In early 2005, Kris joined the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. She initiates, designs, creates and edits content, directs technical development and launches multiplatform products in collaboration with internal divisions and outside partners. She is also the managing editor of EarthPulse, a visual report on global trends. All projects have self-sustaining business models.
At National Geographic, Kris has joined others in leading the conversion to a truly multiplatform operation, while maintaining brand authority and journalistic standards. She is the director of digital product development for National Geographic Maps.
Previously, she was creative director at the San Jose Mercury News; before that, senior art director at the Orange County Register for nearly six years. She worked five years each at the Los Angeles Times and The Sacramento Bee in a variety of roles. She was on the core teams of three Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. She and the teams she has led have received numerous awards from SND, Malofiej and Print.
Kris has been a university instructor and has consulted, presented and freelanced across the U.S., Europe and Asia. She has been a judge for SND's annual competition, Malofiej, and the Asia Media awards. She has presented at numerous Annual Workshops and helped plan three: San Francisco (1990), San Diego (1997) and San Jose (2004). Kris has also spoken at affiliate conferences: SND/Scandinavia and the Malofiej Information Graphics Summit. She will be speaking in Buenos Aires.
For a more details (in English and Español), please see: http://www.snd2010.org/bio
We need a new leadership direction. During these challenging times, SND requires: urgency, responsiveness, transparency, advocacy, multi-platform skills and business development savvy. This movement (snd2010) has mobilized creative thinkers around the world. Former members are returning. People are renewing memberships. And, new colleagues will join us: developers, students, information architects, data visualizers, magazine designers, geeks! We'll collectively benefit from the big brains, creativity and progressive energy of dozens of people who've offered to roll up their sleeves and help us correct our course.
We intend to give you a lot of value for your buck! We will ramp up our training: more often, more locations, more varied, more affordable. Online training courses, regional events and programs that reach out beyond our traditional membership can elevate our mission and generate more revenue.
We will listen to you and make the Society relevant for you. In these quickly changing times, being part of a larger community of visual communicators can provide support, ideas and valuable connections. I will reach out to everyone. If you have left us, we want you back. I will advocate for you publicly and privately. We will make SND your organization.
For more details about my goals for SND, please see: http://www.snd2010.org/goals.
Last year, we saw a $32,000 shortfall. It's time to reevaluate our budget priorities and brainstorm new revenue sources. Nothing is off limits and no single solution will be the silver bullet. We shouldn't fear change, so long as it best serves our evolving craft. We need to increase membership by creating flexibility and value — outreach to groups we typically ignore, tiered membership fees to reflect the varying needs of members, and more collaboration with other journalism organizations to make sure membership perks have long tentacles. We need to find new sources of funding — including grants for educational and innovation projects, sponsorships and rethinking the scope and structure of our print and multimedia competitions. We also need to be more strategic about costs — finding the right location for headquarters (which could mean a virtual location), being smart about staffing decisions and using technology aggressively to cut costs and create value for members (i.e. it's time to radically rebuild snd.org).
For more details about my ideas for repairing our finances, please see: http://www.snd2010.org/financials.
We face a pivotal moment in our industry — and in the Society. I'm ready to lead this group of incredibly talented people in blazing new, innovative directions. We are the architects of our own future and we have no time to waste!