I am an award-winning author and designer, a professional in creative art direction, marketing, graphic design, and branding with The Walt Disney Company.

Since I was a small child, I always knew that I wanted to be an artist. I loved anything artistic, such as drawing, painting, singing, playing musical instruments, and even working in community theater both on stage and backstage. I was born and raised in Panama and in 1989 immigrated to the United States to pursue my dreams of working in the arts.

I have worked for The Walt Disney Company for three decades. My artistic career with Disney began as an animation artist. I worked as an ink and paint artist where I produced animation art cels for the collectible market and later transitioned to graphic design, branding, and art direction. My career has taken me to ESPN, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney Parks and Resort Sales, and Partners (the Disney credit union).

I am presently a Creative Shared Services Manager responsible for marketing creative visual design of children's books with Disney Publishing.

I also freelance as an Art Director/Graphic Designer working with a variety of clients in the development and execution of brands, marketing, and advertising covering a wide range of channels.

In 2018, I exercised yet again a new creative avenue by writing and releasing my first book, a creative realism memoir titled Sun Night. It is the story of the close relationship I had with my brother while growing up in 1976 Panama. The book has been recognized with various awards. In 2022, I released a picture book with illustrations by Sergio Guillén titled When the Sun Came Out at Night. In 2023, I designed, produced, and published a cookbook titled Recipes for Entertaining Panamanian Style, authored by my mother Sonia Ortiz. The cookbook has now won a gold medal for best cookbook by the Florida Association of Publishers and Authors.

In my free time, I volunteer my time to mentor the next generation of designers and also judge different types of competitions. I am writing several books including a book of short stories, Sun Night 2, and a book about the design career.

Specialties: Print and digital advertising, branding, corporate identity, art direction, conceptual design, graphic design, publication layout and design, large-scale signage, interior design, artistic design, email, and electronic banner ad marketing, mentoring, fine arts, oil painting, drawing. 

TIMELINE

December 2023 - The award-winning book Sun Night is re-released with an extended ending and a new cover design.
August 2023 - Recipes for Entertaining Panamanian Style cookbook has received the President’s Book Award gold medal for best cookbook by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, Inc.
December 2022 - Releases the children’s picture book Cuando El Sol Salió En La Noche under his own imprint
September 2022 - Designs and publishes the first book under his own imprint with the book titled Recipes for Entertaining Panamanian Style in English and Spanish
June 2022 - Releases first children’s picture book called When the Sun Came Out at Night with illustrations by Sergio Guillén
June 2022 - Judge for the 2022 Imagen Awards - Best Documentary
May 2022 - Promoted to Design Manager with Disney Publishing
March 2022 - Selected as a Mentor in the NY AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) 2022 Mentoring Program
January 2021 - Receives Honorable Mention for Sun Night in the 2020 Latino Books Into Movies Awards by Empowering Latino Futures
August 2020 - Judge for the prestigious José Martí Awards (Design Categories) by the National Association of Hispanic Publications
August 2020 - Top three finalist honor for the Sun Night website for Best Website Promoting a Book by the International Latino Book Awards
February 2020 - El Sol de la Noche is sold in Panama exclusively at Librerías El Hombre de la Mancha
January 2020 - Sun Night is translated and sold in Spanish under the title El Sol de la Noche
November 2019 - Celebrates the 25-year anniversary of working at The Walt Disney Company
September 2019 - Receives shortlist finalist honor for Sun Night by the Santa Fe Writers Project Awards Program
September 2019 - Receives the Best First Book Award medal for Sun Night from the International Latino Book Awards
September 2018 - Receives a Five Star Review by Reader’s Favorite for Sun Night
August 2018 - Receives President’s Book Award medal for Sun Night by the Florida Authors and Publishers Association, Inc.
January 2018 - Releases first book Sun Night
March 2011 - Design and Brand Manager with Partners Federal Credit Union
August 2007 - Senior Designer with ESPN
Summer 2005 - Receives Partners In Excellence Recognition
January 2004 - Graphic Designer with The Walt Disney Company Sales
1997-2001 - Ink and Paint Artist with The Walt Disney Company Feature Animation
January 1997 - Hercules Mega-Mall Tour across 13 U.S. cities
Summer 1996 - Animation Celebration Artist, Disney-MGM Studios
Summer 1996 - Animation Artist, Disney-MGM Studios
November 20, 1994 - Career begins with The Walt Disney Company