Jason Whitener Sales Director

Jason Whitener was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He moved to Austin in 2010 and went to The University of Texas, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2012. He earned an MBA from Colorado State University in 2020.

Fav Cereal? Mini Wheats

Jason came to Practice Cafe in the beginning of 2016, and he has dedicated himself wholeheartedly to every role he’s had and each contribution he’s made at the dental cafe. As Sales Director and likely your first point of contact here, Jason’s objective is to grow your business by understanding your marketing needs and expectations, researching your area and potential patient demographics, and developing strategic marketing plans to set you apart from your competition. Together with his team, Jason will research your individual practice and its location to identify an ideal mix of digital and traditional marketing for the desired new-patient flow and available budget.

In his free time, Jason enjoys just about anything sports related. He likes watching his Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, and Texas Rangers. He also loves spending time and traveling with his fiancée, Caitlyn. Lately he feels like his second, part-time job is attending friends’ weddings. He’s looking forward to his turn in the fall of 2020!

Angie Cannon Marketing Director

Angie Liddiard Cannon grew up in Austin. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing, as well as a minor in English, from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Angie considers Salt Lake City her second hometown and especially enjoys spending time there in the fall when the leaves light up the mountains.

After serving an 18-month mission for her church in Brazil, Angie interned for Practice Cafe in 2005 during her senior year of college. She started full-time immediately upon graduating, initially working as a copywriter and project manager while helping her dad, Brian, manage and grow the company. Angie’s unanticipated journey as a business owner has been a wild ride, and she’s grateful for all that she has learned along the way!

Fav Cereal? Oatmeal Squares

As part-owner and a managing member, Angie is very personally invested in the success of Practice Cafe and its clients’ marketing. She considers PC her first “baby.” Shortly before her first human baby was born in 2011, Angie transitioned from client-facing roles to the position of Marketing Director, which was more of an internal role that allowed her to adjust her schedule to the strange hours that accommodated her growing family. Currently, Angie’s work has her taking part in a bit of everything at the dental cafe, and she’d love the opportunity to get to know you and hear about your dental practice.

Angie loves spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys traveling, music, reading (mostly audio books these days), movies and musical theater, finding gem restaurants in unlikely places, and being outdoors (particularly gardening, kayaking, or hiking). Outside in Austin, the trees nourish Angie’s soul. She appreciates an occasional thrill, too, like cliff jumping or organizing practically anything. Her current mega thrill is motherhood. Angie and her husband, Nate, have a daughter, Maisy (born 2011), and three sons, Quincy (born 2013), Wyatt (born 2016), and Jay Bear (born 2018). Angie’s heart and hands are full!

Brian Liddiard Business Director

Brian Liddiard studied finance and accounting, then earned a Master of Professional Accountancy at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

After his formal education, Brian has had a lifetime of practical education with his hand in a bit of everything including accounting, consulting, real estate management and development, brokerage, general contracting, and new business development. After selling his homeowners association management company, Brian took on the business development of Practice Cafe in 2005. As Business Director and owner, Brian is responsible for much of the “behind the scenes” work that makes PC’s dental marketing campaigns successful and affordable for clients all around the country.

Fav Cereal? Cinnamon Wheat Chex

In addition to his broad professional experience, Brian has a lot of experience volunteering at church and keeping an eye on his four daughters, all of whom have married stellar guys. Angie Cannon, Brian’s oldest daughter, is grateful for the opportunity to work with her dad. He’s a great boss in addition to being an exceptional father.

Brian doesn’t really have spare time but he’s sure that if he did, he’d be a man of leisure, a connoisseur of fine cheeses, and a drag racer, among other things. While he waits for all that (not holding his breath), Brian does love the drags, classic rock music (especially Tom Petty), Word War II history, basketball, random YouTube videos, and spending time with his wife Connie and their family, particularly their ten grandchildren.

Jamie Steed Director of Operations

Jamie Steed was raised in Las Vegas and will always have a soft spot for it. Jamie is happy to be part of the Practice Cafe family, but he also really is family. Jamie’s wife and Angie’s husband are siblings.

Before completing his degree, Jamie took two years away from his everyday life to serve a full-time mission for his church in Germany. He brought his love for Germany and its language home, graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with degrees in both German and English, and a Master of Education. After teaching high school English and coaching volleyball, Jamie decided to broaden his professional experience by working for a human resources consultancy, during which time he obtained his PHR® certification (Professional in Human Resources). In his next job, Jamie further expanded his skills into marketing as an Internal Communications Manager for Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas. He managed internal marketing communications for more than 27,000 employees at eight Caesars properties.

Fav Cereal? Life

As Director of Operations and a part-owner of Practice Cafe, Jamie is who we consider the heartbeat of the dental cafe. He mentors most of our team members and runs most of our meetings, which tend to get a little rowdy even though there are only 30-something of us compared to 27,000. In general, Jamie tries to keep us all in line and laughing at the same time. He has been with Practice Cafe since 2011.

Included on Jamie’s list of hobbies are playing volleyball, softball, and Wiffle ball, and camping every time it rains. He also likes b-movies like Manos: The Hands of Fate. Jamie’s true obsessions can be found on a different list with Dodgers baseball, Runnin’ Rebel basketball, beef jerky, and Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia flavor. Ahead of Cherry Garcia are Jamie’s wife and their three lovable and crazy kids, a girl and two boys. Last but not least, Jamie’s shoes are almost always untied. It is one of the few things in this world that you can count on.

Rachel Himle Director of Digital Operations

Rachel Himle went to Texas A&M University, where she got a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in Russian.

Fav Cereal? Oatmeal

Originally from the Houston area, Rachel moved to Austin in 2011. After doing SEO and paid search for a local e-commerce company, Rachel came to Practice Cafe in 2015 as an SEO & PPC Specialist. She has been promoted through multiple roles in our digital marketing department and is currently putting her heart and soul into the job of directing our digital operations (and getting grey hairs doing it). Rachel loves to see the visual and technical aspects of digital marketing come together to create a unique message about a business and to generate measurable practice growth for clients. Rachel is the driving force behind Practice Cafe’s digital efforts, and we think you’ll find her to be a refreshingly competent and delightful Director of Digital Operations!

When not reading about the latest Google update, Rachel’s personal interests include painting and eating tacos. She also tries to fit in occasional visits to her local yoga studio. Rachel and her husband, Thor, like to go on adventures together, whether it’s traveling, exploring the outdoors, or simply trying new food. Their latest and greatest adventure is their son, Owen, who was born in early 2017. Their family dog, Ellie, likes to swim and eat in her free time, which is all the time.

Justin Vincent Digital Marketing Manager

Fav Cereal? Cocoa Puffs

Justin Vincent was born and raised in Austin. He moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in public relations. After graduation, Justin couldn’t stay away from the beloved, weird city of Austin. He moved back and worked for a marketing firm where he handled clients’ social media marketing and spearheaded some special projects.

In the spring of 2018, Justin joined the Practice Cafe family. We love having him as part of our team! As our Digital Marketing Manager, Justin works hard to improve the visibility of our clients’ dental practice websites, both in organic search results and in the paid ads. He collaborates with our expert SEO and PPC teams to formulate strategies and action plans based on a client’s location, the treatments they offer, and the local competition. Justin also helps oversee our online reputation management services.

When he’s not working, Justin likes to play with his adorable miniature dachshund, Oskar. Justin also enjoys playing guitar, hiking, river tubing, and taking advantage of the warm weather and various outdoor activities that Austin has to offer.

Kalan Brock Web Team Director

Kalan Brock was born in Davenport, Iowa and grew up in Dalton, Georgia. His mother is from Berlin so he’s half German, but his accent is all Southern!

Kalan is an exceptionally hard worker. He first learned to program in 1998 when he was just 15 years old, and he landed his first full-time video game development job at Sphere Server at age 16. Kalan started his own game server company in 2011 called Purple Llama Labs, which he sold to a development partner a few years later. During the time he worked on Purple Llama Labs, Kalan was also a lead developer at Aisle Rocket Studios, where he worked for clients such as Craftsman, RJ Reynolds, and Sears.

Fav Cereal? Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch

To stay ahead of the ever-evolving trends, code languages, and other tools in web development, Kalan seems to work almost around the clock. He joined SEMA Young Executives Network and the Emerging Trends and Technology Network in 2012, and he is part of the Texas State Historical Association’s committee for internal technological processes. Kalan has shared some of his knowledge and experiences as a guest lecturer at Dalton State College’s marketing program. He also donates time and resources to the local Alzheimer’s Association’s Dancing Stars program.

As Practice Cafe’s Web Team Director, Kalan is quite literally the guru for all things web development at the dental cafe. Kalan is also the pioneer staff of PC’s satellite office in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where we have a growing group of team members that we affectionately refer to as “The Noogs.” Kalan started working with PC as a long-time freelance partner back in 2014. He came on board full-time in 2016.

Kalan and his wife, Jessica, eloped to get married on a beach in 2010. Kalan has two daughters, Makayla and Petra. Kalan and Jessica purchased their home in Chattanooga in the fall of 2014, and they have enjoyed putting down roots near family. In his spare time, Kalan watches lectures on astrophysics, theories, and development. He has some normal hobbies, too, including watching movies, reading books, and video gaming.

Rachel Anthony Sales Account Manager

Rachel Anthony was born and raised in Garland, Texas. She attended Texas A&M University (Whoop!), where she majored in English and minored in communications. While in college, Rachel was a member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band and the Corps of Cadets, for which she completed ROTC training and served as a Public Relations Sergeant for her outfit.

Fav Cereal? Fruity Pebbles

As Sales Account Manager at Practice Cafe, Rachel communicates with dentists and their teams about desired design projects and online dental marketing services, including SEO, PPC, Facebook advertising, and social media. She also assists Jason with demographic research and everything to do with mailing lists for our superb dental direct mail services. In addition to her experience at Practice Cafe, Rachel has expanded her internet dental marketing knowledge by completing a 12-month digital marketing apprenticeship program with Digital Creative Institute (DCI). Rachel loves helping clients and just people in general! In January of 2018, she traveled with Health Talents International to Nicaragua for a mission trip that brought necessary medical care to four different communities surrounding Managua.

In her free time, Rachel likes to catch up on her favorite TV shows, watch movies, and travel. Her team members at PC like it when she uses her free time to bake cookies and other goodies that she brings to the office to share! Rachel has a passion for cooking and finding healthy recipes that taste great. Fun fact: Rachel runs a healthy living food blog!

Brittany Corwin Client Rep

Brittany Corwin was born and raised in Denison, Texas. After high school, she moved to San Marcos to attend Texas State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in mass communications. Brittany was a member of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society throughout college, and many people have speculated that she was the visual inspiration for the character of Merida in the movie Brave.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds

Before joining the Practice Cafe team, Brittany was a supervisor at Bath & Body Works for five years. She still has a stockpile of yummy-smelling products that she uses to combat the questionable smells of our office refrigerator. Brittany has experience at PC both as a Content Strategist and now as a Client Rep. Along with her talents in customer service, project management, and writing, Brittany brings a truly uplifting personality to the dental cafe, and you can always count on her to brighten your day.

In her free time, Brittany loves taking her Labrador mix, Ralphie, to the dog park so he can exercise, socialize, and stay out of trouble. Brittany also enjoys flying to visit her parents, who recently relocated to the beautiful state of Washington. Fun fact: Brittany loves autumn and Christmas. To her, it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit, and you can find her listening to Christmas music and watching The Grinch the day after Halloween!

Mallory Huntley Client Rep

Mallory Huntley is originally from Houston, TX, but she moved to Austin with her family in 2005. For college, Mallory started off studying international relations at two different prestigious universities in Mexico. While there, she formed cherished, lifelong friendships. She loves how warm and welcoming the Mexican culture is.

Fav Cereal? Rice Chex

Before joining Practice Cafe, Mallory worked in a couple different dental offices in a variety of roles, and she was also a Marketing Coordinator for ClearCorrect. Through these positions, Mallory unexpectedly fell in love with the dental field and those who work in it! Now, she’s a self-proclaimed “dental nerd” who loves diving deep into the world of dentistry. Mallory is happy to have found a passion, albeit in a niche that she hadn’t planned on.

As a Client Rep at Practice Cafe, Mallory is many clients’ go-to communicator for all of their dental marketing projects. She is great at navigating the varying details and needs for both design and online dental marketing campaigns, and she ensures that clients feel well-informed and confident on all aspects of the Practice Cafe services they utilize. Mallory’s friendly, charismatic demeanor makes her a client favorite and a dental cafe favorite, too!

In her free time, you can find Mallory walking her two adorable mutts, Brisa and Barney, or getting coffee with friends. Fun fact: Mallory loves true crime podcasts.

Candice Cox Client Rep

Candice Cox was born and raised in Austin, and she grew up spending as much time on the lake as she could. She graduated from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX, where she majored in horticulture and minored in business. Candice worked in the service industry during college, and then she followed her love of plants into horticulture sales for about seven years.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

In 2019, Candice felt compelled to pivot into the field of marketing. As a Client Rep at Practice Cafe, Candice has been able to apply her business education as well as her years of sales account management experience in a new and fulfilling role. Candice’s organizational skills help her thrive when there is a lot of information to keep track of and many pieces to fit together for marketing success.

Even though it’s not her full-time job anymore, Candice still cares a lot about plants and frequently adopts sick ones from the sales section to nurse back to health on the back porch that her roommate has dubbed “the plant hospital.” In addition to spending time with family and friends, Candice’s other loves include country music (especially live shows), the Dallas Cowboys, and her pug named Izzy.

Ross Bassett Client Rep

Ross Bassett is originally from Richmond, Virginia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Ross moved to Austin in 2016 and is happy to be here!

Fav Cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Ross’ previous work experience includes a role as a training specialist for Superior Access Insurance Services and a tech support position for Apple. He has always had a strong interest in advertising (perhaps influenced by his dad who has spent his career in the field), and Ross holds multiple marketing certifications. As a Client Rep at Practice Cafe, Ross is attentive, well-spoken, and easygoing. We enjoy having him in the office, and we think you’ll enjoy working with him on your customized dental marketing endeavors!

When he’s not working, Ross enjoys cooking, reading (especially detective fiction), and relaxing with his miniature poodle, Hugo, who is a welcome canine guest at the dental cafe. Ross also plays the guitar and piano.

Jamie Ledford Fulfillment Coordinator

Jamie Ledford was born and raised in the Houston, Texas area. After getting a Bachelor of Arts in communications and media production from the University of Houston, Jamie started her career at the Houston Film Commission as a production assistant.

After moving to Austin in 2009, Jamie eventually made her way professionally to marketing and advertising. She worked first as a media buyer, managing annual budgets exceeding $1.2 million and learning the ropes of traditional marketing media. Interested in expanding her experience to digital marketing, Jamie moved into account coordination and financial management for digital ad space in e-newsletters. In addition, she has experience with lead generation and online newspaper advertising.

Fav Cereal? Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch

As Fulfillment Coordinator at Practice Cafe, Jamie handles all of our clients’ printing and mail drops. Jamie’s expert care with details, her steady demeanor, and the attentive customer service she provides will help make your dental direct mail as smooth and successful as possible. Jamie is also excited to put her video skills to good use assisting our team with dental practice video coordination.

When she’s not working, Jamie enjoys cooking and baking, and watching the latest and greatest blockbuster movie or TV show with her husband and their French Bulldog, Theo. Jamie loves bulldogs!

Carla Quakenbush Controller

Carla Quakenbush is originally from the Houston area (a small town at the end of the ship channel called La Porte). After graduating from high school, Carla moved to Austin and started doing office work.

Fav Cereal? Count Chocula

With many years experience in bookkeeping and office management, mostly in smaller companies that required her to wear many hats, Carla is an ideal fit for Practice Cafe. Her ability to prioritize, think creatively to solve problems, pay attention to details (especially in spreadsheets), and work as a team player with employees from other departments make Carla a great addition to the PC staff. We’re happy to have Carla as our Controller at the dental cafe! She is easygoing and good natured, and she has been enjoying the lighthearted atmosphere at Practice Cafe since 2011.

In her personal life, Carla has two rowdy kiddos. She appreciates the order and organization she can maintain at work, because her home is chaotic with the energy and activities of her children. To Carla, this is the perfect balance between life and work that she has sought to achieve. Carla is dedicated and loyal to both her family and job, and she feels the best way to succeed in life is to always maintain your sense of humor.

Zoë Zrubek SEM Strategist

Zoë Zrubek was born and raised in Austin. She attended Texas State University, where she majored in digital media innovation and mass communication with a minor in psychology.

Fav Cereal? Rice Chex with sugar on top

While pursuing her degree, Zoë interned as a media buyer and an executive assistant for a start-up company. After graduating, she worked as an SEO Strategist for a legal web marketing agency. Now, as a part of the Practice Cafe family, Zoë works on our digital marketing team as one of our skilled SEM Strategists, with an emphasis on SEO. She researches ways to boost our clients’ organic search rankings by strategizing methods to optimize local search, and her knack for detail work is something that your digital marketing account is sure to benefit from.

In her free time, Zoë hangs out with her pit bull, Bruce, and her two cats, Carl and Khaleesi. Her grandparents from both her mom and dad’s side were goat and corn farmers, so she’s always had a passion for plants and animals. She loves spending time at plant nurseries, and thrift shopping for vintage clothes and furniture. Zoë admits she has way more house plants than any one person should own! Fun fact: Zoë’s mom is a dental hygienist and took care of Brian’s family years before Practice Cafe was even a thought in anyone’s brain.

Dale Wooddy SEM Strategist

Dale Wooddy grew up in San Ramon, California. Like many people from California, Dale eventually moved to Austin. In 2009, Dale earned his BA in political science and, after finishing his undergraduate degree, he attended Texas State University and completed an MA in political science. After receiving his MA, Dale felt called to pursue a career in digital marketing.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

Dale began his marketing career working for a company that focuses on creating content and enhancing search engine optimization for law firms and attorneys across the country. Now, as a skilled SEM Strategist at Practice Cafe, Dale helps dentists all over the U.S. optimize their organic rankings on local search.

In his spare time, Dale can be found gaming or reading the news. He likes to stay informed and enjoys analyzing how certain events or situations could turn out, like elections. Fun fact: Dale is a dedicated PC gamer.

Jessica Brock SEM Strategist

Jessica Brock was born in Corsicana, Texas, and then raised in Dalton, Georgia. She graduated from Dalton State College with a Bachelor of Applied Science in technology management, with an emphasis on marketing. In 2014, Jessica moved to Chattanooga to be closer to family.

Fav Cereal? Frosted Flakes

Before joining the Practice Cafe team in 2018, Jessica was the Statewide Events Director for the Alzheimer’s Association in Georgia. Now, as an SEM Strategist at PC, Jessica’s main responsibilities include creating eye-catching, unique dental Facebook ads and effective dental PPC ads that are too good NOT to click on them! Jessica also handles clients’ monthly social media posts. Your digital marketing is sure to benefit from Jessica’s exceptional attention to detail and good advertising instincts.

Jessica is married and has two beautiful girls. Along with her husband Kalan and their daughters, Jessica spends most weekends with her large extended family. When she’s not working or spending time with family, Jessica likes to crochet, garden, bake, hike, and go to concerts. She also loves going on adventures and has traveled to 13 countries and counting!

Kristian Pennock SEM Strategist

Kristian Pennock spent his entire childhood living on the north shore of Oahu, the third-largest of the Hawaiian islands. After graduating high school, he moved to California to attend the University of California Santa Cruz (Go Banana Slugs!). Kristian double majored in economics and environmental studies.

After college, Kristian moved to Austin to start his marketing career. Before coming to Practice Cafe, Kristian worked as a surfing instructor, which is totally rad. He also gained experience in several sales and digital marketing roles.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

We are thrilled that Kristian joined our digital marketing team. As one of our talented SEM Specialists with a focus on PPC, he builds our clients’ ad campaigns, participates in keyword bidding, and writes unique, eye-catching ad copy for Google ads. Kristian combines creativity and analytics to craft successful PPC campaigns for our clients, and he’s just a super nice guy who’s basically impossible not to like.

When he’s not at the office, Kristian enjoys surfing, hiking, camping, and participating in team sports. He also loves being outside, trying out new restaurants, going to the movies, and traveling.

Priya Raja SEM Strategist

Priya Raja was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in La Grange, which is about halfway between Austin and Houston. Priya graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she majored in marketing.

Fav Cereal? Frosted Mini Wheats

Before joining the Practice Cafe family, Priya worked at a marketing agency as a Digital Marketing Specialist. She gained valuable experience there, building digital campaigns and creating content for a variety of clients. As an SEM Strategist at Practice Cafe, Priya spends a lot of her time building dental PPC accounts from scratch. She enjoys diving deep into the work, customizing each PPC campaign based on keyword research that she conducts on Google and Facebook. Priya has a sharp eye for detail, which our team appreciates because the details can make a big difference in the success of a Google Ads campaign!

Priya loves hanging out with her family and friends, so when the weekend comes around you’ll probably catch her with them. She also enjoys being out under the sun at the beach or the pool. Fun fact: Priya likes to travel and has been to several foreign countries, including Canada, Thailand, and India.

Josh Han SEM Analyst

Fav Cereal? Raisin Bran Crunch

Josh Han grew up in Sarasota, Florida. He graduated from the University of South Florida in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Before joining Practice Cafe, Josh worked at The Smile Centre as a marketing coordinator and at Cigna as an underwriting specialist.

As an SEM Analyst at Practice Cafe, Josh conducts keyword research for our clients’ dental SEO and PPC campaigns. He also looks for viable backlinking opportunities. In addition, he performs technical audits of clients’ websites, and he creates social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business. If you get to chat with Josh during a digital marketing client kick-off call, you might notice that he’s just a super friendly guy. We’re glad to have him as part of our team!

When he’s not at the office, Josh enjoys traveling back to Florida to visit his friends and family, spending time outdoors, and trying out new restaurants. Fun fact: Josh’s main claim to fame is that he can play one song on the ukulele, “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson.

Shannon Steidel Content Strategist

Shannon Steidel is a native Austinite and is happy to be living and working in her hometown. She attended Texas A&M University in College Station, where she graduated in 2017 with a degree in telecommunication and media studies, and a minor in economics. During her time in college, Shannon frequently volunteered with her all-female service organization. She also completed her first marketing internship abroad in Dublin, Ireland.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

Shannon joined the Practice Cafe team in 2019. Prior to that, she was the Digital Marketing Coordinator for a real estate education company. Although she enjoyed working in social media, Shannon decided to pursue a more writing-focused role at Practice Cafe as a Content Strategist. She loves being able to use her writing skills every day to create effective and engaging content for Practice Cafe’s valued clients. Shannon is not only a great writer, but she’s also efficient and pleasant. A winning combination, if you ask us!

In her free time, Shannon enjoys being outside on Austin’s beautiful walking trails or doing hot yoga (Yes, even in the summer!). You’re also just as likely to find her at home, catching up on new Netflix shows or reading.

Julie Farnham Senior Print Design & Web Designer

Julie Farnham graduated with honors from Texas State University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in English. While in school, Julie was an active member of the Texas State Student Volunteer Community, and she made the dean’s list all four years.

Fav Cereal? Cap’n Crunch

Working full-time in the service industry to help put herself through college gave Julie many opportunities to learn excellent customer service skills. She loves working with people and really enjoyed serving Practice Cafe’s clients in the capacity of design project manager for several years. She has been at PC since 2011. During those first years, Julie trained in print design and did creative design work for freelance clients, including several local restaurants as well as groups in the Austin racing community. In the spring of 2016, Julie was elated to be promoted to Senior Print Designer at Practice Cafe, and since then she has also started cooking up website designs for PC’s clients! Around the office, Julie is quick to make a joke and keep everyone smiling.

Julie loves hanging out with family and friends. She enjoys staying active by training for and participating in triathlons and other races. She also likes to read and write, and put together puzzles of sharks. Julie’s biggest weaknesses are iced coffee, french fries, and Target. She has a fur child named Kourtney, a loving German Shepherd mix. The light of Julie’s life is her little boy, Landon, who was born in 2018.

Michele Smolensky Senior Web Developer & Design Manager

Michele Smolensky grew up in Miami, Florida, the youngest of her siblings. She went to school for fine art, and later decided to apply that to website design.

Fav Cereal? Frosted Flakes

As a freelancer, Michele worked with several local startups before joining the Practice Cafe team as a Web Designer & Developer in 2015, and she has since been promoted to Senior Web Developer & Design Manager. Between work and her love of going to the movies at Alamo Drafthouse, Michele spends too much time in front of screens. To give her eyes a break from the blue light, she likes to go hiking with her dog, Red.

Michele’s other hobbies include cooking and baking, and wearing cool shoes. She also enjoys going to stand-up and improv comedy shows. Michele’s favorite movies are Clueless, The Shining, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Hereditary.

Nick Lopez Web Designer

Fav Cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Nick Lopez was born and raised in San Antonio. He received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas in 2010.

Before joining the Practice Cafe family in 2018, Nick worked at Altair Technology as a Senior Designer and at Apex Healthware as a Graphic Designer. His most memorable job before college was at Torchy’s Tacos. He has a deep love for tacos, as do so many of us! We’re thrilled to have such a talented web designer and pleasant person as Nick on the PC team. Nick enjoys web design and finds it exciting to create fresh, boundary-pushing designs on the daily.

In addition to his web skills, Nick is also a DJ and music producer. When he’s not working, you can find him immersed in his musical craft and hanging out with his wife and their cat, Little Taco.

Chase Newman Senior Web Developer

Chase Newman grew up in a small rural town called Pleasant View, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. The population is around 5,000 and Chase says there’s no Walmart, just to give you a sense of scale.

Fav Cereal? French Toast Crunch

Chase graduated from Maryville College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in art, with a concentration on visual communications and a minor in business. Maryville is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with the beautiful Smokies right down the road, and Chase enjoyed his time there. Upon graduating, Chase moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee to start his career as a graphic designer.

At his first couple jobs, Chase worked in print design while his interest in web development grew. After a few opportunities to do some coding professionally, Chase decided that jumping completely into web development was the right move for him. He is in awe of the thing we call “the Internet,” so he views working as a website developer as a meaningful chance to make the web even more awesome. Chase joined Practice Cafe’s Chattanooga team as a Web Developer in 2016 and has since been promoted to Senior Web Developer.

More than anything, Chase loves traveling and music. He studied abroad for a semester in the Netherlands and was able to explore much of Western Europe, during which time he caught a permanent travel bug. Whether at home or traveling, Chase also loves being outdoors, particularly hiking and kayaking. Most recently, Chase has become mildly obsessed with cooking and eating delicious food, and breakfast is his forte. He’s ready to help cook up a smokin’ website for your dental practice!

Angela Weldy Web Developer

Angela Weldy was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her family moved to Atlanta when she was 15, but after she completed her associate’s degree in web development at Chattahoochee Technical College, Angela decided to move back home to Chattanooga.

Fav Cereal? Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch

Not all paths are straight. Angela worked as a Pharmacy Technician for 20 years before deciding to pursue her passion for web development full-time. It’s never too late to make a change in pursuit of a goal! As one of Practice Cafe’s valuable back-end Web Developers, Angela codes our clients’ dental websites, troubleshoots any web issues that arise, and just generally makes website dreams come to life!

When she’s not at work, Angela likes to spend time with her daughter, their dog, and their cat. Angela enjoys all water-related activities, including fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and swimming. As much as she loves the water, Angela despises the interstate and will take the back roads even if it takes longer to get to her destination.

Mackenzie Jeskie Blog Specialist & Editor

Mackenzie Liddiard Jeskie was born and raised in North Austin. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Brigham Young University, where she met her sweetheart, Joseph.

Since their wedding in 2014, the Jeskies have lived in Utah (Salt Lake City and Provo), Texas (Cedar Park and Houston), and New Mexico (Placitas and Santa Fe). In 2019, they’re relocating again following Joe’s graduation from the University of Houston College of Optometry and assignment to serve in Jacksonville, Florida as an eye doctor for the U.S. Navy.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

Her health-centered college experience taught Kenzie to enjoy learning about how lifestyle habits influence general body wellness. As a Blog Specialist & Editor at Practice Cafe, Kenzie leads readers to discover accurate, valuable information about various dental-related topics so they can enjoy superb oral and overall health, and a better quality of life!

Kenzie is grateful to work remotely from home so she can attend to her sweet rescue dog, Cookie, who has severe separation anxiety, and so she can be flexible as she and Joe begin their time in the Navy. Kenzie loves animals, running, hiking, visiting national parks, reading, baking, researching genealogy, and playing games with her many nephews and nieces.

Dan Hill Blog Specialist & Editor

Dan Hill was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He graduated from the University of Utah with degrees in political science and speech communication before escaping to the Washington, DC area to attend graduate school at American University, earning an MA degree in international affairs.

Fav Cereal? Honey Bunches of Oats

Dan worked as an Intelligence Research Analyst for the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN), specializing in Southwest Border money laundering currency flows. He spent a great deal of time in Austin, Texas working with the State Attorney General’s Office and state and local law enforcement on state anti-money laundering legislation.

Dan, his wife Cassie, and their two baby boys Derek and Sawyer, moved back to Utah to be closer to grandparents and the open spaces of the Intermountain West. Dan and his recently retired father, Dan L. Hill, started a sculpture-based art business that spiraled into a 20-year endeavor, including a 10-year stint developing and operating the Hill Gallery & Sculpture Park. Since the summer of 2018, Dan has worked for Practice Cafe as a Blog Specialist & Editor. Dan has enjoyed learning more about dentistry and SEO, while embracing the flexibility of working from home.