Employee Bios

Jesse graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA from the University of Notre Dame with both a Bachelors and Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Before DMC, he worked with GE Aircraft Engines. He was the co-inventor on a Patent for a Robotic Vision Control Method and a winner of the Rockwell Automation Design Award. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jesse is a huge Notre Dame fan and loves skiing, basketball, volleyball, music, racquetball, frisbee, ping-pong, cooking, robotics, camping, sand and palm trees. He has a strong dislike of bees and other stinging insects.

Ken Brey is a licensed professional Engineer in the state of Illinois.  He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University and was a part of the Diesel Engine Design Group for Navistar International Truck and Engine before joining DMC. Ken is a Wonderware Archestra Certified Application Developer, a Microsoft Certified Professional, a Siemens Certified Engineer, and was nominated for Test Engineer of the Year for Test & Measurement world. Ken enjoys soccer and water-skiing.  He lives in Mount Prospect with his wife, son, and daughter.

Danny Budzinski holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a 4.0 from Purdue University and has worked with GE Healthcare and SPPPX Contech.  His experience ranges through designing manufacturing fixtures, analyzing new product components, testing new medical software products, database construction, process controls and monitoring, and bio-sprays and herbicides. He has published research in bio-chemistry. Danny is a rabid Notre Dame fan, reads a strict diet of political non-fiction, plays goalkeeper for a local club soccer team with Kristie and Nick, and enjoys building furniture.

Jon holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and worked as a Systems Engineer with Rockwell Collins before joining the DMC team. In programming languages, he has a penchant for Java and MatLab; in human languages, he is fluent in and Certified in Technical Translation in German. Jon is experienced with Allen Bradley and Siemens PLCs, and ELAU motion controllers. Jon grew up in Georgia, where he sat under peach trees, rode in pick-up trucks, and played bluegrass music all day. Now lacking peach trees and trucks, he spends a lot of time with his banjo.   

Boris Cherkasskiy is a Microsoft Certified Professional and is an expert in Siemens PLC/HMI programming, Beckhoff TwinCat, bases of programming in Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0, Netware 4 Administration (520) and Newtware 3.1 Administration (508). Originally from Russia, he received an M.S. in Computer Science from the Chelyabinsk State Technical University and endures a steady stream of communism jokes from his colleagues with patriotic stoicism. Before arriving at DMC, Boris was a Leading Controls Engineer for Knauf Drywall, a Leading Engineer for Medicom Center and a System Administrator for Pagercom. Boris lives in Forest Park, IL with his wife and son.   

Dan Freve holds a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Masters of Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He worked with Seagate Technology before arriving at DMC. He became a Certified LabVIEW Developer in 2008 and is highly experienced with MATLAB. As an athlete, Dan specializes in swimming (Varsity All Conference 3 years) and cycling; as a musician, he specializes in piano and guitar. He holds the esteemed position of DMC Activity Captain, and sings the praises of CCS sandwiches from Pronto Za like an evangelist. Dan’s favorite programming language is C#.NET; his favorite color is RGB 23 6B 8E; and his favorite sports team is the Boston Red Sox.  

Leon is a Microsoft Certified Application Developer, a LabVIEW Certified Developer, Siemens Certified, and a Sharepoint master. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and worked with the BDM Petroleum Technologies, the National Institute for Petroleum Energy Research and Phillips Petroleum before he came to DMC.   Leon’s favorite hobby is photography; he is also a visual art enthusiast and fills both his home and office with interesting paintings, drawings, mixed media, and photographs. He drinks Diet Coke like it’s his job. 

Brent’s long and varied test engineering and automation experience includes burn-in screening and active thermal cycling, Electro-optic waveguide trimming by laser ablation, and 10 Gbit/s optical eye pattern & chirp testing. He is a Certified National Instruments LabVIEW developer and the DMC point-person for battery testing. Before DMC, Brent was a Scientist for Structured Materials Industries, a Technical Staff Member for COVEGA Corporation and a Process Development Engineer for Agere Systems. He holds a B.S. with majors in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin; he received his doctorate in Materials Science & Engineering from Northwestern University. His dissertation topic was titled Investigation of the Electro-Optic and Dielectric Properties of Epitaxial Ferroelectric Thin Films. Brent lives with his wife and daughter. His aggression on a Whirly Ball court is unmatched.  

Tim Jager, Project Director
Tim is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois and a bonafide father of two.  He has extensive experience with design and fabrication with composite materials, stereolythography rapid prototyping, and is one of the DMC Siemens and Wonderware gurus. He was a member of the U of I Solar Car Team, competing in Sunrayce 97, also known as the North American Solar Challenge.  Tim is so bald and stone-faced that he could be mistaken for a Blue Man, even without cobalt skin.  Before coming to DMC, Tim interned at Andrew Corporation and was a Project Engineer for Ambitech.  Tim holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 

Before working at DMC, Darren was a Senior Programmer and Consultant for DataAct Incorporated, a Xerographic Process & Design Engineer at Xerox Corporation’s Print Engine Development Unit, and an Engineering Co-op for the Harris Corporation and Johnson Controls. Darren is the DMC go-to person for all things National Instruments-related and a certified LabVIEW Developer. He holds as B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology where he was a Presidential Scholar and honors graduate. A badass with a teddy-bear-like exterior, Darren spends as much time as he can traveling, backpacking and riding his motorcycle.

Jody holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northwestern University and worked with Micromedical Technologies and Body Electronics at General Motors before DMC.   He is a Certified LabView Developer and a Certified Cognex Developer. Jody is the chief bike warrior at DMC, owning several bicycles in various states of functionality and repair/disrepair, and is always pleased to work with our neighbors SRAM. He ran the Chicago Marathon in 2008 at 3:35 and is working to improve a personal best 5K of 19:50. His dream sports event would be celebrity deathmatch between a zombie and a unicorn.

Jessica joined DMC in 2009 with previous marketing experience for a manufacturer in the hospitality industry.  She graduated Cum Laude from Miami University with a B.A. in English Literature and minors in B2B Marketing and Russian and Post-Soviet History.  Jessica loves reading and writing, and enjoys tutoring children in literacy.  Some of her other interests include globetrotting, live music, running, and sports, especially cheering on her hometown teams the Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers!

William Mortl, Senior Application Developer
William Mortl holds B.S. degrees from Purdue University in Computer Science and Physics with minors in Mathematics, Astrophysics, and Political Science.  In addition, William is pursuing M.S. degrees from DePaul University in Computational Finance and Computer Science.  He has over 10 years of software engineering experience and has worked on diverse projects ranging from the banking industry to scientific laboratories.  William is an expert on Microsoft .NET technologies, relational databases, web development, and C/C++.  While not having very much free time, he does enjoy going to the movies, playing tennis, researching artificial intelligence, going on road trips, and spending autumn Saturdays at Ross-Ade Stadium cheering on his beloved Boilermakers.

Eric Nielsen grew up near Kalamazoo, Michigan but has lived and guided in a majority of the mountain regions of the Continental U.S. He carried a 3.99 GPA from his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University and has an excellent working knowledge of construction techniques, materials processing, and CNC machining. He worked with Acoustics by Design before arriving at DMC. He has also studied at the Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics, the National Outdoor Leadership School, and has a Wilderness First Responder Certification from Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities.   Between running, biking, climbing, backpacking, mountaineering, canoeing, and kayaking trips, every now and then he remembers to rejoin civilization and sees a play or concert. 

Before taking over the office management helm at DMC, Deborah was an Investment Banking Analyst for Morgan Stanley and a Business Analyst for Hewitt Associates. She holds Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Economics from Bradley University. Deborah has a very green thumb, with excellent skills in making plants grown and stacking hay bales. Deborah is a motorcycle enthusiast and loves live music in small venues.

Before DMC, Cesar worked as a Controls Engineer for DT Industries in Precision Assembly and Delphi Automotive Systems, and as a Vision Systems Developer for Daimler Chrysler AG in Esslingen, Germany. Cesar provides the team with expertise in Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs, Cognex, RSView, and Matlab. Originally from Mexico, Cesar received a B.S. in Electronics and Communications from Monterrey Tech (ITESM). He also holds an M.S. in Information Technology and Automation Systems from the University of Applied Sciences in Esslingen, Germany where he was ranked first in his class. Cesar loves cycling, coffee, dark chocolate, and life with his family.

Matt holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, from Kettering University’s GMI Engineering & Management Institute. Before rising through the DMC ranks to Project Manager, Matt was an Associate Engineer for TRW Automotive Electronics. Matt is one of DMC's experts in vision systems, embedded board design, embedded programming, and PLC programming.  His accolades include International Society of Automation Certified Automation Professional (ISA CAP), Advanced DVT Vision Systems Training, and Denso Robotics Programming Training.   Matt’s favorite TV shows are Venture Brothers and House. In 2007 he married an engineer in the medical field. He is originally from Minnesota and enjoys jogging, games, ice cream, whiskey, and scotch.

With over 15 years of management and technology consulting experience, Rick heads up DMC’s Consulting Services. Rick’s roots in consulting began at Accenture, which laid the foundation for success in leading high-profile consulting engagements for many Fortune 500 clients, including Sears Holdings, Dollar General, AT&T, Trans Union, and Bank of America. Rick earned a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI) where he is an active participant in the Chicago PMI chapter. Rick holds a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Computer Information Systems from Indiana University – Bloomington. When he’s not working, Rick enjoys travel, golf, and rooting for the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and Hoosier basketball.

Before founding DMC in 1996, Frank worked with Cinch Connectors, Pratt & Whitney, Whistler Corporation and was also Vice President of Controls & Automation Technologies. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Frank is a proud member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and is a fan of evening cruises on Lake Michigan and What the Chuck sandwiches from Pronto Za.  He lives in Lincoln Park with his wife and two daughters.

Nick Shea is certified in Siemens, Iconics, and Cognex technologies and has performed custom automated machine design for a variety of industries. Before joining the DMC team, Nick was a Project Engineer for Lectro Engineering in St. Louis, MO and worked for a year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, researching strategic industries for an Australian multinational company specializing in silicone technology. Two of his favorite things are Cardinals baseball and Jayhawks basketball; he also plays soccer on a local club team along with colleagues Danny and Kristie. Nick holds a Bachelors of Science in Engineering Physics, specializing in Electromechanical Control Systems, from the University of Kansas.  

Kristie Simon Shea holds as B.S. in Applied Mathematics and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her Masters research involved designing a control system to regulate oxygen flow through an incubator in order to avoid the development of Retinopathy of Prematurity in premature babies. Before joining DMC, Kristie worked with Visteon Corporation and General Mills. She is Siemens Certified. Kristie loves travelling to all parts of the world, and especially enjoys hiking, backpacking and camping. A lover of most sports, she has a special affinity for soccer, having played since she was 4 and continuing though most of her life, including a current local club team with Danny and Nick. 

John Sullivan, Systems Engineer
John Sullivan holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, with a certificate in robotics.  His previous work experience includes a Mechanical Engineering internship at Solar Turbines and a Systems Engineering Co-op at General Electric-Aviation.  John enjoys athletics of all kinds, including rugby, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, wrestling, and running.  He can also be found engaging in outdoor activities such as climbing or backpacking.