to $4 million in scope).
   
• Personally wrote, produced, and project managed more than 100 large-scale audit, tax, and technical consulting proposals.
   
• Profiled area executives for business development / targeting purposes.
   
• Supervised writers, designers, and vendors.
   
• Developed a competitive intelligence program.
   
• Wrote portions of client business plans.
   
• Earned a review rating of “Exceeds Expectations.”

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1993 to 1996

Production Editor for a Global Information Services and Publishing Company.

Prentice Hall Law & Business was based in Washington, D.C. when I began in 1993. The publisher was part of Simon & Schuster and, in turn, part of Paramount Communications, Inc. The unit sold in 1995 to Aspen Publishers, Inc., part of the Dutch publishing company, Wolters Kluwer. Highlights:

• Planned / supervised the production of monthly business / legal journals such asThe Computer Lawyer, Inside Litigation, SEC Insights, Commercial Contracts, The Investment Lawyer, ERISA Litigation Reporter, Of Counsel, the Lawyer Hiring & Training Report, and many more. Considerable editing, design, and writing work.
   
• Continued as a contractor until 2002 out of the New York City office, doing mostly layout and editorial work. However, I also wrote several feature articles for the highly prestigious law firm management newsletter, Of Counsel.

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1992 to 1993

Editor for a Continuing Legal Education Provider.

The Cambridge Institute was a national CLE provider based in Vienna, VA, just outside of Washington, D.C.

• Designed, produced, and edited marketing brochures for continuing legal education (CLE) seminars across the U.S.

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ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

2007 to present

Partner in a Holistic Wellness Information and Services Company.

Pure Jeevan was launched by my wife in 2007 to serve the natural health and raw/living foods community. Together, we write articles, produce videos, and generally inspire people about raw foods, health, and nutrition. We also provide nutritional counseling, hold events and talks, and offer health-related services such as "live blood" education. To date, we have roughly 10,000 readers, with whom we are in contact regularly. For general information about the raw foods lifestyle, sign up for our mailing list and you'll receive our two free eBooks, Raw Foods 101 and Raw Food Recipes. These books explain what raw foods are and why we're sharing this information with others. Highlights include:

• The Pure Jeevan web site (featuring raw foods information)
   
• The Pure Jeevan blog (featuring raw food and health articles five days per week)
   
• The All Raw Directory (a community-run site featuring thousands of links to other raw resources)
   
• HolisticHealth.Me (a membership web site offering a 52-week holistic wellness program)
   
• The Portland Live Blood (a live blood education company we're launching in Portland)

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Mid-1990s - present

Freelance / Contract-Based Writer, Editor, Publisher, Marketer, Web Designer, PR Consultant, Programmer, Project Manager.

Billings, in addition to full-time positions listed above, have averaged $10k per year, but often reach $20-30k per year. My clients have included businesses such as:

• AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) -- A Washington, DC, based national nonprofit educational trade association for which we did publications work (layout, editing, project mgmt.)
• APPA (educational facilities management) -- An Alexandria, VA, based nonprofit for which we did publications work (layout, editing, project mgmt.)
• Aspen Publishers, Inc. (legal and business division) -- A New York-based legal and business publisher for which we did publications work (layout, editing, project mgmt.), writing, and some web work
• ClearPoint Financial Solutions -- A Richmond, VA, based consumer nonprofit organization for which we did considerable PR / communications, and writing
• CLHE (Council on Law in Higher Education) -- A Washington, DC, based organization for which I did web design work.
• Council of Better Business Bureaus -- The BBB's national headquarters, for which I've done publications work (layout, editing, project mgmt.), writing, and some technical consulting.
• HEPACO -- A company based in Pittsburgh, PA, and Mexico City that does international business investments (for which I did basic web work).
• Mink -- A women's clothing boutique on the Hawthorne strip (SE Portland) (for which I've done some internet marketing work).
• North Rim Partners -- A commercial real estate firm based in SE Portland (for whom I've done marketing and web work).
• Regents Center -- A rental hall in SE Portland (for which I've done web marketing work).
• Renegade Health -- A Berkeley, CA, based health information company for which I've done book editing, research, and some writing
• Shenango Valley Consulting Inc. -- A Sharpsville, PA, technical consulting firm with which I've partnered on programming, data analysis, and data conversion consulting work.
• Stamped Asphalt -- A paving company in Pittsburgh, PA, for which I've done misc. advertising, direct mail, and basic web work.

In addition, I've done scores of smaller, "fast and free" web sites for local schools and/or charities (Serra Football, Westmoreland CASA, etc.)

Journalistic Pieces:

• "St. Louis Law Firm Managers Assess Regional Dynamics." Lead story in Of Counsel, February 1997. (Of Counsel is one of the more prestigious national publications on law firm management.)
   
• "The Year 2000 Glitch: A Law Firm Business Problem and a Practice Development Opportunity." Feature article in Of Counsel, April 1997.
   
• "Law Firms Stress Dialogue As Key to Success Working with Headhunters." Feature article in Of Counsel, May 1997. (One managing partner interviewed was reportedly so impressed with this piece, he carried it around and handed it out to legal recruiters.)
   
• "Local Law Firms Happy Participants in Ongoing Regional Boom." Feature article in Of Counsel, September 1997.

Casual/conversational-styled Pieces:

• "Seek and Ye Shall Find." Feature article in EM (Environmental Manager), October 1999.
   
• "Brand New Opportunities in 2000." Feature article in EM, October 1999.
   
• "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Online Job Seekers." Featured in EM, February 2000. (Also used this article as a handout for a speech delivered to environmental engineers in Salt Lake City, June 2000)
   
• "The Chaotic H4CK3R Subculture." Featured in EM, June 2000.

Articles in Which I Am Quoted / Featured:

• "Push Client E-Newsletter Penetration," by Jeff Stimpson. Featured in Practical Accountant, August 2002.
   
• "Boards-by-Design Match: Jim Dee and The Horticultural Society of Western Pennsylvania." Featured article on Duquesne University’s Nonprofit Leadership Institute web site, 2006.
   
• "Great Scott: Jim Dee's Passionate Mission to Preserve the Works of Scott Joplin, One of the Greatest Black Composers in American History," by Jonathan Wander. Featured in Pittsburgh Magazine, February 2007. (Note: PDF file is 11Mb!)

Health Journalism:

• In 2009, I began posting interviews as a Citizen Journalist for NaturalNews.com, a health care reporting site that gets 3 million visits/month. The archive for these pieces and many others can be found here. The initial article was an interview with Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm, the nation's largest producer of organic produce.

Blog Writings:

• For hundreds of additional pieces, ranging from spirituality to philosophical musings to low-brow humor pieces, see my blog, Boldly Serving Up Wheat Grass (formerly known as "Blowing Shit Up with Gas"). I used to write under the pen name Patrick Hillman, but now use my own name there.

Other Creative Writing:

• Published poetry back in college in some decent journals (Poet Magazine, Potato Eyes, Endless Mountains Review, and a few others); also self-published a chapbook entitled The Geometric Lover.
   
• The following books, formerly available on Lulu (published under a pseudonym), will soon be available on Amazon:

Tales of the Midwest: A memoir chronicling only the strangest stories from my formative years -- mischief and guns, roaches and demons, backwoods hicks and religious fanaticism. The book covers numerous forms of "giving the finger," people who lose their minds over condiments, various brushes with the law, and bowling alley fights. The writing celebrates pyromania, an 8th grade "Abe Lincoln look-alike" science teacher, a man who collects school buses, my insane uncle who nearly killed a man, and at least one story involving dynamite. And other stuff.

The Pirates of Pamlico Sound: A woman finds her personal life and love life mysteriously interconnected with pirate and colonial items (and people) in this supernatural tale that alternates between modern times and the past. (Not an arrrg!-type pirate story.) Rated "mature," but only for suggestiveness / sensuality (i.e., adult themes, not explicitness).

Wood's Confection, a Screenplay: A retired marketing executive's latest entrepreneurial pursuit -- developing a candy bar in the shape of Jesus -- dovetails with an adventure involving his younger cousin's circle of criminal friends. The recipe for this tightly woven tale includes elements of dark comedy, mystery, and a dash of philosophy.  Rated R, as there's something in here to offend almost anyone (including myself).
 

• Involved in electronic publishing, development, and communications in either a full-time or part-time capacity since the mid 1990s. On the development side, this has involved writing copy, designing web pages, and coding work. (I generally use various artistic programs and WYSIWYG HTML editors for the initial design and then hand-code my own modifications.) Most recently, I've been using the open-source HTML-Kit development environment and continually studying CSS. I plan to learn ASP.NET in the future.
   
• Most Recent: Completed the Marketing Portland site!
   
• Other Current: Currently redesigning web sites for Pure Jeevan.com, the Pure Jeevan blog, the All Raw Directory, a new photo web site, and a health web site (all will be full CSS, with many technical, aesthetic, and secret enhancements)
   
• Recent Years: Designed a site for the Botanic Garden of Western Pennsylvania, ran a video blog for a year, designed an enormous web site and digital archive for composer, writer, and visual artist David Thomas Roberts, designed and coded a full social networking web site using ASP, MySQL, and VBscript. Unlike many of my previous sites, this one was built using a CSS platform, designed and coded a complete social networking web site using static HTML, ASP, MySQL, and VBscript. Site featured numerous database integrations (users, logins for protected content, forums, ecommerce, and more). Successfully integrated Paypal's Instant Payment Notification (IPN) for realtime ecommerce processing.
   
• Coded many database integrations, ecommerce projects, forums, web-based applications, online storefronts, and other features over the years.
   
• General tech experience dates back to circa 1980/1981 with the acquisition of an Atari 400. I was 11 or 12, and began BASIC programming (many concepts of which I still use today!). I've also owned and operated an Atari 800XL, IBM machines in the late 80s, Apple machines of that period (esp, the Apple 2e, one of my favorites), a Mac Classic, and numerous Pentium machines dating from a 60Mhz machine in the early 1990s all the way up to our modern powerhouses.
   
• Experience with intranet systems, SharePoint intranets, HTML, ASP coding, VBscript, PHP, MySQL, integrating web sites with Access and SQL Server databases, blogs (Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress, etc.), search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, mastery level ability with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Photoshop, PageMaker, video editing (Sony Vegas, Windows Movie Maker, etc.), and numerous other packages. General familiarity with many CRM systems (Act!, etc.). I also own roughly 35 domain names for personal use and/or future development as well. The best live example of my programming is probably the All Raw Directory site, linked to herein, which contains many thousands of lines of original code, covering almost every imaginable function a web site could have (ad rotators, user profiles, comment systems, large database integration, etc.).
   

• B.A. in English (concentration in writing) -– Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA (1991).Naparsteck scholarship for writing, co-editor of the university's literary magazine. (Went on to an MFA program in writing at George Mason University in Fairfax, but dropped out in order to get a job.)

Notable Courses:

• A 4-month internet marketing program focusing on autoresponders and traffic-capture (2009).
   
• Leadership Academy, Duquesne University Nonprofit Leadership Institute (2006).

Board of Directors Experience:

• Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association. (2011). Member, elected July 2011.

• Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. (2006-2010). Served as Finance Committee chairman during the kickoff of a $30 million capital campaign and nationally important acid mine drainage reclamation project involving coal mines on public property. Wrote the organization's business plan in 2006, which has helped secure various grants. Also lead a small membership committee and participate in marketing.

Professional Affiliations: (all former, as of November 2010)

• Professional Services Marketing Association
• Society for Marketing Professional Services(an A/E/C marketing & BD organization)
• Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania
• Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Pennsylvania

• Raw and living foods, natural health, general nutrition. Have written and published hundreds of thousands of words worth of health and nutrition articles on the Pure Jeevan blog, and also produced and edited many entertaining instructional videos (such as that quirky sample).
   
• Entrepreneurism.  Have served as a coach in the Pittsburgh Technology Council's annual business plan competition.
   
• Internet and technology developments.  Fan of social networking sites, blogging sites, Wikipedia, Woot, YouTube, Twitter, FaceBook, etc.
   
• Music, esp. piano playing and composition. See also my family's historic sheet music collection.
   
• Fitness. Ususlly up to something physical... Used to run annual 10k races, and have undertaken unusual fitness challenges (such as completing more than 36,000 pushups during a recent 365+ day project). Currently spending a lot of time doing home renovation, which is physical work!
   
• eBay. Formerly a PowerSeller, circa 2005. Trade under the names "jimdee" and  "WebAuctionStore." Proudly maintain a 100% positive feedback rating, with 650+ total transactions with feedback since 1998.
   
• Home remodeling and cabinet making. Completely remodeled my home (originally built in 1927), refinished the attic into a home office, converted a 4th bedroom into a library (follow link to see the custom bookcases I built), added a bathroom with custom-built fixtures, jet tub, and a sauna. (Pics of the basement carpentry work!)  Just bought a fixer-upper in the Hawthorne district of Portland!
   
• Writing.  Have self-published a novella, a full-length screenplay, and a memoir (shown above); have three novels in development. I'm also at times an incessant blogger (for several years).

My personal Social Media Connections: