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Team
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| Here are a few OverDrive team players that are ready to discuss how we can be part of your team. | | |  | Steve Potash is President and CEO of OverDrive, Inc., a company he founded in 1986. Under his leadership, OverDrive has become the leading provider of eBook technologies and Digital Rights Management solutions for publishers, retailers and libraries. OverDrive is a key technology supplier and distributor to Random House, Microsoft Corporation, AOL Time Warner, HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill and hundreds of US and international trade, education and academic publishers and retailers for their digital products. To read more about the founder of OverDrive, click here. | | |  | Mike Vantusko, CFO
Mike has more than 20 years of financial experience, most recently as a chief financial officer to public and private companies. A CPA and MBA, Mike's main roles at OverDrive include working closely with Steve Potash in the development and implementation of the company's strategic vision and capital structure. | | |  | Lori Soukup, COO & Controller
Lori is responsible for Accounting, Human Resources and Office Administration. In addition, she plays an integral role in process improvements among all departments. Lori is a CPA, received her BS in Accounting from Bowling Green State University and her MBA from Baldwin Wallace College. Outside of the office, Lori spends her time with her husband and four children and enjoys running, boating and jet-skiing. | | |  | Claudia Weissman, Director of Sales & Director of International Business
Claudia joined Overdrive in early 2000 as International Business Director. She contributes to OverDrive's expansion of eBook services and DRM strategies in International markets and leads strategic partnerships and accounts in the US. She especially enjoys working with the library community by sharing information about new technologies and OverDrive's extensive experience in providing access to premium content. Prior to her career in ePublishing, she served as a city attorney in Germany with a law degree from Hamburg University. Besides books and reading, she loves world travel and has been to over 50 countries. | | |  | Erica Lazzaro, General Counsel
Erica manages the legal affairs for OverDrive including negotiating and drafting licensing agreements and strategic partnerships for the company's global technology and content services. She is actively involved in managing licenses and policies for Digital Rights Management services, patents, trademarks, copyrights, and eCommerce matters for the company. Erica has secured digital distribution rights for the distribution and sale of titles from dozens of leading book publishers, film and TV network studios, record labels, and audiobook publishers. Additionally, Erica works with numerous U.S. and foreign governmental entities to license OverDrive hosted library services which are in use by over 7,500 libraries domestically and abroad. An avid eBook reader, Erica is a graduate of Miami University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Erica is licensed to practice law in state and federal courts in Ohio. | | |  | Sonny Mazzolini, Contract & Licensing Attorney
A graduate of Penn State and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Sonny joined OverDrive in 2007 as a Legal Associate. Sonny assists in the drafting and editing of licensing and distribution agreements. In his free time he enjoys watching sports, working out, and playing softball. | | |  | Ileana Pacl, Human Resources Manager
Ileana has been with OverDrive since June 2007. She is originally from Romania, and has resided in the USA since 1994. She is responsible for the OverDrive Human Resources Department. Ileana received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Labor Relation/Human Resources from Cleveland State University. Outside the office, Ileana loves spending time with her husband and three children, cooking, and reading. | | |  | Amy Petrus, Human Resources Consultant
Amy is working with OverDrive on a variety of human resource projects. Amy has over 20 years experience in human resources. Amy received her BS in Business from Miami University and her Master’s degree from Cleveland State University in Human Resources and Labor Relations. In addition she holds the SPHR (Senior Professional Human Resources) certification from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and the CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) from World at Work. | | |  | Alissa Griesmer, Director of Platform Services
In her capacity as Director of Platform Services, Alissa serves as the coordinator between the OverDrive development team and retail, library, and publishing partners on the development and feature-sets of OverDrive’s systems and applications. Additionally, she manages the award-winning Digital Library Reserve Support Team as well as the OverDrive Project Management Team. From Cleveland, Ohio, Alissa received her B.A. in History from the University of Akron and pursued graduate studies in Library and Information Science at Kent State University. When not PMing, Alissa listens to NPR. A lot. | | |  | Laura Crowe, Lead Project Manager, Library
Laura is an outstanding member of the OverDrive team. Her degree in Internet Information Systems makes her an excellent resource. Among her responsibilities, Laura provides training services and manages site design for several client accounts. Outside of the office, Laura likes to spend time with her friends and enjoys reading and writing. | | |  | Simon Miller, Project Manager, Library
Originally from London, England, Simon has vast experience with eJournals and has worked for EBSCO Information Services in both London & New Jersey. He is now part of OverDrive's Project Management Team. He enjoys spending time with his wife, catching up with friends, listening to music, and watching movies. | | |  | Ben Alcorn, Project Manager, Library
Ben is a Cleveland native who spent 10 years working for Case Western Reserve University Kelvin Smith Library before joining OverDrive. He attended the College of Wooster where he majored in Philosophy. When he is not at work, Ben is an avid reader and volleyball player, and enjoys being tortured by his beloved Cleveland sports teams. | | |  | Susan Lima, Project Manager, Library
Susan is a graduate of Cleveland State University with a Masters degree in Sociology.
She recently joined OverDrive as the newest Project Manager with a background in many areas of customer service. Her spare time is spent with her husband and two beautiful children, reading, and cooking. | | |  | Cath Smith, Project Manager, Special
Cath was born and raised in the West of England. She comes to OverDrive after seven years in the Scottish National Health Service, where she gained considerable project management experience. In her spare time, she likes to indulge her geekish tendencies and enjoys writing, building web pages, and throwing pots (on a wheel, not at things). | | |  | Daniel Potash, Project Manager, Special
A part of Team OverDrive since 2006, Daniel focuses on OverDrive's MIDAS platform, working with OverDrive partners and OverDrive's own engineering teams to innovate both the MIDAS product and companion suite of eCommerce and merchandizing services. Outside of the office, Daniel likes to play computer games and snowboard. Additionally, Daniel maintains a long-standing interest in matters relating to accessible technologies. | | |  | Mark Johnson, Product Manager
With a background in management and mechanical engineering, Mark brings a unique perspective to the product team. He has experience with ISO 9000 and QS 9000 quality standards and a love of flowcharts, statistics, and process improvements. | | |  | James Nickras, Product Manager
James joined the OverDrive team in 2007 and has several years experience related to Internet resources and books, most recently as a reference librarian. A graduate of the University of Akron and Kent State University, he enjoys reading and architecture in his free time. | | |  | Jill Boyd, Technical Writer
Jill joined OverDrive in September 2009 as a technical writer and system analyst. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the organization’s knowledge base. Jill has over five years of experience as a proposal manager and technical writer and over ten years of sales support and business development experience. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, travelling, and sports. | | |  | David Burleigh, Director of Marketing
David leads the branding and marketing activities for OverDrive. His background includes senior marketing leadership in high tech, professional services and healthcare, as well as an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. A native of Maine, David enjoys many outdoor sports with his wife and 3 boys. | | |  | Daniel Stasiewski, Marketing Associate
Dan is a graduate of Penn State Erie, where he studied communication, public relations, and English. He joined the OverDrive marketing team after two years of managing media relations for nonprofits in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. In his spare time, Dan enjoys going to see movies, reading, and getting to know Cleveland. | | |  | Renee San Jose, Marketing & Events Manager
As a 2005 graduate of Miami University of Ohio, Renee studied Business Information Systems and Marketing Promotions. Renee joined the OverDrive marketing team to assist in the coordination and management of OverDrive's events and other marketing efforts. When Renee is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dogs, playing Cleveland intramural sports, and watching all Cleveland sport events. | | |  | Jamie M. Kelly, Marketing and Events Associate
Jamie is a 2008 graduate of Kent State University, where she studied broadcast journalism and public relations while majoring in Public Communication. She joined OverDrive as a Marketing and Events Associate. When she’s not traveling with the Digital Bookmobile, Jamie enjoys playing at Bow Wow Beach with her Husky and Puggle. | | |  | Karen Potash, Lead Collection Development Specialist
A graduate of Kent State University, Karen joined the team to help inform and update library partners of new eBooks, digital audiobooks, and other digital media. She is excited to be a part of the OverDrive team. In her free time Karen enjoys reading eBooks on her Pocket PC and traveling. | | |  | Lindsey Levinsohn, Collection Development Specialist
Lindsey is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with degrees in both Popular Culture and History. She recently graduated from Kent State University with her Master's of Library and Information Science. At OverDrive, she works as a part of the Collection Development team, assisting libraries with all of their Digital Media collection needs. In her spare time, she enjoys taking her boat out on the lake, reading, and all aspects of popular culture. | | |  | Margaret Harrison, Publisher Relations Specialist
Margaret brings a passion for international media to OverDrive. A graduate of Boston College, Margaret also spent a year at Oxford University as a visiting scholar. If she’s not at her desk, Margaret’s chatting with friends, spending time with family, or listening to NPR. | | |  | Tom Scott, Business Development Account Executive
Tom joins OverDrive with over 15 years of experience managing library accounts for one of the nation's largest clearinghouses of trade manuals. A graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, Tom has earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business. At the end of the day, Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, playing golf, and jet-skiing on Cleveland's beautiful Lake Erie. | | |  | Mike Shontz, Business Development Account Executive
A sports buff, graduate of Penn State, and dedicated father of three, Mike leads our business development efforts for clients in the Atlantic states. A valued member of our sales force, Mike joins our business development team with over a decade of experience as a successful account executive. Mike has worked for many high-profile companies like MCI, Nortel Networks. | | |  | Brian Nash, Business Development Associate
Brian is a part of OverDrive's business development team. He focuses both on content licensing from book publishers, music and video companies as well as establishing new retail and distribution channels in the U.S. and internationally for OverDrive's catalog of digital content. Brian graduated as a communications major from Boston University and received an Executive MBA from NYU Stern School of Business. In his free time Brian enjoys trying new electronic gadgets and competing in online Scrabble tournaments. | | |  | Joe Dickinson, Sales Associate
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Joe joined the OverDrive team to assist with sales and to help inform partners of our current services. Joe loves reading, watching television, listening to music, and surfing the web. He also loves watching sports--especially hockey. In his spare time, he enjoys watching his tropical fish aquarium. | | |  | Brian Potash, Business Development Representative
A graduate of The Ohio State University, Brian studied business with a focus in marketing at the Fisher College of Business. At OverDrive, he is a member of the sales team where he assists with sales campaigns and building relationships with new and current customers and partners. In his free time, Brian is an avid golfer, listens to audiobooks, and enjoys going out to Cleveland hotspots. | | |  | Carole Becerra, Executive Assistant
Carole joined the OverDrive team in January 2010 as Executive Assistant. She is a graduate of Miami University with a degree in English Literature and of Cleveland State University with a Masters of Public Administration. Before joining OverDrive, she served the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones as Campaign Coordinator for six years on both a local and national level. Carole enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, cheering on the Cleveland Indians and supporting local restaurants. | | |  | Deb Halinski, Lead Training Specialist
Deb is a member of DLR's Partner Services Group. With 7 years experience in IT and consulting, her role is to help maximize the value of DLR for library partners and their patron communities. At this moment you may find Deb tucked away in the training room delivering web-based training for some of our newest partners. In her off-hours, Deb is active in the video production community as an editor and media artist. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. | | |  | Ann Harrison, Training Specialist
Ann's role is to instruct librarians in the use and features of the digital library products. Ann is a graduate of Williams College in Massachusetts. In her free time, she enjoys making jewelry, playing volleyball, and baking. | | |  | Shannon Lichty, Partner Services Manager
As a member of the Partner Services Team, Shannon helps DLR libraries promote digital media. Shannon is a graduate of Heidelberg College and received a bachelor's degree in Communications and Public Relations. In her spare time, Shannon enjoys playing volleyball, reading, and spending time with family and friends. | | |  | Megan Greer, Partner Services Associate
As a member of the Partner Services Team, Megan assists library partners around the world in promoting their download service to new and existing users, and trains library staff on how to use their 'Virtual Branch' website. Megan is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She also has knowledge in both television and radio after working for several broadcast media outlets. In her spare time, Megan enjoys hanging out with family and friends, going to movies, and cheering on the Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers. | | |  | Lisa M. Coreno, Partner Services Associate
As a member of the Partner Service Team, Lisa helps DLR libraries promote digital media. In 2006, Lisa graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in Corporate Communications and Public Relations. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys traveling, exercising, spending time with her family and friends, and supporting her Cleveland sports teams. | | |  | Erin Engler, Accounting Manager
Erin is a CPA and a graduate of Ohio Northern University where she received her bachelor’s degree in accounting. After college, she spent three years in public accounting before joining OverDrive in July 2009. In her spare time, Erin enjoys music, dance, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends. | | |  | Lisa Adames, Staff Accountant
Lisa graduated from Ohio State University with a B.S. in Plant Biology and from Franklin University with a B.S. in Accounting. For fun, Lisa enjoys traveling and dancing. Lisa also values the time she spends with her family and friends. | | |  | Christen Oleska, Accounting & Office Assistant
Christen works in the Accounting Department. In her spare time she likes to do scrapbooking, card making, shop, and country line dance. | | |  | Cliff Hirsch, Financial Analyst
Cliff has 15 years of experience in Accounting and Finance. He is a CPA and received his BBA in Accounting from Cleveland State University. Cliff spends his free time with his wife and two daughters. He also enjoys reading and playing basketball. | | |  | Rick Patterson, IT Manager
Rick has many years of experience managing network systems and infrastructure in start-ups as well as large companies. He served as director of operations for Internet service provider, CyberGate, currently known as NTT Verio. | | |  | R. E. Lewis, IT Technician
After obtaining an associates degree in Computer Networking Technology, R.E. joined the OverDrive team. His love for computers and graduating with a 4.0 at Remington gives him much encouragement at OverDrive. When R.E. is not in the office, he enjoys fixing his friends computers and teaching martial arts. | | |  | Chris Satola, IT Technician
With the experience of a vast IT background, Chris Satola brings his passion for technology to OverDrive and its customers. Chris enjoys spending time with friends and playing computer games. | | |  | Geoff Thornton, IT Security Specialist
With over 11 years in Information Security, Geoff brings OverDrive a wealth of practical safe computing experience and IT best practices. Geoff enjoys reading, programming, playing computer games, being creative, and dabbling in all things technical. Got a random thought? Geoff loves fresh ideas and thinking outside the box. | | |  | Ben Donovan, Content Production Manager
Ben is OverDrive's novelty British employee. He has a degree in computer science from the University of Leicester and frequently handles "special projects" (the really difficult ones that no one else wants!). Ben is currently working with audiobook technology. | | |  | Alexis Wiles, Lead Metadata Specialist
Alexis joined OverDrive in 2001, and has become an essential and much-appreciated part of the Content Reserve team. A graduate of Case Western Reserve University with degrees in English and Sociology, Alexis also has a background in digital publishing and eBook conversion. | | |  | Jen Petric, Metadata Specialist
An Ohio native, Jen joined the OverDrive team in 2006. After graduating from the University of Akron with degrees in Mass Media and Computer Programming, she worked in Chicago for two years before moving back to Cleveland. She spends her days working in Excel, prepping metadata for hundreds of titles. After hours, she enjoys catching up with family and friends, running, writing and playing softball. | | |  | Chris Weber, Cataloging & Metadata Librarian
Chris was born in New Hampshire and has lived in Vermont, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He has had a lifelong interest in books and enjoys reading with interests in aviation, history, and anything that catches the eye.
He has a B.S. of Technology from Kent State University and a M.L.I.S. in archives and records management from the University of Pittsburgh. His background includes public and university libraries, the metal casting industry, and university customer service. He joined OverDrive as Catalog & Metadata Librarian handling MARC records between OverDrive and OCLC, and working with content metadata. In his spare time, he is a member of a local aviation museum, enjoys web surfing, watching movies, taking care of his two cats, and keeping busy with anything that pops up. | | |  | Tim Nevits, Metadata Specialist
Tim Nevits is a graduate of Wright State and New York Universities, and has backgrounds in both information technology and teaching English as a second language. He has lived in Cleveland, New York City, and China, and is fascinated by how e-media is making the world a more interconnected (and smaller) place. At OverDrive, Tim spends his days processing metadata, and then spends his free-time hanging out with his family, drinking coffee, and listening to public radio. | | |  | Melanie Wilson, Metadata Specialist
Melanie graduated from Kent State University with her Master’s in Library and Information Science, where she specialized in digital libraries. She also holds a degree in English. After finishing up her undergrad, she spent time working abroad on the West Coast of Ireland and in the Highlands of Scotland. During the day, she loves to improve access to OverDrive’s titles through good data. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley, drinking tea with friends, and listening to podcasts. | | |  | Devon Walsh, Metadata Specialist
Devon is a graduate of Heidelberg College and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English. She joined the OverDrive team in 2009 and has a background in book publishing and editing. She is a Cleveland native and a book lover, and enjoys reading, writing, and drawing in her spare time. | | |  | Rose Donohoo, Metadata Specialist
Rose earned her M.S. in Library and Information Science and C.A.S. in Digital Libraries from Syracuse University. She also holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio University in Public Policy and Administration. She is interested in any technology that opens up new and useful access to library resources of all kinds. After work, Rose enjoys coffee shops, re-reading J.D. Salinger novels, and travel. | | |  | Jason Pokines, Graphic Designer
A graduate of the University of Akron, Jason studied Studio Art and minored in Digital Imaging. He loves drawing, both on the computer and off. He also loves video games, and has entire websites devoted to his love of games. In his free time he likes to hang out with friends, take care of his cat, Avalon, and run 5k races. | | |  | Andy Hird, Support Manager
With a widely varied background in desktop support, Andy is always working to assist our clients and customers to enjoy their digital books. He also helps perform quality testing. Being an avid reader, books are a big part of his life--even when away from work. | | |  | Thadeus Davis, Support Specialist
A graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, Thadeus has earned a Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems. Thadeus enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, and reading. | | |  | Justin Noszek, Support Specialist
Justin is a native of Cleveland, OH and a graduate of both John Carroll University and Computertraining.com. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. To preserve sanity, he listens to copious amounts of music, reads, plays video games, and he plays guitar. | | |  | Jarell Thompson, Support Specialist
Jarell joined the OverDrive team in 2008 and has a bachelor's degree in Sports Management and Business Management. Outside of work, Jarell likes to spend time with his family, play sports, and relax. | | |  | Sam Chada, Support Specialist
Sam is a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in Sociology. She has a background in Technology and Customer Support. In her spare time she enjoys reading, sports, traveling to new places, and taking her boat out on Lake Erie. | | |  | Kelli Woods, Support Specialist
Kelli was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and has an extensive background in Help Desk Support and Network Control. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her family, read, be behind the camera, and study graphic design. | | |  | Jim Burke, Content Production Specialist
Jim Burke came to Overdrive in 2004 with a background in broadcasting and is a member of the encoding team - processing the audiobook source material from the publishers so it can be enjoyed by all who listen to them. When not in the office Jim is racing around raising 5 daughters, writing, baking for his fellow teammates, and listening to audiobooks and music. | | |  | Rob Bobic, Content Production Specialist
Rob is a graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics. He joined the OverDrive team in 2006, and works with video and audiobook encoding. When not working, Rob enjoys seeing movies, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and playing foosball. | | |  | Jessy VanDivner, Content Production Specialist
Jessy combines his love of audiobooks and expertise with digital media as a member of the OverDrive encoding team. He is a graduate of the Music Synthesis program offered at the Berklee College of Music, and enjoys scoring and sound designing. While audio is Jessy's primary forte, he loves creating visual artwork as well as aural, using digital technology as the primary vehicle for his creativity. | | |  | Patrick Murphy, Content Production Specialist
Patrick joined the OverDrive team in 2008 with a background in Video Editing, Media Duplication, and Broadcasting. He’s excited to be a member of the encoding team. Patrick likes to spend time with his wife and daughter, sing, listen to music and follow his favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys. | | |  | Charley Wilcock, Content Production Specialist
Charley attended Ohio University to pursue a degree in Fine Art Photography and has worked in the field of video and audio production for a number of years. Charley joined the encoding team in the fall of 2009. Charley spends his free time with his fiancée, their three dogs: Capt. Jack, Suki and Miss Banana and two cats: Chopper Wu and Mr. David Bowie. | | |
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