About Me

I spent a decade in classrooms before I ever heard the term "instructional design," which, in hindsight, was its own kind of training. Ten years of teaching taught me how people actually learn, not how a slide deck assumes they do.

Since then I've led instructional design work for federal humanitarian workers, forensic scientists, behavioral therapists and credit executives at a Fortune 100 company. In every case, I wasn't just building content. I was diagnosing what was actually broken, in the curriculum, the workflow, or the team's approach to training itself, and building the framework to fix it.

Give me a needs assessment, a confused team, or a training strategy that's not working, and I'll find the actual problem before I build a single slide.

At USAID, that meant leading a bureau-wide learning needs assessment across global field offices and using the findings to reshape strategy for leadership. In my current role designing training for a federal law enforcement system, it's meant building the instructional frameworks and design standards an entire team now works from.

I bring a slightly unusual toolkit to this work: an MFA in creative writing, four years as a paralegal, and a decade of classroom management, all of which taught me the same lesson from different angles. Cut what doesn't serve the point. Don't mistake information for understanding. And never assume a system is working just because no one's questioned it yet.

I believe training should perform its own argument. The best work I've done hasn't been the polished course, it's been the moment I convinced a team to rethink their entire approach because the data said they should.

Outside of work, I enjoy sci-fi shows and being a mother to two kids who keep me honest about what "engaging" actually means.

What People Are Saying...

“Working with Gia has been an absolute pleasure. She is incredibly talented, open to suggestions, extremely creative and beyond dependable. Gia produces products that are well designed and developed. As a retired executive who ran a 40 person instructional design department, I only wish I had had the opportunity to hire Gia when I was still working."

Eileen Rixmann, former Executive Director of Learning and Development, Management Concepts

“Gia is an accomplished instructional designer who is always eager to learn new skills... Gia steps up when she has the opportunity to assist… she has a can-do attitude, and excellent communication skills. She is organized, reliable, and very technology savvy.”

Dr. Maurine Kwende, CEO and Founder, EMK Learning Solutions LLC

"If you’re looking for someone who can elevate your training programs and truly make an impact, I highly recommend Gia! ...Her natural intuition for learning strategies, combined with a deep well of creativity, makes her an invaluable asset to any team. Whether designing engaging e-learning experiences, developing impactful training programs, or streamlining complex content into digestible learning journeys, Gia does it all with precision and innovation."

Lika MacFarlane, PMP, SHRM-CP, former team lead, USAID

"Gia is a phenomenal L&D professional and colleague! I had the pleasure of working closely with her on several projects under contracts with the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance [USAID], witnessing Gia in roles including, e-learning developer, instructional designer, and project lead. Gia demonstrated thoughtful planning and preparation, astute relationship management with the client, innovative approaches to design and development, and consistent commitment to high quality products. Gia is reflective, collaborative and a quick learner. She would be a great asset to any organization, and I only hope to cross paths with her professionally again in the future!"

Anna Greenstone, former team lead, USAID

Articulate Storyline · Articulate Rise · Adobe Captivate · Camtasia · Vyond · Adobe Illustrator · Figma · Canva

Resume

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