The KMDI Team

Will Kester

Chairman & Founder

Jacob Walters

President

Cassie Kester

Chief Operations Officer

Geremy Grote

Director of Production

Julian Monarrez

Master Fabricator & Foreman

Richard Robinson

Mechanical Engineer – Drawing & Design Lead

Richard Robinson is a Mechanical Engineer and Drawing & Design Lead at KMDI. A Kansas City native, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Kansas State University in 2016 and has spent his career with KMDI, growing into a leadership role through dedication and hands-on experience.

Richard enjoys collaborating closely with fabrication teams to solve complex design challenges and deliver innovative, practical solutions for clients. He takes pride in helping turn ambitious ideas into buildable, high-quality results.

Outside of work, Richard enjoys tabletop games, video games, and spending time with his family.

Hyungyu Kim

Architectural Designer – Machinist Lead

Hyungyu Kim is an Architectural Designer and Machinist Lead at KMDI. He earned his undergraduate degree in architecture in South Korea and worked as an architectural designer and construction project manager before joining KMDI.

Hyungyu enjoys the challenge of developing detailed solutions that transform complex design ideas into precise, buildable components. Seeing a finished product perform exactly as planned is one of the most rewarding parts of his work.

Outside of work, Hyungyu trains for triathlons and is working toward completing an Ironman 70.3.

Alax Klein

Project Manager

Alax Klein is currently a Project Manager at KMDI, where his favorite thing is the laid-back family atmosphere of the team. He’s also quite the family man himself! Alax has a loving wife who inspires him greatly and four amazing dogs—Nike, Harper, Tatum, and Nova. His favorite thing to do on weekends is spend time with his wife and his dogs. However, you’ll also catch him often playing golf and always working to improve his golf game. As for other sports, Alax is an avid fan of football and F1 racing. His favorite team is the Kansas City Chiefs, and his favorite driver is Lewis Hamilton. Colorado and the Rockies are some of Alax’s favorite places to visit, and you might be surprised to find out that painting is one of his hobbies. Prior to working with KMDI, Alax worked at Olathe Ford and Oakbrook Animal Hospital.

Miriam Handal

Architectural Designer

Miriam Handal is an architectural designer with extensive international experience in residential and commercial development. Born in Honduras, she studied architecture at the Catholic University of Honduras and later earned a master’s degree in Project Management.

Before joining KMDI, Miriam spent over 13 years working with a bank-owned developer, managing and supervising projects across Central America. She is passionate about transforming challenging ideas into practical, buildable designs while balancing budget, safety, and timelines.

Miriam enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, hiking, and exploring parks with her husband and two children.

Cameron Schultz

Architectural Designer

Cameron Schultz is an architectural designer with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kansas and additional certification in acoustical design. He was drawn to KMDI for its unique blend of design-build work and advanced fabrication techniques.

Cameron enjoys collaborating with specialists across disciplines and developing creative solutions that move projects from concept through fabrication. He is passionate about designing at many scales, from detailed modeling to large architectural projects.

Outside of work, Cameron enjoys woodworking, painting, jewelry making, and spending time with friends.

Michael Umstead

Draftsman

Michael Umstead is a draftsman at KMDI. He grew up in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Aided Drafting and Design from the University of Central Missouri.

Michael enjoys helping clients bring their ideas to life and values the collaborative atmosphere at KMDI, where every project presents something new to learn. He is passionate about continuing to grow his skills and contributing to successful projects.

Outside of work, Michael enjoys movies, sports events, and spending time with his wife and pets.

Gavin Johnson

Estimator

Gavin is currently an Estimator. His favorite part of working at KMDI is that there are no wrong answers; KMDI is a company of thinkers and creatives coming together to find solutions to fabrication challenges that other simply can’t. Gavin has been with KMDI since college graduation, nearly 8 years ago! Outside of work, he enjoys watching sports, playing golf and pickleball, as well as spending time with his family and two dogs. He’s also a fan of the KC Chiefs, Royals, Kansas Basketball and Pittsburg State Football. One thing that Gavin would like to spend time working on is becoming bilingual (Spanish & English).

Christen Mertes

Project Development

Christen is currently an Inside Sales Representative at KMDI. Her favorite thing about the team is the people. Christen loves pushing the envelope of what’s possible with interior décor, working with designers, architects, and retailers to bring their visions to life. She also loves the outdoors, frequently enjoying the Montana Countryside, taking her family snowmobiling or creek fishing. She enjoys watching movies and is a fan of her daughters’ travel softball and volleyball teams. Christen says her hidden talents are playing the piano and singing in the car. Unfortunately, these are mutually exclusive.

Andrew Crane

Project Development

Andrew Crane is currently an Inside Sales Representative at KMDI. His favorite part about working at KMDI is developing relationships with customers who have challenging projects while being a member of a close-knit team. Andrew’s favorite place to travel is Portugal. The country sides are beautiful, and the food is nearly perfect. Andrew is an avid surfer, hydrofoiler, and kiteboarder. Every spare minute he can he spends out on the ocean enjoying the wind and the waves. When he isn’t on the water, Andrew enjoys spending his time with his wife, their two rescue dogs, Birdie and Frankie and their two rescue cats, Simon and Clooney.

Kat Kester

Administrative Lead

Kat serves as Administrative Lead at KMDI, where she enjoys getting to know team members and helping support the people who make each project possible. She values the strong, people-focused culture at KMDI and the opportunity to connect with individuals across the organization.

Outside of work, Kat enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and relaxing with a good book. She also loves travel and hopes to continue learning new skills, including Spanish.

Rhys Jones

Assistant Project Manager

Rhys Jones serves as an Assistant Project Manager at KMDI. Prior to joining the company, he worked as a mechanical maintenance supervisor, where he developed strong organizational and leadership skills.

Rhys enjoys the opportunity to directly impact projects and help guide work from concept to completion. He values KMDI’s family-oriented culture and the ability to collaborate closely with the team.

Outside of work, Rhys enjoys spending time with his children, staying active, and precision rifle shooting.