GRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT
FULL TIME FACULTY
Jodi Heisz
Elkhorn Campus
email: heiszj@gtc.edu
Jodi Heisz is the newest member of Gateway Technical College’s Graphic Design Department faculty. She is a GTC Alumni
who went on to work regionally in the industry,
Jodi now joins us in educating the next generation of Graphic Designers.
With over 24 years of experience in the design field, I bring a wealth of industry knowledge and creative insight to the classroom. During my journey as a graphic designer, I have built a diverse portfolio that spans logo design, branding, print design, website design/development, motion graphics, illustration, and print/digital advertising. I am also a proud graduate of Gateway Technical College’s Graphic Design program in 2001. As a proud Gateway alumni, I’m thrilled to return to where my creative journey began—coming full circle to help inspire and guide the next generation of designers.
Throughout my career, I thrived in fast-paced advertising agency environments, collaborating on marketing campaigns with my team to bring a client’s vision to life. I strive for a creative and strategic approach with passion and drive to solving design challenges with visually compelling solutions. My energetic and positive attitude fosters an engaging and inspiring learning environment for students. I want my students to feel safe and supported in the classroom so they are encouraged to take creative risks while helping each other along the way.
As an instructor, I am committed to mentoring the next generation of designers by sharing real-world experience, industry trends, and hands-on techniques that prepare students for successful careers in the ever-evolving design landscape.
Outside the classroom, I love spending quality time with my two boys, my dog Shadow, and my close friends. In addition to teaching graphic design, I’m also a martial arts instructor at a local dojo, bringing over 25 years of experience as a dedicated martial artist. Other hobbies include hand lettering illustrations, reading books, watching movies with my teenager (mostly all action genre 😀), getting outside in nature and sports activities.
Peter Pham
Racine Campus
email: phampete@administrator
Peter Pham joined Gateway Technical College as a part-time instructor in 1992 as a part-time instructor while working as a senior staff designer at Golden Books Family Entertainment. Prior to that, he worked in diverse design environments, including: commercial press work (prep/design/illustration), freelance design (graphic design and illustration), and advertising (AAD).
I eventually joined Gateway’s full-time faculty in 1996 to carry on the family business… of teaching. I come from a teaching family, and I am actually the third generation to do so. My father was a teacher in the computer and electronics field, and my grandfather was a respected teacher and headmaster in another country.
On top of that, there is the business of my extended family: the advertising and marketing business. I have a brother-in-law that is a partner at a major advertising agency, another brother-in-law who runs his own agency, and a sister-in-law who helped found one of the first major social media positioning and promotions companies in Milwaukee. My cousin is a very capable internet video developer on the west coast. I’m proud of all of them too.
Philosophy:
I feel that the artistic elements that underpin graphic communications are absolutely essential. I also feel that a strong understanding of marketing, branding and basic communication needs to be present in student graphic solutions. One of the greatest things we help provide our students with is the ability to not only generate computer files, but “responsible” computer files that are well-organized, structured, and complete.
We also encourage the exploration of how you are communicating, and that goes well beyond the literals of the copy sheet. Being good stewards of visual communication goals is essential to success.
Keith Rios
Elkhorn and Racine Campus
email: riosk@administrator
Keith Rios has been actively working in the industry as a designer, art director and creative director for over 20 years. A former student at Gateway Technical College in the late 1990’s, Keith rejoins the Gateway family to pass on his industry knowledge to aspiring design students.
I’ve spent the better part of the last two decades building brands and have been lucky enough to work on some household names, as well as on a wide range of project categories: branding and identity, collateral design, print advertising, radio, television, outdoor, direct mail, web design, social media, packaging and more. If it has anything to do with how a brand is born, developed, and ultimately put out into the world, chances are I’ve done it or have managed the teams of talent behind the work.
When I’m not in the classroom, you can find me slicing my drives at our local golf courses, biking and hiking, trying to grow better greens in my garden, playing pickleball, and trying to be a good pet dad to my two pups.
I believe in pushing students to achieve things they didn’t think possible. As the famed Leo Burnett once said, “When you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won’t end up with a handful of mud either.” As instructors, we set a bar high for creativity so our graduates hit the ground running and become an immediate asset wherever they are hired.
I also strongly believe in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Not merely as a demographic model for our student body, but as an approach to how to structure coursework as well. A diversity of project types keeps our student work relevant and up to date with the latest industry trends. Creativity and production savvy both have an equal seat at the table in my classroom. And finally, I stand behind the idea of producing professionals with a well-rounded set of skills that is inclusive of the entire creative process—from strategy and research, to concepting and ideation, and finally, the delivery of stellar finished works.
I encourage my students to love the process as much as the end result and keep them reminded that, in my experience, hard work trumps talent. We work together to bring out everyone’s best, no matter where we find ourselves on the journey toward creative excellence.
DEPARTMENT DEAN
Steven McNaughton
Dean of Business
and Transpiration
email: mcnaughtons@gtc.edu
Mr. Steven McNaughton is the Dean for the School of Business and Transportation. As the Dean of Gateway’s School of Business and Transportation, Steve supports his division’s educational programs while developing partnerships with private employers, public agencies and other stakeholders to meet their educational needs and create regional economic growth.
His 30 year career spans across education, manufacturing, marketing, big box retail, web offset printing and Air Force special operations.
DEPARTMENT ASSOCIATE
Mrs. Sherry Bubel
Associate
Business and Transportation
email: bubels@gtc.edu
After being a stay at home mom for my 4 fantastic kids, I decided to go back to school. I came to Gateway in 2010, and never left !
After completing over 100 credits, switching my major from I.T. Web Development, to Accounting, to Graphic Communications,
I finally completed my degree in General Marketing.
I enjoy learning and being at Gateway.
I participated in a few study abroad programs; among them joining Mr. Mizer (retired Instructor) on the Graphic Communications Department’s trip to Paris and Berlin in 2014, where I found a passion for studying abroad (along with the many student benefits that learning about other cultures brings with it).
I volunteered to help raise awareness and promoted study abroad programs amongst my fellow students, and after a couple years obtained a position at Gateway Technical College as a part time secretary.
My career led me to the School of Business andTransportation, where I now work as an Associate with our faculty. I get to see students succeed through their interactions with all of our fantastic instructors!
ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR
Mr. Kevin Poirier
Adjunct Instructor
Elhorn / Racine / online
email: poirierk@gtc.edu
Kevin has taught with Gateway Technical College as an Adjunct Instructor in the Digital Photography Certificate for several Years. A former practicing freelance photographer and 20-plus year experienced Award-winning Photo Journalist for one of the local newspapers, Kevin now teaches at GTC as an adjunct instructor for the Graphic Design Program. Kevin is also fluent in French.
When he’s not teaching, Kevin works at the Village of Somers, Wisconsin, and as a realtor for Cover Realty.
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