My name is Mary and I currently live in Blacksburg, Virginia. I proudly serve my community as a Full-Time Visual Communications Manager at Virginia Tech in the Division of Student Affairs. 

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Over the past 7 years, I have worked on more than 600 creative services projects, serving a variety of teams including Virginia Tech Athletics and Virginia Tech Student Affairs. I am very comfortable managing creative projects from conceptualization to delivery - all while displaying professionalism, courtesy, and a high standard of quality. Furthermore, I am able to deliver projects to clients under stressful, unpredictable circumstances and under strict departmental deadlines. 

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As a video production manager, I have a strong gauge on how process design can be improved to be more efficient. I am able to take complex creative video concepts, consult with partners, and translate them into concrete production plans to be negotiated, actualized, and reported for stakeholders. Any of my current and prior colleagues will attest to my deadline-focused management strategy, positive energy, empathy, and flexibility when it comes to my project management skills. 

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My strong interpersonal communication skills support frequent collaboration with divisional partners and other community stakeholders. I have served as project manager for several large projects including, but not limited to: the Virginia Tech virtual orientation video modules, Virginia Tech Student Affairs Foundations Podcast, Virginia Tech Therapy Dogs video feature, and the IGTV Playmakers Program Day in the Life video series. My technical expertise includes advanced skills with Asana, Wrike Project Management system, Google Suite and Microsoft Office. I also have extensive production expertise with the Adobe Creative Suite. In addition to producing this high quality creative content, I also work diligently to assess and report viewership analytics.

In my three years with Student Affairs, I have become skilled in the in-person and virtual employee management process. I facilitate multiple Zoom meetings every week with my interdepartmental teammates to go over project management, corrective feedback, and task prioritization. Any of my current and prior colleagues will attest to my deadline-focused management strategy, positive energy, empathy, and flexibility when it comes to my supervision skills.

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I learned all this great stuff from my favorite place on earth - Virginia Tech! I have two esteemed degrees from Virginia Tech. In May 2018, I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Journalism. Then, in May 2020, I earned my Master of Arts in Education degree in Instructional Design and Technology. 

 

When I am not working on shooting/editing photos and videos, I love to sing and listen to music (particularly oldies). I love to hike, play with my dog, strength train, do peace-building work with my brother Dom and cook/eat good food.

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I have the coolest Baby Boomer parents - John and Helen Desmond. I am the youngest of eight siblings - six brothers and one sister! We grew up on a cute little goat and sheep farm in Middlebrook, Virginia. I am very tied to the land I grew up on and I am eternally grateful for my humble upbringing in the foothills of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.