Cloud Company

The Cloud Company offers graphic design services for print and web. Debra (Debi) Cloud has more than 30 years of experience in this field.

Debi has been passionately involved with art her whole life. Her dad was a talented artist. As a little girl she loved to watch him paint portraits and draw cartoons.

Right after high school Debi married her sweetheart Ray and has now been married 36 years. They have one daughter, son-in-law and two adorable grandsons and one granddaughter. Soon after getting married she started taking business classes at Hancock College, only to find out that she was not cut out for an Accounting career. Then someone suggested taking a Graphic Arts class. Through this one class she was able to put together a portfolio of projects. This class was a cornerstone in starting her graphics career. At 23, she landed her first Graphics job at a Santa Ynez Valley Newspaper as the Graphics Technician. Her first major accomplishment was to meet all the Graphic deadlines for the first time in that newspaper’s history. She continued to take classes at Hancock during this time.

Soon after, she started working for the Santa Maria Public Library as the Library Artist, a job she loved. Using her artistic abilities she created Illustrations for the children’s reading program, and painted two large murals in the Library. The most fun she had was creating a 3 dimensional Pterodactyl dinosaur for the children’s room.

A couple of years later Debi left the Library to work for her dad who had already hired her husband Ray. Her dad and two other business associates had started a company called EMSS (Environmental Management Software Systems). Her greatest accomplishment at EMSS was teaching herself how to use company computers, peripherals and all the graphic software. She was now designing technically detailed computer graphics; creating maps of clients’ facilities into plot/site plans for their Hazardous Materials Management Plans (HMMPs). Design documentation of government forms for site/plot maps and symbol page for each agency for the HMMP reports. She really enjoyed working along side her husband. Debi also managed a graphic art department where she took on jobs creating logos, illustration and product design. She also created newsletters, brochures, flyers, training manuals and ads for print.

After working several years with EMSS, she left and began working for Bottelsen Dart Company. Debi designed logos, dart packages, flights, catalogs and created ads for the Bulls Eye Magazine. During this time, she finished her education at Allan Hancock College and received three Associate Degrees in Art, Graphic Communication and Applied Media Design.

She pursued the opportunity to work for a new local internet company BenchmarkPortal as their Multi-Media Graphic Technician. This company specialized in collecting data from Purdue University for use in benchmarking the call center industry. Here is where Debi learned to develop and maintain web pages and internet advertising. She also created animations, PowerPoint presentations for conferences held world wide. She designed book covers/graphics for several publications. BenchmarkPortal’s clients included corporate giants such as IBM, HP and Ebay just to name a few, and from this experience she learned a lot and took interest in corporate branding. She created the icons used for Ebay’s Customer Service Survey. Because of company downsizing, sale and move to Utah she was laid off.

Since 2007, she has been working as a free lance graphic designer and joined Ray with his established home-based business and together form The Cloud Company. Very soon after, she joined the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce and has been actively serving as an Ambassador. She is most grateful to her long time friend Erika Weber, Chief Ambassador who invited her to join the Santa Maria Chamber of Commerce. Debi attributes most of her business through the Chamber members. She has a variety of unique clients that she has created ads to Web sites and everything in between through this wonderful network. Debi finds great pleasure in helping her clients business succeed. She is also a member of the Santa Maria Women’s Network. She has been doing graphics now for over 30 years and still loves her chosen field. You can view her portfolio on her web site:

When she is not working on the computer, Debi and Ray love to spend time with their kids. They also enjoy taking RV adventures with friends and family when time permits.

Debi has been is a CASA advocate since 2009 which she truly loves. She also volunteers and ministers at the Santa Maria Healing Rooms every week.

Most of all she gives all the glory to Jesus Christ her personal Savior for everything in her life. It was not her plan to become self employed, but she trusted God and it’s been an adventure she is truly grateful for. Her favorite Bible verse is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13.