Resume
Christopher Tillman Neal
2550 3rd Ave. #404 Seattle, WA, 98121 | |
Creative online communications enthusiast with a proven track record of driving traffic, brand awareness, and a solid understanding that focusing on the user, optimizes user experience. In essence, “become your users.” For example—impacted current client’s website search results by facilitating multi-participant communication, communities, interoperability, information sharing, collaboration, and the user or consumer generated content (media) on the World Wide Web.
Personal Traits: Self-starter with ability to work independently and on multiple initiatives at the same time. Coupled with an ability to work effectively cross-functionally with a proven track record of driving results.
Partial list of skills and talents below. Full list available upon request:
·Low/Hi-fi Wireframing · Internet Technology · Measurement Trends · Managing Information · Situated Learning · Virtual Communities · Social Network Theory · Market ROI Analysis · Community Management · Social:iA · Content generation · Mockingbird · Balsamiq · Omnigraffle · HTML · SQL · MS Office Suite · iWork · iLife · Salesforce · Windows · Mac/OS · UNIX · Heuristic Evaluation · SEO
Academic Accomplishments & Certifications:
University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley, CA - B.A., Sociology: I.T. focus - 2010 GPA: 3.64
Emphasis in cognitive science, information technology and social network theory with additional coursework in the social implications of computing, virtual communities and social media, and social psychology.
Stanford University - Professional Certificate(s) - 2012
Stanford Center for Professional Development
Emphasis in human computer interaction and
entrepreneurship.
Distance learning course(s) taught by:
Scott Klemmer - Stanford University
Steve Blank - Stanford University and Haas School
of Business at the University of California,Berkeley
Career Portfolio:
Freelance Online Communications Coordinator and Consultant, 360 Events & Promotions
November 2010 – Present
As a freelance Online Communications Coordinator and Consultant, I managed social media platforms, from ideation to content creation to implementation, managing and reporting overall marketing and PR efforts. I developed quantitative analyses, custom models and ad hoc reports to effectively monitor performance, trends, and opportunities within social media channels. I worked with account teams to provide analysis of social landscape and audience buzz volume, frequency, velocity, demographics, and related dimensions.I had the privilege to identify novel and cutting edge, relevant applications for social media program measurement and bring those applications to the forefront for consideration of their fit within 360’s measurement repertoire. I also worked with client and account teams to define KPI’s for success and track against them and implement measurement programs to address client KPI’s.
Research Assistant, Professor Howard Rheingold
March 2010 – Present
I had the rare privilege to collaborate with internationally acclaimed author, University of California, Berkeley and Stanford Professor Howard Rheingold, who is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the social implications of technology. I conducted social media research for a book project and also designed website wireframes to define and communicate interface concepts and requirements—ensuring consistency, intuitiveness (mental bandwidth) and ease of use for developers.
Director of Social:Learn (Social Media Classroom Volunteer), Berkeley Home School Prep Academy March 2008-Present
Coordinated educational content and resources built directly into the course environment to empower social construction of knowledge and a student-centered learning environment. I integrated social media tools into the home school academic curriculum. I managed wikis and blogs to enable collaborative resource building—giving the student a voice, sense of audience and be used as a learning journal to reflect on learning. I coordinated forums, chat and social bookmarking to encourage critical thinking, and synchronous communication.
Image Consultant/Sales Support, Gap Inc.
November 2003 - March 2008
Coordinated one-on-one and group training sessions to educate staff regarding sales maximization and client satisfaction. I established a loyal clientele base offline and online via email marketing, direct marketing and responded to large quantities of emails. I contributed to the achievement of revenue and expense target environments with the ability to analyze and anticipate the needs of the organization as well as mentor,
train and coordinate on-site recruiting sessions. Coupled with consulting with design and marketing team to impact client satisfaction.
Promotional Event Experience:
-Davis Athletic Club Commercial (Actor).
-New Balance Promotional Event (Brand Ambassador).
-Cartoon Network (Brand Ambassador).
-Coke Zero (Brand Ambassador).
-Comcast Nickelodeon (SpongeBob Squarepants Costume
Handler).
-Dole Fruit Juice Promotion (Site Lead).
-Watchmen Movie Launch Promotion (Brand Ambassador)
-Durex (Brand Ambassador)
-Hennessy Promotion (Assistant Logistics Manager)
-Mentos Gum Promotional Event (Brand Ambassador)
-Social Marketing Book Launch for celebrity Berkeley and
Stanford Professor, Howard Rheingold (Online Campaign
Manager for Net Smart).
International Experience:
Chinese Mandarin - conversational
French - conversational
Et certera
"I explore what's going on in my head every day. Learn more at LinkedIn http://goo.gl/lyPFA. I also like Jambalaya!"
Accomplishments
Testimonials
Howard Rheingold, Berkeley and Stanford Professor, Internationally Acclaimed Author
Berkeley and Stanford Professor Howard Rheingold, is a writer, artist and designer, theorist and community builder. Howard Rheingold is one of the driving minds behind our net-enabled, open, collaborative life, and one of the world's foremost authorities of the social implications of technology.
"Christopher Tillman Neal was a student of mine at University of California Berkeley. He was an outstanding student and received an A in the course. Since then, Christopher has assisted me on a number of different occasions in different projects -- helping set up a Facebook group for alumni of my courses, creating a wireframe for a complex website, conducting literature reviews and other research. He is intelligent, knowledgeable, prompt, and diligent, and I look forward to working with him again and again."
Tom Belway, Director of Operations, CEO, 360 Events and Promotions
“Christopher has proven to be an exceptional Social Media resource. He has grown our company's presence exponentially in just a few months. He is focused, detail & results oriented, and posesses the personal characteristics that are so desireable in a service provider (charismatic, personable & easy to work with). I would highly recommend Mr. Neal's services to anyone who is looking to advance their brand through Social Media channels.”
~Tom Belway
Elroy Johnson IV, founder of iamcreaoleNetworks
“Christopher Tillman, He is a great mind especially when it comes to Social Media. I have seen his work throughout the past year in 2009 and this year with social media. He was very instrumental in helping the iamcreoleNetworks' social media sites get off the ground. The iamcreoleNetworks continue to work to bring Louisiana Creoles nationwide together, and Christopher had a talent for creating meaningful discussion and knowledge amongst the group. He is an asset to any organization and company and he is a diligent and reliable person.”
~Elroy Johnson IV
Certifications
- Microsoft Certified Systems Administator
- Microsoft Certified Professional
- A+ Certified Professional
Organizations
International Experience
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Chinese Mandarin | Conversational
-
French | Conversational
Questions and Answers
1. How has your education prepared you for your career?
Berkeley opened up a pathway for further exploration in the sociological dynamics of technology, and its impact on society. That is where I received outstanding organizational skills from worldclass professors and a platform to successfully complete multiple tasks despite deadline pressure.
2. If I were to ask your professors to describe you, what would they say?
They would say I have a strong work ethic and a dedication to success. My efforts produced high quality results time and time again. I'm a future forward thinker with a genuine intellectual curiosity for an idea for extensive research. Coupled with outstanding organizational skills and the ability to successfully complete multiple tasks despite deadline pressure.
3. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
I'm a fast learner who adapts quickly to change and will hit the ground running. I'm dedicated and enthusiastic about meeting goals, and will provide top-quality results with minimal oversite.
References
Tom Belway: CEO & Founder at 360 Events & Promotions – San Diego, CA –
Howard Rheingold: Professor at Stanford & Berkeley - 306 Poplar, Mill Valley, CA. 94941 –
Emy Jimenez: Manager – 500 1st Street, Davis, CA. 95616 -
David M. Johnson, Ph.D.: Professor – 2050 Center St. Berkeley, CA., 94704 –
Writing Samples
Augmentation: "Importance of Human Computer Interaction"
by Christopher Tillman Neal
As the Space Shuttle Discovery made its last descent to Earth on Wednesday March 9, 2011, I could not help but reflect on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, which occurred on Tuesday, January 28, 1986. What led to that tragic disaster was an O-ring failure, caused by a breach in the SRB joint it sealed; allowing pressurized hot gas from within the solid rocket motor to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent SRB attachment hardware and external fuel tank....
Earlier in history, Douglas Englebart and J.C.R Licklider were part of a grassroots movement that led to the design and evolution of mind-amplifying machinery, which is significant because at that moment in time, the world saw computing as a means solely for scientific computation, business data processing and military defense. Consequently, however normal science has historically had the propensity to create esoteric communities that are not "open source" friendly, and I argue there are consequences for taking such a linear approach to scientific discovery.
As mentioned earlier, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster is a profound example of a tightly knit enclave of scientists who failed to act, which is attributed to the disconnect between NASA's engineers and executives. American physicist, Richard Feynman highlights the failings of NASA's engineers and executives in his book What Do You Care What Other People Think?
Nevertheless, human computer interaction is crucial, because "poorly designed" human-machine interfaces can lead to many unexpected problems like the Challenger disaster. Through HCI I believe our minds are amplified through the intersection of computer science, sociology, and design. Equally important is that HCI can improve the interactions "between users and computers" by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs.
History is a great teacher, and as the US Space Shuttle Discovery made its way to the Smithsonian Institute, I hope this moved us as citizens open up our eyes to the importance of HCI and user experience and, how it can minimize the barrier between the human's cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task.
What is an Online Community Manager?
by Christopher Tillman Neal
In the past community managers evolved from forum moderators and developers. They would enforce their community's policy, social norms, and retain order in their mind share cooperatives. While there are some similar requirements and educational backgrounds that companies are seeking in community managers, the only general theme between them is that they are seeking social business champions. These social business champions will focus on centralized reporting to provide visibility across social media channels, and find effective ways to share knowledge throughout the organization, which will provide a venue to develop and unify common business unit strategies.
Savvy community managers understand that a well-designed online community provides a vital context to knowledge exchange that can make the exchange more potent and widespread than a traditional memorandum. Reddit is a prime example of a thriving community with a broad base of users, and this is partially due to the community deciding upon what comments should stay or go (by voting up or down).
Community managers are no longer simple forum moderators, but role models that listen to the community and understand that online social networks provide a hyper grapevine for storytelling, showcasing projects and best practices that could be leveraged to create new knowledge resources. In essence, community managers embrace the fact we must build in ways to encourage and stimulate people who know what is going on to diffuse that knowledge throughout the organization. It’s essentially ambient knowledge, which provides a context for perception to make micro-adjustments in order to stay aligned.