Anne Gentle

12711 Theriot Trail	                                  512.535.1044
Austin, TX 78727	                                  annegentle at austin dot rr dot com

Summary

Technical writer with more than ten years of experience seeking a flexible yet challenging workplace. Industry-recognized leader in technology, information design, and leading-edge communication ideas.

Computer Experience

Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows; basic UNIX command knowledge

Software: AuthorIT, FrameMaker, Acrobat (Exchange, Distiller), Photoshop, XMetal, Epic Editor, Dreamweaver MX, Microsoft Office, Visual Basic, Paint Shop Pro, RoboHELP, RoboHTML, WebWorks Publisher

Technologies: CSS, DITA, DTD, HTML, PDF, XML, XSLT

Professional Experience

2007–present Advanced Solutions International, Inc. Austin, TX

Senior Technical Writer

• Write topics for complex customer relationship and event management software targeting non-profits using Author IT as the content management and editing system.

2001–2007 BMC Software Austin, TX

Senior Technical Writer

• Work with Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) to create DTDs for information models using Epic Editor. Analyze content and then write XML sample and template files based on information models, serving as information architect for the business unit that includes everything but mainframe software.
• Connect with our customers and demonstrate thought leadership through my corporate blog at talk.bmc.com, which gets 10,000 hits per month and had nearly 100 RSS subscribers.
• Developed XSL transforms to integrate database messages into a product by single-sourcing XML files created with permission from third-party partners.
• Designed a conversion method to transform O’Reilly book content into HTML, documented the process and instructed others in the conversion, and integrated the HTML content into multiple BMC Software products.
• As technical lead, designed, tested, and debugged a browser-based cross-platform HTML help system. Perform first-line troubleshooting and support for both writers and developers implementing the system.
• Write printed manuals and online help for software tools for configuration management, asset management, and database management. Work effectively with Agile development and team members distributed across the globe, resulting in working software at the end of each three-week iteration.
• Write developer documentation for Java-based API, XML schema, and database extensions.
• Assist with user interface design and work as an integral part of the development team, including quality assurance by logging defects.

1996–2000 Rockwell Automation (Entek IRD until 1999) Cincinnati, OH

Lead Technical Writer, Professional Practice Coordinator 1998–2000

• Created printed manuals and online help for software and hardware products that collect and store machinery data. Single-sourced online help from FrameMaker using Word macros.
• Managed all aspects of technical writing projects for a small team, including supervising contract workers, recruiting and interviewing new candidates, scheduling projects, and meeting deadlines.
• As the Professional Practice Coordinator, managed, recruited, hired, and reviewed the performance of university co-operative education students from four local universities, resulting in meeting the staffing needs for both development and QA resources during a time when the job market was highly competitive.
• Coordinated fifth annual E-Challenge event, a high school C++ programming competition involving nearly 100 students and teachers from 15 local high schools. This event fostered goodwill with local educators and offered name recognition for the company, both important aspects of co-op recruiting.

1994–1996 Center for Chemical Education, Miami University Middletown, OH

Technical Writer and Web Developer

• Developed instructor materials for chemistry teachers and assisted in implementing programs in chemical education for high school and elementary teachers while completing master’s degree.

Sample Programming Projects

DITA/DTD: Pivotal member of a select team that coded DITA specializations so that concept, task, and reference topics match BMC’s style guidelines. Prototyped specializations for system requirements for product installation. I also implemented a watched folder solution using ant build files and batch files that allows writers to submit a zipped package of DITA topics and a map to automatically create PDF files and CHM files from the DITA source using the DITA Open Toolkit XSLT transforms.

XML/XSLT: Coded XSL transforms that created a CSS-styled HTML page on demand when the product encounters a third-party error code such as an error from the Oracle database.

Education

1990–1994 Butler University Indianapolis, IN

B.S. Chemistry. Coursework emphasis on Analytical Chemistry, including advanced instrumentation class and special scanning electron microscopy elective.

1994–Dec. 1995 Miami University Oxford, OH

M.T.S.C. Masters of Technical and Scientific Communication. Completed program in three semesters by accelerating required internship and writing internship report while working full time.

Continuing Education

• Spring 2000: Introduction to Programming with Visual Basic 6.0
• Summer 2002: Java Programming I at Austin Community College
• 2003: Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) training at BMC Software
• 2004: Working with Global Teams training course at BMC Software
• 2006: Agile Teams training course at BMC Software

Professional Activities

Member, OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) Technical Committee 2005–present

Member, Central Texas DITA User Group 2006–present

Senior Member, Society for Technical Communication 1995–present

• Advisor, Miami University Student STC Chapter 1999–2000 — Organized Student Welcome Reception for 46th annual STC Conference.
• Hospitality Chair, Austin STC Chapter, 2000–2001.
• Served on Program Committee for the 2003 Region 5 STC Conference.
• Presented “Integrating Partner Information Using XML and XSL” at the 51st Annual STC Conference, May 11, 2004, in Baltimore, Maryland. Paper is published on the Writers User Assistance website at www.writersua.com/articles/partner.
• Presented “HTML for Technical Communicators” at the Region 4 STC Conference, October 1995, in Dayton, Ohio.
• Co-authored an article titled “Writing End-User Documentation in an Agile Development Environment” with Tana Berry published in the CIDM Best Practices newsletter in 2007.

Awards

• As the Miami University Student STC Chapter Advisor, I received the Distinguished Chapter Service Award from the Society for Technical Communication (STC), 2001 for my service.
• At BMC Software I was recognized as one of the top 100 employees out of 6,000 at a corporate recognition event in 2006.
• Award of Merit for Infrastructure Foundation for Business Service Management, BMC Software, 2006
• Award of Merit for the SQL-Programmer Solutions Guide, BMC Software, 2001
• Award of Excellence for the SQL-Programmer Installation Guide, BMC Software, 2001
• Award of Merit for the EMONITOR® for Windows Diagnetics dCA User Guide, Entek IRD International, 1998