Gordon Makely
Witty and light-hearted , Gordon fits in perfectly with the culture. When not working, you could probably find Gordon coaching softball, winning a poker tournament, or playing drums in one of his bands
Gordon Makely’s journey into web development started over 25 years ago with a passion for helping clients manage content more efficiently. Early on, he even built his own content management system, but it wasn’t until he discovered Drupal that things clicked. Drupal offered the foundational structure—users, content types, categorization—that allowed Gordon to focus on solving higher-level challenges without reinventing the wheel.
Around 2011, Gordon made a pivotal decision to fully commit to Drupal. That year, he attended his first DrupalCon and experienced firsthand the vibrant community behind the code. As he puts it, “Come for the code, stay for the community.” This mantra has stayed with him ever since, reflecting both the technical depth and human connection that have defined his career.
As a Senior Drupal Developer, Technical Architect, and full-stack expert, Gordon brings deep subject matter expertise and hands-on experience to the table. He serves as a go-to resource for complex Drupal development, contributing to major client projects and sharing his knowledge across teams.
One of the most memorable moments in Gordon’s professional journey predates his tech career. Over 35 years ago, as a hard rock drummer in San Diego with a young family, Gordon faced a life-altering shift when the Gulf War deployment drained the city’s military-based economy. With few options, he returned to his hometown of Chicago and transitioned into the computer graphics industry. It was a personal computer—used at the time for band flyers and mail merges—that unknowingly seeded the skills that would drive his career forward.
Gordon is guided by a set of values and principles that reflect his balanced perspective:
- Do no harm
- Just because we can, doesn’t mean we should
- There’s a module for that
These mantras aren’t just quotes—they’re reminders that thoughtful, ethical development matters. For Gordon, coding is not just about writing efficient functions; it’s about building technology that serves people, respects context, and stands the test of time.
