About / Team

Dan Holmgren is one of those rare people who possess both the creative gene and a natural business savvy. He has always drawn and painted and has also always dreamed of running his own business. That dream came to fruition when he began Imagemakers in 1998. It was incorporated in 2001 and has been helping clients' dreams come true ever since.

Dan started working as a graphic designer in his hometown of Kansas City in 1994 and started writing software in 1989. In between he has worked with studio photography, a newspaper, web development and film production.

The best part of his job is seeing the positive effects Imagemakers' work has on the people and the clients it serves. He has helped launch successful new businesses, created websites that get over two million visits a year and has also won national awards and recognition for design, commercials and website creation.

But, although awards and professional recognition are nice, Dan believes the best measure of his success comes from the success of Imagemakers' clients. When not traveling or enjoying good food Dan can be found at the helm of Imagemakers where he has created a true team environment. One place you won't find Dan is out front, patting himself on the back and talking about his achievements. Dan would rather listen to his clients and help them clarify, reach for and achieve their goals and dreams.

Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged

Favorite foods: Truffle risotto, bacon, soup dumplings

Next place I want to visit: Space

Hobbies: Traveling, eating, cooking

Calling Mary Foster a "people person" is an understatement. But it is this ability to relate easily to others and understand where they are coming from that makes her so adept at being Project Manager at Imagemakers. Her background in advertising and technology also makes her a perfect bridge between client and designers and developers.

It doesn't hurt that Mary also possesses a seemingly bottomless well of patience and says this comes from her belief that everyone has a reason for what they think and do. She believes if you can listen well enough to see things from their perspective, then you can communicate more effectively with them and gain a better understanding of what they may need or want to achieve success.

Mary began working in her father's photography studio when she was 12 and even then enjoyed interacting with a wide variety of people. She also has the unique distinction of having won both the art and science fairs while in school in Ft. Scott, and still enjoys using both sides of her brain to help clients figure out what they need to increase their business, revenue, or achieve whatever goals they believe are important.

After receiving a B.S. degree in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, Mary worked for a large advertising agency in Kansas City that specialized in travel and tourism. While there she worked with the interactive team and since the World Wide Web was still fairly new at that time she helped clients through the development of their first websites.

Oh, and Mary also loves checking things off her "to-do list" and helps keep us, and our clients, doing the same.

Favorite book: The Kite Runner

Favorite food: Chicken tikka masala, chocolate

Next place I want to visit: South America

Hobbies: Playing with my dogs, eating good food, anything outdoors

From the age of two, Jaclyn knew how to captivate her audience as she delighted guests while she danced across the stage. Later, she found her true calling helping clients step into the spotlight to do just the same.

After graduating from Texas Christian University with a B.S. in Strategic Communication, an advertising and public relations program, Jaclyn gained invaluable experience at an award-winning boutique PR agency in Dallas, known as MM2 Public Relations. At MM2, Jaclyn worked on projects for clients such as HomeAway, Barry Callebaut, MoneyGram, and The Hartford. Just like in a choreographed dance, this experience helped Jaclyn unleash her natural creativity into her work. Jaclyn's experience taught her the importance of creating an effective media campaign, defining and reaching goals for future business growth, enhancing social networks and consumer interactivity and building long-lasting relationships with media personnel to garner positive news coverage of a client's brand.

But this Boston-area native says she owes her introduction to the world of business promotion to her first job that she began at the young age of 14, when she worked at a local restaurant scooping ice cream and serving fresh seafood platters. "Coming right up," she used to hear the chefs say as she worked with a team to help maintain a successful business, increase product sales, and provide excellent customer service, all of which left Jaclyn wanting to continue her success within the marketing and communications industry.

"I get excited about helping organizations succeed, whether it's helping new clients reach their marketing goals or volunteering my time to aid the campaign efforts of a non-profit organization down the street," Jaclyn says.

When not working or volunteering, Jaclyn enjoys meeting new people, exploring new places and trying different foods. Her favorite cuisine is spicy Thai, but she also enjoys Mexican, especially if accompanied by a Margarita, and of course, with her New England roots, a tasty lobster roll by the seaside is always at the top of her list.

So how did this New Englander end up in Kansas? Jaclyn came to our area to relocate with her husband, Spc. Collins, when he was transferred to Fort Riley Army Base. And we couldn't be happier that her move eventually brought Jaclyn to Imagemakers. She came to us after stepping into the role of Public Relations Coordinator for the Flint Hills Discovery Center, in Manhattan. There, she was responsible for promoting the grand opening of the $24.5 million facility, which has welcomed over 30,000 visitors in just the first few months of operation, including visits from national and state dignitaries: US Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar and Governor of Kansas, Sam Brownback. Jaclyn's public relations efforts resulted in positive news coverage in outlets ranging from the Associated Press to Midwest Living.

"If there's a will, there's a way," is something Jaclyn often tells herself and we're certainly happy to have her will -- and expertise -- helping our clients find their way.

Guilty pleasure: Dunkin' Donuts

Most want to visit: The exotic shores of Africa and Southeast Asia

Leisure time activities: Working out, traveling, learning about the healing power of organic foods and playing with her newfound love, her black lab, "Scamp the Champ"

Shanna Goodman loves helping clients meet their goals. She brings over ten years of experience leading successful marketing initiatives, managing projects and building teams in both non-profit and private business sectors. Shanna has experience working with corporations such as Coca Cola, PepsiCo, Hy-Vee, Sara Lee and Kellogg's.

Shanna brings an entrepreneurial approach to everything. "I'm passionate about strategizing win-win situations," Shanna says. "I love it when a project comes together and a vision becomes a reality."

In addition to her insatiable curiosity and "can-do" attitude, Shanna has a proven track-record of building relationships with the media. "I have always enjoyed being a part of something bigger than myself and love a good cause," says Shanna. For a national non-profit organization, Shanna coordinated with news outlets such as The Washington Post, Time Magazine and National Public Radio in effort to promote an innovative physical fitness initiative that was instrumental in combating childhood obesity.

Shanna has also worked on video production projects throughout the U.S., as well as coordinated projects in South Africa and Russia. In fact, she has worked on independent films for National Geographic and the History Channel.

So when Shanna's not working with clients or coordinating travel to capture history and culture, she is found spending time with her loving family. Shanna and her husband, Aaron, live in Wamego and are both K-State grads. They have two daughters, ages four and four months. Shanna holds a Bachelor's in Community Service from Kansas State University and a Master's in Communications from the University of Central Missouri.

Now Shanna's action-packed life doesn't leave a lot of free time, but when she is able to chisel some time out of her busy schedule, Shanna loves to read, write, learn, dream and do. "Dreaming isn't enough for me…I have to get out there and accomplish my goals…and as fast as possible."

In addition to Shanna's impressive work experience, her passion for learning intrigued us most. "I get excited about learning," Shanna shares. "It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from or how much money you have… if you have access to books, you can educate yourself on any subject." And that desire to learn all she can about our clients and their businesses is just one of the many traits we admire about Shanna.

Fun Fact: For a brief moment in time I wanted to be a fashion designer. I was ten years old and creating wearable works of art out of paper and staples. When the other kids at daycare started complaining that the staples were drawing blood, I decided that a different career option should potentially be considered.

Memorable Moments: Throughout 2010, I tried something new each month and blogged about it. Then I wrote a book about my experience and it was published in the spring of 2012. My book is called Dignity is a Renewable Resource and is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It is a great read for anyone who is up for trying something new or loves an interesting challenge.

How to Get on Shanna's Good Side: Shanna's favorite food is Mexican. But if you really want to make her day, offer her some coffee, dark chocolate or wine. Preferably, a nice, sweet red.

Although Ben York would prefer to have a different job every week, he has found the diversity and range of client projects he gets to work on at Imagemakers equally stimulating. Whether he's designing a brochure for a steel fabrication company or creating a web design for an organization interested in historic preservation, Ben uses his sharp problem solving skills to quickly understand what the client is looking for and how best to fulfill that. His attention to detail is evident from his logo and web designs to the creation of tradeshow displays, annual report and newsletter designs.

Design has captured Ben's attention since childhood when he would always notice when a soft drink had new packaging or a billboard was changed along the highway. Although good at a number of things - like golf, fly-fishing and poker - Ben has always been intrigued by design and finds it more interesting than even his favorite foods - cheeseburgers and fries.

Ben has a long history of being dependable, as evidenced by his being the recipient of an Attendance Award in the fifth grade in his hometown of Wichita. After earning a B.F.A from Kansas State University he worked for Union Graphics at the K-State Student Union, designing promotional materials for upcoming events. Ben joined Imagemakers in 2009 and was a member of the team that received an American Graphic Design award for the Manhattan Regional Airport website, www.flymhk.com, in 2010.

Favorite book: Blue Like Jazz

Next place I want to visit: The Mediterranean

Hobbies: Golf, fly fishing, sports, camping, poker, photography

Childhood career aspiration: Professional basketball player, golfer, car designer

Steven Vondruska can't remember a time when he wasn't interested in electronics and technology. His love of technology and his ability to figure out how things work make him a natural as a programmer.

In fact, you might say his programming career began in elementary school in Ohio. That's when he figured out how to lock the school's entire IT support staff out of their Macintosh computer. The school, realizing they had a true technical prodigy on their hands, quickly made Steven the go-to guy to help solve any computer problems that arose.

And Steven uses that same drive and curiosity, as well as his ability to remain calm under pressure, in his position as Programmer at Imagemakers. Before joining the Imagemakers team Steven worked as a web template creator for National City Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, and as a developer and system administrator at Peerlis, an interactive technology firm.

His interest in writing computer code began while in high school when he began writing programs for the school's TI-83 graphing calculators. Like any true techie, Steven so enjoys tinkering with technology and creating programs that he continues to do so in his free time. He recently created a fully automated cat feeder which can be controlled by a smartphone.

Favorite book: To Kill A Mockingbird

Favorite TV show: Mythbusters

Favorite food: cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza

Hobbies: Frisbee, building/figuring things out

Growing up in Chanute, Kansas Brian John wanted to be an anesthesiologist like his father, Monty. We're so glad his mom, Carol, saw Brian's talent for design and encouraged him to pursue a career in communications. We're also happy that Brian decided to return to Kansas and join Imagemakers after college and several years work experience in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

"Thanks to Mom, I decided the medical field was probably not the best fit for a geek who likes to sit at a computer all day," Brian says.

He soon found his calling as a graphic and web designer while at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. degree in Graphic Design and Marketing Dynamics. After several years working as a graphic designer in Bartlesville, Brian found our job listings on the Imagemakers website and applied.

That's another thing we're happy about, because we hired him! Brian is pleased to be a member of the Imagemakers team where he can let his geek flag fly freely as a Front End Web Developer. His free spirit, love of rock ‘n' roll and lifelong fascination with computers is a welcome addition to the office. When not enjoying travel, music, photography, and a beautifully prepared Rainbow trout with garlic mashed potatoes, especially when these things are shared with his wife, Sarah, Brian enjoys trying to figure out how things work.

As a kid he took clocks and watches apart just to see how the gears all worked together. As he grew older he began playing with computers and immediately wanted to know how they worked and why they worked the way they did.

"I wanted to know how to use every program that I could get my hands on, and still do," he says. "I am always looking to learn more and better ways of improving my visual and verbal communications."

And communication is important to Brian. He loves to meet new people and, for a self-proclaimed geek, is very social. But in high school, although he loved telling stories, he found he was not very good at it. His enthusiasm for wanting to share the story would result in him excitedly ruining the natural unfolding of the tale he was trying to tell. But, instead of becoming easily discouraged, learning where he may have been weak only drove him to want to be better and after years of examining what made a good story and experimenting with storytelling techniques, his friends now attest that indeed one of Brian's best attributes is the ability to tell a great story.

Who wouldn't want to work with someone who is that invested in learning new things and wanting to be and do better – whether that is story telling or developing a new website for a client?

Favorite book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Favorite Band: Five Iron Frenzy

Hobbies: Photography, Music, Travel

Claim(s) to fame: Three first names, story-telling ability, personality, and facial hair

Colin MacMillan is not only a talented, award-winning photographer, but he has the rare ability to make people feel comfortable in front of the lens. He also brings his expertise and experience in video production to our team. It is his ability to collaborate, share ideas, see another's point of view, and turn out the highest quality of work which we are most excited about sharing with our clients. Colin has a natural talent for keeping the mood light, even while under pressure.

We're not the only ones who have noticed Colin's extraordinary talents with the camera. In 2012, his "To the Stars" print was chosen by the Professional Photographers Association of America for their Loan Collection. It was then included in a worldwide tour with other honored works of art, as well as published in their national magazine. The previous year, the Kansas Professional Photographers Association recognized him as one of the top ten photographers in the state. In 2011 he was also named "Kansas Wedding Photographer of the Year."

Colin attributes much of his professional success to his father. According to Colin, it was his father, a hobby photographer, who is largely responsible for instilling in him a strong work ethic, a desire to explore his world behind the lens, and the encouragement to express his creativity without limitations.

Before graduating from Topeka High School in 1999, he was already a successful freelance wedding photographer and was studying the technical side of photography at Kaw Area Technical School in Topeka. When he finished high school, Colin studied fine arts at Washburn University.

"Photography was the first thing I found I was really good at. And it was really a lot of fun," Colin says, matching the Imagemakers philosophy of doing what you love. While an associate photographer and digital artist at Nathan Ham Photography, Colin oversaw the organization's evolution from film to digital and revamped the workflow of the company.

Colin seems to like all of us pretty well, but as a devoted family man, he freely admits his favorite people in the world are Grace, his wife, and Liam and Piper, their two children. Colin also enjoys participating in social media and has set up search fields on Twitter for those with questions about photography and design. "I’m really proud of this project because it allows me to interact with many people from all over the world, find solutions for challenging issues, and ultimately gives me the opportunity to give back to the internet community that I have learned from," says Colin.

In his spare time, he generously answers people's technical questions and helps them expand their own knowledge of photography, Photoshop, design and social media. That could be one reason why Colin's friends often refer to him as a "Photoshop Rock Star" and why we like to think both we and our clients are fortunate to have him on our team.

Hobbies: Hunting, fishing and being outside

Hidden talent: Plays the guitar and Dobro

Favorite food: Mexican! And, Colin admits, some of his best friends are cookies.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Clayton's younger brother, Justin, for honing Clayton's competitive edge. Growing up the two brothers competed in everything they did. Whether it was sports, grades, video games or their parents' attention the two turned every encounter into a competition.

That will to compete -- and win -- is still strong in Clayton.

"With this combination of competiveness and love for problem solving, it's no surprise I chose web marketing as a career. I get excited when I can work with companies that want to beat their competition," Clayton says.

Clayton came to us as an intern in 2006 and has been working with us ever since. In 2008 he graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor's in Computer Technology and Web Development.

When not working, Clayton enjoys spending time with his wife, Tricia, being surprised by foods he's never tried before and playing video games – which he still loves to win!

Favorite Drink: Peach Iced Tea

Favorite Food: Mom's Spaghetti

Favorite TV Station: PBS

Hobbies: Playing with his dog, Ace

After receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science in Ecuador, Luis was named a Fulbright Scholar and headed to Kansas State University to get his Master's Degree in Software Engineering. He has logged over eight years of experience in successfully developing software for businesses and government institutions in both the U. S. and Ecuador.

When Luis isn't building and developing software solutions for clients, he can often be found touring his native Ecuador with his band, Desquizofrenia. This doesn't seem that unusual when you realize that Luis has always been about breaking down barriers and cutting edge technology.

"I've loved computers since high school. My passion for technology started when I first learned to code. I immediately fell in love with being able to get computers to do what I wanted," Luis says.

Luis and his wife, Ana, have a young daughter, Nicole, and when not traveling with his band the family enjoys exploring new places together. It's just one more way to learn new things, which is also one of the things that Luis enjoys most about his career.

"My work allows me to learn new things, explore different businesses and new fields that I have not been exposed to before. I love to keep learning," says Luis.

Favorite Food: Ceviche

Hobbies: Playing guitar in a death metal band, spending time with his daughter, implementing and using technology around the house to make his life easier

Incredible fact: Once got a bullet in his femur while saving his wife from getting mugged