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Gretchen Koch

GretchenKoch.dr@gmail.com | GiantIf.com | 337.739.3267 | LinkedIn

  • 11 years of content design experience in software development
  • Expert proficiency in expository writing for all audiences
  • Interdisciplinary PhD focusing on cognition, agency, empathy, and ethical/moral responsibility
  • Lifelong involvement in multimedia arts, including serving on the boards of two arts organizations

Senior Writer
Health Catalyst                                                    

June 2022 – Current

As part of the Product Content team at Health Catalyst, I manage the content lifecycle for products and services across Health Catalyst’s healthcare data and analytics platform. This includes:

  • Creating and maintaining documentation in HTML and Markdown
  • Working with several product teams concurrently to track, prioritize, and fulfil their respective documentation needs
  • Uploading content to a repo in Azure DevOps as source control, and managing the deployment pipeline for that content
  • Conducting a content audit of the documentation site hosting all product user guides and help files
  • Refining internal style and usage guidelines to ensure consistency across all product help content
  • Creating data sheets introducing new products to internal and external audiences
  • Building training presentations based on the needs of learner personas established for a product, including walkthroughs and emphasis on key learnings
  • Conferring with SMEs to create relationship tables indicating adherence to established standards
  • Creating and updating tasks in Sharepoint, Planner, and Teams

Technical Writer II
Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting North America

August 2012 – June 2022

As part of the Technical Publications team, I collaborated with Agile development teams, tax analysts, and SMEs to create and maintain content deliverables for on-premises and SaaS tax software products.

  • Collaborated within the Tech Pubs team to move from a triplane layout to a modern multi-column layout for online help for the Axcess (SaaS) suite of tax products
  • Led the yearly rollover of 100,000+ field/form and cross reference help files as a project manager heading up a small team within Technical Publications using MadCap Flare, Lotus Notes, Team Foundation Server, and Adobe Acrobat Pro
  • Managed source control for documentation under the team’s ownership using Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) on a local server, then in a project on Microsoft Azure DevOps (ADO)
  • Used Knowledge-Centered Support (KCS) methodology to create articles, case files for customer support communications, video software demonstrations, and internal performance reports in the Salesforce knowledge base
  • Created, edited, and sent customer newsletter emails containing product feature updates, federal and state tax law updates, notices of sunsetting, and other content tailored to customer audiences for each product using Lotus Notes
  • Tracked and fixed bugs found in context-sensitive help within applications
  • Tracked and applied updates made by SMEs using MadCap Contributor
  • Performed database analyses to compile reports on updates made by tax analysts to their respective leads and managers to ensure that necessary updates were made in accordance with changes to  tax law.

VOLUNTEER ROLES

Steering Committee Member, Neurodivergent Affinity Group
Health Catalyst

As a member of the steering committee, I work collaboratively to provide support for neurodivergent colleagues, and to research workplace issues concerning both neurodivergent workers and their managers/ employers.

Board Secretary
MakeICT

MakeICT is a non-profit makerspace based in Wichita, Kansas, providing a safe and welcoming space where “makers” can train on skills, try out new hobbies, and/or find resources to indulge their existing passions. As board secretary, I prepare meeting agendas and record meeting minutes in addition to other board responsibilities.

Board Director
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC)

The AAEC is an editorial/political cartoonist organization dedicated to promoting the work of these artists as important commentary on political events. As a director on the board, my responsibilities included collaborating on press releases/statements, evaluating prospective new members, and judging cartoonist portfolios for awards.

I’ve been an independent political cartoonist actively since 2016, with cartoons published in the Wichita Eagle, the Kansas City Star, and Politico.

Adjunct Lecturer, “Religion, Cognition, and Theory of Mind”
University of Aarhus

Theory of mind is the ability to recognize others as having thoughts of their own, and relating to them on that basis. Cognitive empathy (perspective-taking) is only possible because we have a theory of mind. This course discussed where theory of mind comes from, and how in humans it often translates to belief in spirits, deities, ghosts, and other supernatural agents. (See slide decks on the Academic Writing/Publishing page).

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS

Certificate in Writing for Current Technical Writers, Editors, and Designers
Butler Community College
PhD, University of Aarhus, Denmark: Religion, Cognition, and Theory of Mind
MA, University of Manchester, UK: Religion and Culture
BA, Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, TX: Religious Studies