About the Designer - Deb Killarney

I am Deb Killarney, the web designer and owner of Cool City Web Design. In 1983, I received an IBM PC Junior from my husband, Mike, as a Christmas gift. It was the best computer sold for home use at that time. I was immediately hooked. Since then I have dabbled, experimented, and formally studied on several generations of computers and in various fields of study.

Previously, I worked at United Airlines and retired after twenty-five years of service. There I held various positions, but most of my time was spent in the Education Departments of Customer Service and Mechanic Training. In Customer Service, I taught computer skills to new hires and specialized areas of Ticketing, Gates, and Baggage Service. In Mechanic Training, I helped develop a web-based program to analyze and schedule training for United's 20,000 (at that time) mechanics worldwide.

During this time, I completed various computer classes including spreadsheets, database, networking, data communication, digital imaging, various programming classes, and web design. I earned an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts (with Summa Cum Laude honors). I didn't consider myself a computer geek, just intensely interested in the topic. I finally found my passion in web design. I returned to school and in 2006, graduated with honors from Kalamazoo Valley Community College with a Post Associate Degree in Web Design and Interactive Media.

In 2005, I established Byline Web Design and recently did a name update to Cool City Web Design, as Cool City is a nickname for the City of Kalamazoo, MI, where the business is located. With skills honed, I have successfully completed designing and publishing various websites. I say "successfully" because I have received accolades and compliments from my website clients, as well as visitors to their sites.

Besides my interest in web design, I am quite active in live theatre. I have participated in every capacity from dresser to actor to director at various community theatres. I am also a writer and have published a number of articles in a regional news magazine. I enjoy traveling and have journeyed worldwide.

I was born in Chicago, Illinois, and lived in various cities throughout the United States before moving to Half Moon Bay, California (twenty miles south of San Francisco). I lived in California from 1983 to 2003. In 2003, I moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to be near my mother and other family members. I love the Kalamazoo area. It is a lively, progressive, politically aware, art-minded, and community service-oriented environment. Therefore, I am particularly proud and pleased to be serving the web design needs of Kalamazoo and elsewhere.