Speakers

Dustin Hartzler

Dustin Hartzler is a Happiness Engineer at Automattic by day, where he helps business owners work all of the kinks out of their WooCommerce stores. If working with WordPress all day wasn’t enough, he spends time each week recording his WordPress podcast called Your Website Engineer. He enjoys helping people understand and use WordPress to its fullest capacity and spends time tinkering with code.

When he’s not in front of the computer (which is rare), he enjoys spending time CrossFitting, reading and traveling. He lives in Dayton, OH with his wife, 3.5 year old daughter, and 6 month old son.

Brian Retterer

Brian Retterer is a PHP Developer Advocate at Okta. He has been developing sites and plugins using WordPress since version 1.5. Brian is also an organizer of the Dayton WordPress Meetup, Dayton WordCamp, and Dayton PHP Meetup. In the spare time that all developers have outside of work and their side projects, you can find him in his pottery studio working with clay.

Andrew Duthie

Andrew is a JavaScript Engineer at Automattic, where he currently works on improving the WordPress core software with a new editor experience code-named “Gutenberg”. He has regularly contributed to WordPress.com and the Jetpack plugin, and prior to his time at Automattic had worked in an agency setting developing WordPress sites for clients both big and small. Andrew is co-lead of the weekly core JavaScript chats and is an organizer for both the Cincinnati WordPress Meetup group and WordCamp Cincinnati (2016-2017).

 

Dave Townsend

Dave Townsend knows his way around an agency. His 25+ year career has spanned some of the largest agencies in the region.

Dave claims to be neither an ad guy nor a digital guy. He is well versed across the whole spectrum of strategic marketing, earned by working with partners from Disney and Anheuser-Busch to Husqvarna to almost every P&G brand that’s ever been. He’s fiercely committed to making the agency as efficient and effective as it can possibly be. Which makes Intrinzic’s team happier, and their clients more successful. Win? Win.

He is steering Intrinzic through three key practice areas to: create culture, power conversation and inspire reaction. Dave earned his master’s degree from Northwestern University and his bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Kentucky.

Teresa Nichols

Teresa Nichols has a strong customer focus from her high school and early college years (Well before the Internet) when she worked at Little Professor Books, Time Out on the Court Entertainment and The Disney Store. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication from right here at the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Business from Miami University. She worked for Nielsen and Cox Ohio before started her own company supporting small businesses. She has two children and two step children.

Michael Cremean

Michael Cremean has over 25 years of Technology Leadership, Architecture, Security and Scalability expertise, having led many successful high tech products from conception to launch. An advocate of using open-source technologies, he has led teams to deliver products in diverse industries, including Web, Robotics, Gaming, Mobile, Social Networks and Education. Teams under Michael’s leadership have won industry recognition and awards, including the Inc/Cisco Growing with Technology, USDLA awards, InformationWeek Feature , Smithsonian Digital and PDN Website Design.

Michael is the founder of Quadshot Digital, a consulting company that specializes in development, security and scalability of websites, focusing on the WordPress and WooCommerce platforms since 2009. His consulting focus is with startup to mid-sized companies to develop their product development and growth strategies. Prior to Quadshot, he was CTO or Director helping startups since 1993.

He holds 6 patents and speaks at events and private companies about security, architecture, and scaling focusing on open-source software. As the founder and co-host of the Las Vegas WooCommerce Meetup, he helps people plan their eCommerce strategies and gives back to the community. With a belief in helping people as a core principle, Michael also helps non-profit and startups, as Board Member or Advisor. Michael and Quadshot are based in Las Vegas, NV.

Colleen Wietmarschen

M. Colleen Wietmarschen, Professional Speaker, Coach, Professional Author Assistant, and Award-Winning Writer has entrepreneurial blood running through her veins. Owning her business since 1996, she’s seen it all; great times, not so great times, changing times, and more, but has prevailed through it all.

Colleen holds workshops and keynote speaking engagements on moving the needle forward in your business. Your business is always changing.

Your Literary Prose helps writers take the confusion out of the publishing process – coaching them through the process helping them reach their goals.

Colleen believes the written word is still important when conveying your professional image; no matter what.

For fun, Colleen likes to participate in competitive walking events, hike, bike, and swim. She’s currently looking for a half marathon to participate in for late fall 2017 or early 2018. She started private violin lessons a few years ago. Her favorite quote is “Music Makes Us Human.” Author Unknown.

Maureen Carruthers

Maureen Carruthers is a Happiness Engineer at Automattic where she spends her days helping WordPress.com users turn blank pages into their personal corner of the internet. She started her career as a theatre major and spent many years as a non-profit program manager (mostly involving combat robots) prior to joining Automattic.

She’s also a board game player, cat-lover, feminist, and geek. Her perfect evening includes wine, coffee and philosophical conversation until the sun comes up.

Nathan Driver

Media – Marketing – Geek

I am currently the Digital Media Specialist for a financial institute and have worked in the news industry and for an advertising agency. I’ve created numerous websites ranging from a Hip-Hop ezine and being nominated by Vh1 Hip Hop Honors to creating a United States Chess Club directory.

Chris Berkley

I am a digital marketing consultant (specializing in SEO) with several WordPress sites of my own, and who frequently works with clients whose sites are built on WordPress. I frequently write about digital marketing topics on my WordPress site (chrisberkley.com/blog) and also create YouTube videos with marketing how-to guides.

Rachel Folz

I am Rachel Folz, an experienced, passionate, and inspired leader who loves to solve problems.

I’ve built my career by focusing on the user. I believe in great, responsive design, capitalizing on organizational stories, the power of video and speedy content creation.

I’ve been running websites and social media accounts since before business pages were invented. I am experienced, tested and fun to work with (so I am told).

I began my career as a web producer at a TV station in Evansville, Indiana.

A year and a half later, I was promoted to Digital Content Director and had the pleasure of watching two presidential elections from a very busy newsroom.

Just shy of my 30th birthday in 2012, my family relocated so I could begin work as the Digital Content Director of FOX19.

There I grew page views, and social relationships beyond all expectations. In 2013, I retired from journalism to begin work as the first ever Digital Marketing Manager for the Campbell County Public Library.

For two years, I worked each day to increase knowledge of the library’s collection and services while amassing a world-class stable of Harry Potter memes. Then I was recruited to serve as the first ever Director of Digital Marketing for Cerkl, a Cincy-based software service that curates personalized communications. That’s where I am today.

I currently serve as the Chair for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Communications Committee and I enjoy volunteering as webmaster for my daughter’s school.

In my free time, I enjoy having free time, and reading and reviewing very important and unimportant books.

Bruce Chamoff

Bruce Chamoff has been a web developer for over 21 years and has worked on over 1,000 websites. He has worked on WordPress since 2006 building themes and plugins for Fortune 500 companies as well as mom and pop shops. His Udemy courses have taught WordPress development to web designers in over 150 countries as he loves to teach!

His most recent involvement was with the Radio City Rockettes website in New York City and he is the senior director of technology and development for American Media Inc, the publisher of top gossip magazines in the US including National Enquirer, OK, Star, and Soap Opera Digest. In his spare time, he performs with this band and is a dedicated father.

Suzanne Parkey

A problem solver with a creative approach, Suzanne Parkey has been fusing marketing strategy and design for over 20 years as the owner of Parkey Design. Parkey Design helps organizations in higher education, professional services and nonprofit sectors develop effective marketing programs and communication tools.

Suzanne helps organizations discover insights, remove obstacles and nurture opportunities to get to the next level. When Suzanne’s not working with or sharpening her craft, she is sharpening her riding skills and competing in barrel racing.

John Ferman

John Ferman is a retired Professional Project Manager, IT professional and Distinguished Toastmaster DTM

He has had many leadership roles in a variety of hi-tech companies and community organizations.
John helped to organize a volunteer, 24 hour “Crisis Hotline” in the Cleveland, Ohio area

He and his daughter, Deanna (who has Hypermobile EDS), started the EDS Awareness program in 2012

John is a full time volunteer developing and managing this program.

Mark Celsor

Mark Celsor has been a professional web developer since 1996. His career has included technical leadership and hands-on development roles on projects for large organizations including Autodesk, AT&T, Clorox, HP, Ford, P&G, University of California, Mars, and many others. After several years working for agencies in San Francisco, Mark returned to Cincinnati to start the web development firm called Vine Street Interactive. In 2016 he left his role as Director of Technology for the national agency called Rockfish (now VML) to return to coding, building an ecology education platform for Miami University and pursuing personal projects. Mark lives with his wife and two daughters in Cincinnati.

Kate E Mock

Kate is a Senior Interactive Designer at US Digital Partners with 7+ years of experience in the digital marketing field. She has acquired the expertise of user experience by immersing herself into the mindsets of business owners, their key stakeholders and, most importantly, their users. Kate has recently designed websites for Ziegler Park & Memorial Hall (3CDC), Airplaco, Kroger Personal Finance Prepaid Card and the Downtown Cincinnati Inc. app, to name a few.

In the time she’s not behind a computer strategizing & designing, she enjoys wrangling her two boys on the playground, going for family walks/”adventures,” running and playing soccer.

Kate earned her B.S. in Interactive Multimedia from Ohio University, where she was also a member of the women’s varsity soccer team.

Steve Grunwell

Steve Grunwell is a Senior Software Engineer at Liquid Web. Specializing in WordPress and application development he has worked with brands and organizations including Microsoft, TED, Xylem, Elmer’s, and Experience Columbus.

Steve has released numerous plugins in the WordPress.org repositories, including one from the grounds of The White House during the first annual National Day of Civic Hacking in 2013. When he’s not writing software he enjoys hiking, music, and writing about writing software on his blog.

Steve holds a B.A. in Telecommunications from Bowling Green State University where he graduated Cum Laude with minors in General Business and Recording Technologies.

More information, including portfolio work and his development blog, can be found at https://stevegrunwell.com.

Stefan Densmore

My formal education is in Human Factors Engineering & Psychology, and I have a Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership. My wife and I are passionate about domestic and international social justice issues. We’ve been vegetarian for over 13 years, enjoy working in our garden, camping, and nature walks with our 4 young children.

I’m President/CEO of a 501c3 Nonprofit that simplifies social service resource information sharing. I’m also majority owner of a local web hosting company that provides managed Green WordPress and Green cPanel options for companies interested in divesting from fossils fuels. Additionally I provide leadership for the ongoing development and maintenance of three WordPress multisite networks. I’ve been involved in WordPress development since 2003, and a continuous member of the WPMUDEV development community since 2011.

Kevin Gold

Kevin Gold is an eCommerce and B2B Digital Marketing veteran, with close to 20 years client experience. An early adopter of experimentation, data-led marketing and conversion rate optimization, Kevin has been applying an analytics-based approach to marketing since 1999.

Kevin was VP of Marketing and Content at iNET Interactive, a high growth B2B media company that achieved a record 7-consecutive years as an Inc. 5000 company. iNET was acquired in 2015.

Today, Kevin is an executive consultant and founder of Next Leap Strategy which provides marketing-led business growth programs for SMB CEOs leading B2B companies struggling to adapt their sales and marketing to win today’s digital-saavy buyer.

Patrick McGilvray

Patrick is the creator of The Brand Sketch – an online course that helps solo entrepreneurs stand out from the crowd, connect with customers, and grow their businesses. Prior to The Brand Sketch, he owned a creative agency building WordPress websites for clients. His sole focus now is teaching brand building for independent business owners.

Mark Walker

I’m a web developer.

Marcelina Robledo

My marketing experience, which is over 20 years, and talents include digital marketing content creation, WordPress web design, native advertising, media buys, and brand strategy. The industries I have worked in are non-profit, manufacturing, tech, and higher education.

Carolyn Dickerson

As a digitally savvy Senior Digital Marketing Manager, I solve problems, maximize opportunities and grow brands. Managed 100+ projects ranging from $100K-$2.5 M on budget and on time, 1000+ hours of presenting and training on a wide variety of subjects including website migrations and redesigns, digital marketing, SEO, pay-per click, lead generation, social media and more.
I’m an experienced marketer for various industries who works with marketing, IT, and sales teams to redesign and/or migrate websites between platforms. I’ve worked with design teams and developers to move over 850+ websites with minimal loss of traffic, leads, and revenue.
• Certified Technical Trainer with CTT+ accreditation
• Cincinnati American Marketing Association, VP of Special Interest Groups since 2015 for the following SIGs: Digital Marketing, B2B, Sales and Marketing, Market Research, and Job Transition
• MBA Thomas More College

Bobby Bryant

Bobby has been involved in the WordPress space as a Developer for over 4 years. Prior to getting involved with WordPress he spent 13+ years in the United States Marines as Ground Electronics Technician.

Bobby currently works at Crossfield Digital as a Senior Web Engineer. Crossfield, is a multi-disciplined agency specializing in the sports and entertainment industry.

Bobby is also the developer behind the YouTube channel Develop with WP. Which is an Ad Free, payment free place, where he shares what he calls WordPress Development 201 tutorials.

Randy Clark

Randy Clark is the Director of Communications at TKO Graphix, where he blogs for TKO Graphix Brandwire. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek and on weekends he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren, and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of How to stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever and The New Manager’s Workbook a crash course in effective management . He can be found on Twitter @randyclarktko, Facebook Randy Clarktko, and LinkedIn Randy Clark.

Andy Melichar

Andy thrives on discovery. From the beginning of his web dev career, he has focused on discovering what makes the web and the world tick. Through his diverse background of branding, marketing, web development, and currently team management, Andy has developed a knack for seeing opportunity in unknown spaces. At night, Andy can be found throwing up a WordPress website for a family member, friend, or local non-profit. During the day, Andy and his team at A2 Hosting work to create solutions that make the WordPress hosting experience easier, safer, and more robust for their customers and the community at large. Andy is active in both WordCamps and local WordPress meetups in the Detroit and Ann Arbor area.

Brenda Pottinger

What if you could stop time and hold it in your hand? Brenda heard that she could have super powers when she was very young and knew she would become a photographer. Using an old girl scout camera found at a garage sale, her father taught her the rules of photography and composition. On weekends she would go for photo adventures. From old cemeteries to Civil War reenactments to Dawn at the Downs, she always had fun practicing photography. In high school she took newspaper class and learned how to develop photos in the darkroom. At Emory & Henry College she fell in love with art graphic design and decided to exchange her minor in photography to a major in art with a double major in Mass Communications. Throughout her life photography has always been there. After starting her own business she added a blog to help her narrate the stories she told with photos. Blogging has created a better connection with her clients and has helped to grow her brand.

Ashleigh Freda

I have a Bachelor’s of Arts in Photojournalism from Point Park University. I have been behind the camera for more than 17 years photographing families, weddings and sports. In the last few years I began running and sharing my journey as “The Running Wife” connecting with runners from all over the world to share our stories of determination to get to the finish line.

I work with businesses to enhance their social media presence and build their brands as well as manage their daily social media needs.

I’m a wife, mom and traveler. I love the experience of life and try to find my cup full of the positive on a daily basis.