Kelli Ann Woods turns 30 years in design into a new business mix

By AI, Created 9:41 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Kelli Ann Woods, a Robbinsdale, Minnesota graphic designer and prepress specialist, is highlighting a 30-year career that includes 26 years at the Star Tribune and a recent shift into entrepreneurship. Her move into design and notary services reflects how experienced print professionals are adapting to layoffs, automation and changing work patterns.

Why it matters: - Kelli Ann Woods’ career shows how long-tenured print and design professionals are adapting to a shrinking traditional market. - Her move into mixed services, including design and notary work, points to a broader shift toward flexible, self-directed income. - Her experience also underscores how layoffs and automation are pushing workers to reinvent later in their careers.

What happened: - Kelli Ann Woods is a Graphic Designer and Prepress Specialist based in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. - Woods has 30 years of experience in the industry. - Woods spent 26 years at the Star Tribune, moving from entry-level graphic designer to supervisory and specialist roles. - Woods is now working as a pharmacy clerk and is also a Certified Notary Public. - Woods is developing a dual-service platform that combines graphic design services with notary work.

The details: - Woods’ background includes layout preparation, print production workflows, quality control and publication processes. - Her career has spanned major changes in both print and digital publishing. - Woods built a reputation for reliability, creative problem-solving and meeting deadlines in fast-paced production settings. - She credits consistency, loyalty to her craft and a strong work ethic for her career longevity. - Woods said adaptability and the willingness to reinvent herself later in her career have been key to her progress. - She described a recent layoff as part of the difficult transitions that strengthened her resilience. - Woods says her aunt helped shape her creative development by encouraging her art and sharing her love of gardening. - Woods values reliability, integrity, craftsmanship, independence, lifelong learning and financial responsibility. - Her personal interests include gardening, photography, road-trip travel and exploring new places when her health allows.

Between the lines: - Woods’ path reflects a wider reality for print workers: deep expertise still matters, but job security is less predictable than it once was. - Her focus on freelance, hybrid and niche service work suggests experienced workers may find more stability by packaging existing skills in new ways. - Her advice to younger women in the field centers on transferable skills and preparing for change early. - She also stresses that it is never too late to start over.

What’s next: - Woods is building her design-and-notary business as a way to create flexible, independent income. - She sees consulting, remote work and niche offerings as possible growth areas for workers with long industry experience. - Her profile is available through her Influential Women page and her website.

The bottom line: - Kelli Ann Woods is turning decades of print expertise into a new, multi-service career built around adaptability and independence.