Jim Frelinger
Media Designer
About
I believe the best training doesn't feel like training.

I bring cinematic craft to the work most designers treat as obligation — compliance courses, required viewing, the content nobody wants to make and fewer want to watch.

Every project I touch gets a story worth following.
Selected Work
01 Leadership Training
Curriculum Design Video Production Facilitation
02 No Stupid Questions
Internal Podcast Audio Production Culture
03 High-Production Compliance
Fraud Anti-Money Laundering Workplace Harassment
04 Premium eLearning
Interaction Design Articulate eLearning Suite Accessibility
Bio

I'm a media designer with 9+ years at Empower, one of the largest retirement services companies in the US, where I've spent my career proving that required doesn't have to mean forgettable.

I came up through film — a BFA from CU Boulder, years in exhibition and production — and I brought that sensibility into the corporate learning world. The result is training that people actually remember: cinematic compliance courses, a company-wide podcast, and a leadership curriculum built from scratch while the world was shutting down.

I care about craft, story, and the learner on the other end of the screen.

Accomplishments
🥇
Brandon Hall Gold Medal — Best Compliance Program
Fraud Awareness training · Empower · recognized for exceptional production quality and learner engagement in a required compliance context.
17-Course Leadership Curriculum
Project managed and developed a comprehensive 7-month program — self-directed, ILT, and CBT — launched and fully pivoted to virtual during COVID-19.
NPS Scores 60–80 Across Programs
Net Promoter Scores sustained in a range considered excellent across any industry — a consistent indicator of learner experience quality.
Experience
Media Designer 2017 — Present
Empower  ·  Greenwood Village, CO
  • Led development of a 17-course leadership curriculum spanning self-directed, ILT, and CBT — pivoted to fully virtual during COVID-19.
  • Produced high-concept compliance video series (Fraud, AML, Workplace Harassment) earning a Brandon Hall Gold Medal.
  • Created and hosted No Stupid Questions, an internal podcast covering every role in the company.
  • Develop eLearning, video, print, and ILT courses from concept to completion.
Training & Documentation Specialist 2015 — 2017
Great-West Financial  ·  Greenwood Village, CO
  • Developed training curriculum for licensed financial services representatives.
  • Introduced video production as a training format, establishing a new bar for engagement and retention.
Technical Services — Senior & Lead 2004 — 2015
Fascore Recordkeeping  ·  Greenwood Village, CO
  • 10+ years supporting 401(k) plan sponsors and administrators.
  • Implemented workflow management systems; led UAT for platform enhancements.
Earlier Career 1994 — 2004
Video · Research · Film Exhibition
  • Video operator, International Sound Corp.
  • Research technician, Atmospheric Observing Systems / NOAA.
  • Manager, The Video Station (independent video retailer).
  • Work study, International Film Series, CU Boulder.
Skills & Tools
Video Production
Articulate Rise
eLearning Design
Podcast Production
Curriculum Design
ILT Facilitation
HTML / CSS
Visual Design
Project Management
SharePoint
Motion Graphics
Scriptwriting
Education
B.F.A., Film Studies
University of Colorado Boulder
1992 — 1998
Certificate, Entrepreneurial Studies
University of Colorado Denver
2006
Coursework toward M.B.A., Entrepreneurship
University of Denver — Daniels College of Business
2007
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