Chris Silver Smith: Curriculum Vitae / Resume

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Chris "Silver" Smith *Curriculum Vitae - Resume* EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

January 2012 to Present	Founder, President & Strategist, Argent Media, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Duties: Agency providing exclusive and high-quality Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consulting, Local Search Optimization, Social Media Optimization, Usability Analysis, and Online Reputation Repair Services. Also blogging at [Ag] Search Blog, speaking at industry conferences and workshops (including Search Marketing Expo) and writing at Search Engine Land.

November 2008 to January 2012	Director of Optimization Strategy, KeyRelevance Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Duties: Provided bespoke Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consulting and other Internet Marketing consulting including Social Media Optimization, Usability Analysis, and Paid Search management. Also blogged at SEM ClubHouse and spoke at industry conferences including Search Marketing Expo and other marketing & technology meetings.

March 2007 to October 2008	Lead GravityStream Strategist, Netconcepts (since acquired by Covario) Madison, WI & Auckland, New Zealand. Duties: Providing thought leadership and product development of the GravityStream product/web-service (an automatic, near-turnkey solution for search engine optimization of large enterprise, dynamically generated websites). Also providing customized SEO consulting for Gravitystream clients, direction of special research projects, and technical evangelism through extensive article writing on Natural Search Blog and speaking at industry conferences including Search Engine Strategies, Search Marketing Expo, American Marketing Association Hot Topic Series, and O'Reilly Web 2.0.

May 2006 to March 2007	Head of the Department of Technology & Advanced Development, Verizon SuperPages (later spun off into Idearc), Irving, Texas. Duties: leading the department of four teams located in Coppell, Texas, and Waltham, Massachussetts. Department functions include: Taxonomy Development; Content Integration; Data Quality; Advertisement Publishing; Presentation Layer Development; Usability Research/Testing; Application Development; Mobile Application Development; Search Engine Optimization; and New & Emerging Technology Research.

January 2000 to May 2006	Manager, Technology & Advanced Development Department, Verizon SuperPages (GTE merged with Bell Atlantic in July 2000 to form Verizon), Irving, Texas. Duties: manage department of six staff members, handling design, technical development, and maintenance of the Superpages.com website, and the division intranet site. Projects have included management of the development of major company partnership-cobranded yellow pages (including InfoSpace yellow pages, AOL yellow pages (past partner), Lycos yellow pages (http://yellowpages.lycos.com/), BigFoot yellow pages, etc.), development of software enhancing site usage such as the Custom City Pages Generator (allowing users to create a City Page if the site doesn't contain one they're looking for), research and development of SuperPages.com's highly successful Search Engine Optimization, Weather pages (including creation of XML API for weather data), oversight of the innovative Map-Based Search for the yellow pages, creation of a Map Provisioning utility for our developers to use when creating customer websites, creation of a tool to provision the "SPICE" (SuperPages In-Column Enhancement) advertisements, project oversight of development of the EZChooser Java application for public release, development and support of customized RealMedia adserving software for the site, support of site statistical reporting including innovative invention of the SuperPages.com Click-Through Zone Report, integration of cobranded content provided by DailyShopper.com, StoreRunner.com, GiftCertificates.com, and more.

March 1998 to January 2000	Site Analyst, GTE SuperPages, Irving, Texas. Duties: coordinate between SuperPages' national advertisers, national sales reps, business development dept., marketing dept., and technical division in the implementation of national advertising on the site as well as implementation of site cobrands. Projects included: entire design of the Shop Online site (since converted into the site's section entitled "Shopping Pages"), technical implementation of the Shopping Calendar and postcards, design and oversight of implementation of the Hot Office cobranded yellow pages, implementation of the AutoConnect cobranded yellow pages, and design of various site advertisements - banners, etc. Programming of various Perl CGIs and Javascripts for providing usage statistics, postcards, site functionality, etc. Provided input and guidance on GTE Directories' Company-wide Art Catalog QIT (committee - "Quality Improvement Team") In late 1999, I was placed in charge of maintenance and development of the Consumer Guide section of the site -- handling the monthly validation and implementation of the Oracle database updates sent from the information provider company, PIL. I also handled edits to the page templates of the ConsumerGuide which required programming in PHP.

February 1997 to March 1998	Content Developer, GTE SuperPages, Irving, Texas. Duties: create graphic internet yellow page advertisements for SuperPages customers. Create and implement the department's clip art catalog. Assist with side projects such as design of Shop Online site, and proposed national advertising. Provide phone tech support for GTE advertisers, and assist customers with revisions to their template-based internet sites, the GTE SuperSites.

October 1993 to October 1996	Manager of Administration, Texas A&M University, Cartographic Service Unit, College Station, Texas. Duties: oversight of graphic art service office within the University; receipt and execution of jobs from clients within and without the University System; planning and creating promotionals; creation of graphic products for sale through the office - books, clip art, maps; drafting and scientific illustration; conversion of GIS digital maps into publication-ready map illustrations; design of displays, posters, logos, brochures, office promotions, slide presentations, newsletters; creation and upkeep of webpages for the department, college, and provision of graphics for various University webpages; Creation of the Cartographic Service Unit website.




EDUCATION:

Macromedia Design Certified, by internet design guru, Lynda Weinman, Dec., 1998. Bachelor of Environmental Design, Texas A&M University, 1992.



ABILITIES:

Computer Skills:	Graphics Programs - FreeHand, Illustrator, PageMaker, Quark Xpress, Persuasion, PowerPoint, Canvas, Photoshop, Professional Output Manager, FrontPage Editor, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks, AutoCad (version 10), Ulead Gif Animator, Extensis Phototools and EyeCandy. Various other old, outdated applications from early evolution of computer aided drafting. Various Utilities - numerous FTP packages, ThumbsPlus, Extensis Portfolio, MS Word, some Access, Net Analysis by NetGenesis, RealMedia OpenAdstream, DoubleClick Ad Management System. Familiarity with Netscape FastTrack Server, and MS NT Server administration. Languages - Familiar with HTML/DHTML, JavaScript, Perl, Python, Java, PHP, XML, and Basic. Hardware - Facile in using Macintosh and/or Windows platforms. Familiar with both NT and Unix web server protocols. Familiar with many kinds of scanners, imaging, and storage devices. Familiar with most types of digital printing devices and steps involving digital-to-traditional printing (rastor image processing, etc). Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Expert in advanced natural search optimization techniques, enabling websites and webpages to be more easily discovered by users conductiong keyword searches in the major search engines as well as other, subtler techniques for increasing referral traffic. Expert in setting up, maintaining, and optimizing SEM programs as well.

Photography:	Familiarity with black and white as well as color photography, developing, and phototechniques (traditional and digital). Familiar with stat photography, cibachromes, slides, and digital photography.

Drawing/Painting:	Facility with pencil, ink, Prismacolors, oils, acrylics, watercolors, and airbrusing. Visit my gallery of fine artworks to see samples of this.

Craftwork:	Demonstrated talent in wood inlay work (marquetry), picture framing, caligraphy and illumination, architectural model building, leather bookbinding, collages, etc.



AFFILIATIONS:

Board Member, DFW Search Engine Marketing Association. Former Board Member of the North Texas Global Telecommunications Society. Member of the Texas Fine Artist Association. Member of the Lewis Carroll Association of North America. Founding Partner, the Dallas Gothics List.



APPOINTMENTS:

Provided expert testimony to the U.S. Department of Justice — informal hearing on a proposed MicroSoft/Yahoo! ("Microhoo") merger and proposed Google/Yahoo! advertising syndication deal, June 2008. Speaker on behalf of Verizon at the 2002 WebDevShare Conference, Indiana University, 2002. Topic: "Yellow Pages, Maps, and Driving Directions: Enhanced Content for Educational Web Sites". Designer of the Prestoncrest Church of Christ website user interface, and creator of original software to provide the online Members' Area, which includes an online directory, 1999-2000. (view site) GTE Superpages Site Redesign Core Team, 1999. Consultant for online shopping catalog implementation for Smith Brothers, 1999. (view site) Website designer and email list administrator for the Prestoncrest Church of Christ Singles Ministry, 1998-2000. Website designer of North Texas Global Telecommunications Society, 1998. (view site) GTE Directories, Company-Wide Art Catalog QIT (Quality Improvement Team), 1997-1998. Association of Former Students College Level Teaching Award Selection Committee, College of GeoSciences, TAMU, 1996. Texas A&M University Campus Communicators' Task Force Committee, 1995-96. Texas A&M University Homepage Web-of-the-Week Committee, 1996.



AWARDS:

2008 SEMMY Award in the Local Search category. Verizon Individual Excellence Award for the Superpages.com Search Engine Optimization Projects, 2004. Verizon Excellence Award for the SuperPages.com Traffic Growth Team, 2002 GTE Directories Individual Award of Excellence in Customer Service, 1997. Also, various awards for Fine Arts.



PUBLICATIONS: (abbreviated list)

Mentioned in USAToday article, Shout a message from the rooftops to the world, by Craig Wilson — on the subject of rooftop advertising as a means of promotion via Google Earth and Google Maps. A Comprehensive Dual Bibliography of James P. Blaylock & Tim Powers , by Silver Smith, (soon to be published by Argent Leaf Press). Complete research, writing, book design and artwork by Smith. Includes original writing by Blaylock and Powers, along with biographical anecdotal essays provided by two of their friends. TAMU.EDU Online Maps, 1995 to circa 2005. 3-d graphic map images supplied for the interactive online campus map application. (Formerly located at www.tamu.edu/map/ with credits at http://www.tamu.edu/map/credits.html) Contemporary Stone Age in the Highlands of Irian Jaya, Indonesia: Paradigms of Behavior for Interpreting Prehistory: Ethnoarcheological Perspectives and Systems Analyses, book by Orville W. Hampton, (not yet published). Maps and Illustrations. Guide for Design of Pavement, AASHTO (American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials), Washington, D.C., 1996. Diagrams, nomographs, and charts. "The Political Geography of Europe: 1900-2000 A.D.", article by Dr. Brian W. Blouet, published in the Journal of Geography, Vol. 95, No. 1, January, 1996. Maps only. (view sample) Ironclad Captain, book by Jay Slagle, Kent State University Press, 1996. Maps only. (view book) Texas Traditions, book by Robin Turner, Little Brown and Company, 1996. Maps only. (view book) TAMU-Kingsville Campus Map, Cartographics, 1996. Entire work. (view map) Serbia's Secret War, book by Philip J. Cohen, TAMU Press, 1996. Maps only. (view book) Carrier Lexington, book by Hugh Powers, TAMU Press, 1996. All illustrations. (view book) The Changing Climate of Texas: Predictions and Implications for the Future, book edited by J. Norwine, J. Giardino, G. North, and J. Valdes, Cartographics, 1995. Book design, cover artwork, some interior illustrations. Also entire marketing - books were successfully sold via internet, and were carried by Waldenbooks and Barnes & Noble. (view book, view ad which ran in major newspapers in Texas) GeoSphere, magazine published by the College of Geosciences & Maritime Studies, TAMU, 1995. Layout and graphic design. (view sample) The Caddo Indians, book by F. Todd Smith, TAMU Press, 1995. Maps and portion of cover artwork. (view book) Texas A&M University Map With Points of Interest, TAMU Press, 1995. Entire concept, research, design, authoring, illustration, and prepress (24" x 36" 5-color printed map of university campus which folds down to pocket-sized and includes annotations.) (view map) Texas A&M University 8.5 x 11 Map, Cartographics, 1993-1996. Digital base map created for all TAMU publications, area phonebooks, and the TAMU website. (view map) Nature Lover's Guide to the Big Thicket, book by Howard Peacock, TAMU Press, 1994. Maps only. (view book) A Decade of Geographic Education: Inventory and Prospect, book edited by Robert S. Bednarz, National Council for Geographic Education, 1994. Cover artwork only. (view cover art) TAMU Clip Art Disk^© (Mac & DOS versions), Cartographics, 1994. Entire concept, creation, packaging, promotion, and sales. (view details)