A Reliable Team of Skilled Experts

We design, develop, host, and maintain high-performance, mobile-responsive WordPress websites.

Our goal is to provide custom, uniquely branded, professional websites that are not only attractive, but also optimized for search engines, rich in features, and tailored to meet real client needs.

The Team Behind Blue Heron

We are a collaborative team of experts with over 50 years of combined website, design, and technology experience.

Founded in 2015, Blue Heron was created to provide clients with a personalized, one-on-one experience. We understand that you are investing in the future of your business. We believe your unique needs can’t be met with a one-time, churn-and-burn transaction. Rather, we focus on building a lasting relationship with our clients, and a shared goal of building an amazing web presence while you build your business.

Virginia Dahms

Virginia Dahms

Founder Partner + Project Manager

Growing up in Kansas City, Virginia’s interest in art and design blossomed in at nine years old behind an easel during painting and drawing outings with her grandmother who was a watercolor artist. School art and photography classes piqued her interest in graphic design and commercial art including screen printing and printmaking.

Her education from the University of Southern California has served her well in a fast-changing digital landscape. With an extensive background in science, technology and photography, transitioning into website development was a natural progression.

Creative entrepreneurship, art, and culture run deep for Virginia. Over the years, she has founded a number of companies, traveled, lived abroad, and eventually began building websites in 1996.

As our founder and project manager, her primary focus is on client management. Her ability to shift between specific client needs and their long-term goals provides the vision to manage complex projects and plans. Virginia provides oversight and leadership on a variety of projects, and continues to work with many of her original clients, fostering long-lasting relationships.

The traits she considers essential for a web development business? Curiosity, problem solving and the joy of learning about her clients’ businesses, organizations, and interests.

Work + Life Balance

You will often find Virginia outside soaking up nature. She has a passion for food, cooking, baking, science, and organic gardening. When she’s not playing in the kitchen or in the dirt, she might be found bird watching on nature hikes, reading, or enjoying art exhibitions, theatre or international and vintage films.

Nicole Heath

Nicole Heath

Partner, Digital Developer

Nicole taught herself basic HTML and how to build websites when she was just 12 years old. She started creating websites on her family’s home computer for her favorite boy bands and for sharing pictures with her friends, long before the days of Facebook.

Her passion for art and design led her to a degree in Graphic Design at Millikin University. But Nicole’s super-human technological skills allow her to unlock the mysteries of website coding and navigate back-end intricacies to help Blue Heron develop powerful and engaging websites.

As Blue Heron’s resident troubleshooting wizard, if a request seems impossible, Nicole usually finds way to do it. Nicole is no stranger to putting in the hours to make sure the job is done on time, on budget, and that it exceeds the client’s expectations. Her eye for detail ensures that nothing goes unchecked.

Work + Life Balance

Nicole discovered a love for distance running in her adult life. She enjoys running races of all distances, but especially the half marathon. In 2024, she completed her goals of running 100+ half marathons and a half marathon in all 50 U.S. states + D.C.

She is also a Certified Personal Trainer, Adult Distance Running Coach, Sport Nutrition Specialist, avid tennis player, and author of the Central Illinois race website, Fat at the Finish.

Sara Winchell

Sara Winchell

Partner, Creative Designer + Developer

Sara’s go-with-the-flow personality and calm demeanor quickly landed her at many “grown-ups” tables as a child, where her passion for art grew and flourished on the back of placemats and napkins.

At 14, she would ride her bike to a local garden store, where she worked painting murals and sculptures after school. Eventually, finding her way to design school, Sara received a degree in Graphic Design from the Illinois Institute of Art.

She brings with her not only Midwest hustle, but extensive in-house design for both small and large companies, design agency experience, and a talent for branding and print design.

Work + Life Balance

You can find Sara enjoying live music, traveling, exploring local eats and perfecting her home-barista game.

Over the Years

How we started and where we’re going.

People Are Talking

  • I don’t think I have mentioned how appreciative I am that you guys are so responsive and prompt to requests – I really appreciate that I can count on you all and really don’t need to follow up. This process is really the least involved for me and I can trust your team to get it done, and that means a lot! So thank you very much.


  • Thanks for being so steadfast as we’ve added to your plate. All the work has been superb so far and we’re grateful for your efforts!


  • I have known Blue Heron Web Design & Graphics for over ten years in which they have assisted me in launching and maintaining websites for two separate companies. They deliver a very high quality product. I have always found their fees to be reasonable, which has yielded an prudent investment in our company infrastructure.


  • WOW, I love it! Great job on the new home page. You came through for me once again. Thank you, thank you!


  • I have been working with Blue Heron for over 5 years. Originally, my old website built by a local company and I didn't really use it much to drum up business, in retrospect probably because I wasn't impressed with it. That is far and away from my area of expertise.
    Since partnering with Blue Heron I have been much more proactive with my website, mainly because their experts offer such insightful suggestions and it is now something I'm very proud of. It's so easy to just give them my version of what I'm looking for and they go to work producing an amazing website.


  • I needed to find a creative way to reach out to people who wanted more information about our business which needs to reach a lot of people in many different areas at once. Since working with Blue Heron I’ve been able to reach my target audience in an exceptional way and continue to provide new ideas for growing our business.


  • Words aren't enough to thank each of you for the last 11 1/2 years of working together. Each of you have always stepped up to my requests, and figured out a way to implement. You are always professional and friendly.


    Patty H.

  • Blue Heron has been able to help our business tell our story in a unique and imaginative way that sets our company apart from others, and we are always provided with many distinctive options to achieve the goals we set.


  • In the last year, we have worked on Search Engine Optimization for our most recent project, and our company has experienced a definite uptick in our client inquiries as a result of these efforts. Blue Heron also delivers excellent and timely customer service. I give them my highest recommendation!


  • That's incredible, it's professional and attractive. I'm so proud! You and your team are very talented. I like the whole thing and I couldn't be more pleased!


    Gretchen G.

Take a Look for Yourself

Our intuitive, user-friendly websites have helped our clients businesses thrive.