Meet the Staff
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Ryan Miller - Web Pioneer & Martial Artist
Founder & President
Ryan has worked in Web development and Internet business consulting for almost 15 years. With a passion for systems and understanding his clients' needs from the inside out, Ryan has built two companies on the idea effective Web design and ethical online marketing are essentially intertwined. Today, Etna Interactive is a leading provider of Web site design and online promotion for the medical industry. Committed to learning, Ryan is currently working on a master's degree. Equally committed to giving back to the Central Coast community he loves, he volunteers his time each Thursday to teach personal safety skills and Aikido - a defensive martial arts - to kids ages 4-14.
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Scott Feldman - Tastykakes?
Online Marketing Manager
Scott comes to Etna after a decade spent in the music business where he worked from both Chicago and LA, marketing famous people, places and products. Today, his focus is on marketing strategy, link building, keyword and region targeting and pay-per-click advertising. He enjoys watching and playing sports and continues to indulge his love of music, especially when it comes to attending live concerts. Although he's extremely proud to be from the East Coast, since relocating to San Luis Obispo he's learned that the Central Coast has just about everything he could ever want... except a decent Philly cheesesteak and Tastykakes, whatever those are.
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Kristin Bertsch - MEP, MIS, MRS
Project Manager
With a degree from Cal Poly in Management Information Systems, Kristin began project managing Web sites in 2000. Since then, she's dedicated herself to the principle of teamwork, which by her own definition includes both her co-workers and Etna's clients. She feels a great sense of accomplishment when a Web site goes live, knowing just how much work went into it. Her favorite word is "MEP", which apparently possesses many meanings... known only to her. She enjoys living on the Central Coast and, when she has the time, takes full advantage of the many outdoor activities San Luis Obispo has to offer, especially hiking and mountain biking. She recently married The Dude.
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Scott Tobin – Mixing Business and Pleasure
Project Manager
Scott has worked in the Internet industry since his days in the San Francisco Bay area, where he served as an Internet Strategist and Web Project Manager, working a great deal with HP. Since his return to the Central Coast, he's created a successful wine label and even opened a local tasting room. And unlike Kurt... and Cathy... and the other Scott, he's not a wine snob. A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, he possesses an MBA in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. Scott is a father of four, including twin toddlers, which maybe explains why his favorite saying is Homer Simpson's, "Alcohol – the cause of and solution to all of life's little problems."
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Nancy Bruce – Microsoft, Mondavi... Liberace
Client Services Manager
Nancy has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. During the heyday of the 1990's Internet revolution, the Cal Poly grad was at Microsoft. The last seven years, during which California wines became more likely than those from France or Italy to be served in American restaurants, she was at Robert Mondavi and Tolosa. Coincidence? We tend to think the avid knitter's just really good (we're the lucky ones). So, what wonders will she work for our industry? Actually, as Client Services Manager, her job is to work wonders for you and yours. And when she isn't visiting quirky roadside attractions like the Liberace Museum or the World's Largest Egg, that's exactly what she'll do.
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Jenna Mitchell - What Can't She Do?
Office Manager
Although she's officially Etna's Office Manager, Jenna also oversees Human Resources. Trained as an architect, she also owns a dance studio and is a Massage Therapist. It's safe to say that she knows quite a bit about quite a lot. Her vast experience includes business planning and video game development, and she has worked in the medical, mortgage and software industries. When she isn't working - and who knows when that might be - she enjoys traveling to the Middle East to further her dance studies. Also serving as Ryan's assistant, her work frees him to concentrate on the work of Etna's clients.
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Matt Moore – Cornell, Carnegie-Mellon and Christina Aguilera
Lead Copywriter
Born in "Wild, Wonderful" West Virginia, Matt moved with his family to Pittsburgh when he was just 6. He spent a couple of years at Cornell, before trading in the Ithaca winters for a Creative Writing degree from Carnegie-Mellon. Creative writing? What's a fella gonna do with a degree like that? Apply it and his extensive research skills to writing amazing SEO copy that gets amazing results. Oh, and he went to school with Christina Aguilera. Not at Cornell. Not at Carnegie-Mellon. Not at UCLA School of Law from which he recently graduated. Yes, back in high school, briefly. An avid runner, Matt's also a vegetarian who's active in animal advocacy. A car nut since age 2, he's been collecting 1:18 scale model cars (those pesky full size ones take up a lot of space). Poor Christina. Lucky us.
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Kurt Schulz - CSS Guru, Wine Connoisseur, Pixel Freak
Lead Web Developer / Graphic Designer
Kurt is Etna's resident Cascading Style Sheets guru. In fact, he's often called, Professor Schulz, as he teaches "Designing with CSS" at Cal Poly. With over five years experience as both a Web developer and designer, he brings a background in graphic communications, a love for typography and a commitment to consistency, quality and getting the job done right. Not to mention an obsession with pointing out, "That's a pixel off." Kurt strives to become a wine connoisseur, which should not be a problem since he can easily motor over to Cathy's vineyard on his Vespa!
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Geoffery Rowe - Dang Fine (Computer) Artist
Graphic Designer
As far back as elementary school, Geoff displayed an artistic skill and vision that set him apart from the other kids. Unfortunately, early on in his college career, he learned that he would likely starve as a street artist drawing pictures for tourists. So, he decided to major in art education with the goal of teaching. Then, he learned that he'd likely starve as a teacher. Finally he discovered computer graphics, eventually graduating with a degree in advertising design with a focus on illustration. He worked in print and packaging design before joining Etna. Today, in his spare time, Geoff continues to paint, fine tuning his fine art.
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Andrea Bowers - Been There Punned That
Web Developer
To say that Andrea is big time into details (and puns) is an understatement. In fact, when it comes to composing Web sites, this former middle school math teacher is Etna's rocket pop super coder. When she isn't developing sites, or assisting in everything from Web design and editing to planning our company get-togethers, she's surfing the Web for the latest in celebutante news, listening to jangly pop, or making things out of yarn... or spinning a yarn to make everyone laugh. Oh, and she's into logic puzzles... that's hot! Don't worry, because she uses her powers for good.
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Bret Heenan - Two Words... The Dude
Lead Engineer
A programmer for over 20 years - the last 10 for the Internet - Bret has written hundreds of Web based applications for clients such as Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Kaiser Permanente and ESPN. He enjoys helping clients solve the problems that plague their day-to-day work. Bret's a firm believer in the simple, useful tool, rather than the complicated piece of software. In his spare time, he indulges his passion for music, enjoys hanging out with family and friends and works on his alter ego - The Dude.
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Amanda LeNay - Problem Solved
Engineer
Amanda has contributed to the industry since 1998, building servers and working in server administration, development and engineering. Like Bret, she's a natural problem solver, always looking for and usually finding creative, simple solutions. A volunteer teacher, she enjoys riding horses with her children.
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Kevin McGinn – From the Inland Empire to the Central Coast
Developer
Having grown up in Southern California's Inland Empire, Kevin is of course a die-hard fan of baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He's also passionate about the entertainment industry, specifically feature films. It comes with the territory, although most people don't spend a summer interning for a Producer the likes of Julie Richardson ("Collateral"), as Kevin did. Someday he hopes to combine his entertainment experience with his joy of creative writing and pen a screenplay or two of his own. Until then, he assists in Web development, concentrating on issues of quality assurance. Additionally, Kevin was a Graphic Communication major, so he applies his numerous creative talents to both Web and print design projects.
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Michael Beck – Been There, Done That...All Before the Age of 20
Marketing Intern
Michael impressed Ryan with his networking abilities and marketing acumen in a volunteer program the two co-chair. Currently a student at Cuesta College, Michael will report to Scott, assisting him in organizing critical client metrics, executing link building and link exchange campaigns and analyzing our clients' competitors. California through-and-through, Michael's already been to film school, toured with a professional theatre group, worked in professional radio and lived in Los Angeles for two years where he worked in both film and television. The definition of a "people person," in his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, outdoor sports and celebrity gossip.
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