Brandon Gilbert

Greetings! I’m the Creative Director at Starry Eyes Media, an Appalachian-based creative agency specializing in small government web and brand development. I enjoy taking a pragmatic approach to developing strategies and managing creative communications projects. In addition, I love helping small and rural communities transition into modern communication strategies by developing custom-tailored tools, such as interactive websites.

Over the years, my passion for working with small businesses has evolved into a broader love of empowering the communities that sustain small businesses and their residents with digital tools that promote growth and tourism. More recently, I accepted an invitation to join the city council’s Community Improvement Commission for the City of Princeton, WV.

I began establishing my creative career at an early age, some nineteen years ago, when I jump-started my education in advertising and communications arts by attending Mercer County Technical Education Center before pursuing university studies.

Since then, I’ve developed my unique skill set with a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising/Graphics Design, completed numerous freelance projects, and fully managed digital communications, branding, booking, and tour planning/managing for an indie band (while also writing and performing). Ultimately, I’ve helped hundreds of clients across numerous industries, including state and local government, nonprofits, food services, manufacturing/fabrication, and more.

If you have similar passions and endeavors, I welcome the opportunity to connect!

Background

• Creative Director: In addition to guiding the creative direction of Starry Eyes Media, since 2015, I’ve handled business development and system planning at Starry Eyes Media. Before this role, I was a Studio Coordinator at First Media Service’s Willie 97.3FM and a touring musician.
• Volunteering: Commission Member at the City of Princeton’s Community Improvement Commission
• Education: B.A. Advertising/Graphic Design, Concord University

Expertise

My expertise is planning and developing organizational systems/tools that collect and propagate data in useful ways, solving problems on collecting and using data, print and web design and collaborating with other creative individuals for design and brand strategies.

• Project Planning / System Design / Workflows / Organizational Processes
• Brand Development / Logo Design / Brand Strategy / Visual Identity / Brand Positioning
• Web Development / Content Management Systems/ Website Hosting / DNS Records
• Print Publication / Comprehensive Plan Formatting & Publishing / Community Catalogs / Page & Spread Planning / Binding / Folding / Print-Ready Files
• Graphic Design / Custom Maps / Photography & Photo Editing / Color & Typography Planning
• Data Engineering / MySQL / Airtable / MS Access / MS Excel / Databases / Spreadsheets
• Content Strategies / Promotional Planning

Organizations

• Alpha Chi National Honor Society: Founded in 1922 to recognize and promote academic excellence among college and university students of all disciplines, to encourage a spirit of service and leadership, and to nurture the elements of character that make scholarship effective for good.Alpha Chi is a coeducational academic honor society and a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. We accept only students who place in the top ten percent of their class from all academic disciplines. With some 300 chapters, located in almost every state, the organization inducts approximately 10,000 members annually.
• Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society: Today, Gamma Beta Phi has chapters at community colleges, liberal arts institutions, and private/public research institutions across the United States. It regularly inducts thousands of academically successful students who share its mission of promoting education and service. The Society’s emphasis on post-induction community service distinguishes it from the vast majority of collegiate honor societies and scholastic associations.
• Phi Sigma Phi National Fraternity: Phi Sigma Phi is a partnering organization with the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. This partnership was first implemented by Doug Renshaw at the Epsilon Zeta Chapter at Fairmont State University and was expanded to a national effort at the July 2015 National Leadership Development Academy in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Epsilon Lambda Chapter at the University of Michigan-Dearborn works with the National Breast Cancer Foundation and hosts their Pink Party annually to raise funds for breast cancer research.
• Phi Eta Sigma National Freshman Honor Society: Founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois, Phi Eta Sigma is the nation’s oldest and largest honor society for first-year college and university students in all disciplines. The three Greek words appearing on our crest form the motto of the organization: “Knowledge is Power.”

Awards

• Bass Guitar Artist Endorsement, August 2014 – Spector Bass
• Steve Clayton USA Artist Endorsement, Aug 2014 – Steve Clayton USA
• Top Senior in Advertising/Graphic Design Program, May 2014 – Concord University
• Dean’s List, December 2012 – Concord University (4.0 semester G.P.A.)
• Dean’s List, July 2012 – Concord University (4.0 semester G.P.A.)
• Dean’s List, May 2012 – Concord University (4.0 semester G.P.A.)
• President’s List, December 2010 – Bluefield State College (4.0 semester G.P.A.)
• President’s List, May 2010 – Bluefield State College (4.0 semester G.P.A.)
• Dean’s List, December 2009 – Bluefield State College (3.75 semester G.P.A.)
• Corporate Quarterly Outstanding Performance Award/Highest Data Sales (200%+) in WV Wireless Division, September 2008 – nTelos Wireless
• Specialist E04 Promotion, July 2008 – United States Army
• Army Service Ribbon, October 2007 – United States Army
• Infantry Cross Rifle Medal, October 2007 – United States Army
• Sharpshooter Marksman Badge, September 2007 – United States Army
• Dean’s List, May 2006 – Bluefield State College (3.57 semester GPA)
• President’s List, December 2005 – Bluefield State College (4.0 semester GPA)
• Norma Jean Bay Scholarship for Top Graphic Design Students, May 2005