I am a design-minded and detail-focused developer obsessed with building beautiful and accessible web experiences. 
Over the course of my career, I've had the privilege of working with some amazing people and brands.

Hi, I'm Aaron! My passion for digital marketing started when my parents purchased our first computer during my eighth-grade year of school. A long summer of delivering papers later, I bought my first .com and never looked back.

I have had the privilege to work for and collaborate with a number of tremendously talented people in a variety of enterprise industries including staffing, insurance, financial, medical, agricultural, educational, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, non-profit/faith-based, government, and more.

I get incredibly excited about web accessibility, inclusion, and user experience and will talk your ear off about any and all of those three subjects given the chance.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, running, playing music, cooking, and watching a good movie. If anyone asks, I’m a White Sox fan, but haven’t watched a game all the way through in a long time. I’m a big fan of tacos and have been told I have an unhealthy addiction to Diet Peach Snapple.

Experience

Randstad Sourceright

Global Web Developer Manager - Remote
July 2022 - Present


Haley Marketing

Senior Front End Developer - Buffalo NY (Remote)
December 2018 - July 2022

What have I done here??

  • Responsible for front-end development, including creating and maintaining WordPress themes and plugins, integrating APIs, and optimizing site performance for WCAG compliant sites.
  • Helped lead the transition to Elementor as the company's primary page builder and developed a series of plugins to integrate the company's proprietary CRM into the platform.
  • Created the Haley Dashboard, a dynamic replacement for the default WordPress dashboard, that pulls information from a variety of sources (client portal, multiple WordPress feeds, and more) to offer more opportunities for clients to engage in company services.
  • Worked collaboratively alongside project managers, designers, and copywriters to build hundreds of feature-rich websites for clients in the staffing industry.

Horace Mann Educators Corporation

Front End Developer - Springfield IL
November 2015 - December 2018

What have I done here??

  • Responsible for maintaining and updating all of Horace Mann's front-facing web presences: HoraceMann.com, Retirement Advantage, agent sites, and Real Talk for New Teachers.
  • Built and maintained all of HoraceMann's outreach emails. Recently rebuilt primary template to be responsive to adapt to all screen sizes.
  • Serve as primary SEO for Horace Mann web properties.
  • Spearheaded the company’s move toward responsive design for all its websites, aligning the user interface and greatly improving user experience across devices.
  • Rebuilt HoraceMann.com on top of Sitecore using to incorporate new branding, responsive capabilities, and W3C accessibility standards.
  • Served as front-end wireframe designer for Quick Quote app.
  • Created numerous campaign microsites and landing pages.
  • Worked closely with the project managers, business stakeholders, and design team to assist with design ideas and concepts.
  • Created business case for and launched corporate Instagram account.
  • Created business case for and launched corporate Wikipedia entry.
  • Evangelized the use of new technologies to improve both product development and end-user satisfaction.
  • Educated the marketing team and field agents on new trends, usability guidelines, and best practices related to our channels.
  • As a member of the Digital team, I am also responsible for PPC management and reporting, search engine optimization, content management, and social support. I serve as business analyst and liaison for the digital capabilities team and have developed the front-end for a number of large-scale projects.

DCC Marketing

Digital Director - Decatur IL
August 2014 - October 2015

What have I done here??

Responsible for spearheading and driving the opportunity space for digital clients by creating innovative and comprehensive strategies that leveraged multiple platforms and mediums to provide results-driven strategies, solutions, and services. Provided leadership for the digital department to define clients’ key business challenges and offer results-driven solutions. Researched and initiated new business initiatives and ensured the alignment of the agency’s digital marketing strategy with the overall corporate marketing strategy. Closely oversaw all elements of digital output, including digital strategies, web design and development, mobile app development, PPC management, social media management, content strategy and distribution, photo and media production, SEO (on-page, off-site, and local), A/B testing, and email marketing for a wide range of corporate clients. Conducted ongoing qualitative market analysis as it relates to digital competitiveness and identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Developed corporate standards for digital marketing and trained internal and external teams on best practices. Worked directly with vendors to outsource necessary projects and facilitate between account teams and the clients.

Lead Web Developer - Decatur IL
March 2013 - August 2014

What have I done here??

Oversaw design, site architecture, front-end development, programming, and content creation for a variety of large-scale clients in a wide range of industries, including medical, agricultural, collegiate, and manufacturing. Developed primarily in WordPress to build over 30 fully custom sites in under two years based on mockups from a design team. Worked closely with business stakeholders and account team to develop web projects from initial consultation with clients through launch. Responsible for server configuration and administration, acquisition of domain names, keeping ahead of technology trends, and on-site SEO.


Creative Media Services

Lead Web Developer - Decatur IL
August 2011 - March 2013

What have I done here??

Responsible for leading and managing all facets of web projects from initial consultation with clients through launch. Oversaw design, site architecture, front-end development, programming, and content creation for a variety of clients in a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, non-profit, governmental, mobile development, corporate, and personal business. Responsible for server/email configuration and administration, acquisition of domain names, ongoing SEO, email campaigns, Pay-Per-Click campaigns, brand development, video production, and social media engagement. Implemented best practices for office networking, email, and backups as well as developed new client lead sheets and contracts. Contributed to in-house technical innovation and overall business strategy.

Education

Western Governors University

Bachelor of Science, Marketing Management
Completed 2013

Portfolio

Custom WordPress Dashboard

Custom Elementor Extension

Elby Professional Recruitment

Lloyd Staffing

Oxford Solutions

Wapiti Medical Staffing

Rezult Group

Horace Mann

Capati Dental

U of I College of Media

Mervis Industries

Fun DMC

Affinity Search Partners

AMX Healthcare

TopSourced Talent