About our Instructors

I'm Bevi Chagnon, fouder of PubCom, and I teach most of our classes. But I also invites selected colleagues to teach classes in their area of expertise. Two long-time (and highly talented) instructors are Les Greenberg and Sheri German.

Classes at PubCom's training lab are small, hands-on, and informal (but structured), giving students a pleasant training environment with a seasoned expert at the helm.

About Bevi Chagnon

Bevi Chagnon,
founding honcho & creative director, is a frequent speaker on publishing technology at national trade conferences.

I used to operate a much larger consulting firm and training lab with employees and lots of contractors and consultants, but I'm going to be honest: I didn't like managing all those people and watching them have all the fun of teaching and designing. And I also didn't like spending hours and hours stuck in Beltway traffic, nor days and days paying bills to run the place.

So I dropped out of the rat race, downsized, and created a cozy creative studio and training lab in a separate part of my home. I'm now happy as a clam. Every day. Yes!

What I do for a living.

I love to design, work with digital media, write, and teach.

When I'm not scheduled for classes by my government agency clients, I hold small classes here at the training lab. A few times a year I travel to conduct classes for clients at their regional offices. Once in a while I'm a seminar presenter or conference speaker.

And I'm a contributing partner (writer) for www.CommunityMX.com, one of the Internet's leading websites for not only website development, but also print and Acrobat publishing, too.

I work on a small, select group of design projects for print and web, mainly because I either like the client or am intrigued and challenged by the project. Some recent projects include: redesigning a publication and developing team workstandards to ensure 508-accessibility for print/web/Acrobat publications; retooling a website, adding in marketing features; and designing a series of covers.

Frequently, I write articles for trade publications, post endless postings on email lists, add a page to the resource section of PubCom's website, and add a section or two to my forthcoming books. If you're a member of any of a half-dozen email lists around the country for publishing and webdev, then you most likely have seen my name: I like to help my colleagues by sharing my knowledge with them.

I'm a seasoned teacher: I've taught for over 20 years, not just through my company, PubCom, but also at local community colleges and universities, and through US GPO's training offices. I'm considered one of the best instructors in town, especially in the realm of digital-media-and-publishing-for-government-and-non-profits, which is a niche industry particular to the Washington metro area.

I'm a good, award-winning graphic designer: I put my stamp on everything from magazines to marketing materials to government tomes, from traditional print to electronic documents to Internet websites. I classify my design style as "classic with a touch of 'the unusual' when I can get away with it."

I'm a former publications director, managing editor, and junk-mail copywriter: Excuse me...I meant to say "direct mail" copywriter and designer.

And I'm a computer geek: I began programming mainframes (IBM 360s and NCR somethings) in 1971 using binary (that's zeros and ones). Today I build my studio's file servers and workstations, and teach neighborhood kids how to repair and soup up their home computers. Also, I research and dabble in the latest technology for publishing, always keeping an eye to our industry's future.

What I teach.

I teach what I love. Digital media, design, publishing, and website development.

I adhere to all the traditional pedagogies for adult learners, which I mastered while teaching at some wonderful colleges. I offer CEUs for each hour of training, as well as professional development certificates. This paragraph should make your HR department happy.

Some of my classes focus on theory and big-picture concepts, others are hands-on and technical.

When teaching programmers website development, I slip in basic guidelines for visual design. And when teaching designers, I demystify the technology they're using.

Using both sides of my brain, I teach others to use both sides of theirs.

About my studio and training.

The studio and training lab are in my home in Takoma Park, MD, which is in a constant stage of renovation (note the degree in architecture below).

Yes, it's not a fancy schmancy training center, which is why I don't have to charge fancy schmancy prices for my classes and services.

It's a nice, spacious, airy, comfortable, well-appointed studio and training lab. But it IS a working studio, not a sterile "pretend" environment.

There are 12 computers, both Macs and PCs, and 5 printers. And just about every software app I want to have, need to have, or pretend to need to have, is here ... along with a very expensive alarm system on the whole place.

It's also just me here, along with two mangy mutts, and frequent contractors or assistants or clients who drop by, log their laptop onto PubCom's WiFi, and join me on projects. They also know where the studio's fridge is, how to work our hi-tech coffeepot, and where my stash of imported chocolate is hidden.

About my credentials.

Download my resumé for the full story. The nutshell version is:

Began work in family business when 18 months old (vice-president of production for the Easter Bunny: this is for real).
Began studying art, marketing, and architecture when 7 years old.
Designed two houses while in high school. Both were built. One won a national award from a homebuilders association.
Worked my way through college as typist, typesetter, administrative secretary, payroll clerk, assistant packaging designer at a printing plant, door-to-door salesperson (this is for real, too), farmer's market booth bunny, VW Beetle mechanic, and landscape designer.
Self-employed except during high-school and college years.
BS (or maybe it's a BA) in environmental design (architecture, with a concentration in the socio-political-psychological affects of design on behavior—my undergrade research thesis was half design, half psych).
Another BS or BA in something generic (check the resumé for details).
MBA from THE Johns Hopkins University.

Whew, I've been busy. It's time for a nap!