Web Site Development Programming Website Marketing Specialist Support

Mark and Lisa Kolb - Owners
From working in a top 10 banking software company in Atlanta, Georgia, doing software development, installation, customer support and quality assurance to working for MCI/WCOM in Colorado Springs, Colorado, together, Mark and Lisa have over 30 years of combined experience that can be put to work for you.

In 1996, after almost a decade of solely working in the corporate world of software development and design, Mark and Lisa moved to Colorado Springs to open a Bed and Breakfast. While doing software support and development for their bed and breakfast and a local bed and breakfast organization’s website, the need for a low-cost quality solution for the online marketing needs of other small businesses became glaringly apparent.

In January of 2002, Mark and Lisa formed Acorn Internet Services, Inc.
Acorn IS is currently providing service for hundreds of satisfied clients and we are proud to say our customer base is growing daily.

Currently, Mark provides support for the Acorn webserver maintenance, database design for large customers, webserver security and technology research and Lisa manages the Development and Design Staff.

Mark has his BS in Computer Science from Appalachian State in NC, 1989
Lisa has her BS in Computer Science from Slippery Rock University in PA, 1988

Marketing & Sales Project Manager

Marian Talbert
Marian joins Acorn IS with over 35 years of office management experience. Her background is widely varied. Recently retired from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, Marian worked in many different offices including Dean of Academic Services, Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Computer Science Department-- just to name a few! Marian will be the first person you talk to when you contact Acorn IS. She will answer your initial questions and see that your inquiry gets to the appropriate staff member.

Helena Stamper
Helena joined the Acorn team in June 2007 as a Junior Marketing Project Manager, supporting our Development and Marketing Project Managers. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Economics, and has almost 15 years working in the telecom industry holding various positions within Tymnet and MCI. Her career started in Government Markets/Sales and expanded to almost every division within MCI. She brings with her a vast array of business knowledge from Marketing, Order Entry System Training and Technical Support, Customer Service Support, Billing Support, Development, and Project Management.

Design & Development

Alison Parker
Alison (aka Ali) brings 17 years of experience in computer software development to the team. She began her career as a computer programmer with Grumman Corporation in 1987, working on the Space Station Project. Next, Alison worked as a government contractor as one of the primary software designers for a global payroll system for the U.S. Airforce. She then spent four years developing software for Airline Tariff Publishing Company, a holding company owned by the airlines that develops and runs the computer systems that feed data to airline reservation and other systems. Prior to joining Acorn, she spent nine years as a Senior Programmer/Analyst at MCI, working on computer system applications ranging from customer billing to telecom provisioning. Alison earned a B.S. in Management Information Systems from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA in 1994. She also has an A.A.S. degree in Computer Programming from Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO.

Krista Connor - Krista joined Acorn’s design and development team in February 2007 and brings with her a working knowledge of web site design and development as well as database and information system management. She graduated from Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ) in 1992 with BA in Communications and today has over 14 years experience in a variety of skills related to marketing communications.

Prior to joining the Acorn team, Krista worked for almost three years as the Marketing Manager for the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII). At PAII, Krista was responsible for all aspects of marketing and communications related to membership acquisition, retention and satisfaction. Krista lives in Marlton, NJ with her husband Dennis and 15 month old daughter Kayla.

Tracy Howard - Tracy joined the Acorn design and development team in 2006 with a background in Graphic Design and Public Relations. She has her BS degree from Davenport University (Holland, MI) in Marketing, and spent the first several years of her career in marketing and design for Neiman Marcus luxury travel service. Later she left the corporate world to pursue her goal of freelancing, and has provided design, branding and marketing support for numerous clients including: restaurants, mortgage firms, design/build contractors, bridal boutiques, commercial realtors, commercial contractors, churches, and retail stores. In addition to her work with Acorn, she runs a small handmade cosmetics company that makes all natural toiletries - customized for resorts, B&B's, and boutique retailers throughout Western Michigan. She is particularly fond of the B&B industry as her parents own a bed and breakfast in Holland, MI and she has spent many weekends inn-sitting for them!

Support Specialist

Gordon Stedman
Gordon, a licensed commercial pilot, served as an air traffic controller for 12 years before returning to complete a BS degree in Computer Management Systems from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1992. Gordon also served as the Test Administrator for the State of Washington as well as a technical consultant and operations supervisor for 5 major airlines.

Marketing Specialists

Julie Graham
Julie graduated from Bradford School, Pittsburgh, PA, in 1985 with a certificate in the Executive Secretarial Program. She has experience in various industries: printing, manufacturing, ministry administration, transportation, education, and confection production and distribution. Julie regularly attends writing courses at Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA. She recently joined the Acorn marketing team and looks forward to many new challenges.

Patty Lapa Straub
Patty joins Acorn IS with 30 years’ experience at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. She worked in the Academic Records Office (formerly Registrar's Office). Patty started as a Secretary and worked her way up to a supervisory capacity and retired from a lower-level Management position.

Megan Reeher
Megan graduated from Messiah College (Harrisburg, PA) with B.A. in Psychology. Her professional experience includes working with college-age students in a Student Development position at her Alma Mater, various retail positions, as well as various positions working with young children in both therapeutic and recreational situations. Megan provides customer support for Acorn clients, as well as processing website submissions and link comparison projects.

Marcy Talbert
Marcy graduated from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania with a B.S. in English Writing and a minor in Communications, and she attended the graduate studies program in Children’s Literature at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. She comes to us with over ten years of experience in customer service and technical, creative, and copy writing and editing for corporate, non-profit and academic publications. Marcy provides customer support for Acorn clients, as well as writing and editing copy for websites and website submissions.

Pam Prentice
Pam joined the Acorn staff in August of 2006, and provides support to our web site Development and Marketing departments by performing search term look ups (based on Search Term Starter Kits), technical editing and content writing. Pam also works with Acorn clients in reviewing, setting up, and maintaining their Pay Per Click campaigns in Google & Yahoo. She graduated from Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, GA in 2003 with a degree in psychology. While in college, she worked as an assistant in the PR department helping to schedule and book tours for their music groups. Upon graduation, she toured the eastern US and Ecuador for three months with a music group sent out from the college. After touring, she relocated to PA and began working as a crisis counselor for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center health system. Shortly after that, she became a stay at home mom, and since that time has had another boy.

Development Project Manager

Sharon Rowe
Sharon joined the Acorn staff in January 2005 to assist clients in collecting and interpreting their web site customer traffic. Between September 1997 and March 2006, Sharon owned and operated the Gazebo Country Inn Bed & Breakfast in Salida, Colorado with her husband, Jeff. Sharon has been very active in the Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers of Colorado, serving 2 years as membership chairperson, 2 years as President, and 1 year as Past President. She is an active volunteer in the Salida community, having served on the Chamber Board for 3 years, Chaired ArtWalk (a major art event in Salida) for 2 years, and in 2005 was appointed by the Chaffee County Visitors Bureau to chair a committee which oversaw the inception of a new year-long event called Second Saturdays. This program involved designing and coordinating the packaging of lodging & dining with visual and performing art events throughout Chaffee County.

Prior to moving to Salida, Sharon managed a commercial title insurance office in Denver that coordinated nationwide commercial real estate transactions for national developers and lenders. During her 14 years with Lawyers Title, she served on many prominent committees within her company, including being part of a team which successfully introduced a goal-attainment, results-oriented operations program to 2,500 managers and employees of the company. Throughout Sharon's tenure at Lawyers Title, she maintained a successful operation that grew in customer base and profitability each year, earning her top manager honors in 1997.

Accounting

Kim Skinner - Bio Coming Soon!

Administration

Lynda Lerner
Lynda joined the Acorn staff in July, 2003 to offer administrative support for the organization. She and her husband Howard owned and operated the Red Crags Bed & Breakfast Inn, located in Manitou Springs, Colorado, from April 1994 until they sold it in July 2004. Lynda has been active in the Bed & Breakfast Innkeepers of Colorado, serving as Membership Chair for two years, President (with her husband) for two years, Past President (with her husband) for one year, and for a brief interval as their Secretary. At this time, she is the Administrative Assistant for the organization. She has served on the Special Events Committee for the Manitou Spring Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau and has been an active member of the Pikes Peak Herb Association.

Currently, she and her husband own and operate InnCaring. Their company specializes in Interim Innkeeping, Bed & Breakfast Consulting, and offers training classes for Aspiring Innkeepers and Interim Innkeepers.

Lynda graduated from California State University – Northridge with a BS in Home Economics and a Minor in Chemistry. She has a Post Graduate Secondary Teaching Credential. She taught for five years in the Los Angeles School District. She has also worked the in the areas of Personnel and Bookkeeping.