I'm an experienced business and marketing professional.
I thrive in creative and entrepreneurial environments where solutions that directly improve the lives of people are being sought.
My home is in Eugene, Oregon.
Visit the tabs below to learn about my skills.
I'm always interested in opportunities where my skills can help organizations succeed.
Find Out More:
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I'll help your customers be successful in what they want to do, and nurture others so that when they are ready — they think of your message. My background as a marketing engagement professional provides a solid foundation for acquiring customers with thoughtful campaigns, creating value for the long-term, and setting the stage for actions that generate revenue. I work with enterprise B2B companies, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
I Specialize In:
Web Site Management
Perform content and tactical updates for maintaining fresh content and a vibrant look to websites. HTML, CSS, Wordpress; light JavaScript; experience with PHP and ASP environments.
Lead Generation
Develop marketing campaign strategies, messaging, and tactical plans to generate high quality leads in multiple channels.
Social Media
Oversee the planning and execution of all social media messaging.
CRM & Automation
Administer marketing automation (Marketo) and CRM platforms (Salesforce.com); run reports, queries, scrub and import leads.
Content & Operational Assets
Manage all areas of content generation and production across all media platforms including white papers, datasheets, articles and other proof point documents; also manage operational assets for internal consumption.
Media Planning
Develop strategies, messages and schedules for the effective delivery of email and direct mail campaigns, press releases, websites, print ads, online ads and other media within the B2B or nonprofit space.
Marketing Planning & Implementation
Develop a detailed strategic marketing communications plan covering all target markets, target audiences, branding, messaging, and timing.
Product Marketing & Research
Work effectively with cross-functional teams to effectively communicate product launches and operations. Develop and drive positioning, messaging to target market segments.
Trade Shows & Events
Manage the budgeting, selection, planning, logistics, marketing, and execution of trade shows, conferences, and events where the company, or organization attends.
Graphic Design
Develop eye-catching graphics for websites, tradeshow booths and collateral. Tools: Abobe Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop; also HTML and CSS.
Internal Support
Provide marketing support to human resources, engineering, sales, support and other departments within the company when needed.
Emails & Templates
Create, design, and implement HTML emails such as newsletters, webinar invites, and the creation of templates.
My branding and product development projects are rooted in knowing what inspires an audience and what does not. My focus is to provide a connection between the audience and the value message while providing a return on investment for the organization.
Some of My Branding Strategies for Outdoor Organizations:
This banner displays some of the branding "big idea" strategies (shown as embroidered patches) that I designed for friends-of-the-park organizations at select national, state and county parks.
Product Development Experience:
GlyphGuy Backpacks – Helping children in nature programs walk their talk.
When my daughter was very young she wanted a backpack like her Mom and Dad, but everything for her age was emblazoned with a cartoon character, was poorly sewn, or was saturated with harmful and cancer-causing chemicals. I looked to parks for an alternative, but was alarmed by the low quality kid backpacks being sold. So in 2002, I started GlyphGuy Backpacks in my garage. My goal; helping America’s parklands and outdoor organizations embody their “explore, learn and protect” messaging while providing value to the next generation.
To begin, GlyphGuy purchased excess fabrics from larger production runs so the materials would not be thrown away. We also sourced materials from vendors with documented and verifiable SA-8000 social accountability and ISO-9000 quality standards. We gained inspiration from hospitals diligent about “green” fabrics for their patients, and looked to NASA and Police/Fire organizations because they use zippers that will not fail.
To ensure GlyphGuy’s backpacks were safe from Lead, Mercury, and Phthalates, the fabrics, zippers, and webbing were forensically tested by a third-party lab – and these results were publicly posted. GlyphGuy pursued this level of quality verification years before federal requirements concerning such chemicals.
Our environmental commitment was recognized by the City of Sunnyvale in California who honored GlyphGuy with a Green Business Certification; also, GlyphGuy’s Chipmunk pack for kids 3 -7 years old was awarded a Best Green Product by Dr. Toy.
GlyphGuy’s diligence earned the attention of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service's Junior Ranger Program by being selected to provide backpacks for their children in nature programs. To our knowledge, GlyphGuy was the first and only vendor selected by the NPS to provide official backpacks to the national Junior Ranger program.
For ten years GlyphGuy worked almost exclusively with national, state, and regional park associations, plus a few independent toy stores, to enhance their children-in-nature programs with my age appropriate, solidly sewn, and safe backpacks for kids. Sadly, in 2009 an unsavory company began selling copy backpacks that were virtually identical in appearance; the copies were drenched with Mercury, Lead, and did not included basic manufacturer information nor did they identify the county of origin. Efforts to fight the doppelganger were time consuming and ultimately confused loyal customers. In 2012, GlyphGuy closed.
After 10 years and 10,000 kid-sized backpacks, GlyphGuy stayed true to its original goal; helping America’s parklands embody their “explore, learn and protect” messaging while providing value to the next generation. More than 80% of our backpacks directly supported children-in-nature programs at national parks, state parks, and conservation based organizations, this included 3,500* backpacks for the NPS, U.S. Forest Service and the ATC.
* 2,500 packs for the NPS; 500 packs for the U.S. Forest Service's Smokey Bear; 500 packs for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Results:
- GlyphGuy's Chipmunk backpack was the first product ever selected by the National Park Service to represent their Junior Ranger Program
- GlyphGuy Backpacks were utilized in outdoor and interpretive programs at various National Parks including: Acadia NP, Crater Lake NP, Badlands NP, Grand Canyon NP, Hawaii Volcanoes NP, Kings Canyon NP, Mesa Verde NP, Mount Rainier NP, Saguaro NP, Sequoia NP, Theodore Roosevelt NP, Yosemite NP, Yellowstone NP, Zion NP
- Approved to represent the U.S. Forest Service's Smokey the Bear 60th Anniversary program
- Selected by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to represent their trail education and youth programs
- Recognized as the first ever home-based business to earn a Green Business Certification from the City of Sunnyvale, California
- GlyphGuy's Chipmunk backpack was recognized by Doctor Toy as a Best Green Product; because GlyphGuy packs were solidly-sewn, made with non-toxic materials, and oversight with SA-8000 social accountability and ISO-9000 quality standards, and packs were free of Lead, Mercury, and cancer-causing Phthalates which were verified by third-party forensic testing
- Featured in Journeys, the Magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, November-December, 2005
Family of Backpacks:
Alpine
Spacious with good back ventilation, hip-belt and well padded shoulder straps the Alpine is the backpack for adults. Includes room for an internal 2-liter water bladder and an external 1-liter bottle.
Bobcat
The Bobcat fits children or petite sized adults. Great for kids who want to emulate their trail heroes - Mom and Dad.
Coyote
Solidly sewn the Coyote was made for outdoors classrooms and hands-on experiences. Simple compartments include ample room for notebooks, pens, pencils, magnifiers and field guides. Can also hold 2, 2-liter water bottles. Intended for ages 7 to 97. Designed by park interpreters.
Chipmunk
A rugged and practical backpack for children 3-7 years old. Sized for use by small hands with easy to open zippers. The Chipmunk was winner of the "Best Green Product" from Dr. Toy. Selected by the National Park Service to represent their Junior Ranger program, and used by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for youth outreach.
GlyphGuy's Alpine backpack taken while on-the-trail in northwestern Washington state during product testing.
Stepping into the world. A three year-old adventurer enjoying a field of grass and flowers with her GlyphGuy Bobcat backpack. The pack is well sized to hold a sandwich, jacket, juice cup, and a teddy bear. This marketing photo was inspiration for the cover of the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Journeys, the magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Two young explorers with their GlyphGuy Coyote backpacks at the steps of the Kukulkan Pyramid, the Mayan archaeological site in Chichen Itza, Mexico. The photo was provided by an enthusiastic customer.
A five-year old hitting the trail with her GlyphGuy Chipmunk backpack. A snapshot captured while visiting a California State Park near Lake Tahoe, California.
I enjoy creating programs and managing events that help visitors/customers make connections both intellectually and emotionally — so they can discover their own meaning. My experiences include organizing outdoor family events, facilitating public forums and managing corporate trade show presence.
Outdoor Programs I Developed and Led:
Adventure Travel Guide
For two years I was the principal of GlyphGuy Adventure Travel where I developed and led active and fun outdoor trips in the San Francisco Bay Area. The audience was overworked tech employees who desired structured events to better spend time with their families.
Trips included:
- Day hikes to local parks
- Kayaking trips - estuary
- Whale watching
- Local history outings
- Natural history museums
- Backpacking in Point Reyes National Seashore
- 3-days camping on Santa Rosa Island - Channel Islands National Park
I developed the itineraries, marketed the events, managed the web presence, provided all pre-trip information, and led the trips.
Hiking for Families
Adult and Community Education - Sunnyvale, California.
Developed and led weekend day hikes for families with young children. All hikes were within a one hour drive with easy trails of 2-3 miles in length and were several hours in duration.
- Developed program
- Obtained approval with community center
- Managed course logistics
ECOS Interpretive Program
Developed the interpretive Environmental Conservation Outdoor Study Program (ECOS) for the Sanborn Park Hostel.
ECOS introduced local and international visitors to the cultural and natural history of the surrounding 2800 acre park.
Topics included:
- Crossing from the Pacific to the North American tectonic plate
- The tallest living organisms in the world live in this park
- The hostel's kitchen is hundreds, possibly thousands of years old
- A native tree produces a popular cooking spice
I developed concept, obtained board approval, marketed programs, and led weekend day hikes.
Front Country Camping
Created an introductory class for families new to car camping in front country campgrounds; included best-practices, parent/child safety, easy dish washing techniques, ethics, and how to avoid potential pitfalls. Content was based around Leave No Trace principles.
- Developed interactive and vibrant 20 minute presentation
- Designed presentation boards
- Created 60 page book
- Worked with state park to assist with programming
Experience with Corporate Presence and Tour Directing:
Trade Show Exhibiting
Developed the booth presence for GlyphGuy Backpacks and exhibited at nearly four dozen local, state, and national field events and trade shows; including exhibiting 3 years at the Summer Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, and multiple shows with NAI (National Association for Interpretation) and APPL (Association of Partners for Public Lands).
- Designed booth presence
- Developed collateral
- Provisioned all travel and drayage materials
- Staffed booth
Trainings & Workshops
Supported Cisco System's 2006 Global Sales Meeting, specifically details related to attendance and scheduling.
- Oversaw a $50K budget
- Managed registrations of 1000+ attendees
- Organized session abstracts
- Managed speaker lists, schedule, agenda
- Scheduled marketing e-blasts to attendees
- Managed vendors for event collateral
Field Events
Supported Centrify's field marketing events for 6 years from a startup mode, through to profitability and finally industry leader.
Responsibilities included:
- Designed booth graphics
- Oversaw production of graphics
- Managed booth logistics
- Provisioned materials
- Fixed wear-and-tear
- Managed drayage and site concerns
- Negotiated rates
- Handled invoices
- Managed staffing schedules
- Customs and VAT tax concerns
Public Speaking
As a tour director I led 5-day motor coach trips along California's coastal treasure, Highway One. I presented to an audience of 45 and provided for their safety and comfort.
Destinations included:
- California Missions
- Big Sur Coast
- Hearst Castle
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- 17-mile drive
- San Francisco City Tour
- Night in San Francisco - Tonga Room
- Organized side trips to Muir Woods, Alcatraz, and Bay Cruises
Experiences with Global Awareness:
Houseparent, Sanborn Park Hostel
Hostelling International USA - Sanborn Park Hostel. Served as houseparent for 2+ years.
Sanborn Park Hostel was a 39-bed historic building within a 2,800 acre county park deep in a redwood forest.
- Managed front desk operations, reconciliation of cash receipts, accommodation logs, inventory, and reservations
- Provided for the safety and customer experience of 2,000 annual hostellers; 20% were international visitors
- Helped to establish a recycling program before it was 'popular' with city/regional infrastructure
- Met my then-future wife while hostelling!
- Discovered the melody, "Happy Birthday to You" is the same in over 30 languages.
Member, Board of Directors Sanborn Park Hostel
Hostelling International USA - Sanborn Park Hostel.
Served for two years on the Board of Directors
- Oversaw an annual budget of $450K
- Managed restoration issues of the historic structures
- Budget allocations
- Organized volunteer events
- Recruited volunteers
- Setup the hostel's website and managed event calendar
Cultural Speaker Series
Developed a semester long series of public forums titled, Around the World. The forums invited local cultural leaders and elders to speak about their religious/cultural beliefs in an open and welcoming group setting.
- Obtained funding for speaker stipends
- Recruited 17 speakers
- Moderated the forums
- Coordinated local promotion
- Managed timelines & budgets
- Recruited volunteers
- Handled event logistics
- Communicated with security per college protocol
- Published event findings
Travel
My international travel experiences include: Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, and much of western Europe especially in the Tirol and Südtirol regions. I enjoy backpacking and traveling by foot, searching out towns where English is not spoken, finding family farms where food is sourced locally, and I love interacting with locals as much as possible.
This quote was posted on the wall of a youth hostel where I worked. I share Mr. Twain's perspective:
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things can not be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad
Here are some of my clients:
Software Development & Tech Clients:
Centrify Corporation, Marketing Manager Consultant
I helped to grow a company from startup to mature business and industry leader; wore a variety of hats including: Web Manager, Graphics Designer, Database and Email Communications Manager over the course of a 7 year time-frame.
Interwoven, Inc., Project Manager Consultant
Six month project to analyze communication and work flows of the corporate product “roll out” process across seven departments; identified resource conflicts, improvements and change process, presented findings to executive staff.
Interwoven, Inc., Process Consultant
Operational support for Program Managers for worldwide marketing campaigns; lead scrubbing, importing leads, HTML email troubleshooting and reporting.
Various Silicon Valley Firms (Employee or Contract)
Worked in marketing and operations as an employee or contractor at multiple companies, including: Apple, Chromatic Research, Cisco Systems, Intel, Interwoven, Lucent Technologies and Web TV (Microsoft).
Nonprofit Clients:
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Manufactured custom backpacks for the ATC store to support outdoor education and interpretive youth programs.
Big Basin Redwoods State Park Centennial
Developed the event poster for the Big Basin Redwoods State Park Centennial (1902-2002) celebration - California's first and oldest State Park. The poster was used to market the event and was sold in the park's store for revenue generation.
Point Reyes National Seashore Association
Developed an interpretive WPA-style graphic featuring National Seashore's re-introduced population of Tule Elk. The image has been used for up to ten years as a revenue generation tool for the park's bookstore.
Santa Clara Valley Science & Engineering Fair Association (2010)
The SCVSEFA needed a minor recharge to their previous logo of 25 years, the logo was redesigned. Also a 50-year celebration pin (1960-2010) was also created.
Sequoia Natural History Association
Created a suite of four interpretive graphics featuring natural landmarks within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The suite was utilized for four in the park's many bookstores for revenue.
Sierra State Parks Foundation
Designed a suite of five graphics featuring state parks in the greater Lake Tahoe area. The images were used by the foundation as a revenue tool.
South Bay Ramblers
The outdoor club of Silicon Valley required a logo that could be easily used across a range of media from the website to embroidered clothing.
Additional Park Association Clients:
Angel Island Association, Boosters of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Calaveras Big Trees Association, Galena Creek Recreation Area, Mount Rainier Guest Services, Pine Ridge Association, Sand Harbor Nevada State Park, San Mateo Coast Natural History Association.
Government Clients:
California State Parks
Manufactured 10K State Park Volunteer Patches that were Oeko-tex compliant; met and exceeded U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requirements. The patches were given to volunteers to help identify them and their important work.
National Park Service, Junior Ranger Program
Manufactured official NPS Junior Ranger backpacks that were Phthalate and Lead free; met ISO 9000, SA 8000, Oeko-Tex specifications and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requirements. The backpacks were in support of the Explore-Learn-Protect mission of the Junior Ranger program.
Volunteering:
Mount Pisgah Arboretum
Friends of Buford Park and Mount Pisgah
Obsidians Outdoor Club
The Nature Conservancy - Communications & Outreach Services
» Designed volunteer recruitment and communication HTML newsletters, managed multiple lists, oversaw mailings, and the transition of database to an industry-leading software tool
» Newsletter - July 2014. HTML Template and layout (View a PDF)
» Newsletter - June 2014. HTML Template and layout (View a PDF)
» Newsletter - Spring 2014. HTML Template and layout (View a PDF)
» Volunteer Flier - Spring 2014. Created layout (View a PDF)
Woven throughout my life's experiences is a singular passion — helping nature.
As a young child, I was raised in a rural area in eastern Oklahoma. My family's small acreage had a seasonal creek where I learned about waste runoff from neighbors with too many cows, and point source pollution from septic tanks. My parents introduced me to ideas about sustainability, climate change, and the need for protecting clean water. Their science backgrounds and active teaching styles are the source of my inspiration for involving people in the outdoors.
We spent summers and weekends in a remote area of the Ozark Mountains, living off the land in a rough wood cut cabin near a 24-mile long stream called, “Little Lee Creek.” This water source was central to my childhood and essential to the lives of people within a Cherokee community.
Sadly, at the age of 12, I witnessed the destruction of Little Lee Creek by an illegal landfill — that was my defining moment. I felt there was a better way - a path that allowed the environment, communities, and businesses to thrive.
Finding that better way has been my journey. My path has taken me in many directions: helping others to look beneath the surface of a redwood forest to learn about the natural history, addressing the issue of product safety with my backpacks made for the National Park Service's Junior Ranger program, and expanding the conversation by learning about the power of marketing in the high-tech world of Silicon Valley.
Today, I utilize those combined experiences to help businesses and organizations tell their stories via creative marketing strategies and with innovative technology.
"a strong commitment to outdoor organizations."
"[Mark] Hougardy maintains a strong commitment to supporting national and state park associations and other worthy outdoor organizations."
— A.T. Journeys, The Magazine of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Nov-Dec 2005
"a very talented web producer and marketing programs/operations manager..."
"It's been a pleasure working with Mark at Centrify for the past seven years. Mark is a very talented web producer and marketing programs/operations manager. He is very knowledgeable about Marketo and Salesforce.com, and is able to produce programs under tight deadlines among competing priorities. Whether it's a simple change to the website that's needed, or a program with multiple deliverables like HTML email, landing pages, back-end connectivity and reporting, Mark always delivers. Mark is also very flexible. He will take on a project at last minute's notice, and still drive through to completion on time. I highly recommend Mark to anyone who is seeking a highly skilled and deeply experienced marketing programs/operations professional."
— Brian H. - Principal at Big Up Marketing
"thank you for your support of the camping and environmental education work that we do..."
"Thank you for your participation as a sponsor at our first annual Little Basin Camping and Recreation Festival on April 21, 2012 at Little Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a group campground of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Your class, 'Introduction to Family Camping,' contributed greatly to the success of the festival and toward helping make new campers aware of how they can create a successful camping trip. We appreciate the effort you put into designing and delivering this class twice during the festival, and I was impressed by the hands-on methods you use and the excellent visuals and examples you had for participants. And, as always, thank you for your support of the camping and environmental education work that we do at the WOLF School.
— Heather Butler, Web of Life Field School, Director
"Mark was an excellent instructor."
"Mark was an excellent instructor. I look forward to taking the class next year!!"
— Statement from a "Hiking for Families" Program Evaluation
"I highly recommend Mark for further work in the field of environmental studies."
"Mark is genuinely interested in environmental issues and is serious about his studies, taking an objective fact-finding approach in his research. He is responsible, reliable and dependable. I highly recommend Mark for further work in the field of environmental studies."
— Professor Roger Crawford, Dept. of Geography & Human Environmental Studies, San Francisco State University
"a great person with whom to work..."
"Mark’s maturity and good judgment in difficult situations combined with his hospitable and totally charming personality are qualities not easily found in one person. He was punctual, accurate with paperwork and money, absolutely trustworthy, and a great person with whom to work. He took extra time and effort to get tasks done and done well. He went the ‘extra step’ to help our guests have a positive hostelling experience.”"
— Sylvia Carroll, Manager Sanborn Park Hostel