David Robinson is the Creative Director and the founding partner of Birch Studio. He earned a BS in Architecture from the University of Maryland. David applies the principles of architecture to the design practice: understanding and shaping users' experience, creating work with specific goals for specific people and leveraging the mediums and materials.

David enjoys developing brands and concepts and helping Birch Studio staff to explore more potential. Vision and empathy are his main tools to understand the motivation of clients and end users. David loves the Big Picture and translating its richness into interfaces, workflows and business processes. Under his artistic direction, Birch Studio has received awards and accolades from the Central Virginia American Marketing Association in both print and web design.

In 1996, David also co-founded The Healthy Living Directory to fill the need for information in the local natural health community. In 2006, he launched a multi-city, web-based extension of the directory called East Birch. In another entrepreneurial sprint, David founded the non-profit trade group, The Communication Arts Guild, to build relationships between commercial artists and increase the value that these artists bring to the business community. He was Director for two years.

David served as Treasurer and Web Chair for his homeowners association and started the neighborhood down a greener path by initiating a common grounds committee whose principles include area ecology.

Growing up just outside Baltimore city, he now happily spends all of his spare time outdoors with his wife, son, dog and two cats while humming Crosby, Stills and Nash tunes.

Super Power: an oddly acute sense of smell

Jenny has served as Business Manager since the inception of Birch Studio. She is the front line of client engagement – starting relationships and opening doors. Her ability to ask preemptive questions in client interviews helps insure that all needs and goals are stated and met.

She handles all things related to running the business and manages the financials with a constant eye on the efficiency of the business as an organization. Jenny serves as Publisher of The Healthy Living Directory, Birch Studio's publishing arm, which she co-created in 1996. In this role, she manages the annual direct mail and advertising campaigns as well as the sales and publishing duties.

Some of Jenny's past community work has been Vice Chair of the Albemarle County Democratic Party, District Chair of Scottsville as well as Precinct Chair for Cale. She has worked to mobilize voters through get-out-the-vote efforts and canvassing along with organizing the yearly barbecue and auction fundraiser. She has also served as Vice President of External Affairs for the Charlottesville Chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Jenny spent her formative years in Colonial Williamsburg and moved to Charlottesville in 1993. She enjoys building long-term relationships and stretching her capabilities.

Favorite Things: 60 degrees and Coke flavored gummy bears

Encouraged from an early age to explore his creativity, there was always a drawing implement in his hand. Wes won his first creative award at seven; unfortunately the prize was only a sticker. Since then Wes has gone on to win better awards, including a Gold Key from The Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards and an Army Achievement Medal while serving in the US Army National Guard. He studied art and illustration at Mass College of Art and Newbury College in Massachusetts.

Wes was a graphic designer in the Boston area for many years. Before leaving he was creative director of a Massachusetts screen printing company where he oversaw the production team and designed for regional and national clients.

An appetite for the story-telling illustration of comics and graphic novels inspired Wes to develop an instructional course to teach this unique art in 2005. With sponsoring from a Charlottesville bookstore, he designed the class and accompanying teaching materials.

Wes is from the former industrial town of Wakefield, Massachusetts. He has lived and worked in Charlottesville since 2005, arriving with his graduate student wife, Evans. Joining Birch Studio in 2006, Wes is currently responsible for leading the studio’s designers in their creation of world-class web, print and identity. He spends his precious off hours enjoying film, writing, screen printing art and trying to get his cat to eat less.

Loves: French comics and apple pie

Frank DeRosa, affectionately known as "Frankie The Rose" around the office, grew up in central New Jersey. Frank left the Jersey 'burbs to earn his degree in Computer Science at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and has never looked back.

Frank creates the magic behind the scenes to make the designs come alive and fulfill the promise of an interactive online world. Frank first learned programming in the summer of second grade on a Commodore PET. Fast-forward to the 21st century: Using the latest versions of PHP, JavaScript and MySQL, Frank helps clients to understand the technical aspects and capabilities of their projects with a grounded sense of purpose.

Frank has worked as a civilian intern for the US Navy (don't ask him about submarines, he will bore you to tears), building video demonstrations and digital manuals. More recently he has been a freelance web designer and a full time Internet marketer, designing email campaigns for biotech products like stem cells, research proteins and other reagents.

Cville has been his home since 1996 aside from a recent two year stint in South Florida. In his free time he likes tinkering with graphics and web-related programming projects. He has recently married his live-in girlfriend of seven years (it was about time) and they are busy making their new home in Cville together. He joined the Birch Studio team in April of 2008.

Enjoys: MST3K, bad movies and video games

Jill received her BA from Eastern Washington University with a major in Journalism and a minor in Art History. Upon first launching PageMaker in 1993, Jill found the perfect outlet for her creative expression. Prior to joining Birch Studio in August '08, Jill spent the previous 6 years designing for the State of Washington, putting forth efforts to protect the Puget Sound and promote the new State Boating Laws. Jill’s creativity is inspired by the power behind the five senses. The sounds of reggae music; the scent of fresh cut flowers; the feel of silk cashmere; the taste of fine espresso coffee and the brilliance of an acrylic painting. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jill recently moved to Charlottesville to experience what real seasons are like.

Passions: art, music, collecting Buddhas, running, fashion, the ocean and reality TV