Valerie is an ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER and ILLUSTRATOR with 25+ years of experience in print design and portraiture. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Publication Designers, PRINT, HOW, Graphic Design USA, the American Advertising Federation and the Association of Educational Publishers.
After an 18-year career at the Southern Poverty Law Center where she served as Deputy Design Director, she shifted gears and, with the support and encouragement of friends and family, bicycled across the United States.
She has had the great privilege of creating and collaborating with a variety of freelance clients over the years including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, The Nature Conservancy, Alabama Folklife Association, the Jeremiah Program, Justice for Migrant Women, Gruhn Guitars, and the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project. She recently had the great privilege of illustrating a flock of fascinating birds for the interior of Birding to Change the World: A Memoir by Trish O’Kane.
With deep roots in Montgomery, Alabama, Valerie is now learning the rhythm of daily life in the Tidewater region of Virginia. She shares a home with three vibrant humans, a funny little bunny, a handsome bearded dragon, and one super dog.
