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I'm a strategic and hands-on Marketing & Creative Director with more than two decades of leadership in brand management across nonprofits, museums, sports, and media. I guide teams, manage multiple projects, and uphold high standards for execution, accuracy, and detail. I thrive on elevating brand expression within established guidelines and delivering innovative solutions that boost consistency and audience engagement. I enjoy mentoring teams, presenting ideas, and turning concepts into polished, on-brand results across print, digital, and environmental design. My approach blends creative exploration with practical project management to drive measurable impact for clients and organizations.…I'm a strategic and hands-on Marketing & Creative Director with more than two decades of leadership in brand management across nonprofits, museums, sports, and media. I guide teams, manage multiple projects, and uphold high standards for execution, accuracy, and detail. I thrive on elevating brand expression within established guidelines and delivering innovative solutions that boost consistency and audience engagement. I enjoy mentoring teams, presenting ideas, and turning concepts into polished, on-brand results across print, digital, and environmental design. My approach blends creative exploration with practical project management to drive measurable impact for clients and organizations.

Lena A. McDonagh

Designer, Creative Director, Brand Designer, +2

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I'm a strategic and hands-on Marketing & Creative Director with more than two decades of leadership in brand management across nonprofits, museums, sports, and media. I guide teams, manage multiple projects, and uphold high standards for execution, accuracy, and detail. I thrive on elevating brand expression within established guidelines and delivering innovative solutions that boost consistency and audience engagement. I enjoy mentoring teams, presenting ideas, and turning concepts into polished, on-brand results across print, digital, and environmental design. My approach blends creative exploration with practical project management to drive measurable impact for clients and organizations.…I'm a strategic and hands-on Marketing & Creative Director with more than two decades of leadership in brand management across nonprofits, museums, sports, and media. I guide teams, manage multiple projects, and uphold high standards for execution, accuracy, and detail. I thrive on elevating brand expression within established guidelines and delivering innovative solutions that boost consistency and audience engagement. I enjoy mentoring teams, presenting ideas, and turning concepts into polished, on-brand results across print, digital, and environmental design. My approach blends creative exploration with practical project management to drive measurable impact for clients and organizations.

Available to hire

I’m a strategic and hands-on Marketing & Creative Director with more than two decades of leadership in brand management across nonprofits, museums, sports, and media. I guide teams, manage multiple projects, and uphold high standards for execution, accuracy, and detail. I thrive on elevating brand expression within established guidelines and delivering innovative solutions that boost consistency and audience engagement.

I enjoy mentoring teams, presenting ideas, and turning concepts into polished, on-brand results across print, digital, and environmental design. My approach blends creative exploration with practical project management to drive measurable impact for clients and organizations.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Editorial Illustration

Expert

Final Cut Pro X

Expert

DaVinci Resolve Studio

Expert

Language

Spanish; Castilian

Fluent

Work Experience

Owner, Creative Director at DesignHaus11

January 1, 2011 - November 9, 2025

Lead strategy and hands-on design for multiple client portfolios including universities, museums, healthcare publishers and non-profits, managing concurrent projects that reinforce brand integrity and storytelling efficacy. Balance creative innovation with brand guidelines to create fresh visual expressions that elevate client reputations and engagement. Direct full creative cycles from ideation and production through final delivery—ensuring timely completion and high-quality standards.

Director, Advancement Communications at New Mexico State University Foundation

February 1, 2025 - February 1, 2025

Led UI/UX redesign of the NMSU Foundation website; hired agency and oversaw a nine-month project cycle, ensuring department information aligned with strategic priorities. Advanced in-house creative production, achieving major cost savings and greater brand consistency across print, digital, and social communications. Managed multiple campaigns under tight deadlines with meticulous detail and accuracy. Expanded brand storytelling within guidelines, growing social media audience and contributing to a $250M+ silent phase campaign.

Sr. Design Consultant at Lincoln Park Zoo

April 1, 2022 - April 1, 2022

Collaborated with executive leadership to conceptualize, design, and manage brand projects and activations during COVID. Designed the Pepper Family Wildlife Center branded environment, including interpretive signage, murals, and a donor wall that generated $1M in new revenue. Initiated and designed the first Lincoln Park Zoo wall calendar as a gift for legacy donors, partner organizations, and affiliate science centers.

Creative Director at Lincoln Park Zoo

August 1, 2020 - August 1, 2020

Led hands-on creative for rebranding initiatives, print and digital campaigns, environmental graphics, and donor engagement materials while maintaining strict brand cohesion with room for creative expression. Supervised and empowered creative teams and managed multiple projects from concept to execution with precision and timeliness. Led the design and production of the interpretive signage system for exhibits and habitats.

Director, Creative and Marketing at Chicago Sun-Times

February 1, 2017 - February 1, 2017

Directed a creative team delivering OOH, print, video, and digital brand campaigns with a focus on consistent brand messaging and high-quality execution across multiple service lines. Managed workloads, prioritized and advanced projects while nurturing team performance and creativity.

Business Manager at St. Jude League

September 1, 2014 - September 1, 2014

Led an in-house sales team in developing brand and marketing strategies for all publications and websites. Designed and developed marketing collateral and digital communications for the organization’s initiatives, including e-publications. Led the RFP process to hire new print partners for all Publications and marketing collateral resulting in 20% cost savings.

Director, Publications and Creative Services at Chicago Cubs—Chicago National League Baseball Club, LLC

December 31, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Built and managed in-house creative agency overseeing numerous concurrent publications and memorabilia projects, generating over $22M in profits. Ensured brand consistency across all consumer touchpoints, applying strategic vision paired with pragmatic project management to deliver polished, deadline-driven work.