LILA PATTON HERBST
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lilapatton
Lila@PattonHerbst.com

SENIOR TECHNICAL WRITER & EDITOR


SUMMARY
- Experience documenting a wide variety of software and procedures, from GUI to API.
- Ability to read code and write basic samples.
- Proven writing, editing and proofreading skills.
- Highly effective communicator, able to work well independently and in a collaborative team.
- Success driving multi-writer projects as publication captain.
- Self driven, detail oriented, will adapt easily to new challenges and environments.
- Conversant in French, some knowledge of Spanish, Russian, and ASL.
- Passionate about written language and communication.
- Excellent references from managers, peers, and direct consulting clients.
 
SKILLS
- Publication Formats: DITA XML, HTML, PDF, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, CHM.
- Writing Tools: SDL Trisoft, XMetaL, <oXygen/>, Arbortext, MS Office, FrameMaker, RoboHelp, WebWorks, Dreamweaver, MediaWiki.
- Other Tools: SharePoint, Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, Perforce, Bugzilla, Eclipse.
- Programming: HTML, XML, JavaScript, Java, C++, Lisp/Scheme, Perl, shell scripting.
- Experience with revision control, bug tracking tools, content management, wikis.
- Installation and maintenance of software under Windows, Mac OS X, UNIX.
- Scrum team / Agile development environment experience.


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

09/2013 – present
Hitachi Data Systems (Santa Clara, CA)
Technical Writer
- Update multiple user guides for Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform systems, publish as PDF and Online Help.
- Prepare (reorganize and edit for compliance with DITA standards) and post-process user guides for conversion from <oXygen/> and FrameMaker DocBook formats to DITA XML in SDL Trisoft CMS.


11/2010 – 07/2013
NetApp (Sunnyvale, CA)
Technical Writer
- Member of writing team for storage management software products.
- Managed and published large and complex Online Help system in DITA as Help captain for OnCommand Unified Manager releases, coordinated content contributions from a team of writers.
- Produced content for the Online Help, Administration Guide, API Developer’s Guide, Workflow Guide, and Release Notes as a contributing writer for OnCommand Unified Manager releases.
- Documented features and bugs as a Scrum team member in an Agile environment.
- Collaboratively produced guidelines for how to adapt writing processes to new Agile environment.
- Rescued multiple small documentation projects when the original writer became unavailable.
- Mentored new hires, led efforts to maintain team consistency in writing and process.

07/2010 – 10/2010
Hitachi Data Systems (Santa Clara, CA)
Technical Writer
- Updated and copy edited software documentation for Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform major release.

09/2009 - 04/2010
Nikon Precision Inc. (Belmont, CA)
Technical Writer
- Converted technical bulletins (from Word) and user manuals (from FrameMaker) to DITA XML.
- Contributed feedback for improvement of DITA implementation.
- Revised content of legacy FrameMaker documentation based on information in newer manuals.

05/2009 – 04/2010
Oak Hill Corporation (Sunnyvale, CA)
Technical Editor, Copy Editor
- Various editing projects for clients including Cisco and Palm.

03/2009 – 08/2010
Zyrion, Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
Technical Writer
- Updated and overhauled existing FrameMaker documentation for major release of enterprise business service monitoring software, including User Guide, Developer Guide & API Reference, Release Notes.
- Wrote original content for new features, drawing from technical specs, interaction with developers, and exploration of the product.
- Converted User Guide and Developer Guide & API Reference to HTML using WebWorks.
- Created a new Evaluation Guide from scratch in FrameMaker.
- Updated and cleaned up FrameMaker formats and templates.
- Provided continuing support for subsequent releases.

05/2007 - 03/2009
NetApp (Sunnyvale, CA)
Technical Writer
- Member of writing team providing documentation for Storage Management and Application Integration (SMAI) software, one of NetApp's most profitable product groups.
- Wrote new material based on functional specifications and SME interviews.
- Produced release notes, install and admin guides in FrameMaker and DITA XML, with single-sourced CHM Help. Wrote product information and download pages in HTML.
- Planned and executed migration of several manuals from FrameMaker books to DITA XML format and into Trisoft CMS.
- Led documentation effort for releases of OEM third-party software products, represented tech pubs at cross-functional project team meetings, created documentation plans and schedules.
- Assisted editorial team with copy editing as well as taking over preproduction editing for two Data ONTAP releases.

04/1998 - 04/2001
VERITAS Software (Mountain View, CA)
Systems Administrator, Engineering
- Documented configuration standards and procedures for technical reference and for end-user guides.
- Managed system administration tasks for new hire and employee exit processes.
- Performed mail alias and list administration, DNS updates, installation and upgrades of software on engineering servers, basic network maintenance.
- Provided user support to the in-house engineering community.
 
10/1997 - 01/1998
Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Mountain View, CA)
System Administrator, Systems Migration Group
- Performed migration of user data and systems for employee transfers between Sun campuses.


EDUCATION
- UC Berkeley Extension: Professional Sequence in Editing, Certificate. (May 2007)
- University of California, Berkeley: BA, Cognitive Science major, Linguistics minor. (May 1997)


PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
- Society for Technical Communication
- STC Technical Editing SIG
- Silicon Valley DITA Interest Group
- Bay Area Editors' Forum


OTHER INTERESTS
- Foreign Languages & Linguistics: French (conversational), Russian (5 semesters), ASL (4 semesters)
- Singing: + San Francisco Symphony Chorus (1999 – 2003, 2006)
	     [sang on 2004 Grammy-winning SFS recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3]
	   + UC Berkeley University Chorus
	   + Perfect Fifth/Berkeley Madrigal Singers, UC Berkeley
- Rock Climbing, Hiking, Backpacking, Traveling, Dancing (lindy hop, argentine tango, ballroom, folk)