Kevin T. Boyd

“Kevin has been instrumental in building the Stanford Medicine web environment from the ground up. He is incredibly thorough and collaborative in everything that he does. Not only does he bring a ton of design and development experience to the table, but he is always willing to share what he knows and help others grow professionally.” January 18, 2011
Pam Lowney, Web Editor, Stanford School of Medicine

“Working for Kevin was a great experience. Skill-wise he was like a frontend developer, project manager and art director all rolled into one. Thankfully Kevin wasn’t afraid to share his knowledge with our team, providing top notch training and guidance to us whenever needed.
I highly recommend Kevin for being an excellent manger.” January 16, 2011
Dylan Harrington, Web Producer, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Kevin is a colleague you can count on. He is very approachable, available when you need his help, and follows-through on collaborative projects. He is very responsible, thoughtful, and a forward-thinking leader. His team provided various levels of support for our group and he often asked for our feedback to ensure and improve the highest-quality service.” January 10, 2011
Brian Tobin, Classroom and Curriculum Technology Manager, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Kevin Boyd has been “my rock” in teaching me to manage our website. He’s patient, calm, incredibly knowledgeable and detail oriented. He’s responsive to a client’s needs, takes the client through the required steps and is able to refer the client to a wealth of resources. I cannot recommend him highly enough.” January 8, 2011
Elizabeth Crown, Director of Communications, Stanford Cancer Center

“Kevin is one of the best managers I worked with. He is also such a talented designer and very knowledgable about Web. He is understanding, patient and always have a good attitude that brings the energy to his group. I learned a lot from him that helped me through becoming a Web Support Specialist at Stanford, School of Medicine.” November 23, 2010
Gulben Bozkurt, Web Support Specialist, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Working with Kevin is a pleasure. I work in Finance, and Kevin is always happy to take time to explain web-related things to me, in terms I can understand. He is a great teacher and colleague, and I recommend him highly.” January 24, 2011
Dawn Hyde, Finance Associate, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Kevin is a professional and nicest leader I’ve ever worked with. He has keen eye for design also an exceptional project manager.

He led five web producers to update 175+ Stanford School of Medicine websites within three months. Although time was extremely constrained we still finished project on time with a smile. He brought tremendous positive energy to the group.

I truly enjoyed and learned a lot from him while we worked together.” January 10, 2011
Jill Chu, Web Producer, Stanford University School of Medicine

“Kevin is exceptionally sharp, knowledgeable, professional, and easy to work with. He’s a tremendously nice, down-to-earth person who’ll go out of his way to help. He always follows through. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to work with Kevin.” November 3, 2008
Gregg Pearlman, Data, Website, and Publications Coordinator, Stanford School of Medicine

“I wholeheartedly can recommend Kevin Boyd. As head of the art department, Kevin defined collegiality and practicality. He was always open to seeking ways to tell my stories visually, but with a careful manager’s eye for workloads for a department that served all sections of the newspaper. He won respect by bringing organization and a steady hand to his department. He knew his team’s strengths and carefully assigned jobs to benefit the paper’s greater good. In times of manpower squeezes, he always talked straight and honestly about the situation with me, and he routinely shielded his team from internal pressures so they could focus on deadline excellence. Kevin also was a key ally and leader on a task force that critically examined the culture of the Mercury News, originating ideas for improving how people got along. He not only talked the talk of teamwork, he walked it.” January 24, 2011
Mark Schwanhausser, Personal Finance writer, San Jose Mercury News

“As a news designer at the San Jose Mercury News, I collaborated with Kevin Boyd and his art department for many years. Whether creating expansive graphics to anchor Page 1 centerpieces or secondary graphics to add information and sparkle around the margins, Kevin and his team were invaluable contributors to our front pages every day.

Kevin has a sure sense of how to tell a story or explain a concept visually. He is creative, proactive, flexible and a careful communicator. He always comes to the table prepared with ideas to enhance stories. He is also adept at scrambling to provide a prompt and informative visual complement to late-breaking news. And I could count on Kevin to keep me informed about the size and expected arrival times of elements he provided for my pages.

In addition to collaborating with Kevin as a news designer, I cross-trained in his department and filled in as a temporary artist several times. He is one of the most organized, fair and fun managers I have worked with. He is a terrific teacher and motivator. He is full of ideas and enthusiasm that can inspire everyone who works with him.

It is a pleasure to recommend Kevin Boyd, a creative and energetic professional, and a darned nice guy.” January 20, 2011
Rick Nobles, designer and editor, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin was my art director when we worked at the San Jose Mercury News. As an effective leader, he brought a sense of fairness, levelheadedness and camaraderie within the department that all of the artists appreciated. Such qualities might lead you to think he was a serious, button-down type, but you would be wrong. Kevin is a fun, quirky kind of guy. He is the only manager I know who would wear Chuck Taylors to meetings.

The artists at the Merc still fondly talk about him even though it has been a decade. And when I eventually assumed his position years after he left, many elements of my management style and decisions could be traced back to him. He is an inspiration.” January 13, 2011
Pai (Paiching) Wei, Graphic Artist, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin is sharp, productive and creative, and highly responsible as a manager and as an artist. Kevin was always in front of the leading edge in terms of using technology, and employed each new creative tool — Photoshop, videography and sound, for instance — usually way in advance of other people. When Kevin was art director for editorial, things got done with alacrity, creativity and effectiveness.” January 11, 2011
John Orr, Features page designer, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin is creative, intelligent and responsible. His work is excellent. I highly endorse him.” January 11, 2011
Cher Wollard, Sunday News Editor, San Jose Mercury News

“When I was science editor at the Mercury News, I could always count on Kevin Boyd to come through with the perfect graphic solution, on deadline and off.” January 10, 2011
Sylvia Wright, Editor for science and medicine, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin was always dependable, creative, in good spirit and an advocate for his staff.” January 10, 2011
Sue Morrow, AME/Photography, picture editor, features design director, St. Petersburg Times, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin brings enthusiasm, energy and creative solutions to every project. During the time we worked together, he is someone I could always turn to on tight deadlines and under pressure to get assignments done quickly and efficiently while maintaining high quality standards. Engaging and thoughtful, he is a team player who collaborates well with others. I heartily endorse him with my highest recommendation.” January 8, 2011
Ron Coddington, Assistant Art Director, San Jose Mercury News

“Kevin was meticulous in leading and overseeing projects, and was thorough in communicating what needed to be done throughout the entire process. When problems arose outside our department that threatened to adversely affect projects, he did not shy from confronting them head on. He walked a fine line of looking out for his staff while making sure to carry out the directives of his superiors. I learned a great deal from him and I was always confident that I had his support.” January 8, 2011
Bruce A. Ritter, Graphic Artist/Assistant Art Director, San Jose Mercury News

“I had the pleasure of working with Kevin on a number of projects, but one in particular stands out: In 2000, he mentioned that he had been dabbling with interactive graphics and offered to help out with our project, “PacBell: Birth of a Ballpark”, in any capacity. Although he was management with little official web experience, he happily flew under the wings of much junior online staffers, asking questions and absorbing information. Within weeks he eclipsed them, creating an interactive map of the stadium that I am convinced was a major factor in the industry recognition we garnered for the project.” January 8, 2011
Tracy Ulin, Social Media Products Manager, Knight Ridder

As a fellow department head, I have worked on numerous task forces and weekly projects with Kevin Boyd, one of the most dedicated, visionary and compassionate managers I’ve ever encountered. If I were hiring my own boss, I’d hire him any day.
Minal Hajratwala, Perspective Editor

I’ve worked with six art directors at the Mercury News, and Kevin Boyd is tops on the list. Whether I needed an illustration, a chart, a graphic, or just somebody to answer a Freehand/Illustrator/Quark/Acrobat/Photoshop question, he was my go-to guy. When you face a daily deadline, nobody is a better or more creative problem solver than Kevin.
Jim Braly, commentary editor

During the 11 years I’ve worked at the Mercury News, I had the occasion of working with Kevin Boyd dozens, if not hundreds of times. Without fail, he was a cool head in the often highly stressful, fast-paced business of daily newspaper journalism.

Whether it was explaining the complicated nuances of the Headwaters Redwood Forest Deal on deadline, providing technical graphics for our weekly Science section or coordinating major explanatory pieces on ocean issues the weekend leading up to a visit by President Clinton to Monterey Bay, Kevin’s leadership and steady demeanor was indispensable.

He and his staff helped convert stories written by me and other members of the Mercury News’ team of science, medicine and environment reporters into compelling packages that intrigued, informed and challenged readers. From maps to charts, graphics to illustrations, Kevin is someone we could always count on to make the Mercury News a better newspaper.
Paul Rogers, Mercury News environment writer; Hewlett Teaching Fellow – UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

I have known Kevin for almost 13 years. Its been a wild and wonderful time. When I first met him in Austin, Texas, at a SND convention, he was wearing these trick glasses that have the eyeballs boinging around on springs, wearing a dress jacket and Converse tennis shoes. It was a blast. Here was this guy, not afraid to stand out and dare to be different around all these stuffy, uptight newspaper types. I was immediately drawn to him and we struck up a interesting and revealing conversation. It turned out that Kevin had recently started at my old paper, the Orange County Register so we had a lot to talk about. Throughout the years, Kevin has managed to maintain that individuality and manifest it into a creative edge. He is unique — yes different — a standout in the crowd, an individual. It is this quality that makes Kevin one of the most caring, creative and intelligent human beings I know. A while after that conference, I managed to convince Kevin to come to The San Jose Mercury News. Those years of working with Kevin at SJMN remain some of the best years of my career. I will always be grateful for all he has done for me as a coworker and as a friend.
Bob Reynolds, Graphics Editor, USA TODAY

I’ve had the distinct pleasure to have work with Kevin over the past 7 years. Kevin is talented, creative, a leader, energetic, imaginative but above all else, Kevin is a damn fine human being!
Scott DeMuesy, Photo Editor, New York Times

I’ve worked with Kevin for several years and am going to miss him for more than his unique suits and shoes. When a graphic is needed to highlight a traffic story, Kevin has been the man who pulls everything together. He has a great knack for listening, taking conflicting opinions and convincing everyone that a new approach is needed. He is a “can-do” person. When Kevin would say something was not worth doing, it was OK because he so often delivered on other ideas that I grew to respect his opinion immensely
Gary Richards, Mr. Roadshow (transportation columnist)

In the almost nine years that I have worked with Kevin Boyd, he has shown strengths in a variety of roles: designing and executing graphics; directing and reviewing the work of others; brainstorming for new ideas; and handling human relations issues.
Carl Neiburger, Metro graphics coordinator (Editorial Art staff)

In the near-decade that I have known and worked with Kevin Boyd I have found him to be an extremely capable and creative graphic artist who can deliver accurate, detailed informational graphics under the ugliest imaginable deadlines — and do it with good humor and aplomb. He is a valuable asset to any organization.
Lou Calvert, Features Layout Coordinator, San Jose Mercury News

It’s rare that you get to work with someone who is not only as talented and productive a graphic artist as Kevin is but who is also one of the most thoughtful and skillful managers of people I’ve seen.
When I ask for help, Kevin looks for a way — often an ingeniously clever way — to give it. He is one of those rare “glass half full” people. His invariably positive attitude beats anyone’s at the paper. Period. I’d recommend him to anyone.
Marilyn Lewis, coeditor, Perspective

The Business copydesk of the San Jose Mercury News makes heavy demands on the Editorial Art Department for daily, weekly and special section graphics. And we are but one department of half a dozen that all want graphics done well and on time.

In the three years that I worked with Kevin Boyd as Business copy chief, I found him always to be professional, diligent and willing to do all he could to work with us. He was honest about what he and his department could and couldn’t do and I felt totally comfortable working with him. I cannot think of a single instance in which Kevin Boyd let me or the Business Department down.

In addition, Kevin would be in on the early planning for some of our special sections and always made sure we had the person we needed in plenty of time to accomplish their end of the project.
Kevin would be an asset to any organization and a fine colleague for any employee in the valley.
Bob Drews, Business copy chief

Kevin Boyd combines artistic talent and people skills in a way that is all too rare at major metropolitan newspapers these days. He was the only head of the art department, in my 16 years at the San Jose Mercury News, who succeeded in every phase of the job, including the politics that his predecessors too often disdained. I appreciated how often he would see tasks through himself instead of making me feel that no one in his department wanted to deal with my project. The only downside to his having headed that department was that many of us wanted to see his hands-on arts and graphics skills more often. His managerial experience at the Mercury News will serve him well in what I hope will be his artistic endeavors of the near future.
Colin Seymour, copy editor and fill-in assigning editor

Kevin always took the time to help us zero in on the best way to illustrate complex economic or technology stories.
Evelyn Richards, Assistant Business Editor