The RefreshWeb Team

RefreshWeb's Internet Marketing and SEO Agency Experts: Your Source for Search Engine Optimization Services AND Sales Flow Optimization

These are the key team members; additional specialists in research, analysis, content development, SEO copy writing, web design and pay per click advertising services are also utilized to provide the right services for each client.

John Rasco, Founder and President

Specializing in technology-based companies since 1987, and active in Internet marketing since 1992, Rasco's skills as a marketer, team leader and strategist are key to successful client engagements. Founder of Brand X Austin and RefreshWeb, John has an entrepreneurial gene, a creative bent and a passion for challenging projects. He has been a client-side marketing director, a principal in a graphic design firm, president of an advertising agency, and senior vice president of the Southwest's largest business-to-business agency, responsible for Science and Technology.

Since 1978, he has been active in the Austin advertising and marketing communities. Rasco is a member of the American Marketing Association, and a conference speaker on search marketing and effective optimization techniques. Over his career, client experience includes Dell Computer, Tivoli, Intelliquest, 3M, IBM, Motorola, Ross Technology, Synopsys, Silicon Group, Alchemy Semiconductor, Biophysical Corporation, IronRhino, SS White Burs, VCON, Layer N Networks, Netilla Networks, Overland Storage, Computer Sciences Corporation, Legiant, Nuventix, Sport Clips, National American University, Physician-Nutrition.com, Prescott Legal, Smarter Security, Clifford Law Offices, and dozens of smaller companies.

Tom Parish, Director of Optimization Strategies

Tom is an Internet and search engine optimization specialist. He approaches SEO with such passion because he wants to see each client business succeed on the web. He brings his comprehensive knowledge of the web, search engine operations and submission processes, and content analysis to our RefreshWeb e-marketing services.

He first began working with the Internet in its infancy with a company (Symbolics) that spun off from the MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab in 1983. Since then Tom has been intimately involved with the intertwined evolution of the web and business in the intervening years. During his multi-year tenure at the Micro Electronics and Computer Technology (MCC) consortium, he developed marketing support strategies for pre-competitive technology in holographic storage, fuzzy logic and neural network systems. In addition to his 13 years as a highly respected engineer and engineering manager, he also has 12 years as a top performer in sales at high tech companies on his résumé. He is a national speaker on web technologies and marketing.

Tom combined his extensive Internet expertise and sales experiences to head up global marketing and creative services for Motorola's highly successful worldwide Digital DNA brand marketing campaign, which successfully reached over 22 million people in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Tom is also a gifted and creative digital musician, a contributor to the Plone open source content management community, and most recently, active in social networking and user-created site content such as blogs, podcasts and video clips.

Tom Bartling, Chief Technology Officer, e-Commerce Programmer

Tom's Internet marketing experience began in 1997, when e-commerce was struggling to gain credibility. Working with companies like Cisco, MicroGrafx, Sony Electronics, and CitySearch, Tom has developed a multitude of custom solutions that are used at all stages of the sales cycle. Some of these projects include lead generation systems, online surveys, shopping cart systems, e-commerce applications that capture sales from banner ads and other promotions, e-newsletter systems, interactive customer service applications, and website traffic analysis tools.

Tom helps companies by developing e-commerce systems, analyzing website traffic, and managing client websites. Tom's experience also includes sales, marketing management, project management, and account management.

Jill Rasco, Chief Operating Officer

Jill is a native Houstonian and heads up our Houston office. A thirty-year veteran of advertising, marketing and communications, her career started with GSD&M Advertising and continued into client-side management of print production, retail marketing, event planning, public relations and interactive marketing.

Jill pioneered the initial Internet marketing communications program for Compaq Computer Corporation and was responsible for managing Compaq.com in the mid-90s. She has vast experience with agencies and advertising programs, as well as marketing communications and online advertising for Compaq and Hewlett Packard.

Jill is passionate about electronic communications and marketing, as well as website design and development. A highly respected producer of Internet projects, Jill is known for her in-depth understanding and application of web technologies and her ability to bring unity among all project resources.

Tim Jones, Search Engine Technology Specialist

Tim Jones implemented the original site indexing and search engine for the Columbia HCA web site in 1995. In 1999 America's Health Network and Fox Entertainment hired him to help them build a searchable Internet medical database. As part of that effort, The Health Network acquired Galaxy.com, the first searchable Internet directory. Tim led the effort to update Galaxy's underlying indexing engine to use technology licensed from Fast Search and Transfer (now owned by Overture). The new engine was used to build topic-based searchable directories for vertical markets, and is currently owned by Logika Corporation. In 2004 Tim implemented indexing and search technologies for Hoovers Inc. Tim is currently a member of the Apache Lucene search engine project.

Todd Perkins, SEO Strategy and Interactive Designer

As Interactive Designer and Project Manager at RefreshWeb, Todd has a key role in helping RefreshWeb clients integrate external messaging and internal business processes with web solutions that deliver an improved brand experience, build customer retention and positive business results. With over 20 years in advertising, marketing, interactive media and internet technologies, Todd brings a diverse skill set focused on user motivation and the customer experience in interactive media. His responsibilities at RefreshWeb include interactive design and web application development, dynamic database solutions, optimization, research and web analytics. His current focus is the development and management of various web application projects for Biophysical Corporation bringing business process controls and e-commerce applications to their bio-technology services.

Todd's interactive and web development experience spans diverse industries and technologies from Fortune 100 companies to venture-funded startups. Clients have included technology leaders Dell, IBM, Tivoli, Motorola and 3M; government and education organizations such as the Texas Department of Health, The Texas Education Agency, Texas Department of Transportation and The University of Texas; and healthcare companies including Encore Medical and The Biophysical Corporation.

Susan McElhenney, SEO Strategy and Analytics

Highly effective search marketing strategy and implementation expert with more than 15 years experience in organizational strategies and identification and development of tactical systems, both human and technical, for implementation and monitoring.

Specific strengths include competitive and technical website audits to determine optimal keyword positioning and technology alignment for search engine visibility and SEO copy writing for accurate prospect education and improved search engine visibility. Skilled in crafting key messages, building consensus and communicating a vision or goal.

Strong communicator, both verbally and graphically. Combines fluency in organizational terminology from a variety of sectors, industries, and professional disciplines with expertise in search engine technologies to hone client search marketing strategies. Excellent project manager and client liaison.

Jerry Amundson, SEO Strategy and PR

Jerry Amundson is an experienced business-to-business marketing and management professional. He founded and built several successful technology-focused firms, including a contract marketing services and technical writing company, a PR/marketing communications company, and an intellectual property consulting business.

Jerry has extensive experience in marketing strategy and execution, internet marketing, search engine marketing, strategic planning, and business and client management. He heads up our consulting practice for client and agency PR and investor relations personnel.

Gary Walker, Director of Paid Search Marketing

BS in Environmental Science with twenty-seven years of business experience including search marketing, management, customer service, and sales.

Certified with Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing. Methodical organization of PPC campaigns, monitors reach and effectiveness of ads, develops and tests landing pages, and tracks click-based conversions. Also maintains a sub-specialty of separating and measuring incoming telephone calls generated by pay-per-click ads. Worked with for-profit companies and non-profit organizations in a wide variety of products and services. Manages accounts for pay-per-click advertising services with geographic targeting from local to global.

Sara Rasco, SEO Strategy and Copywriting

A creative and energetic copywriter, blogger and design enthusiast, Sara is the account manager for our retail e-commerce clients. Sara is also a certified Google AdWords professional; this broad understanding of search marketing and measurement provides our clients with excellent strategic thinking and implementation.