Résumé for Richard Shewmaker

RICHARD SHEWMAKER
San Francisco, California

Career Summary

Business process automation with a Web/Internet emphasis, utilizing a broad range of technology tools and methods. Most experience gained working 18 years in insurance broking/risk and financial services; most recently in real estate. Worked on projects with all lines of business and practices in a complex global organization, resulting in the ability to gain rapidly a thorough understanding of a project's requirements and provide a cost-effective solution with available resources or within budgeted limits. Key skills include: advanced expertise in Web UI design (planning and coding HTML/CSS), architecture, identifying and designing information taxonomies, and standards-based development; application development analysis; Lotus Notes/Domino development; creation of standardized templates for different office suites; software customization and training, authoring manuals and online help; hardware and software troubleshooting and installation; AIX and Banyan LAN administration; IBM mainframe operations.

Work Experience

Astrophos Consulting, San Francisco, CA	08/09–Present
Freelance Consultant: Web and graphic design, Web site maintenance and development; PC and Mac hardware and software support; email, data, network, security setup and maintenance; desktop publishing. Photograph and video tape apartments and commercial spaces for rent; write advertising copy; edit images and video for use on Craig's List, YouTube, Web sites, eflyers/newsletters, and flyers (PDF and printed); code for Craig's List, email-distribution and Web sites. Contracted to do all marketing and technology-related work for former employer, Everest Mwamba Investments.
Kenney Real Estate, Everest Mwamba Investments, San Francisco, CA	04/08–8/09
Operations Manager: Managed a small commercial real estate office. Activities included working with: title companies, investors, buyers and sellers as part of sales and purchase processes; title, bond and city agencies to procure required documents and public reports; contractors and investment banks for properties being renovated and remodeled; all aspects of disclosure process; owners, tenants and contractors in managed properties; law firms involved in a variety of legal proceedings; utility, staging and moving agencies. Authorized to work directly with investment and conventional banks to represent investors. Responsible for all technology-related matters and maintaining office supplies. Produced all marketing materials, including photography of properties, writing advertising, producing Web site and Craig's List postings, eflyers, printed flyers, magazine and newspaper copy. Contact and coordinator for all vendors. Established databases for contacts and important information; practiced data mining to determine rental price ranges and prospects. Consistently worked overtime M-F and worked most weekends to conduct open house showings.
Astrophos Consulting, San Francisco, CA	04/03–04/08
See entry for period 08/09–Present.

Marsh Inc., Sedgwick James, Fred. S. James & Co. San Francisco, CA; New York City, NY; Portland, OR	06/85–04/03
Senior Web Architect, Assistant Vice President, Global Technology Services: responsible for long- and short-term planning, design, expansion and maintenance of Internet, intranet and extranet sites, working with internal and external development, business practices, clients, carriers and vendors.

Other positions included: Lotus Notes/Domino Developer, Information Systems Analyst & Administrator, PCI Network Administrator, Banyan LAN Administrator, JOMS (legacy mainframe) Operator, Word Processing Manager, Word Processing Operator, and Personal Lines Technical Assistant.

Responsibilities and accomplishments include:

Developed guidelines and templates to standardize Marsh's international Web sites; ensured code was broadly cross-browser and platform compliant.
Re-established the Marsh Web site (data center lost in WTC1 on 9/11) by midnight on September 12, using ad hoc resources primarily by self.
Part of the award winning global team tasked to create a new Web site and presence following the acquisition of Fred. S. James by Sedgwick UK.
Created one of the first U.S. intranet sites, using Notes/Domino, for the San Francisco office; developed many function- and department-specific applications, thereby, eliminating a number of paper-based processes.
As part of Imagine, the West Coast Notes/Domino development group, created secure, custom extranet solutions for clients including IBM, Sunterra, Continental Freeways, Phillip Morris, Schlumberger, and the American Electronics Association.
Was one of six individuals representing the U.S. business' technology requirements to Corporate IT; represented the California Region.
Worked directly with Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems to ensure Sedgwick/Marsh's Web-based extranet products operated properly on their OSs and with their browsers.
Was lead in designing security architecture for one of the first Internet security insurance products, Net Secure™.
Working in conjunction with users, business practices and development groups, performed needs assessment, system analysis, data conversion, development and design of new, Web-based applications to replace legacy or outdated systems (internal and external).

Technical Summary

Operating Systems: Windows 10, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, NT, 98, 95, 3.1, DOS; Mac OS 9 & X > Mojave; AIX, (Open)Solaris.

Web and graphic design: UltraEdit, e & TextWrangler for HTML and CSS coding; TopStyle Pro and CSE HTML Validator/HTML Tidy/W3C Unicorn to validate same; Photoshop > CS6 (Win), Illustrator > CS6 (Mac); Notes/Domino R3 > R6.5 (> 9.0.1 self-trained) developer; a broad range of utility/helper applications.

Other: LibreOffice, MS Office, Lotus Suite; Notes/Domino 3.0 administrator; Thunderbird, Notes Mail, cc:Mail, Outlook, Gmail, iPhone & tablet email; Acrobat Pro > 9; Rational Rose, Visio; numerous virus, spam, spyware protection products; Nero, Audacity and other audio and video editing applications.

Awards

Global Technology Services Team Player Award; Recognition Award, 1999–2002 (Marsh)
International Team Excellence Award, 1998 (Sedgwick Global)
Two National Quality Awards, 1994–1996 (Sedgwick James)
Appreciation awards from the Golden Gate Chapter of CPCU and the Native Sons of the Golden West, 1991–1992
Employee of the Year Award, 1990 (Sedgwick James - California Region)
Seven Service Star Awards, 1987–1995 (Fred. S. James and Sedgwick James, SF)

Education & Professional Development

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
B.A. with double honors both in French and in Italian; minor in Portuguese. Dean's list entire senior year. Degree includes a year at the Universités de Paris III and VII and a credited year of French at Dartmouth College taken during senior year in high school.

Professional development includes:

Object-Oriented Analysis and Design Using UML, Lockheed-Martin (01/01);
Java, XML/XSL, ePortal and xCommerce Tools, SilverStream (09/00);
Lotusphere conferences 1995–2000;
Notes 4.5 Application Development I & II (05/97);
Notes 3.0 Application Development I & II, System Administration I & II (04/95);
Basic and Advanced AIX System Administration, IBM Corporation (06/95);
Trademark Issues and the Internet (Lorman) (06/97);
Remain current with key technologies via subscription to technical publications, new release manuals, email newsletters, and participation in online developer communities.

Other Relevant Information

Exceptional spoken and written English. Fluent in French, moderately proficient in Italian, can work with Portuguese and German. Teaching experience at Northwestern University and UC Berkeley. Maintain five-computer network at home. Telecommuted successfully from home with Portland, OR and New York, NY Sedgwick/Marsh offices from 1999 to 2003. Worked in a French law firm for three months in 1983 as a bilingual word processing operator. Have been involved in volunteer work with Ronald McDonald House SF and acted with The Lamplighters Music Theater, winning the International Gilbert & Sullivan competition in Buxton, England, in 1995. Hobbies include writing, photography, reading and movies.