Our Team Is Your Team

Mike Mallaro

Mike Mallaro is VGM's chief executive officer. As CEO, Mike provides a strategic and financial perspective to decisions made at VGM. His day-to-day focus is working on projects to strategically position VGM for growth and success in the future. Mike has been with VGM since 2001 and served as the lead on the development of the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), which included a transition to a 100 percent employee ownership in 2008.

Lindy Tentinger

Although she may have a little extra luck because she was born on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s her hard work and experience in various industry verticals that sets our President, Lindy Tentinger, apart from the rest. With a Bachelor of Arts in electronic media from Wartburg College and an MBA from Bellevue University, Lindy is well versed in various marketing and business platforms. Her education, coupled with her industry experience, allows her to find strategic solutions for each individual situation. In fact, focusing on exceeding the expectations of the customers VGM Forbin serves is a standard she sets not only for herself but for the entire company. She leads our team by working to deliver a customer experience that creates raving Forbin fans – that is our ultimate why! When she isn’t busy with her Forbin family, you can find her at home with her actual family! Lindy stays busy with her husband, their four kids and their 150 lb. English Mastiff, Lynx. She also can’t say no to a fun shopping trip with friends, traveling and the University of Iowa (go Hawkeyes)!

Heather Seevell

As a University of Northern Iowa graduate, with a BS in Marketing and an emphasis in Advertising and Sales, Heather has an extensive background in business development, marketing strategies and opportunity analysis. Before joining Forbin, Heather worked for a national advertising agency for 13 years as a National Account and Business Development Director. While at the agency, she worked with national automotive manufacturers to develop strategies and execute advertising campaigns. On the VGM Forbin team, Heather leads the sales team to help provide our customers with the right products and services to help their businesses be successful.  Our focus is on the customer and ensuring that we are continually evolving our offerings to fit our customers’ needs in the industries we serve.  Outside of Forbin, Heather runs the Dirt Diamond Diva Softball Organization, coaches her daughter Hannah & Ava’s volleyball teams and enjoys spending time outdoors as much as possible with her husband, Shane,  their two daughters and goldendoodle, Riggs. Heather says, “I truly enjoy helping others see their potential role in the team – because together we can all achieve more.”

Justin Berning

All hail the Panthers! Another graduate from UNI, Justin’s degree in Management Information Systems allows him to strategically solve almost any programming issue. With a specialty in PHP programming, there really isn’t anything he can’t do! As the Director of Programming, Justin not only helps create and maintain websites, but also helps to support and lead the VGM Forbin development team. This allows Forbin to build solutions that grow our customers' business to make them more efficient and secure. When he isn’t keeping things going at work, he’s busy chasing his kids and GoldenDoodle, Daisy, with his wife!

Bailey Ronnebaum

It is proven that laughter is contagious, and that is true with Bailey Ronnebaum and her bubbly personality. Bailey is the definition of efficient as she provides quality work in a timely manner. She enjoys helping clients better their online presence and reputation by reaching the right customers who are searching for their products or services. Prior to her expertise in social media at VGM Forbin, Bailey was at the University of Northern Iowa getting her degree in Public Relations and minoring in Marketing. There she learned about writing and marketing strategies along with SEM and SEO strategies, although she credits Forbin for teaching her everything she needed to know to help her clients with their marketing needs. Bailey is a traveler at heart and always enjoys going to new places.

Jessica Veren

Operations Manager and Scrum Champion, Jessica Veren graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. Jess does an INCREDIBLE job at Forbin and when asked how she does it, she says, "A little progress each day adds up to big results, or one of my favorite quotes by Benjamin Franklin - 'For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.'" She consistently answers any and all questions regarding project development and works with clients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to understand their new web solutions. As a master of conflict resolution, Jess may not always know or have the answer, but she will connect our clients with the appropriate parties to find a solution and get results. She is complimented most on her multi-tasking and organizational skills, as well as understanding where all her projects sit in the development process. Jess is most passionate about helping people and working with the production team and customers to create sites that they love! In her personal life, she enjoys creating as many memories as possible with her loving husband and two kids. Together, they spend time at their family pond, riding side-by-side's, swimming, or just lounging around their home. Jess's favorite relaxing hobbies include reading, crafting, golfing, kayaking, and sipping adult beverages (which definitely counts as a hobby in our book). Cheers! 

Wendy Frost

As an Account Executive, Wendy Frost spends her time at work doing anything she can to help a client’s business succeed. From marketing services and websites to IT, this industry is constantly evolving, and Wendy loves to help every step of the way. She has a passion for making a difference in people’s lives, and at Forbin, she gets to do that for both business owners and patients that need to find the right care! Before joining Forbin’s team, Wendy earned her degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa. She then worked for many years in sales and digital marketing, making plans for companies and coming up with strategies to help them succeed. Outside of work, Wendy enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to live music events and watching sports. If you need a good laugh, Wendy is your go-to girl. She was even voted “Best Sense of Humor” in high school! 

Steve Morley

With his degree in Computer Networking and incredible attention to detail, Steve Morley is a vital part of our Managed IT Services team, serving as a System Administrator I. Forbin has been lucky to have Steve ever since his friend, (and now coworker) Dan, pestered him to give us a shot. Now, he utilizes his understanding of how companies are connected and communicate over various networks to solve IT issues and prevent them from returning, so our clients can continue to work without issue and provide great service to their customers. Steve is quite the traveler, having lived in several US states, the Bahamas and India throughout his life. His free time is usually spent with his friends, family and two cats, Sherlock and Eggsy. Steve enjoys stamping his passport with new locations, reading sci-fi books, working out and playing video games. 

Mallory Wohlford

Mallory Wohlford is the ideal Porcess Lead as she is knowledgeable, compassionate and provides top-notch service to anyone who needs her help. She believes that her bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Northern Iowa played a big part in the development of her excellent communication skills. When it comes to solving problems for clients, she helps with anything and everything! When she’s not able to solve problems herself, she connects with the people who will be able to solve them. Mallory was an editorial intern for a literary magazine briefly in college, then took a job at a smaller company as their Print and Digital Sales Specialist before joining the Forbin team. Mallory and her girlfriend have a Catahoula named Sinbad and a tuxedo cat named Monty. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and playing board games, spending quality time with her loved ones and trying new experiences. 

Amanda Morris

Amanda Morris brings the client’s vision to life as the UX Designer at VGM Forbin. Amanda has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Graphic Design from Kirkwood Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from the University of Northern Iowa. If you would ask her coworkers, they would say that Amanda knows a bit about a lot of different things, and they see her as the “utility” player which enables her to switch between different types of tasks. Before finding her home at VGM Forbin, Amanda worked as a graphic designer in sign shops for 18 years, at an advertising agency for 10 years, and ran a design and custom apparel business from her home for over 12 years. When she is not at work, you can find her spending time with her family, running her boys around and enjoying the outdoors while finding new places to hike. Along with her children, she has a full house with three dogs; a 15-year-old Pitbull, Chance, and two German Shepards, Ellie and Zoey; two cats, Smalls and Mamma; along with Jeffery, her painter turtle.

Dan Whitmer

Dan Whitmer is an important part of the Forbin IT Team as a System Admin 1! In this position, he uses his impressive interpersonal skills to assist with troubleshooting, researching and resolving unforeseen complications throughout the day for various clients. After graduating with his AA degree from Hawkeye Community College, Dan went on to work at Geek Squad in Best Buy and later at Cognizant, providing IT services for John Deere. Being a stand-out team player, Dan utilizes his skills and knowledge from studying network administration and engineering to tackle any challenge thrown his way by team members or clients. He enjoys exercising, training Capoeira, and finding his way to good live music events. Don't let his photo fool you! Dan has made the decision to shave his head after first testing how he would look by using photo editing features on Snapchat and receiving raving reviews from his two beloved cats, Dale and Julian. Lookin' good, Dan!

Jesse Munger

Jesse “Big Sizzle” Munger has done a little bit of everything in his career, but his passion and talents led him back to information technologies and to the team at VGM Forbin. As a caring and determined Network Operations Center Team Lead, Jesse primarily works through operating efficiencies for today and future growth of the Managed IT business. Those may be traits he picked up from his time managing a nutrition supplements franchise location, from his marketing work for the largest auto & home insurance company in the US, or even from his time on the campuses of Morningside College and Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!). Or maybe he was just born that way (like how far the middle toe on his left foot sticks out)?  Whatever has led him to take your IT requests so seriously, you can be sure this cat-loving, family man has a fun side as well. When he’s not working with the Forbin team to keep your systems running, he’d love to be out in sunny San Jose with his wife and kids or in Vegas placing a wager on the Vikings game. Or to keep it low-key, maybe he’d just be enjoying beverages while playing video games at home. Besides, now you can bet on sports from Waterloo, Iowa.  It might not be his childhood dream of becoming an NBA Superstar, but it’s not a bad gig being the Big Sizzle. 

Taylor Rettig

Taylor hails from Simpson College where he received a degree in Math (he’s pretty smart). Taylor says, “In math, there is always a right answer and a wrong answer, but there is more than one way to get to the right answer. In serving our clients, there is a right answer in their minds, but there is more than one way for us to get there. Finding the path to the right answer in the most efficient manner possible keeps me going.” How Mr. Miyagi of you, Taylor. He is passionate about assisting the team and the client in any way he can to produce a quality product as efficiently as possible. His favorite part of his job is interacting with internal and external partners in order to meet the needs of clients. Being an Account Manager at Forbin allows him to do that on a daily basis. Taylor helps our clients solve problems. He says, “Clients don’t always know exactly what they need in order to meet their goals. I connect clients with the right people on our team in order to solve their problems and meet their goals.” In his personal life, he enjoys running, biking, kayaking and camping, and he prefers to do any combination of those things with family and friends. 

Jade Richards

Jade Richards brings new ideas to the Forbin realm, as well as cute pictures of her fur babies. Graduating from Hawkeye Community College, Jade received a degree in Web Development and Programming. She also received a Business Administration degree from DMACC. So how did Jade make it here? She says, “I worked in retail before this so my past work decisions just made me realize I wanted something different. I started going to school for something I wasn’t sure I was going to like but ended up loving it.” She is great at solving problems, such as if something on a client’s site isn’t working properly, she’s the one to help fix it! Jade loves to learn new things and apply those skills to her career. She is extremely valued here at Forbin and has a passion for photography, biking, video games, and taking care of her fur babies.

Al Strain

Google Certifications: AdWords, Mobile, Shopping & Video. Al joined Forbin after gaining extensive experience in journalism. Originally from St. Charles, MN, Al graduated from Wartburg College with a communication arts major and history minor. His journalism experience includes writing for the college student newspaper, acting as the editor-in-chief for the newspaper, and being a reporter for the Owatonna People’s Press newspaper for over two years. His experiences in writing on a number of different topics (including going up in the air in a stunt airplane twice) prepared Al for the writing-intensive work he does at Forbin. Al is greatly interested in the ever-changing nature of marketing on the web and the rapidly expanding skill set it requires. He is an avid Minnesota sports fan, as well as a Grammy-award-winning singer when driving in his car. He also has a passion for making people laugh and for theater. His upbringing as an only child with no imaginary friends has made Al a very personable and friendly member of our team.

Ethan Bonzer

Ethan Bonzer, recognized for his fantastic customer service, became a System Administrator II after seeing amazing opportunities available here at Forbin. His bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Iowa (go Hawks!) gave Ethan a general foundation for supporting computers that assists him in aiding the Iowa City and West Burlington areas with on-site support. He finds entertainment in working with his hands, contributing much of his time to woodworking, cooking, and playing and listening to music. Ethan has even built his own guitar! His favorite vacation spot is Colorado, but you won't catch him in the air to get there - he hates flying!

Jamie Swart

Jamie Swart, our Brand Marketing Lead, comes to Forbin with over 12 years of marketing experience! She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa, where she discovered her love of all things public relations and marketing. Jamie started out as a MARCOM Specialist in the debt collection/global business process outsourcer industry which led her to be a Digital Marketing Specialist at an automotive dealership for years following that. She was interested in joining Forbin after hearing about our great work culture! A team player who is passionate about helping people, this marketing guru crafts content for all digital mediums for Forbin’s own marketing efforts. When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and cats named Jack and Frank. Whether she’s traveling the world (her favorite spot she’s been to is Jamaica!), sipping on coffee or hard at work as a marketing specialist, Jamie brings energy to everything she does. 

Josh Tanberg

Having worked at other area web development companies, Josh Tanberg brings many fresh, new ideas to our team to help us refine our production process. One of his favorite parts as a Senior Developer at Forbin is collaborating between developers and clients to come up with innovative ways in which to solve a problem. At the time he joined Forbin, Josh had a mix of real-world and in-classroom web development experience. His passionate approach to being on the cutting edge of web development and design trends means Josh is always an asset in idea generation meetings regardless of which type of project is being discussed. He is by no means your cookie-cutter web developer: Josh loves old cars (he drives a 1950 Mercury, a 1964 Galaxie 500 convertible, and a 1964 Lincoln Continental), and is an Army Infantry Veteran, having completed three tours with the 101st Airborne Division in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Josh also enjoys spending time with his family at their favorite vacation spot in Eastern Tennessee and playing the guitar—rock on!

Ana Dobrilovic

Certifications: Google Analytics and Google Ads. As a Web Marketer and Social Media Strategist, Ana keeps herself busy by writing compelling content for various digital mediums to help clients increase brand awareness and their online presence. To say Ana aims to please would be an understatement, as she is known to go above and beyond to help clients reach their goals. Whether it's through social media, blogs, site content or anything in between, Ana can put a creative twist on anything through strategy and collaboration. Before VGM Forbin, Ana received her bachelor’s degree in both English and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University of Northern Iowa. In her free time, Ana enjoys reading, appreciating nature and spending time with family and cat, Masha! She'll also throw anyone down in a mean game of tennis. Ana is always learning about different cultures and striving to become a better, more informed citizen. Fun fact: Ana can speak multiple languages! How cool is that!?

Gregg Erickson

Project Engineer and overall team player, Gregg Erickson's competitive edge makes him an integral part of the Forbin IT Team! Gregg's background in Network Administration and Engineering provides him with the necessary skills to work on an array of issues presented to him, including anything from resetting passwords to working on complete server migrations. With a can-do attitude and loads of ambition, Forbin is lucky to have him! Whether it's the number of tattoos he has, getting over his fear of space having no end or helping Forbin improve as a company, Gregg continues to grow in all aspects of life! You go, Gregg!

Mike Kirkpatrick

Michael Kirkpatrick, VGM Forbin's Web Programmer, is known for his excellent customer service skills and boundless tech expertise. He ensures that clients feel confident when working with Forbin and treats them as he would friends. Mike has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Robotics and Animation as well as a bachelor's degree in Industrial Technology. His education, vast experience in programming and technology, and out-of-the-box thinking allow him to solve a variety of problems, as well as determine the client’s wants and come up with avenues they can take to achieve the final product. Outside of work, Michael enjoys thrill-seeking activities such as skydiving, hand gliding, boating, scuba diving and coming up with alternative forms of energy so he can go off the grid!

Brett Schwickerath

Brett Schwickerath started his career at Forbin as a Design Intern after graduating from Wartburg College with his bachelor's degree in Communication with an emphasis in Digital Media Production and Design and has worked his way to the title of UX/UI Developer. "I was pretty fortunate to get in as a Design Intern, and it wasn't until I was on the team that I really grew into the UX/UI Developer role I'm in today." His communication and design skills help him create positive user experiences and to problem-solve issues relating to responsive design. As Forbin's own master of all things Adobe, Brett is best known for how thorough he is with his work and his ability to make ideated user experiences into a reality! In his free time, Brett enjoys spending time with friends and family, along with playing video games and relaxing in front of the TV with his wife and their 14-year-old dog, Charlie (and Charlie's favorite toy, a little hedgehog!). 

Jacob Bundt

Jacob Bundt provides excellent website support and assists with other general tech support needs that clients may have as our System Administrator I. Jacob graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. Before finding his home at Forbin, he previously worked as an IT Technician with the Navigators, an International Ministry. When Jacob is not working, you can find him travelling, playing disc golf, or playing board games with his lovely wife.

Philipp Hoeltermann

Philipp Hoeltermann comes to us from the heart of Western Europe – Germany! Having completed his bachelor’s degree in Information Management from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Philipp initially joined the Forbin family as a Quality Assurance Specialist and has since transitioned into the role of UI Developer. As a UI Developer, Philipp utilizes his attention to detail, curiosity, and collaboration skills to translate creative design concepts and ideas into reality for the customers in all the industries we serve. Outside of work, Philipp enjoys spending time with his wife and kids and claims to love basketball, baseball and football “more than all other Germans combined.” He’s a movie lover and Iowa Hawkeyes fan!

Hillary Reents

Hillary Reents is the perfect example of a highly organized employee who produces quality work in a timely manner. As a Web Marketer/Social Media Strategist at VGM Forbin, Hillary works with customers on issues they have with Facebook, improves their engagements, posts about their business, works on email marketing campaigns and much more to help her clients create greater brand awareness and presence on social media. She found her way to Forbin after earning her Business Degree with a concentration in Marketing from Wartburg College, and always knew she wanted to work in the social media and web marketing sphere. Outside of work, Hillary enjoys spending time with her 2 children, Rowan and Rory and her husband Tanner. They enjoy spending time on their farm, golfing, boating and just about anything with family and friends.

Joseph Nikas

Joe Nikas, our valued Web Developer, holds an abundance of skills in programming and development! Joe is Forbin's go-to Web Developer for e-commerce, bank, and custom projects. He earned his AAS in Web Programming and Development from Hawkeye Community College before joining the Forbin family. His amazing code quality and problem-solving abilities have made him an undeniable asset to the team. When he discovers a bug or is working on creating a custom feature, he utilizes his attention to detail in order to fully understand the inner workings of the program or website he is working on. Joe spends the majority of his time outside of Forbin reading and playing video games. He is also a fan of nature, has hiked through numerous places throughout Iowa, and is a cat lover.

John Friel

John is unique because he actually started Forbin as an Internet Service Provider in Cedar Falls, the first ISP in the Cedar Valley which he later sold to the VGM Group, Inc. In his second run with Forbin, John works with our I.T. Services team to support them with new technology, as well as assisting networking and computer clients in addition to Forbin’s programming staff. John’s programming career started in 8th grade when his teacher introduced him to FORTRAN programming. Since then, he has mastered numerous programming and SQL languages and that allow him to provide great insight into various aspects of Forbin’s products. When he’s not coding or providing excellent network support, John likes to work on and drive his race car at the drag strip and restore old Mustangs for cruising. John is also a member of the Shareware Hall of Fame for writing the DOS Qmodem Telecommunications program.

Zach Oliver

Zach Oliver is a key developer on the VGM Forbin team and is known for his willingness to help, excellent coding skills and ability to resolve issues quickly whenever they are thrown his way. After earning his bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Zach joined the Forbin team as a programming intern and has since joined our team full time! His role here at Forbin has Zach performing tasks that can range anywhere from setting up a website from the ground up to creating custom functionalities to fulfill client visions. Zach was born to be a team player, as he enjoys playing League of Legends and other team-fighting tactic-heavy video games with his friends. Accepting challenges in both his work life and personal life, he also enjoys spending time at the gym.

Nick Dideriksen

With a focus on building relationships, VGM Forbin's Director of Business Technology Nick Dideriksen is known for his straight-to-the-point style that helps him deliver results to each of his customers. With an impeccable record of improving clients' businesses through technology, he is able to protect their livelihood through security and software. Nick graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design (he’s actually color blind so he used Google to figure out what CMYK/RGB colors to use in assignments!). Looking at things objectively and from different viewpoints can be challenging. However, Nick's background at Best Buy, John Deere and The Golf Channel gives him the ability to pivot with each new challenge and to use his expertise in various industries to find solutions to IT issues. After a long day of work, Nick is often greeted by his black lab named Semper who is always excited to see him. Outside of work, Nick stays on his toes with his three kids, Quinn, Lennon and Brooks. However, when he is not chasing after them, he likes golfing, cycling and playing volleyball. If he has time to sneak away for a vacation, you’d be able to find him anywhere warm, with a beach and golf course nearby!

Kelly Herbert

Senior Social Media Specialist, Kelly Herbert, comes to us from sunny Georgia, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in BioChem and worked in advertising for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This Georgia peach isn’t just smart, but also brings her creativity and drive to the team. Whether she’s writing about pigeon racing, family insurance, or wedding trends—Kelly is your go to for compelling content and marketing strategy. Her previous work experience led her to discover her passion for marketing and social media and she uses her problem-solving skills to easily identify weaknesses in marketing strategy and provide solutions for clients that come to her for help. She is motivated by her love of helping people and desire to provide them with a product they are proud of! In her personal life, Kelly loves spending time with her husband, daughter and pup! She enjoys being outdoors, going for long walks by the beach, playing golf and reading.

Cheyenne Newman

When it comes to unique branding projects, we turn to Cheyenne Newman. After providing a custom Rubix cube business card following a student visit, we knew Cheyenne would produce equally innovative work for our clients, and she quickly became Forbin’s design intern. Now a UX designer and Billing Assistant, Cheyenne is charged with a wide variety of responsibilities including serving both VGM Forbin’s marketing design needs as well as the design needs of our ongoing web marketing programs such as social media, search engine optimization and search engine marketing. She is truly motivated by her client work at VGM Forbin because it connects customers to products or services that improve their lives. Cheyenne graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. When Cheyenne is not helping clients connect with their customers, she lives for weekends with her friends, family and dog Cooper, as well as completing amazing crafting projects.

Mark Wubbena

VGM Forbin's very own jack-of-all-trades, Mark Wubbena is a Senior UX Strategist and Custom Projects Specialist best known for his web designs and ability to rock 'n roll! Mark primarily assists our sales team and clients with custom project scoping, workflows, documentation, and more. Having studied Commercial Art at Hawkeye Community College (back before the WWW!), his education connects him to his work through the use of layout and composition, color theory, typography, math, statistics, and even public speaking! An avid chef and tattoo fan, Mark spends his free time cooking for his beautiful daughter and their kitty, Princess Leia. Did we mention he was in a band? Mark always wanted to be an architect and drummer... and now he's both, as a "web architect" and drummer in his own rock 'n roll band. Rock on, Mark!