MIKE NORKIN
Chief Executive Officer & Owner
Meet Mike Norkin, CEO of Cherished Memories Photography. Virtually born with a camera in his hands, Mike was seen as early as 6 years old taking photos with his parent’s cameras. Through the years, the tool changed, but Mike’s passion to create meaningful and lasting memories has continued to flourish! Besides his business, Mike is devoted to his wife Mandy and three children Brealyn, Tatum, and Hudson, Angels baseball, Heinz Ketchup, and Coca Cola! With a sign in his kitchen that proudly proclaims “I put ketchup on my ketchup”, and the only known person to have been bitten by a skunk while camping, Mike is filled with useless trivia and countless funny stories. Never breaking 100 shots on the golf course and sporting the sarcasm he is known for, you can count on Mike to make your day/life brighter simply by getting to know him.
ALEX ELA
Chief Systems Officer & Owner
Raised in Lake Elsinore, Alex never shied away from being a part of the community. He went off to college at the University of California, Merced, where he was heavily involved with the school newspaper, the student government, as well as a professional business fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Management in 2012 and went back to Lake Elsinore to become the General Manager and eventually a part-owner of Cherished Memories Photography. Alex also invested back into the community by joining his local Rotary Club and became president of the Rotary Club of Lake Elsinore during the 2018-2019 year. Outside of work, you’ll see Alex traveling around Southern California’s newest eateries and playing video games with the CM staff!
MANDY NORKIN
Director of Retouching & Owner
Meet Mandy Norkin! Our very own design guru and perfectional retoucher. As an owner, Mandy works closely with Mike and Alex to improve and develop better production procedures within the entire company. You can find Mandy crafting all staff and student ID cards, building and designing plaques, and photoshopping your pictures to perfection. A dedicated wife and mama bear of 3, Mandy LOVES being outdoors! “Tacos, Oreos and Hot Cheetos are my jam!” When not in the office, you can find Mandy on vacation with her family.
GABY PORTILLO
Chief Operations Officer
Meet Gaby, our new Chief Operations Officer! Hailing from the beautiful country of El Salvador, Gaby carries her Latina heritage close to her heart, infusing warmth and passion into everything she does. Whether she’s developing a new workflow or tending to her garden, her roots shine through in her colorful personality and zest for life.
Armed with a degree in Business Economics from the University of California, Irvine, Gaby loves tackling projects with a blend of intellect and creativity. Her love for Japanese stationery is rivaled only by her dedication to project management and workflow development. You can often catch her bumping 2000’s R&B while surrounded by a rainbow of pens and notebooks, turning even the most mundane task into a work of art.
JUAN GARCIA
Sr. Director of Photography
Meet Juan Garcia, our Director of Photography! Juan is a Film school graduate, Army Veteran, and beanie extraordinaire! Juan has had the privilege of working in the film industry and getting to meet many idols, now he gets to act as an idol for our local students through mentoring programs with cherished memories and rotary international. He is constantly trying to take our images to the next level by developing new techniques and researching the latest tech. He is known for his witty dad jokes, sarcasm, cool beard, and symbiotic beanies that are morphed into his head.
VERONICA MANOS
Sr. Director of Human Resources/ Payroll
Meet Veronica Manos, our HR and Payroll specialist! Veronica has been a valuable member of Cherished Memories since 2017. Her official title is Director of Accounting and Human Resources, but she’s a team player with a range of experience and skills that extends her role with the company beyond titles. From 2001 to 2012 Veronica was the CFO and partner at a real estate conglomerate that provided real estate, mortgage, and escrow services to Western Riverside County. In her early years, her career passion was in animal healing – she has formal education and certification as a Veterinary Assistant. Now she’s our resident Crazy Cat Lady in addition to a happily married wife with four beautiful children.
AMBER LOPEZ
Director of Customer Relations
Meet Amber Lopez, our Director of Customer Relations. Amber has been with us since 2017 and started off at our Moreno Valley Studio. You can now find her walking around in her booties at the Lake Elsinore location. If she isn’t working, you can find her at home with her daughter Hazel & her cat named Shadow. Since being with Cherished Memories, Amber has never been happier to be part of such an amazing work family. A few of her favorite thing include binge-watching tv-shows on Netflix, playing Sudoku, and dancing cumbias with her baby.
LINDSEY O'NEAL
Sports Director
Our Queen of Sports, Lindsey oversees/schedules all Southern California Middle School, High School Sports and Youth Sports Leagues. With an attention to detail, get stuff done mentality and meticulously organized approach. Lindsey is your go to for all sports related shoots and activities.
Mike Norkin and Lindsey met while coaching softball together in 2016, and he had no choice but to bring this sassy redhead on board after seeing her zest for life and always bringing the heat. Always rocking a ginger messy bun and converse, Lindsey is the cover girl for all sports-loving, margarita drinking, true-crime documentary watching, crazy loud softball moms. It’s no wonder she’s dedicated her life to coaching and cheering on her two daughters, their teams, and juggling many different leadership positions that revolve around the youth in her community. Lindsey has always loved team sports, and everything that goes along with them. She always brings the fun and has a passion for making sure every child is seen, heard and empowered.