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Michelle Tjelmeland, Founder and Owner
Darcy Meinke, Copywriter/E-marketing Coordinator
Kim Martin, Educational Trainer and Technical Support
Maria Singleton, Online Systems Consultant and Graphic Designer
Kelly Taylor, Art Director and Graphic Designer
Darren Gander, Senior Creative Director
Joy Duling, Strategist/Copywriter
Michelle Tjelmeland, Founder and Owner
With boundless energy, a designer's flair and keen instincts about people and business, Michelle gets results and her clients reap the benefit. Click here read Michelle's entrepreneurial timeline.
Michelle Tjelmeland, owner of e-websmart is the creator and author of Market Your Mission™ books, a high-energy dynamo, the founder of a non-profit organization, an accomplished public speaker, a recipient of Microsoft's prestigious 2005 "Start Something Amazing Award", and a dedicated wife and mother.
Also in June of 2008, Michelle co-invented Alerts Made Easy TM the original 4-in-1 web, e-mail, text, and phone messaging service, with business partner Mark Roberts.
Additionally, in October of 2009, Michelle became certified as Social Media Specialist by the ISMA and is founding member of the International Social Media Association.
What most people do not realize is that Michelle has accomplished this all while being profoundly Deaf, "hearing" only through a miraculous technology called a cochlear implant, a small electronic device that translates sound in the environment into electrical impulses which the brain can interpret.
Before losing her hearing, Michelle taught 7th and 8th grade language arts for the Springfield, Illinois public school district. She possesses a master's degree in Education and Computer Technology from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and a bachelor's degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.
Her achievements and the contribution of e-websmart to the field of Web design and to the community where the company is located have been applauded through numerous awards and nominations, including:
- Recipient of 2009 Woman of Influence Award
- Recipient of the "Woman on the Rise award" by Illinois State Treasurer, March, 2008
- "Silver Addy Award" from the American Advertising Federation, March, 2008
- "Inc Magazine Winner for Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Reader and Editor's Pick", November 2007
- "NAWBO Mirassou Business Optimist 10k Award Recipient", May 2006
- "Silver Addy Award" from the American Advertising Federation, February 2007
- "Silver Addy Award" from the American Advertising Federation, February 2006
- "Innovate Illinois Regional Semi-Finalist", March/April 2006
- "Milliken Regional Entrepreneurial Network 5k Grant" recipient, January 2006
- 1st place winner in the national Microsoft "Start Something Amazing" Campaign in the culture and community category, November 2005
- "National Inspirational Deaf Person of the Year Award" by Oticon, February 2005
- "Small Business Owner of the Year" by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, June 2003
- "Gold Award" by the World Wide Web Awards Association, July 2003
- "40 under 40 Award" by the Springfield Business Journal, 2002
In addition to her work with e-websmart, Michelle is the Founder and Board Chairman of the Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation (www.ciafonline.org), a nonprofit organization which exists to provide information, resources and financial assistance for individuals who can overcome deafness through utilization of cochlear implant technology.
Armed only with an amazing passion to bring her nonprofit to life, Michelle built the organization from the ground up and marketed her way to widespread name recognition within her niche.
Michelle also maintains active involvement in her community. She is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and is the Vice President of Rochester Education Foundation (www.rochestereducationfoundation.org).
Michelle resides in Springfield, Illinois with her husband and two young daughters.
Darcy Meinke, Copywriter/E-marketing Coordinator
As an e-marketing coordinator, copywriter, and technology assistant for e-websmart, Darcy Meinke has the skills and resourcefulness to assist with many different types of business projects, both online and on paper. With a natural curiosity to learn and determination to figure things out, she enjoys researching ideas and finding new ways to use her skills. Her experience with Constant Contact, Blogger, TypePad, and other Web-based programs allows her to create attractive blogs and newsletters, and her writing skills add value to the project because she can contribute engaging articles as well. As an expert copywriter, she concentrates on conveying her client’s voice by finding just the right combination of words, tone, and style to capture your personality and relate to your audience.
Darcy graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and a minor in public relations. She spent most of her college years interning at the State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, and continues to maintain a great interest in state politics. Her work experience includes 2 years as a legislative representative and 2 years as a marketing associate.
Darcy enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 young girls on their farm in southeast Nebraska. She also enjoys reading novels, bike riding, playing piano, and volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for a local rural fire & rescue department.
Kim Martin, Educational Trainer and Technical Support
Kim is our project manager extraordinaire. From putting the polish on finished Web sites, to making sure that shopping carts and links are working, to setting up email accounts and walking our clients step-by-step through the training process, Kim does it all with professionalism and
grace.
She graduated from Illinois State University grad in 1990 with a Bachelor's Degree in Middle School Education and, after teaching for a few years, returned for a Master's Degree in Mathematics. Working on Web sites was certainly not something Kim imagined herself doing, but after partnering with e-websmart on a site for her comedian father-in-law, the relationship with Michelle and the rest of the team blossomed into a supplemental career path.
The teacher in her is still there, though. She loves working with e-websmart clients and says that it's always fun to see how delighted they are when they see the finished sites. Clients say that Kim makes the learning process interesting and is always there to lend a hand when they require technical support.
Kim resides in Springfield with her daughter.
Maria Singleton, Online Systems Consultant and Graphic Designer
Maria Singleton is a full time multi-tasker, driven by creativity and her thirst to share knowledge and understanding. She graduated from The Art Institute of Phoenix in 1998, and holds a degree in Visual Communications.
Her experience in the creative world ranges from print to Web design for in-house corporations as well as Phoenix based Marketing and Design studios. Her passion however, lies in being serviceable and customer service oriented but always with a hint of productivity. The rest, in a way, follows her along the path.
Originally born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Maria now lives in Surprise, Arizona with her husband of 8 years Jamel and two little girls, Isabelle and Olivia, whom are now 7 and 3.
Kelly Taylor, Art Director and Graphic Designer
After attending Texas State University, Kelly Taylor eagerly entered the Advertising/Marketing Industry in Dallas, Texas. As an Art Director in such a diverse and competitive market, she has gained invaluable experience working alongside clients such as GE Consumer Finance, Wal-Mart, Dillard's, Sam's Club, JCPenney, and many others. Kelly specializes in corporate design, print, Web design, radio and outdoor advertising.
Kelly resides in McKinney, Texas with her loving husband Rob and her two year old daughter Peyton.
Darren Gander, Senior Creative Director
Darren Gander is an imaginative designer with more than 25 years of experience in graphic design and printing. His creative talent and conceptual designs have achieved international recognition. Darren's expertise includes working knowledge of Quark Express, InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. He is as comfortable with small-scale print design as he is with large-scale signage, exhibition displays, and textiles.
Joy Duling, Strategist/Copywriter
Joy comes to the e-websmart team as a site content specialist, bringing more than a decade of experience from the government and not-for-profit sectors.
As a small business owner herself, Joy possesses more than a textbook understanding of Internet operations. She has successfully launched two businesses via the Web – both a retail storefront and a professional services firm offering project-based virtual assistance and consultation. Additionally, Joy specializes in set-up of third party site add-ons such as message boards and blogs or productivity tools such as on-line invoicing.
E-websmart clients who have worked with Joy have appreciated her ability to “get it”. With a quiet confidence, Joy quickly develops an understanding of their business needs and produces site content that accurately reflects their personality, target market and site goals.
Joy holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois; a Master’s Degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign with a specialization in Policy, Planning and Administration; and has completed a number of specialty writing courses through American Writers and Artists, Inc.
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