Meet our Search Engine Marketing Experts
Please use this page to get to know us better. Click on the links below to take a shortcut to the staff in each department. CHIEF OFFICERS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MARKETING SERVICES ANALYTICS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATIVE AND BILLING Chief Officers
Susan Blizzard CEO & Co-owner Before founding the company with Trent, Susan earned a BA from Duke, an MBA from Columbia, and worked as an investment banker for six years. Susan enjoys skiing, jogging and spending time with children Toby and Callie.
Trent Blizzard President, CMO & Co-owner Before founding the company, Trent earned a BA from Kenyon College, an MA from Fordham University, and worked as a high school history teacher for four years. Currently Trent is a renowned speaker for the SEO industry and enjoys traveling to hospitality conferences. In his spare time, Trent loves to go fishing and spend time with children, Toby and Callie, and has recently been improving his golf game.
Heather Austin CAO Originally from Illinois and a graduate of Western Illinois University, Heather brings with her many years of hotel and resort experience. As CAO, she divides her time between realizing Blizzard’s operational goals and improving Blizzard’s employee relations and communication. She works closely with the Blizzard Management Team as they all strive to continually deliver quality online marketing services and promote customer service excellence. Heather supports Blizzard’s unique and strong company culture that is professionally challenging and rewarding, while remaining enjoyable and dynamic. She enjoys Colorado life with her family by going skiing, camping, and rafting … and being a soccer Mom!
Russ Cabe COO Russ has lived on the west and east coasts and the great Northwest, but has lived the majority of his life in Colorado. He feels this exposure to so many areas of the country helps him greatly in working with clients from so many different areas. He graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in English and American Literature. Before his time at Blizzard, he worked in the Golf, Ski and Rafting industries, including managing a chain of golf and ski repair shops in New England. Russ has been a keynote speaker at several lodging industry workshops. When he isn’t working at Blizzard, he still chooses to indulge his interests in golfing, snowboarding, rafting, and still usually finds time to attend 2-3 USC football games a year. Go Trojans!
Business Development
Donna Boley Business Development Associate Donna has lived in state of Colorado since 1970. She has worked in the resort hospitality industry in Dillon managing condominiums and as a customer service specialist for the Town of Breckenridge recreation department.
She has enjoyed working part-time as a wedding photographer for more than 15 years. Hobbies include cross country skiing, hiking, gardening, cooking, and spending time with family.
Kathy Barta Account Manager Account Management is about the big picture, finding solutions and reaching goals. Kathy applies her experience in on-line tourism marketing, graphic design, technical support, and travel adventures to help clients improve their presence on the web. Having owned a small business, she understands the challenges our clients overcome every day. Kathy has many hobbies related to living in Colorado where she enjoys spending time with family and friends as well as volunteering in our community.
Stephanie Hedberg Account Manager Before moving to Colorado, Stephanie earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Utah State University (USU) in Journalism and Public Relations, and a minor in Speech Communications. Stephanie was selected to be an ambassador for USU giving her the opportunity to plan university events and present at various colleges and universities. Stephanie’s event planning and presenting background gives her an edge when it comes to helping clients decipher and value the various services offered at Blizzard. Having worked at Blizzard for over two years, in both the Promotion and Business Development Departments, makes it easy for Stephanie to recognize and assist the needs of our clients. When she’s not at work, Stephanie enjoys photography, running (just completed her second marathon), and wakeboarding, as well as, camping and traveling with her husband, Brock.
Ben Henderson Business Development Manager Born and raised in Tulsa, OK, Ben attended the University of Oklahoma for Business Marketing and moved to Glenwood Springs in 2001. He started work with Blizzard Internet Marketing on Valentine’s Day that year. His prior work experience in sales and account management with MCI/WorldCom and Go Daddy, now the largest domain name registrar, has provided Ben with a solid foundation suited for the ever-changing environment of Internet marketing. Obviously, much has changed in our industry since 2001 and now our services are typically the most important piece of a successful client’s overall marketing strategy. Outside of work, Ben enjoys his lovely wife and new son and reinventing the joy of life watching him grow everyday. Feel free to contact him at work with any questions or brainstorming ideas. Ben has worked within just about every department and specializes in matching clients with the services and technologies which will bring them success online.
Lisa Lilly Lisa joined the Blizzard team in July of 2008 as a Business Development Manager. After earning her Bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass communication from the University of Northern Colorado, Lisa put her degree to use doing sales and marketing in the hotel industry. This lead her to a career at Ski.com, where she was a Mountain Vacation Specialist for just over 9 years. During her time at Ski.com, Lisa was able to visit and experience most all of the amazing ski resorts west of the Mississippi, and even a few to the east! Being that Blizzard is a leader in the hospitality industry, this position was a natural transition for her.
Outside of work, Lisa enjoys hiking, skiing, running, red wine and most especially spending time with friends and
family. She has twin daughters, which creates a home environment of pure chaos and delight!
Melanie Stevens Account Manager Melanie joined Blizzard Internet after working many years in Sales/Marketing with software developers providing charting & analytical software to traders & investors. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management and Marketing from Mesa State College. Her strong sales and sales support background is perfect for cultivating relationships with Blizzard clients and presenting marketing opportunities to meet their needs. After working at several resort hotels and the travel industry early in her career, Melanie is excited to come back to the hospitality world. Melanie has been in Colorado all but one year of her life, lived in the eastern part of the state but loves the beauty of the western slope. When not at work, Melanie enjoys hiking, biking & skiing in the great outdoors with friends, husband Ron, children Chance & Kiley, and her two labs.
Jill Trujillo Business Development Associate Jill is a Marketing Consultant who specializes in the Social Internet and Web 2.0. She enjoys researching and implementing all aspects of search engine marketing, working towards her goal of making the Internet profitable for her clients. A natural love for traveling, coupled with her Internet marketing skills, makes Blizzard a natural fit for Jill. Prior to moving to the mountains of Colorado to fulfill her dream of skiing as much as possible, Jill grew up in Denver and attended Colorado State University. When she’s not in front of her computer, she loves to ski and have fun with family and friends.
Joshua Walker Business Development Manager Born and raised in Marietta, GA, Joshua moved to Florida to attend Stetson University where he obtained his Bachelors in Business Administration in International Business and a minor in Spanish. His professional history is focused in sales, training and customer service in various industries including telecom, textiles, and tourism. Prior to joining Blizzard Internet Marketing, Joshua worked with CSA Travel Protection targeting the Vacation Rental Market. As a truly unique segment of the tourism market, Joshua has been able to hone his consultative sales approach to provide value added solutions customized for each Vacation Rental Manager. When he is not working, you might see Joshua on the golf course, or at least off to the side looking for his ball. He also loves boating, kayaking, fishing and camping. Contact Joshua Walker today to begin maximizing your company’s potential on the World Wide Web.
Mindi Cabe Professional Development Manager In her role as Professional Development Manager, Mindi draws upon her background in communication, marketing, and corporate training. She gets great satisfaction from mentoring team members and creating profitable and successful marketing programs for Blizzard clients. When not at work, Mindi likes to ski, hike, and spend time with her family.
Matt Creer Resource Manager Originally from Denver, Matt moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1996 after completing his undergraduate studies in English at Colorado State University. He worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife and the Roaring Fork School District before joining our team at Blizzard. Matt has received certification as a Google Adwords Professional and assists in many of our internal writing projects. When not at work, he prefers to spend time with his three children and enjoys fishing, hiking, and sports.
Chris Adema Marketing Consultant Chris moved to Colorado from Michigan in 2005 after earning a BA in Business Marketing from Calvin College. Chris joined Blizzard shortly afterward. His scholastic focus, including a minor in Journalism, makes him ideally qualified for optimizing websites, writing content, publishing press releases and articles, and participating in the entire Internet marketing process. During his time with Blizzard, Chris has managed multiple Enterprise level clients, helped direct new site designs, worked as a member of the company’s Research and Development team, and taken point on new products such as Call Tracking and Language Translation. Chris is also currently working toward a “Professional SEO Certification”.
Chris’ hobbies include skiing, climbing, scuba diving, swimming, photography, reading, and hurting himself while attempting to surf. His greatest passion, however, is experiencing other cultures while traveling abroad.
Julia Baldwin Web Designer Originally from Maryland, Julia graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Before coming to Blizzard, she designed packaging for school supplies. She loves to ski, mountain bike, hike, and camp. She also enjoys painting and drawing.
Patti Bentley Web Designer Patti Bentley grew up in New Hampshire where she earned a BA in Art from Plymouth State College. She moved to Colorado, and earned a degree in Graphic Design from Colorado Mountain College. She enjoys living in the Roaring Fork Valley and spending time with her husband and two year old son. She also likes to cook and be creative with art, crafts, and photography.
Jackie Binion Marketing Consultant Jackie moved from the Chicago area to Colorado in 1998. As a Marketing Consultant at Blizzard, she has the opportunity to put her strong communications and hospitality background to good use. When not at work, Jackie loves to be outdoors, with some of her favorite activities being snowboarding, hiking, and biking. She also enjoys dancing, reading, going to movies and cooking.
Mary Bowling Marketing Consultant - SEO Expert Mary is a senior SEO – Search Engine Optimizer - at Blizzard and is certified in Advanced Search Engine Strategies through Search Engine Workshops. By keeping her finger on the pulse of the Internet, she is able to develop Best Practices for the company and train others on implementing them on client websites.
She also researches and develops new products and strategies for the company and is responsible for successful programs, such as Blizzard Local, Link Building programs, and new ways to use blogs for travel and destination marketing. Mary has written whitepapers on Local Search Engine Marketing, SEO For Images and Videos and SEO for WordPress Blogs and has published numerous articles on Local Search, Mobile Search, Search Engine Optimization, Blogging, and Search Engine Marketing.
With specialized expertise in the area of Local Search Engine Marketing, Mary teaches intensive classes on the subject for Search Engine Strategies in New York City and in Denver.
A frequent guest on the EMarketingTalkShow, Mary recently spoke at Search Engine Strategies – Travel conference in Seattle on the subject of Local and Mobile Search Marketing and the strategies needed to ensure your position in those niches. Mary also leads online courses in SEO, Blog Optimization, and Local Search Optimization for the Search Engine Workshops.
Mary is a graduate of the Ultra Advanced Search Engine Marketing Symposium and has attended many industry conferences such as PubCon, SES Local, SES Travel, and SMX Local Mobile and always brings back information keeping Blizzard’s staff on the cutting edge of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing.
Jim Buckley Marketing Consultant - PR Team Leader Prior to joining Blizzard’s Marketing Services Department as the PR Team Leader, Jim worked for 10 years as a sports journalist in Longmont, CO, and Kansas City, MO. His hobbies include hiking, camping, snowboarding, golfing, and anything involving being outdoors in the Rocky Mountains.
Allan Collins Web Developer Allan has over eight years of experience in website development and has acquired four Brainbench certifications in such areas as: HTML, PHP, Web Design Concepts, and Computer Technical Support. Allan is currently in the process of working toward a business degree from Mesa State College. A Colorado native who was raised on a farm, he formerly fit the role of a volunteer firefighter and EMT easily. Allan has been developing websites since 1999. He likes to hunt, fish, and also finds the word “geek” more of a compliment than an insult.
Gloria Farmer Marketing Consultant As a Marketing Consultant at Blizzard, Gloria enjoys expressing her passions and expertise in areas including Website Usability, E-mail Marketing, and cross-training to articulate her creative abilities for website design changes. These skills are an expansion of her undergraduate degree in Business Administration attained from Northwest Nazarene University. In her spare time, she enjoys time with friends and family, traveling, playing tennis, biking, painting, playing piano, bowling leagues, and skiing/snowboarding.
Carrie Hill SEO Team Leader Carrie is the SEO team leader and also specializes in Post Click Marketing and Online Brand and Reputation Management for Blizzard Internet Marketing. She is also a member of the Research and Development team at Blizzard and is responsible for keeping their products and clients on the cutting edge of technology and innovation in website promotion. Staying on top of these advancements requires constant research and test implementation on a wide spectrum of hospitality websites, and Carrie is regularly involved in this research.
As a regular columnist for SearchEngineWatch she helps small business owners gain insight into the complex world of online marketing. She is a frequent presenter for the Search Engine Strategies conference series where she has presented or moderated panels on Post Click Marketing, PPC Research Strategies, Online Reputation Management, and Small Business Search Engine Marketing. Her article “Seven Easy Steps to a Well Optimized Blog” was published in the premier issue of Visibility Magazine. She is also a featured contributor to the SearchEngineNews montly newsletter.
Along with her other accomplishments, Carrie has led webinars in Local Search Optimization, Online Reputation management, Blog Optimization, and Post Click Marketing for Search Engine Workshops.
Erin Jones Project Manager Erin grew up in Parker, CO, and is proud to be a native Coloradan. She graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Psychology. Erin’s experience with the travel industry ranges from ski resorts to vacation rentals, and she puts it to good use at Blizzard. When she isn’t at work, Erin enjoys outdoor activities, photography, cooking, reading, and a passion for travel. Erin also loves spending her free time with her husband, Adam, their two dogs, and friends and family.
Anna Kaiser Project Manager Anna, originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Management and Marketing, from Mesa State College. Anna has been featured as a guest speaker at industry trade shows including the National Vacation Rental Managers Association Conference. In her spare time, Anna enjoys many outdoor activities, including snowmobiling, rafting, camping, and mountain biking. Anna’s dogs, Drake and Elle, enjoy their frequent visits to the office.
Nicole Lucas Online Marketing Consultant Nicole has worked at Blizzard for about three and a half years in the office and contracting work while living in Southern California. She is an Online Marketing Consultant while also handling the administration duties for website changes and also being an active member of the e-Newsletter Team. Nicole is currently enrolled in several online training courses for website design while also getting ready to pursue her graphic design degree at Colorado Mountain College starting in Fall 2008. Being the ‘Changes Administrator’ and a member of the Newsteam has really brought her into the niche of online design and she can now see her future as a graphic designer.
Nicole loves hanging out with her boyfriend, Paulie and his 4 year-old son Alexander. Some of her favorite pastimes when not at work are being artistic through painting and drawing, watching movies, traveling, bike riding, hiking, transforming their 1959 Chevy Apache into a Hot Rod and of course BBQing with friends and family.
Lindy Norris Design Project Manager With her background in website design, e-mail marketing, and years of customer service, Lindy is pleased to work with her clients to help them reach their online marketing goals. She is able to use her natural ability to work with people, as she is a self-proclaimed “people person.” When not at work, Lindy enjoys riding her motorcycle, reading, going on walks with her dog Kiara, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors her native state of Colorado provides.
Cristin Oldenburg Associate Project Manager Born in Houston, Texas to two self-proclaimed “gypsies-at-heart” Cristin has lived and traveled all over the United States and the world, but mostly grew up in Durango, Colorado. Cristin earned her bachelors degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. She has a passion for the tourism industry, particularly tourism marketing, and has enjoyed her time with Blizzard Internet Marketing since starting in early 2008.
Michele Orton Project Manager A marketing professional, Michele joins Blizzard Internet Marketing as a project manager. Her experience stems from a Business Degree with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Northern Colorado and as a marketing coordinator with worldwide, financial software company. While with the software company, Michele managed the implementation and execution of print material, presentation CD’s, and on-going marketing collateral pieces. Her roll involved everything from graphic presentation to technical content. She also worked in customer service, effectively communicating with demanding clients that utilized CQG software for commodity trading. As a Colorado native, Michele enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and 8 year old son. Cycling, running, hiking, skiing and kayaking are a few of her passions.
Jessamy Pressler Associate Project Manager Originally from New Castle, CO, Jessamy earned her Bachelors of Business Administration degree, with a concentration in management, from Mesa State College in 2005. She prides herself on excellent communication with clients and fellow employees. She is currently developing an expertise in blog training and development. Jessamy works with our Comprehensive clients and manages accounts for our Enterprise level clients. When not at work, Jessamy enjoys traveling, camping, boating, and spending time with her husband, Kevin, and their son, Lane.
Danielle Rozga Project Manager Originally from Dillon, CO, Danielle holds a degree in Marketing from the Leeds School of Business at CU-Boulder. Prior to starting work as a Project Manager at Blizzard, she completed marketing internships in the corporate restaurant and non-profit sectors. Danielle uses her knowledge of search engine marketing to deliver successful results to her clients, and strives to deliver excellent customer service. When not at work, Danielle enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and spending time with her husband, Levi, and their two dogs, Mollie and Laramie.
Matt Smith Marketing Consultant Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Matt moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in December 1999. His interest in SEO started with affiliate marketing and he became familiar with Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing campaigns. Matt has a wife named Annie of almost 3 years, a 7 ½ month old boy named Asher McGee, and a 6 year old Corgi named Arrow. When he’s not changing diapers he loves to fish, mountain bike, hike, camp, and most of all ski.
David Suminski Web Designer Born and Raised in Colorado, always having a passion for the internet and computer technology. David moved to Denver to go to college in late 2003. In Denver, David earned a Bachelors degree in Web Design and Multimedia at Westwood College, meanwhile working for Fed Ex Ground for 3+ years. Getting away from the package transportation business, he decided to put his degree to good use, shortly after graduating from college, with Blizzard. David has been a part of the team since early 2008. In his free time he enjoys a round of golf, a good movie, swimming at the hot springs, gaming, playing sports and being outdoors.
Kara Toedtli Marketing Consultant Kara moved to the Roaring Fork Valley from Denver four and a half years ago with her husband and daughter. She is a graduate of Parks College in Thornton, CO, where she received an Associate’s Degree in Travel and Tourism. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business/E-Business at the University of Phoenix. Kara has a strong background in the hotel industry, and she puts it to use in her position as a Marketing Consultant at Blizzard. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and their three dogs and cats, photography, horseback riding, camping, fishing, online gaming, reading, and music.
Amy Tomasello Project Manager Amy moved to Glenwood Springs from Southern California in 1998 where she gained her professional experience working for a large insurance company as a Customer Service Manager and as a trainer for a software development company. As a Marketing Consultant, Amy utilizes her computer business and customer service experience to manage a variety of Blizzard Enterprise and Comprehensive clients. Amy enjoys spending time with family and friends and taking advantage of all the outdoor activities the Rocky Mountains offer.
Kelly Conley Manager of Information Technology Kelly brings his 10 years of experience in the world of Information Technology to Blizzard as the Information Technology Manager. After being born in Scottsdale, AZ, Kelly grew up in Orange County, CA, before moving to the mountains of Colorado in 1997. Kelly has a degree in Programming and Operating Systems from the University of Phoenix and is constantly learning new technologies and new ways of doing things in IT. When not at work Kelly enjoys spending time with his two kids, Mia and Ryder, as well as snowboarding, playing the drums, and riding his Harley.
David Cross Hosting Support Technician David handles all domain registration and related issues. He recently earned his Certified Network Associate Certificate. Dave has lived his whole life in New Castle, CO, about 12 miles west of Glenwood Springs, and he is proud to be a Colorado native. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, photography, reading, and music.
CJ Howard Systems Administrator After 20 years in Law Enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff, chasing and arresting bad guys, CJ went back to school to study computer networking, desktop support, and get her CISCO certification. She has now embarked on her second, much safer, career at Blizzard as our Systems Administrator. While at Blizzard, she is continuing her education in pursuing MCSA certifications. While “off duty” CJ enjoys taking care of her horses, dogs, gardens, ponds, and Koi fish. She enjoys taking her 1964 camping trailer “Pinky” for trips around Colorado for hiking and fishing trips. Her other hobbies include downhill and cross country skiing, biking, and playing Polocrosse, and she also obviously enjoys her diving trips to Bonaire, The Caymans, and other warm water destinations.
“I love working at Blizzard. It is a constantly evolving, forward looking company that encourages us to stretch our boundaries in computer and Internet technologies. This creates an exciting and creative atmosphere for us “geeks”!
Greg Yoas Hosting Support Technician Greg originates from the Dallas/Fort Worth area where he received a B.S. in Management Information Systems and graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Texas in May 2004. A month later, he moved to Glenwood Springs to pursue his mountain biking hobby and to learn snowboarding, since (believe it or not) there are no ski resorts in Texas. Greg has been employed with Blizzard since September 2004. Greg’s job responsibilities at Blizzard include technical support for our clients and our employees and managing the website and e-mail servers for our hosting clients.
When Greg is not at work, he enjoys partaking in one of his many hobbies which include: Mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, camping, kayaking, and brewing beer.
Larry Wainwright Software Development Department Manager Larry originates from Orlando, FL, and has worked as a programmer since 1989 in many varied fields, from defense contractors to litigation management. Being part of the Blizzard Team has been a very enjoyable part of his life and one he wants to continue for a very long time. He has been heavily involved in the software internals of the company since 2000. Larry enjoys shooting, hunting, spending time with his family, skiing, camping, and spending an inordinate amount of time learning new but established technologies to determine usefulness to Blizzard.
James Sweeney III Software Developer James has a B.A. in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. He was born in Florida and has lived in Glenwood Springs since 1988. Rafting, disc golfing, and snowboarding are some of his favorite past times when he is not glued to a video game in his home theater.
Tish Lockard Billing Manager Raised in the local Roaring Fork Valley, Tish moved to Fort Collins, CO, to attend Colorado State University. Upon returning to Western Colorado, Tish worked as a Software Support Technician for an analytic software development company from 1994 – 2001 where she gained much respect and knowledge of the trading markets. As a member of the Blizzard Internet Marketing team since 2001, Tish now enjoys the challenges of managing the Billing Department. Tish is a proud mother of four children. She and her husband enjoy the winter seasons coaching the area Buddy Werner Ski Racing Team at the local resort, Sunlight Ski Resort. Their summers are filled with rafting the Roaring Fork, Colorado, and Gunnison rivers. In her spare time, Tish enjoys spending time with her family of six, reading, hiking, biking, and camping.
Linda Pineda Billing Assistant Born and raised in Texas, Linda is another who was lured to Colorado 30 years ago by the beauty of the state. Linda spends as much time as possible outside enjoying the recreational opportunities of Colorado-when she’s not working, of course.
Mary Sikes Front Office Assistant Mary has lived in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado for over twenty years. With many years of office management and time spent in the dental field, she enjoys taking care of people. Mary shares her passions for travel, music, hiking, and local events with her daughter and partner.
Tess Wesson Bookkeeper Tess joins Blizzard after 10 years in the Real Estate business as a Realtor, Property Manager, Office Manager, and bookkeeper. Tess has been with Blizzard for over three years handling the bookkeeping and payroll, and enjoys the flexible and friendly working environment Blizzard offers. Originally from California, Tess has lived in Colorado since the age of four and considers Colorado her true home. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, two Bichon’s Max and Gabe, hiking all over Colorado and Utah, listening to classical music, reading, and doing logic puzzles.