Jim Smith


Highly skilled Drupal developer with experience in content architecture, front-end usability, back-end usability, responsive layouts, migration, and custom module and theme development.

Award-winning writer, producer and editor of video commercials and promotional announcements.

Effective manager of staff, with oversight of budgets, training and project planning.

Skilled in implementing best practices for search engine optimization, inbound marketing, and social media.

Active contributor to local and regional Drupal groups.

Successfully hiked the Triple Crown of long-distance trails (Appalachian Trail 2017, Pacific Crest Trail 2019, Continental Divide Trail 2021).


TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Content Management Systems: Experience developing websites using Drupal (starting with version 4.5), GatsbyJS, Jekyll, Wordpress, Joomla, and Mambo

  • Coding: Detailed functional knowledge of PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, HTML5, CSS3, and Sass

  • Databases: MySQL, SQLite

  • Applications Software: PHPStorm, VisualStudio Code, Sketch, Sublime Text 2, Photoshop, Illustrator, Word, Excel, Sequel Pro

  • Development Tools: Git, Drush, Lando, DDEV, Gulp

  • Operating Systems Mac OS X, Windows 10, Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat)

  • Industry Knowledge and Insight: Media, Government, Healthcare, Non-profit Advocacy, Education, Marketing, Outdoor Recreation, and Craft Beer/Homebrewing


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Freelance Drupal Developer

Starting Gravity (2011 - Present)

Highlights:

  • Provide full website development services for clients, including site building, custom module development, custom design and theming in Drupal. Also provide consulting services, professional training and instruction.

Clients/Projects:

  • Arrow One: A variety of assignments in the development of a senior wellness site with a Drupal front-end and a Gatsby back-end
  • ANYROAM LLC: Theme development for a migration from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8
  • Paramount Software Solutions/Tennessee Valley Authority: Theme and custom module improvements and modifications, update core and contrib modules to latest versions
  • 2:45Tech, Knoxville: Consultation and site audit of a large Drupal 8 site for a state agency
  • University of Tennessee College of Communication & Information, Knoxville: Drupal 8 theming and custom module development
  • Joint Institute for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee: Drupal 7 custom module development, custom theme development, content architecture, site building, content migration (Drupal 6 to Drupal 7), training and consultation
  • East Tennessee Kidney Foundation: Drupal 7 custom site and logo design, custom theming and module development, site building, training and consultation, hosting services
  • Bluetick Brewery: Drupal 7 / Commerce custom site design, e-commerce strategy and development, custom theming, site building, training and consultation
  • Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Energy: training, custom theming and module development, site building, consultation
  • Tennessee Clean Water Network: Drupal 6 configuration and updates, project planning for eventual migration to Drupal 7, hosting services
  • Held Law Firm: custom theming and module development, site building, training and consultation
  • Aspiring Web: design services, custom theming

Thru-hiker

Continental Divide Trail (New Mexico to Montana) (April 2021 - Sept. 2021)

Highlights:

  • Successfully completed a thru-hike of more than 2800 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. This hike completed long-distance hiking’s Triple Crown.

Thru-hiker

Pacific Crest Trail (California to Washington) (March 2019 - Oct. 2019)

Highlights:

  • Successfully completed a thru-hike of 2650 miles from the Mexican border to the Canadian border.

Drupal Developer

International Information Associates (IIA) (Nov. 2017 - Feb. 2019)

Highlights:

  • Team member providing website development services for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including site migration, custom module and theme development in Drupal 7 and 8.

Clients/Projects:

  • Sub-sections of ORNL.gov, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Drupal 7 and 8)
  • Small Business Programs Office, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Drupal 8)
  • US ITER Project (Drupal 8)

Thru-hiker

Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) (April 2017 - Oct. 2017)

Highlights:

  • Successfully completed a thru-hike of 2,190 miles from Springer Mountain to Mt. Katahdin.

Drupal Developer

International Information Associates (IIA) (Jan. 2016 - Feb. 2017)

Highlights:

  • Team member providing website development services for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including custom module and theme development in Drupal 7.

Clients/Projects:

  • Subsections of ORNL.gov, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Drupal 7)

Front-end Drupal Developer

DSFederal (Nov. 2013 - Dec. 2015)

Highlights:

  • Team member and technical backup, providing website development services for clients, including custom module development, custom design and theming, and site building in Drupal 7 and 8, as well as project planning and Git management.

Clients/Projects:

  • Office of the National Coordinator, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Drupal 7 and Drupal 8 custom theme development, custom module development, content architecture for HealthIT.gov
  • University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Office of Research Compliance: project planning, content architecture, custom theme designing and development, and site building in Drupal 7

Director, Online Media

WATE-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee (2001-2013)

Highlights:

  • Responsible for all online activities of a local affiliate of the ABC television network, including the station’s flagship website (WATE.com), other specialty websites, mobile apps, and social media.

Special Projects created in Drupal:

  • Buy Local East Tennessee (directory site)
  • Friday Night Hits (high school sports)
  • Tennessee This Week (news discussion program)
  • 6 Around Town (community events)
  • Parkside Auto Drive (auto dealer group)
  • Rusty Wallace Toyota (auto dealer special promotion)
  • Carpe Librum Booksellers (book reading social site)

Other professional work experience

  • Marketing Director, WATE-TV, Knoxville, Tennessee (1999-2001)
  • Freelance Promotion Writer/Producer, Home and Garden Television (HGTV), Knoxville, Tennessee (1998)
  • Marketing Director, WVLT, Knoxville, Tennessee (1996-1998)
  • Assistant Marketing Director and Promotion Manager, KWTV, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (1989-1996)
  • Promotion Manager, Senior Director, and Director, WSJV, Elkhart, Indiana (1978-1989)
  • News Photographer, WSBT-TV, South Bend, Indiana (1978)

EDUCATION

The Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Leadership for Online News Managers (May 2006)

Indiana University, South Bend

Post-graduate course work in marketing and business administration (1987-1989)

Indiana University, Bloomington

Bachelor of Arts degree with major in Telecommunications and split minor in Business and Film Studies (1974-1978)


PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Edward R. Murrow Awards, Radio-Television News Directors Association

  • Three-time winner, Best Web Site – Broadcast Affiliated – Region 8 (2003, 2004, 2006)

Heartland Regional Emmy Awards, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

  • Outstanding Individual Craft: Editing (1992)
  • Nominee, Outstanding Informational/Instructional Program (1992)
  • Nominee, Outstanding Individual Craft: Editing (1996)

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

Drupal

  • Drupal Association, Individual Member
  • Drupal.org Member, member #16880
  • Contributor in issue queues, Slack and IRC
  • Session presenter at Drupal Camps
    • Asheville 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2015
    • Nashville 2011 and 2012
    • Charlotte 2012
    • Chattanooga 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019
    • Atlanta 2014, 2015, 2018
  • DrupalCon attendee
    • Chicago 2011
    • Denver 2012
    • Portland 2013
    • Austin 2014
    • Los Angeles 2015
    • New Orleans 2016
    • Baltimore 2017
    • Nashville 2018
    • Global 2020

Boy Scouts of America

  • Assistant Scoutmaster, Troop 224, Great Smoky Mountain Council (1998-2020)
  • Committee Chair, Pack 78, Last Frontier Council (1994-1996)

East Tennessee Whitewater Club

  • Vice-president (2003)
  • Secretary (2002)

Arts Council of Greater Knoxville

  • Member, Board of Directors (1997-1998)

Child Abuse Response and Evaluation Center, Oklahoma City

  • Vice-president, Board of Directors (1996)
  • Chairman, Endowment Committee (1995-1996)
  • Treasurer, Board of Directors (1994)
  • Member, Board of Directors (1993-1996)

Promotion and Marketing Executives in the Electronic Media (PROMAX)

  • Judge, Gold Medallion Awards (1998)
  • Conference Speaker, “Brand Equity” (1992)

Contact