Training & Certifications
I learned process analysis while growing up in my father’s business where improvements to production, product quality, customer service and the bottom line were often his main focus.
Process procedure and technical writing came naturally to me, having initially thought I would become a school teacher but later finding myself more attracted to the world of computers. In my various administrative roles I often found myself teaching or mentoring individuals who needed written instructions. In 1999, while working for Deloitte & Touche, I discovered that there were tools beyond word processing programs to accomplish this task and began using WinHelp, and eventually trained myself in the use of RoboHelp to develop process and technical online help systems for internal clients at AmTrust Bank.
AmTrust Bank required all employees to take a level of compliance training that was appropriate for their job function. Since my group was part of the Enterprise Risk Department we were treated to the full program and I became certified through the Banker’s Academy receiving Focus on Compliance Certificates in:
- Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering
- Privacy Act: Regulation P – Privacy of Consumer Financial Information CFR 216
- Right to Financial Privacy Act
- Regulation CC: Availability of Funds & Collection of Checks
- Check 21: Facilitation of Check Truncation and Electronic Check Exchange
- FDIC Insurance
- Truth In Savings Act
- Regulation D: Reserve Requirements of Depository Institutions and Regulation Q: Prohibition Against Payment of Interest on Deposit Demands
- Fair Lending Act
- Fair Credit Reporting Act
- Home Mortgage Disclosure Act
- National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994.
- Community Reinvestment Act
- Truth in Lending Act
- Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
- Regulation O: Loans to Executive Officers, Directors, and Principal Shareholders of Member Banks
- Regulation AA: Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices
- Regulation E: Electronic Fund Transfers
- Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act
- Anti-Tying and Inter-Affiliate Transactions
- Bank Bribery
- Bank Protection Act
- Regulation A: Extensions of Credit by Federal Reserve Banks
- Regulation F: Limitations on Interbank Liabilities
- Regulation K: International Banking Operations
For information on the Code of Federal Regulations applicable to Banking, visit the Federal Reserve Board web site.
In 1995 I was bitten by the Internet bug and learned how to create websites using the tutorials at the Worldwide Web Consortium. As technology advanced, I took online courses through the International Webmasters Association earning:
Web Technologies Certification
- Introduction to XHTML
- Introduction to Designing Accessible Websites
- Intermediate CSS Workshop
- Introduction to XML
- Intermediate XML
Web Business Certification
- Web Content Writing and Editing
- Search Engine Optimization
- Project Management
- Legal Issues for Web Designers and Content Managers
Most recently, with the downturn in the economy and subsequent lack of work in the technical writing and Internet arenas, I decided to utilize my strengths in research, analysis and sharp attention to detail to embark on a new journey – back of the book Indexing. With the help of my mentors Sherry Smith, Kari Kells, and Shoshana Hurwitz, who have been professional indexers for many years, I am now able to offer authors and publishers the service of providing top quality indexes to enable readers to better navigate their books.
In my off time, I enjoy creative writing, reading, and blogging. My web programming skills have afforded me the benefit of being able to blog on the server side instead of being forced to utilize costly services that may not provide sufficient security and backup/recovery capabilities. This experience has enabled me to offer blog creation and hosting services to clients as well.
