We are excited to introduce the latest Firefli to join the team, Donald "Donnie" Maness, Front-end Developer. In his role, Donnie will support our development team in building fast, responsive digital products that delight and excite our clients and their users.

With each Spring brings new growth. The Fireflies are no exception!

We are excited to introduce the latest Firefli to join the team, Donald “Donnie” Maness, Front-end Developer. In his role, Donnie will support our development team in building fast, responsive digital products that delight and excite our clients and their users.

Becoming a developer has been the most challenging and creatively fulfilling journey and I am constantly seeking out more opportunities to improve. I'm excited to bring my fresh perspective to the front-end development team at Firefli.Donnie

Donnie is joining the Firefli team with a non-traditional development background. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Roanoke College, he pursued a career as an Elementary Science Teacher. During this time, Donnie recognized the opportunities in web-based technologies and their potential to help underserved communities like the one in which he taught. It was with this in mind that he made the choice to redirect this career path towards web development.

Part of our onboarding at Firefli is getting to know our clients. First stop: Benny Marconi’s!

After receiving a Grow with Google Scholarship, he acquired a Udacity Front-End Web Development Nanodegree with a focus on best practices in responsive websites and accessibility and began building his portfolio, starting with a project with the Virginia Military Institute’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club, where he also worked as an Assistant Coach!

Donnie’s experience as a teacher really aligns with Firefli’s user-centric approach to product development. And his intensive coursework through Udacity as a Google scholarship winner reflects his drive and commitment to learning.John Cornthwait, Director of Products

In his free time, Donnie enjoys hiking, making fermented food with his wife and dog KimChi, and making live coding videos. Check out some of Donnie’s Coding YouTube Channel: “Purposeful Programming”!

April 9, 2019 in Article