KAITELYN PLOUDE

I have been in the business of design since I was old enough to hold a crayon and I have been truly captivated by creating beautiful artwork ever since. But it wasn't until high school that I truly fell in love with graphic design. It all began at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School with some simple desktop publishing. Local businesses would give students the opportunity to create basic design projects and I got a taste of how rewarding it felt to channel my creativity and passion into helping local businesses succeed.

After high school, I found a job as a part-time teller at BayCoast Bank while pursuing my degree in Business Management and Public Relations at Bridgewater State University. I quickly climbed the ranks and was eventually promoted to Interactive Teller Machine (ITM) Supervisor where I was tasked with shaping the future of a new department, a challenge I was happy to face. Leading a team of seven, I was responsible for writing new procedures, building the team, troubleshooting technology, and solving any problems our customers, team members, or machines were faced with. Meanwhile, I started working part-time as a Marketing Specialist at a local non-profit youth recreation center, Greater Fall River RE-CREATION. At first, I learned how to write press releases and attended press conferences but the job quickly turned to a more graphic design nature. I was soon tasked with creating flyers, brochures, signs, and program booklets for programs and events. Hungry for more experience, I decided to start taking numerous jobs as a freelancer to help an array of businesses from a local chapter of the American Legion to a small payroll company. Each project helped shape me as a designer and I couldn't be more grateful for the many wonderful opportunities working with such amazing local business owners.

In 2017, the Marketing Project Manager position opened at BayCoast and I made the move to the bank's Marketing Department. It was at BayCoast that I truly grew into the professional designer that I am today. In fact, as the sole in-house graphic designer at BayCoast Bank, BayCoast Mortgage Company, Partners Insurance Group, Plimoth Investment Advisors and Priority Funding LLC, I have had the great privilege of building my graphic design portfolio with so many diverse projects from printed materials, digital ads, billboards, commercials, experiential campaigns, and more. One of the most rewarding projects I worked on during my time at BayCoast was the unification of the family of brands. It's incredibly gratifying to shape the growth of a brand and shift the look and feel of assets to more accurately communicate the brand's mission while relating to new demographics.

No matter the project or the challenges faced, I am grateful for so many opportunities to strengthen my craft and grow as a designer. Throughout my career, I've worn all sorts of hats and faced all sorts of obstacles and through it all, I've come out a true problem solver who is excited to see where the next chapter takes me.