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.

Meet Alex Ela, Chief Operating Officer. Meet Alex Ela! 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. Alex developed and executed a leadership conference that brought over 200+ high school students from the Central Valley to the university. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in Management in 2012 and went back to Elsinore to become the General Manager and eventually a part-owner of Cherished Memories Photography in 2017. 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.

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.

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.

Meet Matt Norkin! You can find him in the Lake Elsinore and Moreno Valley area as he is the Director of Sales for both these areas. Matt is in charge of relationship building with all our wonderful elementary and middle schools. On his days off, you can find him at a baseball game, hanging out with family, and playing with his nieces.

Meet Isis Perez, our Director of Production! Isis attended the University of California, Merced, and received a degree in chemical engineering. She has been with Cherished Memories since last July. With a keen eye for detail, you can find Isis processing orders, printing portraits, and making sure they get sent out. Isis is our Blueprint specialist and a natural multitasker. When she is out of the office, you can find her outdoors either on an adventure or working out. She enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and playing video games. Her favorite memory with the company was watching Juan fall through the security cam film!

Meet Anaielly Velasco! Coming in at 5’2 with a stylish woven wide brim hat and some platform vans is our Director of Marketing and Advertising.