UPMC DigiCon 2023 Speakers

Tony DeFazio

(SEO and Readability) is an SEO specialist at Merkle Inc. He helps his clients improve their online visibility through keyword research, technical optimization, and content development. Additionally, Tony leads internal specialist meetings and supports local research initiatives to better understand the search landscape. His previous work experience includes internships with local marketing companies and digital media agencies.

Abby Hamilton

(SEO and Readability) is a Senior SEO Manager at Merkle where she manages a team of SEO specialists and associate managers. At Merkle, she supports enterprise companies and leading non-profits in driving organic performance through the creation and execution of SEO strategies. A Duquesne graduate, Abby held internships with organizations in the fields of advertising, financial advising, and nonprofit. Abby has spoken at multiple industry conferences and webinars, written for Search Engine Journal, and was featured as one of the publication’s “100+ Awesome Women Marketers You Should Follow”.

Jenna Hanrahan

(A Guide to Content Marketing in 2023) is senior manager of digital content at UPMC. She oversees editorial content production and strategy across UPMC marketing channels. Jenna manages a team of writers and project managers and works closely with video and design production teams. She previously worked as the lead e-commerce copywriter at Dick’s Sporting Goods and worked as a journalist for Patch.com, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Huffington Post. She lives in Shaler with her husband and two children.

Darby Hoffman

(Website Development & User Experience (UX)) is a project manager for UPMC's Digital Marketing Technology Team. With over 11 years of experience in digital marketing, he plans and manages website development and infrastructure projects for the team's web architects and developers. He also works closely with content authors and marketing strategists to effectively present patient-centric content on UPMC's websites and other digital channels. Darby is a 2009 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Science, with a B.S. in Information Science and a related area in Computer Science. Before his time at UPMC, he interned at Imagebox — a web design, branding, and marketing agency in Pittsburgh that focuses on nonprofit clients. In addition to his digital marketing experience, Darby worked for over 20 years in the restaurant and service industry.

Balaji (Bala) Kandasamy

(Website Development & User Experience (UX)) is a practice director at Computer Enterprises Inc. He is also an organizer of Pittsburgh Sitecore User Group and PGHDOTNET, the Pittsburgh .Net Users Group. Bala has over 16 years of web and digital marketing experience. He is a three-time Sitecore Technology MVP who has a deep understanding of strategic business consulting and project delivery. He focuses primarily on digital marketing and personalization. Bala’s ability to contribute to the development roadmap, as well as his proven record of completing deliverables within or ahead of schedule, makes him extremely valuable to the clients. Reach out to him on Twitter @balaone_.

Carlo Leo

(Accessible Design) is an experienced digital designer who creates engaging social graphics, web banners, and website designs. Carlo believes good design is more than just appearance: The User Experience is critical, and design must be accessible to all. Carlo has the skills, software know-how, and the ability to make things look good while they do what they were built to do. He currently puts these skills to use working for Garrison Hughes, a local Pittsburgh agency. Carlo has received multiple GDUSA Health and Wellness Design Awards for his website design work for UPMC. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in Communications Media.

Steve Mihalic

(Website Development & User Experience (UX)) is lead experience designer for UPMC Digital Marketing. For over seven years, he's utilized a mix of qualitative and quantitative research strategies to improve the performance, accessibility, and patient focus of UPMC websites. Steve is certified UXC (Nielsen Norman Group) and trained for WCAG 2.1 web accessibility standards (WebAIM). He has a background in psychology, journalism, and QA.

Molly Owens

(SEO and Readability) is an SEO specialist at Merkle Inc. She supports her team by planning and executing clients' SEO strategies. She also contributes to internal activities like the SEO Newsletter and the New Hire Team and assists with Merkle's efforts to innovate in the ever-changing SEO industry. Before Merkle, Molly was a freelance writer for industries ranging from marketing technologies to manufacturing. She also interned at the National Aviary and a small local marketing agency called Cosmitto.

Shannon Shields

(Creating Inclusive Communities: Why Social Media Accessibility is Important) is a senior manager in Digital Strategy at UPMC. She oversees social media strategy for UPMC’s clinical business, as well as digital strategy for UPMC HealthBeat. She previously worked as a project manager at Highmark and SAP Ariba. She holds a master’s degree in Communication Technology from Point Park University and won UPMC’s Award for Commitment and Excellence in Services (ACES) in 2018.

Brittany Smalls

(Consumer Journeys) is a digital marketing manager at UPMC. She focuses on consumers’ overall digital experience and ensures UPMC uses digital data effectively and ethically. That ensures patients get information they need when they need it. She also manages the integration of digital marketing tools and platforms into UPMC’s marketing and outreach efforts. She has spent her entire career in sales and digital marketing, working at WPXI-TV, Pipitone Group, and the Limited before coming to UPMC.

Sean Tubridy

(Personalization on Health Care Websites) is a marketing technology manager on the Digital Marketing Technology Team at UPMC. He is a graduate of Penn State University and has over 10 years of experience in digital marketing. In his current role at UPMC, Sean oversees personalization and optimization initiatives on web properties built in the Sitecore Experience Platform. For his work in this field, Sean was recognized as a 2022 Sitecore MVP. Connect with Sean on LinkedIn.

Megan Woods

(Paid Social Buying) is a director of paid social strategy at Harmelin Media in Philadelphia. She has worked at agencies planning paid social media campaigns for nine years. Megan is an expert in media planning and buying on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. She has worked across many client verticals, including health care, e-commerce, consumer packaged goods, education, finance, and more.