New hire Aaron Bateman learned the development ropes the delicious way at his first internship with a small company where he churned out the website for Dippin’ Dots. The sweet tooth must have stuck because he also did a small stint at Bissingers Chocolate (where he did lots of “flavor testing”) before turning in his purple top hat for a laptop and began working as a consultant and developer at Network Solutions. From there he moved into freelance, building both back and front-end web applications for companies like Ferry-Morse Seeds and Flat Creek Lodges.

When he’s not developing the crap out of the latest and greatest Integrity project, he’s snowboarding, playing soccer or basketball and injecting Mountain Dew straight into his veins. He also doesn’t trust foods with more than four colors, so he can never be accused of stealing Skittles around the office.

Player #1: I’ll take ‘New Hire’ for $400, Alex.
Alex: He’s a development intern and the newest member of the Integrity family.
-Player #1: Who is Robert Pattinson?
Alex: Ooh, I’m sorry, the answer is Scott Brown! Player #2, please select a category…
-Player #2: I’ll take ‘Groovy Graduates’ for $800.
Alex: Scott Brown studied at Miami University in Ohio, St. Louis Community College, AND Washington University before graduating from UMSL in December of 2009 with a degree in this.
-Player #2: What is marine biology?
Alex: I’m afraid the answer is Information Systems. Player #3, it’s your board.
-Player #3: I’ll take ‘Way Back When’ for $600.
Alex: In between his studies, Scott Brown worked for three years as one of these.
-Player #3: What is a mime?
Alex: Ouch, the correct answer is Insurance Claims Adjustor. Let’s play final Jeopardy! And the category is…Scott Brown! The question is, when he’s not playing the part of tech-savvy development intern Scott spends his time doing this. You have 30 seconds.

::Jeopardy music interlude::

-Alex: Player #1, what did you have?
Player #1: Plays ultimate Frisbee?
-Alex: That’s correct! Player #2, what about you?
Player #2: Goes to Rams games?
-Alex: Good answer! And Player #3?
Player #3: Brushes up on his sports and movie trivia?
-Alex: Amazing! We have a three-way tie! Thank you for playing; you each get 1/3 of a Jeep Grand Cherokee!

We’d like to introduce a new member of the Integrity team and a true renaissance man (no, not in the Shakespearean, pantaloon-wearing sense). Joe Thebeau does it all, technically speaking. He’s worked at Stereotaxis, a remote magnetic navigation company (say what?) in technical communications and customer advocacy and he’s also dabbled in freelance as a technical communications expert (but we’re not bragging). He is now the conductor of our development orchestra, designing and building online solutions.

Speaking of music, when Joe’s not deciphering HTML code or noshing on Subway with the guys, he sings and plays guitar for an indie pop/rock group (does it get any hipper?). He’s also getting his Philosophy degree at UMSL and managing a serious wiffleball league in his very own backyard…where he tends his very own vegetable garden with his very own hands. Did we mention that Joe is married and has two kids? Yeah, our minds are boggled too.

We know you’re jealous, but hands off! This modern-day Da Vinci is ours!

We don’t need a new face around the office to break out the piñata and have a party—Integrity folks have been cranking out interactive genius for years. Take Jacob Wood: He started at Integrity in ‘07, back when iPhones and Twitter were new to the world. Jake is a web developer and our all-around tech guy, which means he not only builds the systems that make websites work, but he also keeps our emails sending, our printers connecting and our servers buzzing. So he’s pretty much the giver of life around here. No wonder we’re always leaving gifts at his door.

A self-proclaimed control freak, Jake loves the logic and structure of using code to turn the conceptual into the concrete. He also loves gaming, strumming his guitar and playing soccer with his mom. And we aren’t about to leave out Jake’s girlfriend, Mandy. She’ll be baking chocolate chip cookies for our holiday party this year, so she’s sort of our new best friend. Now there’s a reason for the piñata!

And he’s deving up some kicking websites. Intern-turned-full-timer, Berrek Thompson is Integrity’s newest web developer and vinyl record expert. He’s made himself right at home, infecting the office with tunes from both his iPod and guitar (which has also made itself at home), and collecting foosball wisdom from Integrity’s veteran developer, Jake. Before hopping aboard the Integrity train, Berrek shared website beauty with the world as a freelance designer, working his HTML/CSS/PHP/MySQL/Flash magic to bring each client’s identity and brand in line, online.

Originally from California, Berrek meandered his way around the country before landing in the Heartland, where he has discovered that surfing and beaches aren’t required as long as there’s live music in his life. Of course it’s his wife—a hairstylist who keeps his locks looking rockstar fab—and his “puppy-dog and kitty-cats” that really make his life complete, as does his job at the coolest interactive agency around (we made him say that last part).