Contact Our Team

Christy Soto (founder/content development/marketing/tour guide):

Christy completed her B.A. in English/Writing with more than fifty publications and six produced theatrical plays to her credit. In New Orleans she attended graduate-level film school and studied screenwriting and playwriting. She also sought film industry insight and learned pitching techniques from several L.A. based fillm workshops. She learned elements of marketing and promotion in small business training and started booking, organizing and running small events. Her interests in film landed her television and movie work, on a small scale.

She was the sole photographer for a start-up anthropological web-magazine that featured native peoples. She interviewed and photographed chiefs, dignitaries and native carvers. Today, she has more than 1000 travel, event and unconventional works of photography. In 2005, Christy finished the WW2 biography/love story, Shadowboxes. It was based on the interviews of her grandparents (married fifty years), hundreds of family photos and research. Today, Christy Soto and Mike Stier operate Optilux Design, a full service advertising agency that specializes in web, print, pr and marketing. She is also the president and founder of THE CREATIVITY COLLECTIVE.

Mike Stier (content development and marketing):

At 16, Mike was supporting a variety of products from Disney Interactive, Apple Computer, Adobe System Inc VISIO, Best Buy and Intel at Sykes in Klamath Falls. When Sykes Adobe accounts moved all of their support cross-country to North Carolina, Mike move with the company to Charlotte. It was there that Mike gained his knowledge in Adobe’s video-editor, Premier, Illustrator and After Effects.

Mike returned to Klamath Falls and took a job at Prismo Graphics working on their computer networks. Within the month he became their lead animator. Mike went on to create animation graphics for India Special Effects, Titler. Apple purchased Prismo Graphics and Mike was part of the team that was chosen to move their headquarters to Apple in Vancouver, Washington. He was 22. At Apple, Mike and his associates worked on LiveType, a special effects titling program. LiveType would be marketed towards major film and TV producers. As the lead animator, Mike created animation graphics. He localized existing animation for German, French, and Spanish use. He even demonstrated LiveType at public trade-shows. Mike continued to design websites and posters for Portland bands and was chosen from the pool of designers to create the Klamath Falls Centennial logo. Optilux Design incorporated in 2008 when Mike’s Optimistik Animation merged with Christy Soto's XY Design.

Ryan Pfeil (content development/tour guide):

Ryan graduated from Southern Oregon University in 2006 Cum Laude with a BA in Journalism and a minor emphasis on Video Production. Ryan specializes in journalistic, news and feature writing, reporting, copy editing, mass media ethics & law, broadcast journalism production, video production aesthetics, advanced field production, studio techniques and video editing.
Ryan is currently a reporter and videographer at Herald and News. He has written, produced and edited nearly 150 news, documentary and feature video packages for www.heraldandnews.com and two full-length government forum videos for public access. Ryan was student adviser to six local high school students and works with them twice a week teaching them video and journalism, while assigning them to cover events in the community. Finally, he was crew for Rogue Valley Television 2003 – 2005. Ryan was the creator of the letters from war series that was featured on the Herald and News website and newspaper.

Diana Kellstrom (content development/fundraising/tour guide):

Diana has over 30 years experience providing executive support, mainly in higher education.  She has two sons and two granddaughters.  Her oldest son is a creative and a leader.  He is very successful at his “day job” as a supervisor and has achieved great success as a graphic and web designer.  He has also is the one who has blessed her with two beautiful granddaughters.   Her youngest son is in the Marine Corps and has served two tours in Iraq.  He will be attending Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA this summer. 

Diana holds a certificate in Festival and Event Management from the University of Oregon and is just shy of getting her degree in Office Management.   She was the Chair of the City of Klamath Falls year long Centennial celebration in 2005 and has served on many boards as President and Secretary.  Diana has been instrumental in bringing in over $100,000 to various organizations through fundraising and grant writing. Diana is the voice of reason for all of us creative’s, keep us focused on our goals.