Meet the Datahost Team

Michael Stearns

I am Michael Stearns - the co-owner, jack-of-all-trades, and head cheerleader at Datahost. My main areas of responsibility include System Architecture, Technical Administration, Customer Support, and doing anything and everything it takes to keep our customers' websites ticking along.

Since Al Gore has already laid claim to founding the Internet, I can't take the credit for that one, but I have been a die-hard Internet user since the early days. Prior to founding Datahost, I worked as an Internet Tech Writer at the University of Oregon and went on to be the lead designer and maintainer of the University's central website. My initial focus of doing visual design and writing content has evolved into a much more technical one. My primary interest, as far as computing goes, is how people can use computers to improve the quality of communication.

For the past half dozen years my life has been focused on our Internet business, my wife and 3 kids, and our 17 acre mini-farm in Oregon. Sometimes this is a hard act to balance. But I am never at a loss for something fun and interesting to do.

While the Internet has been a very fast rags-to-riches-to-rags story for many participants in the dot-com craze, Datahost has taken a slow and steady approach to building our business. We like to think of ourselves as the Heinz Ketchup of Internet companies. We invite you to give us a try!

Staci Schipporeit

I'm Staci and I am the lead programmer for and co-owner of Datahost. My background in computers goes way back. While other girls were reading "Seventeen", I was subscribing to puzzle and science magazines. Later, when one of the first personal computers came out, the Radio Shack TRS-80, I got one and I began to learn how to program. I got a degree in Computer Information Science in 1987 from the University of Oregon and have been developing custom database applications ever since. It might sound kind of dry, but it's actually a lot of fun - just like those puzzle magazines.

In my spare time, I do stuff with my three children and pretend to be a farmer. We have a milk cow, chickens, goats and a big garden. I really enjoy working outdoors and producing and eating good food.

Kathy Smith

After a previous life as an RN, I graduated in 1997 from the University of Oregon with a degree in English and a certificate in Electronic Publishing. Since that time, I have worked as a graphic and web designer.

I have been a web designer with Datahost since Feb 2003 and think I have the best job around. I enjoy creating websites that look good and function well, and Datahost's software features make that easy.

In my free time I like to read, watch movies, hang out in the backyard with three large neurotic cats, and spend time with my husband and two (thankfully grown) children. And I'm always up for a good game of Yahtzee.

Carrie Todd-Michelson

I joined the Datahost/MightyMerchant/Heroweb team in, 10/05. My duties include answering phones, customer relations, bookeeping, and provide office assistance to the staff.

My work history includes variety, human resources, customer service, medical billing, retail sales, and floral.

When I am not juggling a busy schedule, taxiing children, caring for 3 cats, our guppies, and 2 goldfish, I enjoy decorating our new home on the hill, selling kids clothes on ebay, and growing lots of pretty colorful dahlias.

As a family my husband, 3 children, 2 granboys love to go camping, fishing and trips to the beach.

Kathleen Boynton

After living in Central Oregon for nearly 30 years, I decided to put the cold snowy winters behind me and move to the beautiful McKenzie River Valley. Four generations of my family have lived on the McKenzie River and it was always something I dreamed of doing myself.

How did I get into doing web design? I had went to school to be a Recording Engineer as music is a major passion in my life. But, somehow life had me zigging and zagging into other fields. I spent 7 years working in cable television advertising on the technical side of things. Then the Internet came along and changed the world ;) Being of a curious nature, I wondered if I could figure out how people were making these new things called “web pages”. I started playing around at home making a little music website for my favorite band "Journey" (hold your lighters up now - LOL). Soon, word got out around work that I could build web pages and before I knew it, I was a web designer for the cable company. Now, eight years later, here I am at MightyMerchant.

Some of my favorite things to do are to go to concerts, do genealogy research, read books, bake, golf (not very well) and work in my garden.

Jesse Wakeley

Originally hailing from the mountainous wonderland of North Idaho, I made the migration to beautiful Eugene, Oregon in 2002. I graduated from the University of Oregon in June 2007, majoring in Computer & Information Science and minoring in Business Administration and Music. My technological interests lie in the economic and social potential of the Information Age, primarily via the Internet, which I feel has just begun to be realized. My position as a Web Developer allows me to further my understanding of where this exciting future may take us, while also helping clients discover possibilities as well!

When not making all of your e-commerce dreams come true, I enjoy the marvelous outdoors (Rain or shine, but mostly rain), spend way too much time reading numerous articles online, work on building a home studio, or play music, be it guitar, piano, electronic doodling, or DJing for fun (I spin traditional vinyl and CDs! I'm old AND new school! Does that make me Middle School?). Aside from this technology stuff, music is my passion. When I grow up I still want to be a rock star.