Our Team

The people behind Gravity Works have a variety of interests, backgrounds, and experiences; but we share a passion for what we do, and doing it well. The sharp minds of our experts and an excitement to learn and grow puts us a step above the rest.

Our team is constantly growing and evolving, turning “I have an idea” into “you should see this” on a local, national, and international scale. Gravity Works was founded on a passion for detail-focused design, sound development practices, education, and community involvement.

Learn more at an upcoming speaking engagement, community event, or contact Gravity Works directly.

Partner & Director of Development

Jeff McWherter at the Gravity Works officeJeff McWherter

Jeff McWherter is a graduate of Michigan State University and has 15 years of professional software development experience. Jeff is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD), Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA), Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD), and Microsoft Technology Specialist (MCTS).

In 2010 Jeff was awarded with the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for the third year in a row. Jeff is a published author, with Testing ASP.NET Web Applications (Wrox Press), Professional Test Driven Development with C# (Wrox Press), and Professional Mobile Application Development (Wrox Press). Jeff is very active in developing programming communities across the country, speaking at conferences and organizing events such as the Lansing Give Camp, pairing developers with non-profit organizations for volunteer projects.

Likes:

Learning, reading, winter, eating

Dislikes:

Unformatted code


Twitter@jmcw

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Partner & Creative Director

Amelia Marschall at the Gravity Works officeAmelia Marschall-Miller

Amelia Marschall-Miller holds a degree from Northern Michigan University in Graphic Design and Marketing. Amelia has over five years of graphic design experience ranging from logos and branding, print media, and website design. Amelia has a complete knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite products, as well as HTML/CSS web development technologies. She is continually exploring the latest techniques in website design, and has spoken about the topic in the local development community.

Likes

Typography, swimming, skiing, camping, dark chocolate

Dislikes

Jimmy Johns


Twitter@MimiAmelia

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Senior Developer

Scott Gowell at the Gravity Works officeScott Gowell

Scott Gowell graduated from Northern Michigan University with a degree in Network Computing: concentrating on the latest software development concepts. With non-profit organizations and large corporations, he has maintained and evolved existing legacy systems; steeped in the development of line of business and custom web applications, and his most recent development includes a selection of mobile applications. With almost a decade of professional programming experience, Scott is engaged in designing the next generation of tools for our clients to be more productive, and help make their lives easier. Along with Jeff and a number of the Gravity Works team Scott co-authored Professional Mobile Application Development (Wrox Press)

Likes:

Lego, Doctor Who, Green Lantern, surprisingly-loud keyboards, Board Games, and the Oxford Comma.

Dislikes:

Direct sunlight 


Twitter@sgowell

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Senior Creative Designer

Steve at the Gravity Works officeSteve Jencks

Steve Jencks loves visually solving problems, and he is particularly interested in the challenge of simplifying designs for mobile experiences. Steve received a degree in Studio Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Michigan State University, and he has 15 years of design experience. Today, Steve believes that meeting user goals with intuitive interfaces is the basis of visually-attractive websites. His favorite clients have a passion for what they do, lending to an excitement during collaboration; at Gravity Works, Steve will have a lot of favorite clients.

Likes:

B-movies, roller derby, rat rods, anything deep fried

Dislikes:

Twist ties on packaging, the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"


Twitter@losthighway

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Information Architect & Editor

Lauren Colton at the Gravity Works officeLauren Colton

Lauren is a graduate of James Madison College at Michigan State University in Social Relations and Policy, who focuses on how people interact with technology to find and use information. She writes client web copy and Gravity Works sales and marketing materials; and uses modern methods for long-lasting results: Search Engine Optimization (SEO), accessibility, User Experience (UX), and interaction design. Her editorial work includes the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (Macmillan Reference USA) and Encyclopedia of Modern China (Charles Scribner’s Sons). Lauren is active in her local IXDA, and is a GiveCamp participant, volunteering content strategy and human computer interaction skills to nonprofits.

Likes:

Information democracy, digital sociolinguistics, adventurous foods

Dislikes:

Grammar snobs, running out of ink in my favorite pen


Twitter@LaurenTGC

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Developer

Adam Ryder at the Gravity Works officeAdam Ryder

Adam Ryder studied Computer Science at Lake Superior State University; his skill is founded in database and web application experience with local businesses and state-wide government. Adam is known to pick up a new book and start building, but believes technology does not outgrow the people-focused recipe for great functionality. He produces scalable applications by learning on the cutting edge while working with proven development methods.

Likes:

Lasagna, Tahquamenon Falls

Dislikes:

Plaster, Lathe


Twitter@ryderadam

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Developer

Kevin at the Gravity Works officeKevin Thomas

Kevin Thomas sees the tools around him—ASP.NET, SQL, Android—as a way to help people efficiently reach their goals. Kevin loves the puzzle of building great applications, turning requirements into functional tools by visualizing complex data and code structures. Since earning degrees in Biology and Oceanography, Kevin spent 15 years moving from scientist, to data manager, to developer. His practical, scientific outlook frames his excitement to creatively solve problems.

Likes:

soccer, scuba, Dr. Demento, science fiction, craft beer, travel

Dislikes:

pop music, Wrestlemania

Twitter@kevpthomas

Developer

Jamie Altizer

Jamie delivers features that connect people together, having worked with clients in health care, automotive, accounting, and manufacturing. Through each project, Jamie turns business goals into powerful features by leveraging the appropriate tools. He has 11 years of development experience, after graduating from Bowling Green State University with a Computer Science degree. At Gravity Works, Jamie is excited for the flexibility to try new and emerging technologies.

Likes:

Chocolate, steak, football, baseball, architecture

Dislikes:

Dishonesty, arrogance, onions

Twitter@jamie_altizer

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Front-End Web Developer

Heather Buchel at the Gravity Works officeHeather Buchel

Heather studied Computer Database Administration at Lansing Community College. She loves creatively using technical knowledge to create design solutions; Heather spends a lot of her time learning the latest HTML and CSS methods, creating custom WordPress themes and enabling front-end e-commerce solutions.

Likes:

WordPress, Hank's Root Beer

Dislikes:

Grape Gum

Twitter@hbuchel

Developer

Dan Glover

Dan Glover has developed efficient solutions and support clients in the healthcare and utilities industries. After earning a Computer Science degree from Grand Valley State University, Dan has worked in SQL, Perl, C#, and ASP.NET. He is a Trekkie and a Tigers fan who is excited to learn new languages and see how emerging technologies—especially native mobile applications and mobile web tools—evolve.

Likes:

Golf, working on cars, craft beer

Dislikes:

Zombies

Twitter@Dan_Glover

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