Meet the Speakers Part 3

JADON NAAS

I am currently a product developer for InMotion Hosting. I specialize in researching and developing new hosting products and improvements to existing hosting products with an emphasis on providing a better experience for self-hosted WordPress websites. I also develop internal applications using WordPress as an application programming framework for pure PHP applications and for single-page JavaScript applications using WordPress as a customized API and authentication provider. In my spare time, I study programming and software development. I also do Taekwondo with my wonderful wife, and I am a student in the Computer Science program at a local university. I really like to learn new things, and I greatly enjoy creating software and scripts.

Jadon will be presenting a talk on JavaScript! What is it good for? Actually, quite a number of things if you’re a WordPress developer.

RENE MOROZOWICH

I’m Rene, a Pittsburgh-based Freelance Web Developer who specializes in building and customizing awesome WordPress sites. In former lives, I’ve been a Business Intelligence Developer, a SQL Developer, a programmer and an instructor. I love learning something new (taking classes especially), reading non-fiction, setting goals and tracking my progress, organizing and planning, personal finance and spending time with my favorite people.

Rene will be presenting a talk on Your New BFFs: the WordPress core tables + the MySQL database.

WILLIAM D JACKSON

William Jackson graduated from South Carolina State University earning a Bachelor’s in Education degree, he furthered his education earning a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Webster University with a focus on Educational Technology, Social Media and STEM.

William’s career involves past teaching with NASA as an Internet and Technology instructor, technology consultant with the Florida Department of Education and current Professor with Edward Waters College teaching Educational Technology, Social Media and STEM.

He has been involved in the field of education over 25 years in elementary and higher education. Teaching STEM and STEAM curriculum in higher education at Edward Waters College to prepare students for the diversity of education and business.

William is not only an educator, he is a Social Media Consultant, presenter on Bullying and Cyberbullying, Internet Safety and his passion Blogging and Writing that allows him to embrace being a thought leader and Social Media Visionary, a national and international blogger that is published in the United States, Canada and on the continent of Africa.

William will be presenting a talk on How To Use Your Blog to be a Community Activist.

JOHN CENTOFANTI

John’s background spans nearly everything creative for business, including content writing, branding, graphic design, and more.

He serves as a marketing consultant and content developer for B2B, Technology and Retail clients throughout the US. His background ranges from Marketing to Store Operations Management, HR, as well as Customer and Employee Relations. The retail chains he’s served range from smaller, multi-site chains to publicly-traded, national retail chains with 100+ locations.

In 2006, John founded Creative Stream Marketing (www.creativestreammarketing.com), serving national retailers, tech companies, and B2B companies across the US. John has worked with numerous startups, early stage, and established companies both strategically and in providing tactical marketing services, developing brands and increasing response to their businesses.

John will be presenting a talk on Brand Positioning: Growing Your Business by Finding Your Niche.

BEN MEREDITH

Ben is the developer of the most popular WordPress plugin for Click To Tweet boxes, the Senior Support Technician at WordImpress, a husband, a dad (both foster and biological), and a musician.

A lifelong North Carolinian (with a 4-year break in Middle Tennessee just after college), Ben is also one of the organizers for WordCamp Raleigh, having led the team in 2017.

When not coding or solving code puzzles to support users, you’ll find him with a guitar in hand or perhaps playing a round of disc golf. He’d lobby for it being called just “golf” and making that other game “ball golf” or perhaps “expensive ball golf.”

He was the first full-time remote hire for WordImpress, and works mainly supporting the popular Give plugin.

Ben will be presenting a talk on How To Hire and Keep Remote Workers Who Rock.

ADAM W. WARNER

Adam W. Warner discovered WordPress in 2005 and has been working within the community ever since. To feed his entrepreneurial spirit, he founded several WordPress-focused businesses that provide education, plugins and consulting services for online business owners.

He is a true WordPress Evangelist in spirit and personality, and that also happens to be his job title with SiteLock.com.

Adam is also passionate about his family, robots, and of course Life, the Universe and Everything.

Adam will be presenting a keynote talk on WordPress as a Catalyst for Any Passion: My Story, Your Story.

JOE HOWARD

Joe is the Head Buff at WP Buffs, where he tries to live life to the fullest while making sure all the WordPress websites his team works with are secure, fast and taken care of. He lives in beautiful Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC and loves astronomy, Scrabble and a good cup of bulletproof Earl Grey! Joe just got back from Burning Man a few days ago, so his sense of community is very strong right now. Perfect timing for his talk here at WordCamp Pittsburgh: How to Build a Strong Network in the WordPress Community.

Joe will be presenting a talk on How to Build a Strong Network in the WordPress Community.