lane-square

OWNER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR:

Digital Octane Creative Group, LLC – La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1997 – 2011
Lane Butz Creative, Los Angeles, California, 2011 to Present

Built and maintained a small firecracker design firm for many years (concurrent to teaching). The name has had a couple of iterations, starting as Digital Octane Creative located in Wisconsin and changing the name to Lane Butz Creative when I relocated to the Los Angeles area in 2011. My business, like most 25+ year design firms, started strong in print design and later spun into more web and app development. Clients include: 3M, Mayo Clinic, Gundersen/Lutheran Hospital, Franciscan-Skemp Hospital, Fastenal, American Physical Therapy Association, Wisconsin Visitor’s Bureau, University of Wisconsin, Henry Schein Dental Supply, Blitz, InSync+BemisBalkind, Silver Birches, Kreate, Polychord, and a plethora of independent projects.

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Exhart, Inc.
Chatsworth, California, 2013 – Current

  • Lead and manage the creative team in conceptualizing and executing multi-faceted marketing/advertising pieces specific to Exhart’s business-to-business brand strategy.
  • Collaborate with Marketing Director to design and maintain advertising strategy to strengthen Exhart’s dealer partnership awareness.
  • Establish Exhart’s signature creative standards, style guides and formats.
  • Direct overall design, photography, and art production.
  • Develop and direct all print and social campaigns targeted for Exhart’s dealers and/or end-users.
  • Develop attractive, cost-conducive product packaging and displays.
  • Execute designs within the style guidelines for each of Exhart’s licensed products.
  • Develop, design and maintain Exhart’s online wholesaler store and online retail store.
  • Create and maintain social media sites in relation to Exhart’s online retail store.
  • Maintain photo/advertising online asset server-site for Exhart vendors/partners (Target, Walmart, Lowes, QVC, HSN, Menards, etc).

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PROGRAM HEAD – GRAPHIC DESIGN, PRINTING AND
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS
Western Technical College – La Crosse, Wisconsin, 2006 – 2011

  • Lead and manage staff in areas of curriculum development, presentation, student success and program wellness.
  • Maintained and balance budgets for all three program areas.
  • Explored new technologies and presentation techniques (Whiteboards, ITV, overhead cameras, etc).
  • Assisted in creating new courses and program degrees and certificates.
  • Assisted college in grant dollar requests from the Wisconsin Quality Review Process and other grant opportunities.
  • Formed and maintained a collective of area professionals for advisory committees
  • Directed the articulation between the 16 colleges in the Wisconsin Technical College System to standardize basic design program outcomes that would benefit students transferring credits between the 16 schools in our Technical System as well as transferring credits into the University of Wisconsin system.

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INSTRUCTOR: Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1993 – 2011

  • Develop in-class and online curriculum in areas of Drawing, Illustration Concepts, Design Fundamentals, Quark, InDesign, Photoshop, Advanced Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Comprehensive Design and Troubleshooting
  • Present in-class lectures and labs and assess student performance
  • Present online curriculum live as well as pre-recorded lectures
  • Worked as a team member with instructional staff as well as support staff
    to continually better our Graphic Design program
  • Advised students in concerns of Program academics

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ILLUSTRATOR: Gateway Foods
La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1990 – 1993

INTERN LLUSTRATOR: Ackermann, Hood & McQueen
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1987-1989

 

EDUCATION

York College -York, Nebraska
Commercial Art: Associate of Arts – 1985-1987

Oklahoma Christian University – Edmond, Oklahoma
Advertising Design: 1987-1989

University of Wisconsin – Stout and La Crosse, Wisconsin
Education: WTCS Teaching Certification Coursework

Western Technical College
Education: WTCS Teaching Certification Coursework

 

MEMBERSHIPS

La Crescent Animal Rescue, La Crescent, MN – Board President 2006-2008
La Crescent Animal Rescue, La Crescent, MN – Member 2005-2006
FairShake Re-entry System – Board Member 2005-2006
National Association of Photoshop Professionals – 2007-2010
Certified Adobe Trainer – “Train the Trainer Program” – Illustrator & Photoshop – 2001-2007
International Graphic Arts Educator’s Association – Member 1996-2011
Cross Campus Co-working – Current

 

PROFICIENCIES

SOFTWARE: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Animate, Acrobat Pro, Word, Excel
FRONT END WEB SKILLS: HTML5, CSS3, WordPress, Prestashop
CREATIVE SKILLS: Strong concepting and illustration/drawing skills