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.

Kevin VanEmburgh

Developer

We like multi-talented folks. So when Kevin joined DMH as a developer, it was an added bonus that he’s an accomplished photographer as well. He spends his free time trail running or chasing down the perfect shot. As a front-end developer, he brings an artists eye to enhance user experience across all digital platforms.

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?)

Tanya Hoffman Stevens

Account Director

It takes a special kind of skill set and personality to manage multiple internal teams and client relationships. Tanya approaches both with a warmth and focus that perfectly compliment her ability to bring people and ideas together. From building brand strategies to executing across multiple channels, Tanya’s infectious enthusiasm and years of agency experience make her a natural leader.

Tanya is known to relax by going for little 100-mile bike rides over the weekend. That’s nuts by itself, but when you consider the energy she puts into her clients during the week, it’s downright mindboggling.

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.

Kari Porter

Content Specialist

Kari graduated from K-State in the heart of Kansas, she’s the second sister out of three, and she’s always in between fascinating documentaries. As much as “the middle” might seem like Kari’s shtick, she’s a top-notch public relations resource on our integrated media team and peaks when she’s writing, planning and strategizing for our client partners. When she’s not swapping original content ideas, she’s curating the latest new music on Spotify, imbibing in craft beers and you guessed it – in the midst of planning her next trip or concert.

Rob Mitchell

Associate Creative Director

He has a cool mustache, he’s got a cool dog named Bronson, he’s got cool clothes, he’s a musician, his wife runs a fashion blog – he’s just cool. In addition, he’s an obsessive design geek, which makes him even cooler to us. If you don’t already hate him, it will kill you to know he’s also about the nicest, most sincere person you’ll ever meet.

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.

Meredith McGrade

Assistant Art Director

Meredith has slept on a lot of floors. Which, if it weren’t for touring the country with the band, “Bad Ideas,” would probably be a bad thing. But there was a tour. So, it’s not. It’s a good thing, actually, because it was on one of these floors where Meredith had an epiphany – “Perhaps putting my design skills to work might lead to nights spent in my own comfy bed.” Our clients couldn’t be more ecstatic over that career choice. Meredith is pretty ecstatic, too, keeping guitar and vocal chops on point with a new band, Emmaline Twist. Rock on, M. Rock on.

Jamie Martin

Account Director

We knew Jamie was a talented veteran account manager, but when she said she used to also be a professional dog sitter, we knew she’d fit right in. With a professional history that includes account management and social media strategy at a global agency, Jamie is perfectly suited to deliver on our promise of big agency know-how with small agency service and flexibility.

Ask her about her collection of stuff with bees on it. She can’t really explain why she does it, but it’s fun watching her try.

Elisa Martin

Art Director

Elisa’s laid-back demeanor and quirky sense of humor makes her immediately likeable, and her flair for design and love for Jayhawk basketball made her an instant fit. A KU design school degree led Elisa to Kansas City, but she’d move to Florence, Italy in a heartbeat. When she’s not working with her hands designing or crafting, she lets her feet do the work as an avid half-marathon runner. How do you say impressive in Italian?

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.

Danica Lyons

Senior Developer

The self-described “crunchiest developer you ever met” is also an avid gardener, deeply involved in the community, and likes to make her own wine, jams, soap, pickles, clothes, peanut butter, and yes, even granola. So yeah, she’s pretty crafty.

As a veteran front-end developer with a history in design, she’s also pretty handy in regard to all things digital. Danica’s unique skill set gives her a deep understanding of the connection between creativity and development, giving our work added dimension and depth.

Kayla Infanti

Assistant Account Manager

Food, craft cocktails, and her Golden Doodle, Leon, all top the list of some of Kayla’s favorite things. These passions have led her to many restaurants, happy hours, and dog parks across town. Sounds like a DMHer. Kayla loves people and has an aptitude for problem-solving, making her an ideal addition to our account team. Speaking of teams, the Psycho Pitches kickball squad was nothing short of ecstatic to learn that Kayla is also a retired soccer player.

Lauren Hilboldt

Project Management Director

Every circus needs a Ringleader, that person who keeps the show moving along. Lauren basically helps scope and track every project in the agency and makes sure the right people are doing the right thing, on any given project, at any given time. Sounds easy right?

You might expect a Project Manager to be part prison guard, part IRS agent, but you’d be wrong. Rather than forcefully serving work subpoenas, she serves up hugs and encouragement.

Carter Herrman

Integrated Media Manager

Carter Herrman has four R’s in his name. Which, in the grand scale, isn’t as cool as having, say, 11 toes, but it’s still pretty cool. You know what else is cool? Carter. He builds guitars, then he plays ‘em. Plays ‘em pretty good, in fact. Good enough to blow away his 8th grade class with the Eddie Van Halen solo from ‘Eruption’. And good enough to jam with his dad, a fixture in the KC music scene. When he’s not playing guitar, Carter is a virtuoso at analyzing ad metrics for DMH clients. Let me see you do that, Eddie Van Halen.

Eric Gach

Senior Developer

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.

Jenni Dold

Social Media Director

Jenni is a pro. She’s a veteran account manager who’s worn a variety of hats and worked across numerous industries and clients. She knows the ropes and is a fountain of information for DMH clients and co-workers, alike. The other thing we all agree on is that Jenni couldn’t be any more fun to be around. Her upbeat attitude will win you over, too.

Wade Callow

Search Specialist

Wade is a huge fan of wide-open spaces. Which makes our no-offices, everybody-in-one-big-room floor plan a natural fit. Although he’d much prefer wider, more open, outdoor spaces with all manner of flora and fauna. Kind of like the rolling hills of his childhood in Weston, MO. It’s also a natural fit that this small-town boy loves the freedom of running his accounts, using his skills to improve each penny of spend. A self-professed hobbyist, Wade also enjoys beating the living daylights of anyone foolish enough to challenge him in video games.

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.

Sydnie Burton

Senior Account Manager

Due to character limits, we don’t have enough room to list every organization Sydnie’s involved in. Just know she’s an expert at juggling a lot at once, making her an invaluable asset to our clients as an account manager. Her wide-ranging background includes event planning, public and media relations, brand strategy, fan engagement, and mobile app development. Phew! If anyone embodies the “work hard, play hard” spirit, it’s Syd. She loves tailgating, sports (Go Big Red!), traveling, live music, party planning, and really, all social gatherings in general.

Lauren Blood

Copywriter

A Chicago native, Lauren is a Blackhawks fan by birth and a Missouri Tiger by choice. As a member of our Integrated Media team she helps clients create and execute Social Media and PR strategies. Her credo is “Life is short, pay extra for guac” which, fun fact, she can also say in Spanish. Her easy-going style belies a playful sense of humor that makes her one of the punniest people at DMH.

Jared Bergeron

Senior Art Director

It seems like every time people walk by Jared’s desk you hear them say, “Oh, that’s cool!” It happens enough that we’re pretty sure he’s not just lucky. His “man of few words” persona belies a creative fluency informed by his travels around the world. Ask him about his mural project in Belfast or stories about his family in the Philippines. Then again, you could just walk by his desk to see the next cool thing.

Ashley Allen

Associate Creative Director

What do karaoke bars, renaissance festivals, pithy conversation and wicked smart digital chops have in common? Why, the alliterative Ashley Allen, of course. With experience ranging from granola packaging (dude) to websites for 5-star hotels (dude!), Ashley brings a discerning eye and a curious mind to everything she touches. We grudgingly share her with two kids, one husband and a dog named - believe it or not - Ripley.

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!)