Meet Us.
The Collective gives associations, organizations and collaboratives specialized tools that can increase their impact. Important public partnerships and initiatives often lack the luxury of in-house communications and design staffs. That's where we come in.
We are a collective of unique individuals whose talents complement and augment each other's. We come together in different combinations for each project based on our skills and interests. Many of us are also available for individual contracts in our specialty areas. Please feel free to contact any of us. We want to help.
We are a featured Dade City web design company in Florida web design company directory at WebDesignFinders.net
Cindy Liberton Managing Member, Next Steps Collective, LLC
Prior to the Collective's inception, I served as a Communications Director at a University. Our multi-talented team used a broad spectrum of communications media to bring research findings to constituencies and partners across the nation.
Although my professional life has been dedicated to human services, conservation advocacy has been my passion. I have worked on many volunteer projects through the years, in the field, at events, on-line, and at the keyboard to support the work of the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and lately, the Florida Native Plant Society. Since 2003, I have served as Communications Chair for the Society, assisting in development and design of information products. I am a very proud recipient of the Silver Palmetto award for service to the Society; in 2004, 2008 and once more in 2010. I also am a founding member and officer for the Hernando Chapter of FNPS.
As a well seasoned expert in planning, design and production of information products—print and electronic—I manage the projects and build the teams for the Collective.
Matthew Wozniak Web Design, Web Programming
As a Stetson University computer science major, it would be an understatement to say that I'm quite busy with school. When I do have a little free time, I can be found designing and coding whatever Cindy needs done. I do most of my work over summer, but I still handle odd jobs while I'm studying on the other side of the state. Some nerdy trivia about me: I am an unabashed Mac fanboy. My mission—aside from all the fun Collective stuff—is to simply survive the school year.
Becky Clayton Outreach, Creative Business Solutions
My career has taken me down many roads over the years. It’s been an eclectic path but the common thread has always been a love of learning, nature and making a difference in my community.
First as a teacher, then as a planner, educator and non-profit manager, I’ve tried to do my part to make the world a better place. On my journey, I gained many skills such as planning, writing and teaching. I’ve developed programs, curriculum, educational materials, grants and exhibits. I even ran a small organization from top to bottom.
I’m active in my community through the Tampa Bay Conservancy where I’m on the board of directors, and the Community Advisory Board at WEDU, a PBS station. I also volunteer with Sunrise of Pasco, a domestic violence center.
I’ve found that my best experiences have been when I was a part of a dynamic team such as the Next Steps Collective.
I bring passion to all that I do whether its gardening, yoga, my family, work or volunteering.
And I grow some of the best lettuce around.
William Barry Tillis Digital Imagery, Social Media, Project Orchestration
I have had a highly-technical career with the likes of Microsoft, Tektronix, Nortel Networks & IBM. However, I found those workspaces to be a bit constricting
It is much more interesting to do many things at once, so that is what I tend to do. I spend my time on photography & graphic design, computing support, and social media development I also like to play the drums & sequence electronic music. Currently, I am also involved in projects to promote cultural activities on the Nature Coast of Florida, and care deeply about the natural environment in and around Aripeka & Chassahowitzka where I spent much of my childhood. After spending almost a decade in Portland, OR and Raleigh, NC, I am back!
What would make this a better world? If we keep the welfare of our children in mind, seven generations down the line. My personal philosophy is “a place for everything and everything in its place.” See my work at: http://www.williamtillis.com (my personal portfolio site) and http://www.southfloridadaily.com (my community-based photography blog).
Jonathan Wilson Web Design, Photography, Video
After earning a degree in fine arts, photography, I added web design to my portfolio. Relocating to Seattle, then Atlanta, I applied these skills and picked up more tools for the trade. Landing back home in Tampa Florida, I did web design and content management in a Unversity based research setting until striking out on my own. Over the past few years, I have studied video, photography and design in Prague and Paris. I am currently active in the Tampa Graphic Design Meetup Group.
Rosalind Sorbello Rowe Writing, Illustration, Public Education
My skills: Writing. Designing layout. Editing. Drawing. Teaching. And all of these together! My employment experience has ranged from environmental education and research to software education. Give me your thoughts, ideas, wonderments, plans—and let me organize them into sentences, paragraphs, drawings, newsletters, brochures, courses, grant proposals … whatever you want. rosrowe@comcast.net
On the ground, I work for the conservation of indigenous biota. My specialty, other than writing, is botany. Philosophically, I’m for native plants and against war.
Dawn Khalil Graphic Design, Publication and Print Design
After traveling the world, and serving in the Peace Corps in Botswana, I adopted graphic design and desktop publishing as my profession. After a stint in Oakland CA at Kaiser Permanente, I ended up in Tampa with my son Danny, doing Graphic Design at the University of South Florida. In addition to producing a wide variety of print designs for the children's mental health research field, I often apply my publication design skills to help schools, my family, and document my son's childhood adventures.
Shirley Denton, Ph.D. Ecosystem Management, Web Programming, Photography
My career has been centered on environmental and analytical work as Senior Ecologist and Vice President for Biological Research Associates. There I design long-range projects in environmental assessment, habitat management and mapping, GIS and survey of threatened and endangered species.
Training in forest ecology, biometrics, computer science, landscape ecology, plant ecology, endangered and threatened species, and land management form the basis of my expertise. I am also Past President of the Florida Native Plant Society, a member of the web team for the Society, and a photographer of Florida's natural heritage; see my work at http://www.shirleydenton.com/.
Paul Rebmann Web Programming, Photography
I am a photographer and web designer, with an emphasis on dynamic programming using databases.
I am active in the Florida Native Plant Society, including work on the fnps.org web team and as state representative for the local chapter. I’m also a member of the Halifax River Audubon Society and a regular participant in the three annual bird counts. I served as zone captain of the Volusia Washback (turtle) Watchers for two years. I believe that we all need to lessen the impact we have on the planet we live on, starting easily with reduce, reuse, & recycle. Samples of both my web design and photography can be seen at http://wildflphoto.com.
Suzanne Blakeman Research and Editing
I am a learner, a teacher, a listener, a singer, a reader, a writer.
I seek the flow: rivers, narrative, harmonies, consciousness.
Spelling mistakes, syntax errors, punctuation faux pas: in nearly everything I read, they leap
at me.
It's a blessing and a curse.
I believe I should be the change I want to see in the world.
Mike Liberton Managing Member, Illustrator and Delivery Boy
By day, I am a coordinator for the Guardian ad litem program in Hernando County, aka, Voice for Children. The rest of the time I am a compulsive birder, and lead a mean Christmas Bird Count. I also serve on the Hernando County Sensitive Lands Committee, and have a long history of meddling in environmental action when the opportunity arises. When my wife, Cindy, decided to create Next Steps, I was very supportive. I hope this is a very successful endeavor so that I can be a full-time delivery boy and get a panel truck. Cindy says there's not much to deliver in this business, so that means I can spend more time sailing and looking for birds. I draw a bit, mainly birds and plants, but I worry that being an illustrator for Next Steps will interfere with my delivery boy duties.
