Your friendly, neighborhood ad agency with global reach.

Paul Diamond

Partner

Paul is a teacher, student and purveyor of design. His primary responsibility at DMH is managing teams of designers and writers who thrive on his energy, curiosity and passion for problem solving. He often serves as the spearhead for creative concept sessions and has a knack for promoting and inspiring fearless thinking.

Those who have worked with Paul note his infectious positive attitude and keen ability to distill marketing problems down to the base elements. These attributes make him ideally suited in his roles as both a mentor at DMH and as a part-time teacher of Graphic Design at the Kansas City Art Institute.

Brian Merckens

Partner

Brian has a keen eye for dynamic, inventive design and a keener understanding of how new and evolving technology is impacting visual communications. Tech junkie. Usability Wonk. Design Purist. All of these describe facets of Brian’s strengths. He pushes the company and its clients to embrace technology and beautiful design to solve marketing problems.

Over his 20+ years in the business, Brian has combined his talents as a formally trained designer and added coding and development skills to the mix. That combination provides clients with critical insights into how audiences interact with design and technology.

Sean Hogan

Partner

Sean is a perceptive, strategic leader with an uncanny ability for analyzing complex marketing challenges and identifying the hidden gems that spark breakthroughs. He is the catalyst at DMH. His endless enthusiasm, unwavering focus on branding and attention to detail kindles the connection between DMH and our clients.

As his occasional bow tie indicates, he also believes in the old school, time-tested approach to client service ­– listen to your clients, devise the right strategy, and execute flawlessly.

With over 15 years of experience across every conceivable industry and medium, Sean brings a wealth of diverse experience to every DMH client. His insights and empathy make our clients feel like they always have a powerful advocate.

Doug Newman

Partner

Doug has extensive experience working with a variety of clients, from international sports brands and teams to national agricultural and animal health products. His expertise is clearly evident when helping clients to achieve and maintain significant competitive advantages by identifying opportunities and speaking candidly about the challenges they face.

As a business savvy marketer and strategic advisor, Doug’s insight and judgment is highly regarded by all of those who work with him. He’s personable and passionate, and his cool, confident approach to situation analysis is always reassuring.

Illinois Blasdel

Partner

Illinois wears many hats, and they all fit. He leads PR and Integrated Media at DMH, but his years of experience also make him a powerful strategic planner for clients across all disciplines. With 20 years of experience, Illinois brings a knowledge and expertise that helps clients position their brand and gain exposure in ways they never knew possible.

Don’t let his buttoned-up appearance fool you, Illinois also has a wild(life) streak, too. He’s an avid outdoorsman who hunts and fishes year round. And if you ever need a spot-on review of the latest Asian cuisine in Kansas City, he’s your guy.

Kelly Wilkins

Senior Account Manager

Cookies. Can we just start there, please? Sure, Kelly is the kind of manager every account wants and needs. Yes, she knows how to juggle everchanging client needs with grace and aplomb. And, yes, she’s a dynamic leader who has a metric you-know-what ton of experience. But let’s not sleep on the cookies. “I like to bake. It’s kind of like work – take a bunch of different components and let them work together for amazing results,” she says. And, yes, they’re amazing, and she bakes them for stress relief. Perhaps why certain DMH folks love making things a little difficult for her from time to time.

Jackie Worth

Account Supervisor

It took 15 years to build the Pyramids of Giza. Cool, but in 15 years, Jackie Worth built a reputation as a forward-thinking, client-assisting, goal-achieving, problem-solving dynamo. One who is able to work with clients to simplify the complex, and one whose favorite two words in the English language are “What’s next?” A question that’s usually followed by, “I have an idea!” Jackie loves working closely in collaboration with her clients and also loves pizza, bourbon, her two Havanese dogs, and the Muppets. Top that, Giza.

Lauren Taylor

Senior Art Director

Lauren Taylor is on a mission to be the bright spot in your day. Sometimes it’s her fantabulous wardrobe, but most days it’s her even more fantabulous design skills. “I love graphic design,” she says, “It’s the ultimate form of utilitarian art.” Cool. But we think Lauren just might have been drawn to design after studying abroad in Italy. Either way, her talents have fellow DMH’ers fighting over her time. But don’t worry. She paid for design school as a kindergarten teaching aid, so she’s well-schooled in the art of dealing with children.

Tom Stofac

Creative Director

A copywriter by trade, Tom has worked at agencies across the country and garnered decades of experience as a seasoned, award-winning Creative Director. He got his start in the world of words as a sportswriter covering high school basketball and wrestling and experienced one of those full-circle career moments when his ad made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame – what we like to call home run work. Tom’s also an above-average harmonica player (better after a few beers), a passionate golfer (maybe worse after a few beers) and expert storyteller (ask him about his Neil Young tale – doesn’t every accomplished creative have one?)

Martha Stanton

Office Manager

What would we do without her? While everyone at DMH works to serve the needs of our clients, Martha has one extra client who is a real handful – us. Advertising attracts some pretty interesting and diverse types. Finding a way to corral, cajole, and pamper them is more than anyone should be able to handle. On top of being a great mom, somehow Martha manages to do all the little things that keep us, and our clients, one big happy family, too.

Megan Spreer

Director of Social Media

Megan is a social animal. And we’re not talking about parties and clubs. Though she’s no stranger to the occasional cocktail (check her TikTok channel for proof). No, we’re talking about social media. Which makes sense, seeing as she’s our Social Media Director. The beauty of Megan’s job is that it’s the professional expression of what she does in her personal life – scanning through all the social platforms to track trends and opportunities for our clients. That’s not to say she doesn’t know how to unplug in her spare time. Then again, spare time isn’t something Megan has a lot of, considering she’s raising a husband and two girls who are very plugged into competitive softball (if you know, you know). A proud foodie, Megan has exhausted the dining scene in her Lawrence hometown and is excitedly making her way through Kansas City. If you see her out and about, feel free to say ‘hey’. Like we said, she’s a social animal.

Laura Reed

Account Supervisor

Of course, she’s a client-tested/client-approved account manager. Of course, she can talk media strategy one minute and messaging strategy the next. But, what you really need to know about Laura, concerns peanuts. Yep. Peanuts. You see, Laura believes that her elephant-like memory is one of the things that makes her such a crackerjack Account Manager. And elephants love peanuts, right? Yet, due to some low-fi childhood trauma we don’t need to dive into here, the smell of peanut M&M’s in her car set her teeth on edge. Another thing you need to know about Laura is that she’s probably going to beat you at music trivia. Turns out there’s a real plus that comes from marrying a DJ. You know, besides all the ‘true love/best friend’ stuff.

Sydney Nager

Integrated Media Specialist

If you’ve never met someone who taught bougie boomers how to ski in Aspen at the tender age of 14, well, now you have. A bit older and more than a bit wiser, these days Sydney prefers to school our clients on how to make the most of their integrated media plans (though she’s still willing to correct your downhill form if asked). When she’s not maximizing paid and unpaid media efforts, Sydney can be found satisfying her inner foodie at area hot spots or chilling with what seems to be an overstuffed teddy bear, but is actually her super sweet, supersized Bernedoodle, Sake.

Chris Meier

Associate Creative Director

Chris loves two things: Rugby and hip hop music. This makes for some interesting, if not dangerous, dance moves. But we digress. Because what Chris really loves is solving problems through design work. Whether it’s passion projects for the greater good working with his wife and fellow designer, Samantha, or plying his trade for various clients here at DMH, Chris applies a thoughtful aesthetic that is ruled by the philosophy, “The greatest design is the one you don’t see”. Chris also loves handheld foodstuffs and is constantly in search of the perfect sandwich. Which, if he’s the one crafting said sandwich, is sure to be a monument to perfect design. Hmm…looks like Chris loves more than just rugby and hip hop. Probably why we love having him around the shop.

Elizabeth McMahan

Media Director

Elizabeth is a media guru by trade, but what caught our eye was the fact that she scuba dives, plays the French Horn, and has had 5 Boxers whose names all start with “D”. With diverse interests and talents like those, you know she’ll always deliver a creative and smart media plan. Her ability to lead with strategy in media planning and buying make her invaluable to DMH and our clients. Call her smart, funny, thoughtful ... just don’t call her Liz. There’s a story there, we just can’t share it.

David Martin

Account Director

Account Managers have to be strategists, accountants, resource managers, and advocates, many times in the same day. Those folks don’t grow on trees, which is why David is so valuable to his clients. With over 15 years in the ad biz, his wealth of experience and easygoing approach reminds clients they’re in good hands.

He’s equally adept at juggling life away from the office being an avid history buff, cook, guitar player, and dedicated Dad.

Adam Lock

Art Director

They say youth is wasted on the young. Apparently, Adam Lock didn’t get the memo, as he parlayed his youthful exuberance as a DMH intern into a full-time gig as an equally exuberant designer. In fact, Adam was so impressive as an intern here that we kept him busy with freelance work until he finished school. But don’t let his youth fool you – Adam brings a mature aesthetic to his work, applying a keen eye and sharp mind to develop everything from logo sets to full branding materials for our client partners. “It’s been an interesting transition,” he says, “going from art school where you get siloed with other designers to working at DMH where I can learn from all the different disciplines.” When Adam isn’t delivering killer design for our clients, he enjoys less dangerous pursuits like rock climbing and spending as much couch time as he can find with his wife and their prized feline, The Great Catsby.

Erica Gonzales

Senior Art Director

You might expect Erica to be a mid-level designer. “Well,” she says, “I’m from the Midwest, I’m a middle child, played center mid for my school soccer team, and I coach midfielders there now.” But don’t be fooled. Erica is anything but mid-level. She’s a dynamic designer with serious chops. An avid ‘art kid’ from childhood on, Erica loves her work, and will gladly spend some time answering any questions you may have about design (or KU hoops and reality TV, for that matter). Just don’t be surprised if she cuts you off mid-sentence.

Eric Gach

Director of Technology

Tech-savvy doesn’t even begin to describe Eric’s expertise in computer science. Since a young age, he’s been captivated with the workings of things and would spend hours tearing apart and reassembling computers, just to take a closer look. As a back-end developer, Eric helps manage the server-side of our technology services and is multilingual when it comes to programming languages – and self-taught, at that! His passion for the fast pace of the digital world spills into a fascination for cars and racing. Coding is like his own virtual racetrack. Eric is a website warrior, but he’s also an avid traveler, thrill-seeker and comedian at heart.

Mary Kate DuBois

Account Manager

Mary Kate DuBois is a ballet dancer, always on point as she artfully glissades (that’s ‘glides’ for you uncultured folks) from one assignment to the next. And that’s just at the office, where she gracefully manages key client business. In her spare time, she's still very involved with the KC Ballet, though without the constant need for toe shoes. “I think dance has really helped my career,” says Mary Kate, ”Both ballet and dance team in college instilled in me a work ethic and a true understanding of teamwork.” And those values and skills are what make her so indispensable to DMH and our client partners.

Kim Butler

Accounting/Controller

For someone with the word “Controller” in her title, Kim is delightfully agreeable. When she’s not running our accounting department, she’s running – literally. She’s done countless 5Ks, 10Ks, and even a half marathon. Kim is also a passionate KC sports fan and calls cooking and baking her favorite hobby. This glowing bio will cost her a dozen chocolate chip cookies delivered to her favorite copywriter.

Gina Bullard

Senior Public Relations Manager

Gina once was responsible for providing the wardrobe for the First Lady of The United States. For most, that would be the end of the bio. After all, how do you top that? Well, how about with a distinguished career as a broadcast journalist, where she wrote, produced and edited stories (not to mention serving as a news anchor)? Put all that together, and you have someone who not only has fantastic stories to tell, but also a knack for telling other people’s stories fantastically. Which all goes into making her a pretty fantastical Senior Public Relations Manager at DMH. To top it all off, she’s a dynamite chef, so if you’re in the mood for a great story, may we suggest you do it over a home-cooked meal?

Jim “Cheese” Aylward

Creative Director Emeritus

First of all, who doesn’t want to hang out with a guy named “Cheese?” He’s got to be fun, right? The answer is absolutely – which is why we had to keep him around, even post-retirement. Cheese’s impact on the ad community in Kansas City and beyond is nothing short of awe-inspiring. In his decades of copywriting and creative direction, he’s contributed to countless award-winning campaigns and mentored creative leaders all over the world. In 2018, Cheese deservedly earned the accolade, Creative Professional of the Year. Life as a retiree is anything but tiresome for Cheese – he spends his days hanging with his many friends and extended family, drinking ice-cold beer, sending funny emails and outplaying your wit, typically donning a Hawaiian shirt (wait, nothing has changed!)