At WordCamp US 2025, WordPress expert Mary Ann Aschenbrenner walked through how to migrate older sites from classic to block themes — no page builders needed. Here’s what she covered and why it matters.
Who Is Mary Ann Aschenbrenner?
Mary Ann Aschenbrenner is the founder and president of Waterlink Web LLC, a Portland-based company specializing in WordPress development and ongoing site support. Her story is one of those rare ones in the tech world that actually starts somewhere completely unexpected.
From English Literature to Web Development
Mary Ann studied English, not computer science. She had no plans for a career in IT. But in 2005, something happened in her neighborhood that changed everything.
The city of Portland was considering closing the Pier Pool in the St. Johns neighborhood, where Mary Ann lived with her family. That pool was where her own children had learned to swim. She organized a community campaign, collected 700 petition signatures, and spoke at a city council meeting. The pool stayed open.
But the moment that redirected her career came from a council staffer’s offhand comment: a nearby pool, Buckman, had been spared largely because it had a website. That was the signal.
“I thought: that’s important! I could have saved myself so much trouble if we’d just had a website!”
Building a Career in WordPress
In 2012, Mary Ann enrolled in the web design and development program at Portland Community College. By 2014, she had founded Waterlink Web, and has been building her client base through word-of-mouth ever since.
Active Contributor to the WordPress Community
Mary Ann doesn’t just use WordPress professionally. She actively gives back to the community around it. In 2017, she co-relaunched the Portland WordPress MeetUp alongside developer Doug Yuen. She speaks at meetups regularly, sharing practical knowledge with other developers. She also volunteers her skills by building and maintaining websites for nonprofit organizations.
Her Talk at WordCamp US 2025
“Moving a Website from Classic to a Block Theme”
This was one of the most practically useful sessions I attended at WordCamp US 2025. Mary Ann addressed a problem that a huge number of WordPress professionals are currently sitting on: sites built in 2018 or earlier that are still running on classic themes.
These sites aren’t broken, but they’re falling behind. Block themes are faster, more flexible, and fully aligned with where WordPress is heading. The barrier for many developers isn’t understanding that migration is necessary. It’s knowing how to do it cleanly, without introducing new dependencies or rebuilding everything from scratch.
That’s exactly what Mary Ann’s presentation tackled:
- How to assess whether a classic site is ready for migration
- How to move to a modern block theme without page builders
- Real migration examples from sites built before 2018 that now load fast and look current
- Practical techniques attendees could apply immediately after the session
The Q&A session that followed gave attendees a chance to ask about their specific situations, which made the session feel like a workshop rather than a lecture.
Watch the Full Presentation (English)
My Personal Impression from WordCamp US 2025
I had the chance to meet Mary Ann in person at WordCamp US 2025, and her session was one of the highlights of the conference for me. What made it stand out wasn’t just the technical depth, it was the clarity. She has a genuine instinct for translating complex migration decisions into steps that feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
In conversation she was warm, direct, and genuinely interested in helping people solve real problems. That combination of technical expertise and community-first attitude is exactly what makes WordCamp speakers worth travelling for.
The Philosophy Behind the Work
Mary Ann’s approach to web development reflects values that go beyond shipping projects. The Waterlink Web office runs partly on solar energy and is located on a certified environmental site. Her company’s stated mission is to serve the community with the same commitment it brings to client work. And her attitude toward the craft itself is refreshingly honest: “In this business, we are always learning.”
Why This Session Matters for WordPress Professionals
If you work on WordPress sites that were built several years ago and haven’t been migrated to block themes yet, Mary Ann’s talk is worth your time regardless of your experience level. She demonstrates that this transition doesn’t require starting over. It requires the right approach, and she has clearly developed one through real client work.
Her path from community organizer to recognized WordPress expert is also a reminder that the people who understand users best are often those who came to technology through a human problem, not through a computer science curriculum.
