Chattanooga’s Web Developer Wizard
For the month of September, we’ve decided to spotlight our insanely talented web developer, Blake Jones. This behind-the-scenes wizard of code is a critical part of our team here at Riverworks, and we’re so lucky to have him on staff. Blake is the youngest member of our team at 21, and his background in coding and all things tech dates back to his early teen years. He began writing HTML and CSS when he was just 13 years old and built his own computer from scratch at the age of 15. We’ve basically got a prodigy on our hands, folks, and it is dang impressive.
Writing Code from a Young Age
Blake cut his teeth as a freelance code writer while he was still in high school, primarily building websites for Minecraft servers– a perfect fit for this gamer at heart. After graduation, he enrolled at Chattanooga State where he studied web design, first joining our Riverworks crew as an intern during his final semester of study. Blake immediately proved himself a great asset to the Riverworks team, and soon came on as a full-time developer. He consistently brings a boost of energy and enthusiasm to the office, and his always-genuine laugh is contagious. Blake really enjoys building custom websites for our slew of clients, and he always makes sure each one is up to date and functioning smoothly.
“Front-end web development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) is my bread and butter, but I’m a full-stack developer,” Blake said. “I strive always to build websites that are as identical as possible to what the designer has put together, and I really care a lot about the finished product.”
Websites with Purpose
Blake is committed to growing as a developer and as an individual. He has been a part of our team for a year and a half. He studies closely as a padawan to our Director of Technology, Jedi Kevin Ard. Blake, as well as the rest of our team, believes a clean and high-functioning website is key to marketing in the digital age.
“A website is a must-have for any modern company,” Blake said. “As your business’s digital storefront, and first foray into the vast majority of client relationships, each site has a purpose, and must be clearly defined. Whether it be to sell products or services, to get you to schedule an appointment, or book a room, et cetera, a highly effective website is going to be designed with the intention of bringing these goals to fruition in an efficient and measurable way.”
When Blake isn’t behind dual computer screens banging out web alchemy, he enjoys relaxing and spending time with his fiance, Kendall, and his beautiful baby boy, Dakota. Even when he isn’t working, a lot of his downtime is spent playing Nintendo and PC games, writing code for fun, and overall just chillin’ on his computer. His fervor for all things web is evident, and flows into every facet of his work life, really taking shape in each website he brings to life.
Favorite Build So Far: Dancing Bear Lodge
Though he’s produced a host of work he’s proud of at Riverworks, he said the project that gives him the strongest sense of pride is the Dancing Bear Lodge website he created with Kevin. “It’s a massive website that was created with a unique approach on both the front-end and the back-end. This site has many pages, a store with custom gift card implementations, as well as a custom calendar integration.”
You can peruse that site here if you want to see more of our team’s handiwork.
Our entire staff at Riverworks is grateful to have Blake as a team member. He’s always passionate, always positive, and always eager to help. Thanks for all you do, Blake!