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Kansas City, Missouri

Founder

JP Gilmore

JP Gilmore has been a manager in the fine wine business for over 20 years. Driven by a passion for wine, he began his career in a small fine wine shop. JP later managed the wine and spirits divisions at both Missouri Conrad and Glazer’s Midwest.

JP Gilmore has been a manager in the fine wine business for over 20 years. Driven by a passion for wine, he began his career in a small fine wine shop. JP later managed the wine and spirits divisions at both Missouri Conrad and Glazer’s Midwest. These roles presented opportunities for travel to wine regions in California, Spain, France, Italy and Argentina. JP's wide range of experience with both small and large companies, specializing in fine wines and spirits at all levels, has provided valuable insight into the wine business. While contributing to the beginning and building of Premier Cru, JP gained hands-on experience starting a small fine wine company. JP initially acted as key sales representative carving out territories and building the company from the ground up. As the company has grown and expanded into multiple sales territories, JP’s work has transitioned primarily into management. According to JP, “The most important contribution I can make is to build and maintain relationships between Vintegrity, our incredible customers, and the great suppliers that we represent.”

JP moved to the Kansas City area from Chicago 23 years ago to take a position as Food Service Director for Sodexho at University of Missouri Kansas City. Growing up in Bloomington Indiana, JP developed a love for college basketball and enjoys being in Big 12 country. JP is married to his wife of over 10 years, Liz Mendez-Gilmore. Both are the proud parents of their daughter Dahlia Rose Gilmore.

Partner

Sean Ball

Sean Ball has been in love with wine for over 20 years and has been involved with fine wine since moving to Seattle from his hometown of Springfield, Missouri in 1994.

Sean Ball has been in love with wine for over 20 years and has been involved with fine wine since moving to Seattle from his hometown of Springfield, Missouri in 1994. While serving as the Maître’ D at The Columbia Tower Club in downtown Seattle, Sean had the privilege to serve prestigious guests such as Bill Gates, former President Bill Clinton, and other high-profile personalities. Sean worked at the former Wine Spectator Grand Award Winner Starker’s Reserve on the Plaza for 3 years after moving back to Kansas City in 2002. Later, Sean gained extensive retail experience while opening Lukas Liquors on State Line in Missouri and managing their wine department and, in 2008, Sean received his certified Sommelier accreditation. Sean joined Vintegrity in 2009 and soon became General Manager and then Partner. Sean handles all logistics, office operations and a wide variety of managerial tasks that keep Vintegrity running smoothly.

Sean loves to spend time with his wife Carla and his two amazing kids, Dylan and Jada. When Sean isn’t working, his passion is cooking. Thai dishes, pasta, and beef bourguignon are just a few of his go-to specialties.

Bi-State General Manager

Courtney Foster

Courtney Foster is proud to have been a part of the Kansas City restaurant community for over 22 years. She owes her passion and knowledge of food and wine to the amazing women of the Kansas City restaurant industry such as Mary Simpson, Jennifer Maloney, Janet Ross, and Lisa Burgess.

Courtney Foster is proud to have been a part of the Kansas City restaurant community for over 22 years. She owes her passion and knowledge of food and wine to the amazing women of the Kansas City restaurant industry such as Mary Simpson, Jennifer Maloney, Janet Ross, and Lisa Burgess. Some of the restaurants she had worked at include Jardines, Café Sebastienne, Lidia’s, Café Europa, and Rye. Courtney came to Vintegrity in 2015 and is proud to be a part of the growth they have achieved. It was when she was a manager at Café Sebastienne when JP started the company in 2008.

The restaurant was one of Vintegrity’s first customers. She has always been impressed with not only the portfolio Vintegrity had, but the amazing customer service of the team. JP always had integrity. When she decided she was ready to leave the restaurant business, she learned about an office coordinator opening and immediately reached out to JP. 5 years later the company has grown and she is now the Assistant General Manager. Courtney says that the best part of working for Vintegrity is working for owners that not only have insight for the growth of the company, but are very employee driven and truly respect and value what every single person brings to the company.

Courtney is married to Jasen Foster, one of Vintegrity’s sales reps. Together they have three beautiful children Ashlin, Ella, and Max. She is a proud supporter of local arts and loves live music and dining out at the many of the amazing restaurants here in KC. She loves to travel and be outdoors. When her and Jasen are hanging out at home they enjoy opening up a nice bottle of wine and listening to records.

Kansas City Sales Manager

Jasen Foster

Jasen Foster has worked at some of Kansas City’s best local restaurants where’s he’s developed a passion for both wine and spirits.

Jasen Foster has worked at some of Kansas City’s best local restaurants where’s he’s developed a passion for both wine and spirits. Jasen served as bar manager at KC’s renowned Webster House and previously a server at the Northland favorite Piropos, and at the award winning Café Sebastienne. Since joining the Vintegrity team, Jasen says he has really enjoyed “the great group of people” he gets to work with – including his wife, Courtney. In fact, it was Courtney, Vintegrity’s office manager, who told him about the open position at Vintegrity!

Jasen and Courtney have three children: two daughters and a son. When he isn’t working, Jasen enjoys going to concerts, travelling as much as possible, and enjoying the quality, family time that they get when they all go on camping trips together.

KC Sales Representative

Tom Witwer CSW

Tom Witwer graduated with a B.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas where he also developed a love for fine wine while working at a Lawrence area liquor store.

Tom Witwer graduated with a B.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas where he also developed a love for fine wine while working at a Lawrence area liquor store. After graduation, Tom went on to manage an Overland Park wine shop before joining the fine wine division of Standard Beverage in Kansas. After eight years at Standard, Tom moved to the Missouri side joining Major Brands. During a 19-year span at Major Brands, first as a fine wine salesperson and later as a manager, Tom cultivated great relationships with his many Missouri restaurant and retail customers – and also became a Certified Specialist of Wine. Tom first joined the Vintegrity team in October of 2013 in a short-term role that he expected to last a month. That “temporary” position has kept Tom with Vintegrity for over six years – and counting! Tom was charged with leading Vintegrity’s expansion in the Kansas City market along with the Southwestern part of the state. Tom enjoys selling quality wine - especially for family-owned producers. Tom’s take on sticking around after his 30-day part time stint, “The Vintegrity team is a lot of fun to work with – and are serious about doing the job well, without taking themselves too seriously. It’s a great group to work with.”

Tom has been married to his wife Barb for over 25 years. They have three wonderful daughters and one crazy Wheaten Terrier. In his spare time, Tom enjoys a passion for cooking, Royals baseball, and Kansas basketball.

KC Sales Representative

David Dodson CSW

David Dodson began his career in the food and beverage industry over 25 years ago getting his start as a bartender in his hometown of New Orleans.

David Dodson began his career in the food and beverage industry over 25 years ago getting his start as a bartender in his hometown of New Orleans. After several years of working in and around the western U.S. (in Colorado, Las Vegas and Southern California), David moved to Kansas City for employment at the Ritz Carlton Hotel where he worked for five years in all facets of their food and beverage operations – from their lounges and room service, to banquets, casual and fine dining. At the Ritz Carlton, David’s exposure and interest in wine blossomed into a full-fledged passion. David went on to spend the next several years managing many well-respected local restaurants including Fedora, Plaza III, the Savoy Grill and the Classic Cup Westport. David then moved on to the distribution side of the industry, working for over 11 years with Glazer’s Midwest on the fine wine team. After Glazers, and before joining Vintegrity as Kansas City Sales Representative, David was the Western Missouri Sales Manager for Garco Wine Company. David holds the Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators and completed Level One of the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2002.

David has called Kansas City his home since 1989. He and his wife of almost 19 years, Enid, are very proud parents of 16-year-old daughter, Emma. When he isn’t working, David is an avid golfer, playing as often as he can.

KC/Northland Sales Representative

Matt Boody

I have spent the bulk of my career trying to help people grow their business and achieve their goals both through my positions in the wine industry and employee recognition programs. I enjoy building relationships with people during this process.

Favorite Breakfast Cocktail?
Champagne

Favorite local restaurants and why?
Antler Room, so creative and delicious!

Favorite Hole-in-the-wall bar (or best kept secret bar) and why?
Caddy Shack

Top 3 Bars and why?
-Charlie Hoopers, tradition with friends
-Louises on Mass, college hang out
-Tannin, great wine

Favorite liquor store and why?
Lukas, amazing selection.

Favorite meal+wine combos at home?
Anything my wife cooks from her garden and probably some burgundy from the cellar.

Favorite bottle in my cellar:
Thats tough, either a 75 pomerol or a 86 monte bello.

Must haves on my home bar:
Gin

Go-to drink to make for friends
My friends??? Shotgun beer

How I got into the liquor distributor business:
Been working closely with wine and spirits for 20 years.

My previous job was:
Food and beverage director at high end retirement community.

People think that as a liquor rep I do...
Sit around fancy restaurants and talk about wine.

What I actually do is…
Drive, help different business's with their portfolios.

What I love about this job is:
Well I'm pretty new but its just fun, competitive and everyone is really nice and supportive!

Hometown:
PV

Neighborhood:
North East

I like to drink with:
Friends and my wife.

Nobody knows that I:
I read a lot.

Favorite guilty pleasure movie/TV show:
F1 racing, nobody I know watches it!

I like to enjoy (favorite drink for this pastime) while enjoying (name pastime).
West coast baseball games with a glass of wine or two after the kids are asleep.

Supplier Data Coordinator

Taiji "TJ" Kaneda

Taiji joined Vintegrity in September 2023. He has a background in Product Manager where he worked in the Payments landscape for over 25 years. He really enjoys working for Vintegrity which has made him feel welcome from day one.

Taiji joined Vintegrity in September 2023. He has a background in Product Manager where he worked in the Payments landscape for over 25 years. He really enjoys working for Vintegrity which has made him feel welcome from day one.

Embarking on this new chapter with Vintegrity, Taiji is excited to combine his passion for product management with his commitment to innovation and excellence. He is eager to contribute to Vintegrity’s continued success as a leading player in the wine and spirits industry, leveraging data-driven strategies to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market.

Accountant

Agnes West

Agnes joined our office staff in April of 2022. She has worked in accounting for 40+ years!

Agnes joined our office staff in April of 2022. She has worked in accounting for 40+ years and enjoys being semi-retired.

Agnes says she was immediately made to feel welcome at Vintegrity and enjoys how the company cares for their employees.

Agnes and her husband, Larry have been married for 44 years. They love to travel and attend concerts and Broadway plays when they are not
spoiling their grandkids.Agnes’s hobbies include cooking, knitting -and wine!

Administrative Assistant

Stacey Williamson

I first became curious about wine over 25 years ago while working at a fine dining Italian restaurant on the Plaza. It was here that I learned about wine pairing, and how it can maximize enjoyment of the food and the wine!

What are some of your past career highlights? Where have you worked in the past? How did you get into the industry?
I first became curious about wine over 25 years ago while working at a fine dining Italian restaurant on the Plaza. It was here that I learned about wine pairing, and how it can maximize enjoyment of the food and the wine!

How did you get started with Vintegrity?
I've been lucky enough to know Courtney Foster for years. I learned of an Administrative position that was available so I submitted my resume and the rest is history! It's a perfect fit!

What do you like most about working for Vintegrity?
It's hard to pick just one thing! I love that the company is local. The people are great and it's a fun and fast-paced atmosphere.

Tell us about your family:
I'm very fortunate that all of my family lives here in town. I have two beautiful daughters and two amazing grandsons!

What do you do for fun?
I love working out! I enjoy yardwork, spending time with family and friends, trying new recipes, and supporting the KC Royals and Chiefs!

St. Louis, Missouri

Missouri State-Wide Sales Manager

Michelle Jaenke

Michelle Jaenke graduated in 1996 with a Pastry Arts and Food Service Management degree from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina and started her career as a restaurant manager and wine buyer, spending 5 ½ years with Tim Mallett’s independent restaurant group in St. Louis.

Michelle Jaenke graduated in 1996 with a Pastry Arts and Food Service Management degree from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina and started her career as a restaurant manager and wine buyer, spending 5 ½ years with Tim Mallett’s independent restaurant group in St. Louis. A group that included such restaurant brands as Blue Water Grill, Big Sky Café, Ellie Forcella, and Remy’s Kitchen and Wine Bar.

In 2001, while working at Remy’s, Michelle completed Level One of the Court of Master Sommeliers (back when there were only 3 levels). Michelle went on to spend 12 years with Missouri Beverage Company (which later became Major Brands), advancing to the role of lead sales rep where she created many deep and lasting relationships with many of the area’s finest wine shops and independent restaurants.

Throughout her lasting career in the wine and spirits industry, Michelle has had the opportunity to travel throughout many of the major wine and spirit regions of the world including Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone Valley in France, the wine regions of Germany, Australia and Scotland, as well as top U.S. vineyards including many in Oregon and California. Michelle also earned the Certified Specialist of Wine designation from the Society of Wine Educators in 2009.

Michelle joined the Vintegrity Wine and Spirits team in 2015 and enjoys sharing her passion for fine wine and craft spirits with St. Louis area restaurateurs, proprietors of wine and spirit shops and, of course, all of the wonderful growers, vintners and distillers Vintegrity represents.

In her spare time, she enjoys golf and fishing with her husband Kevin, a middle school industrial arts teacher. Michelle and her husband love to travel and one of their favorite spots is Hilton Head, South Carolina. When they’re not strolling the beach, they’ve been known to compete in barbeque competitions around the country.

St. Louis Sales Representative

Shannon Behnen

Shannon Behnen is a Certified Sommelier from St. Louis, Missouri. She proudly received the Walter Clore Scholarship in 2021, obtaining the top score on the Certified Sommelier Examination in Chicago, Illinois. Shannon has been in the wine industry now for 8 years & absolutely loves working for Vintegrity.

Shannon Behnen is a Certified Sommelier from St. Louis, Missouri. She proudly received the Walter Clore Scholarship in 2021, obtaining the top score on the Certified Sommelier Examination in Chicago, Illinois. Shannon has been in the wine industry now for 8 years & absolutely loves working for Vintegrity.

Previously, she spent 10 years in the restaurant industry working at great restaurants building wine & cocktail programs. In 2015, Shannon acquired a Sales Representative position at A. Bommarito wines. After 4 years of hard work, doubling her territory revenue, she became one of the top sales representatives at the company.

In 2019, JP Gilmore reached out to Shannon and offered her a position at Vintegrity Wine & Spirits. Shannon works closely with some of the top restaurants & retailers in St. Louis, Rolla, Washington & Hermann, Missouri. She loves working hard for her customers & helping them create unique wine & cocktail programs. She also loves doing weekly events where she gets to teach consumers more about Wine & Spirits.

Shannon is planning on going for the Advanced Sommelier Certification. There is nothing she loves more than setting goals & then exceeding them. When she is not working, she studies wine books, watches SOMMTV, travels, listens to records on vinyl, hiking, playing golf, or spending time with her fur babies & her partner Jaimie. Shannon also loves to cook and is a total wine nerd who loves sharing her knowledge and passion for food & wine pairings.

St. Louis Sales Representative

Steve Wood CSW

Steve Wood graduated from Illinois State University and served for several years as a graphic designer and art director for publishing companies, consulting firms, and government agencies.

Steve Wood graduated from Illinois State University and served for several years as a graphic designer and art director for publishing companies, consulting firms, and government agencies. Then Steve made a decision to pursue his true passion, never looking back as he happily embarked on a second career in the wine and spirits industry. Steve’s love of wine occupied his spare time as he studied and became a Certified Specialist of Wine and Certified Spanish Wine Educator before accepting a sales position at Lukas Wine & Spirits in St. Louis. Moving on from Lukas, Steve accepted the role of Party Center Manager at Dierbergs Marketplace, and maintained the #1 Party Center ranking in the 24-store chain. An Illinois distributor, Marketplace Selections, recruited Steve as their first wine representative for the Metro-East region. Working with Marketplace Selections sizable craft beer portfolio led Steve to a third certification as a Certified Beer Server and he quickly advanced to become one of the company’s top-performing sales representatives. Steve’s now back on the Missouri side of the river with Vintegrity and says, “The team at Vintegrity is amazing – and it’s been great representing such a wide array of high-quality products and working with equally high quality accounts.”

In his spare time, Steve likes to run, listen to the latest music from indie bands, and cheer the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues on to victory. He also enjoys exploring new restaurants and films with his wife, Caren, a teacher at Maryville University. Their son Alex keeps the two busy with music performances and cross-country training and the whole family enjoys traveling around the country to visit their many friends and family.

St. Louis Representative

Zach Althaus

I have spent the bulk of my career trying to help people grow their business and achieve their goals both through my positions in the wine industry and employee recognition programs. I enjoy building relationships with people during this process.

Favorite Breakfast Cocktail?
Death in the Afternoon

Favorite local restaurants and why?
Noto, Stone Turtle, Indo. Great food and friendly staff!

Favorite Hole-in-the-wall bar (or best kept secret bar) and why?
Crows Nest- Great Neighborhood Bar!

Top 3 Bars and why?
Yellowbelly, Lucky Accomplice, Blood and Sand- Super creative cocktails.

Favorite liquor store and why?
Primo Vino- Awesome selection and staff.

Favorite meal+wine combos at home?
Burger and Beaujolais.

Favorite bottle in my cellar:
99 Chateau Musar

Must haves on my home bar:
Agave, Rum and Bitters.

Go-to drink to make for friends
Daiquiri

How I got into the liquor distributor business:
Bartender and server who loved wines and spirits but wanted a career with bettter hours and benefits.

My previous job was:
Sales with a different distributor, Classique

People think that as a liquor rep I do...
Drink booze all day. They don’t realize it can be stressful like all other jobs. It is a great job though!

What I actually do is…
Drive a lot and try to answer phone calls and emails when not on road

What I love about this job is:
Meet with awesome people all day to talk about wine, spirits and cocktails.

Hometown:
Grain Valley, MO- Answers both questions I guess. Lived in Westport in College.

Neighborhood:
Grain Valley, MO

I like to drink with:
Friends and family.

Nobody knows that I:
Spend all my free time biking, fishing and camping.

Favorite guilty pleasure movie/TV show:
Rick and Morty

I like to enjoy (favorite drink for this pastime) while enjoying (name pastime).
I like to drink cognac while camping.

St. Louis Sales Representative

Thomas VanSchaik

Certified Specialist of Wine-Society of Wine Educators, Certified Sommelier- Court of Master Sommeliers , WSET Level 2- Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Napa Valley Wine Educators Academy- Certificate of Completion

"Thomas graduated from Wright State University in Fairborn Ohio with a Bachelor’s degree in Modern Language. Shortly after that he moved to St. Louis and began a lifelong career in the fine wine and food industry. Those first years involved serving at 3 of St. Louis finest restaurants at the time. Cardwell's, Cafe Zoe and Harvest. After some time in retail at Parker's Table, The Wine Merchant and Lukas Liquor, Thomas found a 10-year home at Major Brands St. Louis. During that time Thomas greatly enjoyed educational trips to France, Italy, Spain, and California. Thomas’s last career move was Liquor Manager at the Schnucks Ladue location, where he consistently hit all department related sales goals. He is very happy to be currently working at Vintegrity with a great team in. St. Louis. When not working Thomas enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years, Susan, a Washington University employee and his two daughters Cate and Lily. Growing up in Ohio Thomas passionately roots the Ohio State Buckeyes in college football and roots for the hometown Blues as well. Road biking, reading, travel, cooking fine food and vegetable gardening round out his hobbies."
St. Louis Sales Representative

Aaron Enskat

In 2023, he was recruited by Steve Wood and Shannon Behnen to apply to an open position with Vintegrity. The timing was perfect as he had an 18 month old and was looking to move to a new career in the industry that allowed for more structured time with his wife and daughter. Less than two weeks after applying he was hired and joined the team two weeks later. It is far and away his favorite job of anything he has ever done.

Aaron Enskat grew up in O’Fallon IL where he was a decorated high school athlete until he quit sports his senior year to participate in drama. After graduating he matriculated to Illinois State University where he majored in English with a Creative Writing focus, minoring in Political Science. While also at Illinois State, he joined their nationally ranked Individual Events Speech Team, where he was a State Champion in Dramatic Duet Acting and was part of winning a National Championship in 2001.

After graduating, he attended graduate school for Creative Writing for a year, then dropped out and became a bartender before relocating to Oakland, California where he spent time as a wandering bohemian performance poet and was a member of a highly ranked Slam Poetry team which finished in the top ten at a national tournament in New Mexico.

Eventually he journeyed back to Illinois and got his M.S. in Communication and spent six years as a college professor, teaching Public Speaking, Small Group Communication, and American Popular Culture while continuing to coach speech teams. After missing out on several tenure track positions to candidates with Doctorates, he planned to go back to school after taking a gap year. That was in 2015. He ended up getting hired as a retail associate for a high velocity liquor store and fell in love with wine. Over eight years, he studied wine and spirits intensely for his job, getting sent on educational trips to Napa, Sonoma, France, Spain, and Italy. By the end of his tenure he was a store team trainer and the national face of their internal training programs.

In 2023, he was recruited by Steve Wood and Shannon Behnen to apply to an open position with Vintegrity. The timing was perfect as he had an 18 month old and was looking to move to a new career in the industry that allowed for more structured time with his wife and daughter. Less than two weeks after applying he was hired and joined the team two weeks later. It is far and away his favorite job of anything he has ever done.

When not being a cork dork, Aaron does other extremely nerdy things including playing extremely dense board games, collecting old role playing game books, listening to Philip Glass operas, writing conceptual poetry, eating weird cheese, studying history, and watching YouTube playlists of old Sierra point and click games. Above all else, his most treasured time is that spent with his daughter, Clara.

Springfield, Missouri

Lake Ozark/Springfield Sales Representative

Roy Scarborough

Justin 'Roy' Scarborough has been studying fine wines and spirits with dedication since 2016 and says he finds constant inspiration and education from his mother-in-law, a certified sommelier!

Justin 'Roy' Scarborough has been studying fine wines and spirits with dedication since 2016 and says he finds constant inspiration and education from his mother-in-law, a certified sommelier! He enjoys exploring new flavors and is thorough in his research – including two of his favorite subjects: quality whiskeys and bourbons. Roy is proud of the products he's able to offer through Vintegrity and is passionate about sharing his love and understanding of wine and spirits. Roy started with Vintegrity in a distribution position and says he “couldn't wait” to make his way into sales. Since his transition to sales, Roy has worked to explore new areas of Missouri, bringing Vintegrity’s portfolio of fine wine and spirits beyond the major cities of Missouri. In fact, on any given day you're likely to find Roy pouring a variety of tastes in one of the many restaurants, bars and retail locations throughout the Lake of the Ozarks. On the topic of working for Vintegrity, Roy commented, “I’m really grateful for my good fortune in working for such an honest and supportive company.”

When Roy’s not building positive working relationships with the Vintegrity team, he loves to be outside riding vintage bikes, cruising his boat with his life partner, Alexis, or simply barbecuing with family and friends. Frisbee golf and wine also go hand-in-hand through Roy's eyes. Then again, most things seem to go hand in hand with a glass of fine wine!

Lenexa, Kansas

Kansas Sales Manager

Courtney Weaver

Courtney Weaver is a native Kansan who worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years before joining the Vintegrity team. A passion for spirits and craft cocktails led her to complete the industry-leading bartender certification program, BarSmarts.

Courtney Weaver is a native Kansan who worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years before joining the Vintegrity team. A passion for spirits and craft cocktails led her to complete the industry-leading bartender certification program, BarSmarts. Courtney also served as Secretary of the Kansas City Chapter of the United States Bartender’s Guild and volunteered with the nationally recognized Paris of the Plains Cocktail Competition in Kansas City. Courtney has also competed in many cocktail competitions, created cocktail programs, and provided spirits training for bar staff where she worked. In 2015, Courtney was the first Sales Representative hired at Vintegrity Kansas, allowing her to expand and share her knowledge of craft spirits and fine wine.
Courtney is married to her wonderful husband, and together they have two sons she absolutely adores. She loves being outside in nature and having trees over her head. She also has a love of cooking and likes to spend time growing veggies in their community garden, and loves to read, do yoga, and see live music.
Photo of Cassie Niemeyer
KC Sales Representative

Cassie Niemeyer

Cassie is a passionate and knowledgeable liquor representative with extensive experience in the beverage industry. Specializing in building strong relationships with clients, promoting exceptional brands, and providing valuable insights into the world of fine spirits, wine, and beer.

Favorite Breakfast Cocktail?
Michelada with a splash of mezcal

Favorite local restaurants and why?
ABC Cafe for the best dim sum in town (and no corkage fee), Jarocho for the camarones cucarachas and mezcal, Kitty’s Cafe for the tenderloin and a cold can of orange soda, Seva for the most delicious Indian food, Earl’s Premier for seafood and frozen g&t’s, and Corvino for when I’m feelin' fancy!

Favorite Hole-in-the-wall bar (or best kept secret bar) and why?
VFW Post 9997… it’s open to the public, in my neighborhood, and FULL of characters

Top 3 Bars and why?
MiniBar has great highballs and fun shows/DJs, the bar at the Golden Ox is beautiful and makes the best gin martini in town, and Harry’s Bar and Tables because she’s always there when you need her…until 3AM

Favorite liquor store and why?
All of my accounts are favorites, of course! Outside of those, Big Mood.

Favorite meal+wine combos at home?
Crab and txakoli in the summer, zin and ribeyes au poivre in the winter

Favorite bottle in my cellar:
Unlabeled tepeztate mezcal definitely *not* smuggled in from my last trip to Oaxaca 😉

Must haves on my home bar:
Sparkling wine because you never know when you might have an excuse to celebrate!

Go-to drink to make for friends
Last Word sub mezcal

How I got into the liquor distributor business:
To learn something new and see what working in the daylight hours was like!

My previous job was:
Restaurant manager / server / bartender / you name it!

People think that as a liquor rep I do...
Get drunk all day.

What I actually do is…
plan and study and route and count and highlight and make bad jokes.

What I love about this job is:
getting to know and share the stories of interesting people making interesting wine and booze!

Hometown:
Lee’s Summit, MO

Neighborhood:
Historic Northeast Kansas City

I like to drink with:
Anybody that’s in a good mood

Nobody knows that I:
Have a pretty spot-on Bjork impression at karaoke!

Favorite guilty pleasure movie/TV show:
The 1996 absolute masterpiece, Twister

I like to enjoy (favorite drink for this pastime) while enjoying (name pastime).
I like to have gigantic G&T—filled to the brim with ice, St George Terroir, homemade tonic, and lots of lemon wheels—outside somewhere enjoying the first sunny, warm day of spring.

Operations Assistant

Lark Stafford

Lark’s interest in the world of wine and spirits began shortly after relocating in the Kansas area. With a background in writing and design, Lark now uses her degree to facilitate effective communication between members of the Vintegrity office through any visual medium.

Lark’s interest in the world of wine and spirits began shortly after relocating in the Kansas area. With a background in writing and design, Lark now uses her degree to facilitate effective communication between members of the Vintegrity office through any visual medium. Though she still has much to learn about the finer craft of winemaking, she is nonetheless excited about her role in delivering the best service to clients and colleagues alike.
Kansas Office Manager

Ali Madden

Ali brings nearly two decades of experience in food, beverage, and event management to her role as Office Manager at the Lenexa office. Before joining the wine industry, she spent 10 years running her own wedding planning company—where she mastered the art of logistics, emotional support, and last-minute miracles (sometimes all before noon).

Ali brings nearly two decades of experience in food, beverage, and event management to her role as Office Manager at the Lenexa office. Before joining the wine industry, she spent 10 years running her own wedding planning company—where she mastered the art of logistics, emotional support, and last-minute miracles (sometimes all before noon).

Her path to the wine world was paved with great food and good people—she met both her current boss, Courtney, and her husband while working at Rye KC.

A proud Jayhawk with a degree in Sociology from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk!), Ali has a passion for politics, baking, and checking out the latest local restaurants. She also has a deep appreciation for wine and craft cocktails—gin and tequila are her love languages—and she curates a full bar at home that’s arguably better stocked than some actual bars.

Ali lives in Overland Park with her husband Bill (an attorney who politely tolerates her sarcasm) and their two dogs, Oliver and Juniper. She absolutely adores her 2 year old niece and 4 year old nephew who live in Houston.

Sales Representative

Chase Bruggeman

Chase Bruggeman began his career in the service industry 15 years ago as a food runner and busser. During this time, he was trying to find his niche and came across Georges French Bistro in Wichita. It was a good match – in fact Chase became a fine dining server at Georges Bistro for over five 5 years.

Chase Bruggeman began his career in the service industry 15 years ago as a food runner and busser. During this time, he was trying to find his niche and came across Georges French Bistro in Wichita. It was a good match – in fact Chase became a fine dining server at Georges Bistro for over five 5 years. A media highlight for Chase during his time at Georges was a Chicago Tribune article featuring the Bistro – illustrated with a photo of Chase serving and, carrying numerous glasses of wine.
While working in Wichita at the Bistro, Chase developed a sincere passion for wine. Chase learned of the job opportunity at Vintegrity when his stepfather saw an advertisement in the Wichita Eagle Beacon. The timing was right for a career move, so Chase applied for the job. One thing led to another and Chase joined Vintegrity. Today Chase serves as a Kansas sales representative for Vintegrity.
Chase is a graduate of Wichita State University where he studied business with an emphasis in marketing. His business and marketing education combined with his years in fine dining provided Chase with the tools he would need to service and grow Vintegrity’s book of business in southeast Kansas. Chase says his favorite part of working at Vintegrity has been expanding and sharing his ever-growing knowledge of wine and spirits with his clientele.
Chase is the third of four children and says his mother serves as a major inspiration to him. Chase also shares his father’s love of sports and his dad taught him the fine points of the game of baseball. Chase said he has fond memories of his family traveling to and from Manhattan for Kansas State football and basketball games while growing up. Today Chase considers himself an avid sports fan and enjoys live sporting events, golfing, and playing pickleball.
Supplier Outreach Coordinator

Malachi Thomas

Favorite Breakfast Cocktail?
Screwdriver
Favorite local restaurants and why?
Redrock canyon Grill, the servers are always the best; arguably the best spot in Johnson County for American comfort food.
Favorite Hole-in-the-wall bar (or best kept secret bar) and why?
Green Lady Lounge, I love the ambiance, the live music and drink selection.
Top 3 Bars and why?
1. Green Lady, the live music and drinks. Good place to step out with a smaller group. 2. Goat & Rabbit, decent music; calm and relaxing environment. 3. Parlor, big drink selection, typically a place where people around my age will go. Basically 2 bars inside a food hall.
Favorite liquor store and why?
Lukas, the Walmart of liquor stores and has always been the main one I’ve gone to since I became of age.
Favorite meal+wine combos at home?
Vodka sauce pasta and a semi-sweet red.
Favorite bottle in my cellar:
Jameson Black Barrel.
Must haves on my home bar:
Cocktail recipe book.
Go-to drink to make for friends
Jaeger and Sprite / Jameson and Coke
How I got into the liquor distributor business:
Was looking for a change of pace closer to my house. It’s nice driving to the same place every day.
My previous job was:
Site supervisor for a construction company.
People think that as a liquor rep I do...
Just file and order snacks.
What I actually do is…
Process Purchase Orders, Help in the warehouse, Enter deposits, Receive and enter inventory, help where I’m needed, send out reports, invoice outgoing orders, and file and order snacks.
What I love about this job is:
The environment.
Hometown:
Kansas City, MO
Neighborhood:
Mission, Kansas
I like to drink with:
My Brothers.
Sales Representative

Kerry Comiskey

Kerry Comiskey has enjoyed a long and varied career in the hospitality world. From college summers in retail at Williams Sonoma (where she advanced to Culinary Program Director), to working on a dairy goat farm (as Kerry puts it, “to see the other side of the plate), where she milked goats, made cheese and even birthed “kids.”

Kerry Comiskey has enjoyed a long and varied career in the hospitality world. From college summers in retail at Williams Sonoma (where she advanced to Culinary Program Director), to working on a dairy goat farm (as Kerry puts it, “to see the other side of the plate), where she milked goats, made cheese and even birthed “kids.” Said Kerry, “I wanted the entire farmer experience. More importantly though, I learned what it meant to produce food with integrity.”
Kerry has witnessed the process of “Farm-to-Table” in its entirety. While working on the goat farm, Kerry managed the acclaimed Pachamamas Restaurant and Star Bar in Lawrence, Kansas for two and a half years. From there, she moved to manage another Lawrence favorite for five years, 715, the Tuscan-themed neighborhood bistro where many ingredients were sourced from Kansas farms.

Kerry took a short sabbatical from her Lawrence restaurant career to help her grandmother in Michigan. That 10-month sojourn included working at Ann Arbor’s legendary Zingerman’s Creamery – an establishment dedicated to using old world methods to craft handmade cheeses with milk from small-scale regional farmers. According to Kerry, “My job there combined nearly all of my previous experience into one job - managing people, selling specialty cheeses and other fresh goods, great customer service, learning, teaching – and more growth in the hospitality industry.”

Kerry’s move to Vintegrity was not planned but she says, “It was the perfect job at the perfect time.” A former employer knew JP Gilmore and that he was looking for just the right person to join the Vintegrity team. Kerry was put in touch with JP and, after a few rounds of meetings and interviews, the rest was history.

About interviewing and then accepting a sales position at Vintegrity Kerry said, “Right away, I knew I would love Vintegrity because I knew I was joining a company who puts their employees first and clearly has a passion for what they do. I’ve always been passionate about wine and spirits, so this has been a chance to expand my knowledge base and work closely with all my friends in the restaurant industry.”

As for home life, Kerry and her husband Jake have adopted an adorable American Bulldog/Cattle Dog mix named Murph last year who keeps them very busy. The couple loves to travel and cook – in fact, last year they took a two-week trip to Spain and France, eating and drinking their way through as many natural wine and pintxos bars as they could find. When not travelling, they support the restaurant community in both KC and Lawrence – finding friends and inspiration at every turn. Kerry and Jake recently bought a house, so they are spending their time getting settled and dreaming up projects for their new abode, including building their own garden this year.

Kansas Sales Representative

Christine Reber

Liquor sales representative with a passion for building strong client relationships. Expert in wine and spirit industry trends and delivering exceptional customer service.

Favorite Breakfast Cocktail?
Espresso Martini with reposado tequila OR super spicy bloody!

Favorite local restaurants and why?
- Martin City - great pizza, even better local beer!
- Third Street Social - amazing sweet potato fries + good happy hour
- Anywhere new or interesting - I like trying new places with interesting food!

Favorite Hole-in-the-wall bar (or best kept secret bar) and why?
I’ll throw a curveball and say Diametric Brewing Company in Lee’s Summit - amazing beer, great people, incredible food, and a dynamic and interesting cocktail list.

Top 3 Bars?
1. Hand in Glove - super fun speakeasy atmosphere with top notch cocktails!
2. Libations & Co - another great local cocktail bar that now offers live jazz/music on weekends
3. Afterword - fun, seasonal, creative cocktail list + bookstore + board games…all wrapped up in a cozy atmosphere!

Favorite meal+wine combos at home?
Mid-rare steak + balsamic onions and a Sangiovese or Syrah!

Favorite bottle in my cellar:
Raspail-ay Gigondas or Martin Woods Hyland Pinot Noir ‘21

Must haves on my home bar:
Additive-free sipping blanco tequila, Carpano Antica, absinthe, latest High n’ Wicked release, Giffard Cassis. Any fun and interesting spirits and liqueurs

What I love about this job is:
The continued education and growth. Always something new to learn!

Nobody knows that I:
Often crave Taco Bell late at night - with blanco tequila and lime in a Baja Blast Mtn. Dew!

Favorite guilty pleasure movie/TV show:
Great British Baking Show - my absolute favorite! Not necessarily a guilty pleasure, but I love it.