Jason Whitener Sales Director

Jason Whitener was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area—Burleson, to be exact! He moved to Austin in 2010 to attend The University of Texas, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in government. After getting settled in his career, Jason went on to complete his MBA at Colorado State University.

Jason came to Practice Cafe in the beginning of 2016 and diligently worked his way up to Sales Director. In 2021, Jason took his talents over to the dental software world, but remained close with everyone here at PC. Fast forward to 2024, Jason is back at the dental cafe and we couldn’t be more thrilled! His education and extensive experience in the dental industry make him an incredible resource for PC clients and employees alike.

Fav Breakfast? Breakfast Tacos

Jason is committed to maximizing the potential and success of your proposed mix of dental marketing services, whether you’re a new or returning PC client. His unique perspective allows him to evaluate past marketing campaigns and to determine options for maintaining momentum and filling gaps. Jason researches each individual practice and its area to identify the best mix of digital and traditional marketing endeavors for the desired new-patient flow and available budget.

In his free time, Jason loves any and all things UT sports! Jason also enjoys watching his hometown teams, the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers. He and his lovely bride, Caitlyn, have two dogs—an Australian Shepherd named Mae and a Great Pyrenees mix named Rambo. Jason and Caitlyn are social butterflies and you will often find them hanging out with friends and supporting Caitlyn’s Vista Ridge High School athletes!

Jamie Steed Director of Digital 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.

As Director of Digital 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. He’s dedicated to serving our clients with exceptional digital strategy and helping our digital marketing clients grow their practices. 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.

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.

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 17 grandchildren.

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 values all that she has learned along the way!

As part-owner and a managing member, Angie is very personally invested in the success of Practice Cafe and its clients’ marketing. Shortly before her first 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. Angie is grateful for the continued flexibility that allows her to thrive—or at least survive—as both a mother and a professional.

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 six kids: Maisy, Quincy, Wyatt, Jay, Lucy, and Ruby. Angie’s heart and hands are full!

Rachel Anthony Digital Marketing Manager

Rachel has worn a few hats at Practice Cafe, and her talents are deliciously layered with each role. First, she served our digital marketing team as a Digital Marketing Specialist and Client Rep. She then moved to the role of Sales Account Manager for several years. Most recently, Rachel has tackled the role of Digital Marketing Manager, where she applies her expertise in practice marketing and planning to digital marketing strategy. 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 shares. You can often find her baked treats at the birthdays and holiday parties of PC employees; they almost look too good to eat, but they’re too tasty to pass up!

Rachel Himle Lead Generation & Special Projects

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

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 a SEO & PPC Specialist. She has been promoted through multiple roles in our digital marketing department and is currently putting her heart and soul into business growth and leading special projects. 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.

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 kids, Owen, Sloane, and Marlowe! Their family dog, Ellie, likes to swim and eat in her free time, which is all the time.

Brittany Brookshire Client Rep Manager & Special Projects

Brittany Brookshire (formerly Corwin) was born and raised in Denison, Texas and moved to Austin shortly after graduating with her English degree from Texas State University. Though she loves Austin, she’s grateful for her small-town roots and frequently goes back home to visit!

Brittany had several years of retail management under her belt before joining the PC team in 2018. She’s been in many roles here at the dental cafe, including a Content Strategist (copywriter), Client Rep, and Sales Account Manager. After spending several years in sales, Brittany kept finding herself naturally still communicating with her past clients and missing the everyday hustle and bustle of servicing accounts at the Cafe. With that in mind, she is now heading up our Client Rep team and leading the way in providing excellent care for both new and existing clients! Brittany brings a truly uplifting personality to everything she does, and you can always count on her to brighten your day as she helps you navigate the ins and outs of your marketing campaigns.

Fav Breakfast? Pancakes

Outside of work, you can find Brittany spending time with her family and friends, reading a good book, or trying to keep her household full of boys and doggos in tact! 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.

Candice Cox Office Manager & Senior 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.

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. These skills also help Candice in her additional role as Office Manager, as she helps keep everyone informed, equipped, in line, and fully stocked with snacks!

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. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Candice’s other loves include country music (especially live shows), the Dallas Cowboys, and her poodle Phoebe.

Jack Gross Client Representative

Bio coming soon!

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.

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.

Mirella Gonzales Content Specialist

Mirella grew up in Melbourne, Florida. She attended The University of Texas at San Antonio for her Bachelor’s degree in Communication before graduating from Texas Tech University with her Master’s (wreck ’em, Tech!)

Fav Breakfast? Avocado Toast

In her free time, Mirella enjoys bodybuilding, yoga, archery, and going to comedy shows. She is a proud cat and leopard gecko mom as well. Living in Austin allows Mirella to drive down to San Antonio to visit her family frequently, which she loves to do. In the future, Mirella hopes to devote some of her time to writing long-form content, like a book or a screenplay.

Lori Nazareth Graphic & Web Designer

Bio coming soon!

Chase Newman Web Team Director

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.

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 as a Web Developer in 2016, after which he was promoted to a Senior Developer. In 2021, Chase became our Web Team Director!

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, which is part of what led him to move to Colorado in 2021. Chase is 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.

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. After most weekends, Angela has great pictures to share of her adventures hiking and exploring nature in her area.

Ross Bassett SEM Strategist & Team Mentor

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!

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. Ross enjoyed gaining experience in the niche of dental marketing first as a Client Rep at Practice Cafe. He then transitioned to our digital marketing team, where he now works as a Digital Content & SEM Specialist. (SEM stands for “Search Engine Marketing.”)

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.

Christian Parra SEM Strategist

Originally from Mexico, Christian moved to Austin about 5 years ago. He atteneded Tecnológio de Monterrey University, where he earned a Bachelor’s in Business and Marketing. After completing his degree, Christian has spent the majority of his career in digital marketing, where he focused on SEO, PPC, and automation specific to the healthcare and consulting industries.

With his experience, Christian came on board as an SEM Strategist in early 2023. What he likes most about digital marketing is how it combines numbers and creativity. He enjoys being able to measure the success of his campaigns while also having the ability to create new strategies and test new ideas. We couldn’t agree more!

Fav Breakfast? French Toast & Chilaquiles

In his free time, Christian and his wife, Xochil, enjoy checking out the the local music venues and restaurants around Austin. Send him all of the recommendations for good oysters! He also enjoys some of the simple things in life, like nice weather and a good game of golf.

Tara Cunningham SEM Strategist

Tara was born in Barnegat, NJ but moved to Ormond Beach, FL when she was 12. She’s the oldest of 3 and has 2 younger brothers. She attended the University of Central Florida and is also a certified Dental Assistant! Tara worked in an Oral Surgery office before switching to digital marketing over 5 years ago.

Tara joined Practice Cafe in 2022 as an SEM Analyst and has since been promoted into a strategist role. She combines her knowledge of dental practices and oral surgery seamlessly with the newest and greatest online marketing strategies. You can always count on Tara to have a positive attitude and a genuine willingness to help. We think you’ll be pleased as punch to have her on your digital marketing team!

Fav Breakfast? Croissants

Tara currently lives in Orlando with her partner, Cameron. When she’s not working, she enjoys painting, reading, and traveling abroad in her free time! A little known fact about Tara is that she once had a thriving colony of pet frogs and toads numbering in the dozens. She only has 3 frogs currently, but will always consider adoption for those struggling to re-home their amphibious friends.

Kyla Dykstra SEM Strategist

Kyla grew up in Demotte, Indiana—a quaint small town about an hour outside of Chicago. She attended Loyola University in Chicago where she earned a Bachelor’s in Marketing and in her final year of college, interned at a finance firm as their Marketing Assistant. Kyla gained valuable experience here before leaving the midwest and heading to Austin in 2021.

Kyla joined our team as an SEM Specialist in February 2023, where she learned the ins and outs of the Cafe and familiarized herself with our digital marketing clients. Kyla very quickly excelled in her role and was promoted to Search Engine Marketing Strategist in the fall of 2023. Kyla’s attention to detail and team-player mindset have been incredible assets to the team and we’re so grateful to have her!

Fav Breakfast? Eggs in Purgatory

When she’s not in the office, Kyla loves a good read and taking advantage of all of the outdoorsy activities Austin has to offer. Her favorite companion is her Golden Retriever mix, Scout. She adopted him from Austin Animal Center in December 2021 after he was picked up off the streets. Kyla has spent countless hours socializing him and creating a safe environment for him to thrive in. Scout is a fan favorite around the office and he regularly comes in to visit the team!

Grace Ramadan SEM Specialist

Bio coming soon!

Reneaux Ruffin Content Strategist

Bio coming soon!

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.

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.