Houston, TX

Director of Communications & Creative Strategist

25+ years of hands-on experience — now amplified by AI-powered development. The rare combination of deep industry expertise and cutting-edge AI workflows.

Derrick Dedmon

Building Brands & Leading Teams

I'm a communications leader and creative strategist with over two decades of experience spanning web development, brand management, art direction, and digital marketing. I've led teams and managed multi-platform campaigns for organizations ranging from marketing agencies to one of the largest churches in the United States. What sets me apart in today's market is the combination of 25+ years of real-world expertise with AI-powered development — I use tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex alongside a modern MERN stack to deliver work faster and at a higher quality than traditional workflows allow. Deep experience means I know what to build; AI means I build it better and faster.

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Years Experience
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Organizations
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Projects Delivered
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Roles Held

Professional Experience

A track record of growth from graphic design to executive communications leadership.

March 2023 – Present

Director of Communications

The Woodlands Methodist Church
  • Spearhead digital strategy and brand management for a 10,000+ member congregation
  • Lead cross-functional team across web, print, social media, and video production
  • Manage annual communications budget and vendor relationships
  • Oversee website ecosystem, email marketing, and content strategy
  • Combine 20+ years of development expertise with AI-powered tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex) to dramatically accelerate design-to-deployment timelines
  • Pioneer agentic coding practices that leverage decades of domain knowledge to guide AI workflows, delivering higher-quality results faster than traditional development
July 2018 – March 2023

Web Development Manager

The Woodlands Methodist Church
  • Led website redesign serving 500K+ annual visitors
  • Managed WordPress multisite ecosystem of 8 interconnected sites
  • Implemented SEO strategy achieving top-3 rankings for key search terms
  • Directed UX improvements increasing online engagement by 40%
October 2014 – July 2018

Senior Web Developer

Woodlands Church
  • Built and maintained church website and digital platforms
  • Developed custom WordPress themes and plugins
  • Integrated live streaming and online giving platforms
December 2008 – October 2014

Creative Director

Iconix Marketing
  • Led creative team for a full-service marketing agency
  • Managed client branding, web design, and print campaigns
  • Grew client portfolio across healthcare, real estate, and technology sectors
October 2006 – November 2008

Senior Art Director

AlphaGraphics
  • Directed visual identity and marketing materials for enterprise clients
  • Managed design team and production workflows
2001 – 2006

Senior Graphic Designer

Minuteman Press
  • Created print and digital design solutions for diverse client base
  • Managed pre-press production and quality control
1998 – 2001

Graphic Designer

Houston Community Newspapers and Media Group
  • Designed page layouts, advertisements, and editorial graphics for community publications
1998 – 2000

Graphic Designer

The Vicksburg Post
  • Produced newspaper layouts and advertising designs for daily publication

Skills & Capabilities

Leadership & Strategy

Creative Strategy Project Management Art Direction Team Leadership Brand Management Budget Management Vendor Relations Content Strategy

Web Development

MongoDB Express.js React Node.js WordPress HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript PHP Responsive Design SEO Web Accessibility Google Analytics

Design & Creative

Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop Illustrator InDesign UI/UX Design Typography Print Design Video Production

Marketing & Communications

Digital Marketing Social Media Strategy Email Marketing Content Marketing Public Relations Campaign Management Analytics & Reporting

AI & Development Tools

Claude Code Codex Cursor VS Code Agentic Coding AI-Assisted Development Prompt Engineering

Church Technology

Rock RMS Content Channels Church Website Development Database Administration Finance Integration Backend Implementation ChMS Platforms

Selected Work

A selection of web projects I've designed, developed, and managed.

Woodlands Church website screenshot

Woodlands Church

WordPress · Custom Theme · Live Streaming
The Woodlands United Methodist Church website screenshot

TWUMC

WordPress Multisite · SEO · Responsive
Woodlands Music website screenshot

Woodlands Music

WordPress · Events · Media Integration
Kerry Shook Ministries website screenshot

Kerry Shook Ministries

WordPress · Video · eCommerce
The Woodlands Methodist School website screenshot

Woodlands Methodist School

WordPress · Enrollment System · Custom Design
Evolve Money website screenshot

Evolve Money

WordPress · Financial · Responsive Design

Featured Publications

My work has been recognized across leading church technology and design publications.

2022

The Best Church Websites of 2022

My Codeless Website
2021

Top 100 Best Church Websites of 2022

Reach Right Studios
2020

30 Beautiful Church Website Designs

Vandelay Design
2019

Top 100 Best Church Websites of 2020

Reach Right Studios
2019

Best Church Websites 2019

Vandelay Design
2018

Top 100 Church Websites of 2018

Reach Right Studios
2017

Church Websites — 70 Most Inspiring of 2017

ShareFaith Magazine
2017

18 Beautiful Easter Church Websites

Tech Church
2017

8 Of The Best Church Websites This Easter

Steve Fogg
2016

40 Beautiful Church Website Designs

Vandelay Design
2016

Church Websites — 70 Most Inspiring of 2016

Share Faith
2016

11 Of The Best Church Websites

Steve Fogg

Let's Work Together

Have a project in mind? I'd love to hear about it.

Get in touch

Whether you need help with web development, brand strategy, or communications leadership, I'm here to help. Reach out and let's discuss how I can contribute to your goals.

Location
Houston, TX