Aliza Sherman Risdahl consults with business and nonprofits on Internet strategy and is launching a new mobile venture designing apps and games with a microphilanthropy component. She also is  a principal in the social media marketing agency, Conversify.

Aliza is a Web pioneer, online marketing expert, published author, radio and television producer, international speaker and regular contributor to national magazines and websites specializing in business, marketing and internet topics. She has been providing social media strategy and counsel to KD/PR Virtual clients since 2007.

Her expertise includes developing strategies for social media marketing integration, social networking, geo-location, blogging, microblogging, podcasts, online community building, virtual worlds, social public relations, email marketing and web site redesign. She is also a multimedia content producer.

Aliza was named by NEWSWEEK magazine as one of the “Top 50 People Who Matter Most on the Internet.” Her books include “The Everything Blogging Book,” “PowerTools for Women in Business,” and “Streetwise Ecommerce.” She is working on her 8th book – “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Crowdsourcing.”

Learn more about her at www.alizasherman.com.

Amanda Rothbarth is a graphic designer who works on a variety of projects from large display banners to logo development and all types of collateral. She prides herself in being both an artist as well as a communicator for her clients. Before starting her own business, Creative North, and joining the KD/PR Virtual Team, Amanda worked for Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Northwest Strategies ad agency, and CIRI. Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and graphic communication from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay.

Aside from her design work, Amanda enjoys camping, fishing, quilting and she is a certified doula. She is married to John Rothbarth, who works on Alaska’s North Slope, and they have two daughters, Ava (4) and Iris (2). Learn more about Creative North.

Deborah Fields creates design and illustrations for a myriad of client needs. She specializes in collaboration and teamwork, and visual problem solving in creative means. D.Fields Design concentrates on excellent service with careful attention to detail and customer satisfaction. Besides print design, she now offers web site design and maintenance services.

In addition to her work, Deborah is an accomplished artist and donates a lot of time to school and sports activities with her two boys. Learn more about Deborah at dfieldsdesign.com

Elizabeth Odom has been an important partner on the KD/PR Virtual team since 2006. She began her “virtual” career with Kathy in the true sense of the word – they met over the Internet in 2005, just prior to Elizabeth moving to Anchorage with her Army husband!

Elizabeth has more than 20 years of public relations experience. She began her career with Ziff Davis Publishing in Silicon Valley in 1989, followed by several years in the newsroom and sales force at Business Wire in San Francisco and Seattle. In the late 1990s, she worked as a freelance writer, was PR counsel for a network security company, then opened her own high-tech PR firm. She has lived overseas in several countries and rang in Y2K in London working as a senior consultant for two major PR agencies focusing on global high-tech PR. Elizabeth is married to Colonel Mark Odom and has a daughter, Kate, who is nine. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Creative Writing from Colby College. Currently living in Washington DC, the KD/PR Virtual team hopes to convince Odom to move back to Alaska. Until then, she capitalizes on the “virtual” nature of this agency and continues to perform a variety of PR counsel, strategic planning, media relations and copywriting duties for KD/PR clients.

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Jordan Hanson is the owner of Black Sheep Public Relations, an Eagle-River-based sole practitioner public relations firm. She joined the KD/PR Virtual team in 2008 and specializes in special event planning, copywriting, social networking and collateral development.

 Jordan was raised in Alaska, but moved Outside when she was in her teens. She graduated with a degree in public relations from the University of Alabama in 2004. She then worked as a marketing consultant for Big Kat 98.9 Radio in Duluth, Minnesota and as director of public relations for DeBora Rachelle Inc., a fashion design company.

 Jordan is married to Carl Hanson and they have two children, Bella (3) and Holt (1). When she’s not working, Jordan can often be found exploring the outdoors with her family.

Kathy Day, APR, is president of KD/PR Virtual. She heads up the team of virtual employees and handles the new business development, strategy and planning and account supervision duties for KD/PR clients.

Kathy has more than 20 years of experience working as a public relations professional in Alaska, including owning her own company for more than a decade. Kathy’s strengths include crisis communications, media training, media relations and public relations planning.

Kathy received her bachelor’s degree in radio and TV news from the University of Colorado in 1980 and she worked as a radio and television news reporter and anchor, before making the switch to public relations. She has been a press secretary to Alaska’s Governor, worked on Alaska’s tourism account for many years, served as media relations director for the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Anchorage, is a graduate of Leadership Anchorage and is a member of Alaska’s “Top 40 Under 40.” She has won numerous Aurora Awards from the Public Relations Society of America Alaska Chapter, is a past-president of PRSA Alaska and currently co-chairs the Mentoring Committee where young professionals are matched with seasoned PR pros. Her firm is the Alaska member of PRConsultants Group.

Kathy serves on the board of For the Kids Foundation and manages her son’s competitive hockey team, the AHA Squirt A North Stars. She’s a competitive softball and recreational volleyball player and is mom to Trevor (10) and AJ (6).

Kim Taggart is the owner of Kim Taggart Media Services, a leading independent media planning and buying agency. She develops the marketing and advertising strategies for a portfolio of companies in Alaska creating extremely effective results for their clients through innovative measured and focused advertising and media strategies. She joined the KD/PR Virtual team in 2008.

Kim’s career began in 1978 at Baggott & Pierce Advertising in Sacramento, California where she quickly rose though the ranks of the media department, eventually managing and planning the media for the agency’s top clients. In 1984, she moved to Alaska and worked at Bradley/Reid Communications as Media Director, before opening KTMS in1990.

In addition to specializing in corporate clients, political candidates, health care, fast food, and trade show industries, she is often hired as a media consultant for local advertising agencies in Alaska.

KTMS offers a complete range of service, which include; media objectives and strategies, strategic planning, tactics and media buying, extensive demographics, market and media research and competitive spending and budget development.

Kim is the proud mom of two grown children, Kala and Kyle.

Larry Bottjen owns and operates DVD Technology, a company that produces documentaries, promos, commercials, special events and short films. He joined the KD/PR Virtual team in 2006 and has produced several video projects for KD/PR clients including the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, Anchorage Public Library and Alaska Children’s Services.

Larry is a past president of the Alaska Society for Technology in Education and is also the current Artistic Director for the Valley Performing Arts in the Mat-Su Valley. When he’s not shooting video, he’s likely on his boat out of Whittier or riding his motorcycle. Learn more about his company at www.dvdtech.us

Matt Cassens is the owner of Alaska Shooter a complete video production company based in Wasilla, Alaska. He has worked on the KD/PR Virtual team since 2006. Matt provides a variety of video services for KD/PR Virtual clients including media training, providing video and sound bites to news stations and adding video to client websites and presentations.

After graduating form Collins School of Graphic Design in 1990, Matt started his career as a photojournalist at a small TV station in New Mexico. After three years, he became the Production Manager, primarily focusing on 30-second TV spots. In 1995, Matt moved to Las Vegas, Nevada were he worked as a ‘run and gun’ photojournalist for NBC, FOX, and became assistant chief photographer at WB. After nine years of 120-degree heat and police shootouts, he decided to try a slower pace and moved to Alaska.

Matt spent one year as chief photographer at KTVA, Channel 11, the CBS affiliate in Anchorage. In 2005, he opened Alaska Shooter and aspires to evoke an emotional response for everyone using video. Matt always says’ If a picture tells a thousand words-video tells a million. Matt has a wife, Brianna, who helps out with production, and is dad to 8-year-old Jason. Learn more at www.AlaskaShooter.com

With fifteen years of professional experience, Taughnee has excelled in all aspects of communications services: advertising, marketing, public relations, graphic design and web development.

Taughnee established Endeavor Creative, a full-service web design studio, in January 2002, where she specializes in blog and content management system design and development utilizing tools such as Expression Engine and WordPress.

She has built a reputation for imaginative, reliable and friendly service, and is tireless in her approach to stay current with the latest web technologies and best practices. From a small operation in Anchorage, Alaska, Endeavor Creative has grown to serve clients in most major U.S. markets and as far reaching as the U.K. and Australia.