Meet Our Staff
Claire Kultgen McDonald
President
Claire is a proud 4th generation BK family member. She started her career at the dealership in the early 90s washing cars, stocking parts, and selling cars in the summer while attending Baylor. After a 5-year career in the aviation industry in Maryland, she moved back to Waco. She spent 12 years learning and preparing for her leadership role at the dealership, before becoming President in March of 2021. Claire and her husband Theo have 2 daughters. In their free time they enjoy outdoor adventures, spending time on Lake Waco, and are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Claire is currently on the board of the Dr Pepper Museum, Chamber, Waco Business League, and TSTC Automotive Advisory Committee.
Mark Stewart
Vice President
Mark started in the car business in 1999 and has a background in sales, finance and insurance, advertising, and dealership management. He joined Bird-Kultgen Ford in 2018 and is best known for his trustworthy sales approach, commercials, and his care and motivation for his dealership team. Mark is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the dealership. He is also a fourth generation Wacoan, having graduated from Midway High School and Baylor University. He and his wife Amanda have two sons, Clayton and Zach. They attend First United Methodist Church of Waco and in their free time enjoy anything sports and cheering on the Baylor Bears. Sic 'Em.
Mike Kinser
New Vehicle Sales Manager
Michael joins us after a career at Alcoa. He loves spending time with his 15 year old son. They enjoy watching and playing baseball, football, soccer, and basketball together, and love cheering on the Baylor Bears and Dallas Cowboys. A TSTC graduate, Michael is excited about a new career in sales. He enjoys talking to people and helping them find the Ford that best meets their family needs.
Tim Pietsch
Pre-Owned Manager
Tim's passion for cars began as a child rebuilding projects with his dad. His TSTC degree is in auto body, and Tim worked for Dr Pepper for 11 years before joining BK in 2000. He's been a sales consultant, finance manager, and now manages the pre-owned department. "I love this business, the family that I work for, and I plan on retiring here."
Josh Owens
Sales Manager
Josh was born and raised in Corsicana. After graduating from Corsicana High School, he proudly served in the United States Marine Corps before joining the car business. In his free time, he enjoys spending quality time with his son, Camden. They love anything sports related and also enjoy fishing, and being outdoors. Josh loves being able to help our customers get into the vehicle they have always wanted. Being able to be a part of that process is a passion for him. He loves being a part of the Bird Kultgen Family.
Amanda Lesikar
Business Director
Amanda was born and raised in the Temple Belton area and currently lives in Troy with her husband and daughter. She is a 3rd generation automotive professional, and she was in the 3rd grade when she bought and sold her first car! She graduated from Southwestern University, and in her free time her family enjoys raising their small herd of cattle and spending time outdoors hunting, fishing, and shooting. Amanda likes meeting and helping new people every day, and she loves using her lifetime of automotive experience to help each customer with their unique needs and to get into a new car or truck.
Miguel Contreras
Business Manager
Miguel joined our team in 2016. He enjoys working with and meeting new people every day. When he is not at work, he loves spending time with his wife and daughter.
Vanessa Bounds
Internet Sales Manager
Vanessa has been in the car business for 8 years as an internet sales director. She has two daughters that are her pride and joy. She loves going to the lake, being outdoors, and most of all spending time with her family.
Rebecca Cantu
Marketing Manager
Rebecca joined our team in 2019 with over 8 years of marketing experience and 4 years of retail management. She and her husband have two active kids and enjoy doing anything outdoors; running, biking, swimming and camping in particular. Rebecca loves being part of the Bird Kultgen team because of the culture and wonderful people.
Andrew Dahl
Sales Consultant
We are thrilled to welcome Andrew to our team to help our customers. Andrew and his beautiful wife Donna have been married for 17 years and have 4 children (2 boys and 2 girls) that keep them busy. In his free time Andrew enjoys mowing and keeping his lawn looking good and spending time with his family.
Andrew Barnett
Sales Consultant
Andrew grew up in Katy, TX and then attended Blinn. He enjoys making people happy and satisfied with their car purchases. In his free time Andrew loves watching the Astros, hunting and fishing, watching rodeos, and music concerts.
DJuandrae “Drae” Powell
Sales Consultant
Drae is Waco native with a large family, he has 5 brothers, 4 sisters, and several nieces and nephews, he enjoys spending time with them outside of work. He is an Army Veteran and excellent cook. He loves being a part of the Bird-Kultgen family and the opportunity to help new people every day.
James Wilkerson Jr.
Sales Consultant
James is a Texas native that loves hunting and fishing. He enjoys working at Bird Kultgen becauase he likes helping people obtain their goals. James and his wife, Jennifer, have active 3 boys that all currently attend Midway, where their parents met. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family and coaching baseball.
Drew Chatman
Sales Consultant
Drew is originally from Nacogdoches, Texas and is the youngest of 14 children. He is a wonderful father of 2 girls and loves spending time with them and watching them grow. Outside of BK he is a DJ with his own company that plays events and local venues. He loves working at BK because of all the people he gets to help.
Tara Jones
Sales Consultant
Tara is from Tulsa, Oklahoma but now her family calls Waco home. She enjoys working at BK because she loves working with people and building relationships. Outside of work she enjoys going on outdoor adventures with her son and baking.
Johnny Bluford
Sales Consultant
Johnny is originally from Center, Texas but now calls Waco home. He loves spending time with family, cooking and trying different foods.
Oscar Lewis
Sales Consultant
Oscar is a Waco native that loves spending time with his family. He has a beautiful wife and three children. Oscar loves working at BK because of the people he meets every day. He likes being able to make people’s day. Outside of work he enjoys watching basketball and football and he used to be a local musician.
Eduardo Esteban
Sales Consultant
Eduardo is originally from Corona, California and recently moved to Waco. He enjoys spending time with family and exploring Waco. He is a certified Lifeguard and former Water Polo player. He enjoys working at BK because he likes helping people.
Michael J. Knight
Sales
Mike brings 40+ years of experience to our team. Mike is from an Air Force family and has traveled all over the world and lived in the US and Spain. He joined the Air Force and completed a tour in Vietnam, and moved to Waco in 1969. Mr. Knight is a a self proclaimed sports fanatic and loves his Baylor Bears.
Gage Cearley
Sales Consultant
Gage is originally from Colorado but has adopted Waco as his new home. He loves helping people and enjoys the family atmosphere at BK. When he’s not at work he enjoys watching sports and going to the gym
Stephanie Mirage
Accounts Payable
Stephanie is our accounts payable expert, and recently moved back home to Waco with her family after spending time in Missouri. She first joined us in 1996 and was with us for 6 years, and we are thrilled to have her back on our team. She has three children that are proud Robinson Rockets. Stephanie is always happy to help wherever she can!
Mary Cervantez
Title Clerk
Mary has lots of great experience in the car business, and brings a parts background and over 8 years of title experience to our team. She is the proud mother of three children. Her oldest son Aidan attends MCC and her son and daughter Aidrik and Alasia are at Midway High School. In her free time she loves cooking, fishing, and watching her daughter play softball.
Les Beane
Facilities
Les is responsible for keeping our facility looking sharp and ready for customer visits. When he's not at the dealership, he enjoys watching sports, bartending, catering, and cooking at the Baylor athletic facilities. Les and wife Gayla have two children, Les III and Ashanti and grandkids Lyrie and Alexis.
John Layne
Manager Collision Repair Center
John was born and raised in Waco, attended Midway, and graduated from Waco Christian before attending MCC and Hill College. He and his wife Emmylou have 3 sons, Dylan who is currently attending Texas Lutheran and playing on the tennis team, Dawson who is a baseball player at Midway High School, and Sawyer who is their 3 year old wild child. In his time they enjoy mountain biking, rock climbing, baseball, fishing, hunting, and camping. John loves the pace of the collision repair business and meshing individuals with unique skills. He also loves the "Blue Collar Art" that is body work. We are glad to have John leading our team!
John Robbins
Collision Center Estimator
John graduated from John Brown University with a major in Business and a minor in Accounting. He enjoys working as a Collision Estimator because he gets to help people. He and his wife have 5 grown children and 3 grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, working on old cars and traveling.
Duane Laverty
Production Assistant/CRC Parts
Duane is a Waco native, graduating from Midway High School before attending Stephen F. Austin University. He has a degree in communication and photojournalism and was a photographer for 26 years. He and his wife, Dawn enjoy making music together, hiking and playing with their pets.
Jordan Osorio
Collision Repair Center Technician
Jordan is a Waco native that graduated from Texas State Technical College. He is married with 3 beautiful daughters and one son. He enjoys repairing vehicles and being part of a great team. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family and especially loves big family gatherings.
Dave Morgan
Collision Repair Center Technician
Dave is married and is the proud father of one son who is 23. He earned his degree from TSTI in auto mechanics and auto body, and has 34 years of experience in the industry. He is certified in chief EZ Liner, Car-O-Liner, and Spies Hecker Refinishing. We are thrilled to add another collision repair expert to our team. In his free time, he loves driving his Mustang GT.
Laramie Jowers
Paint Technician
Laramie was born and raised right here in Waco, Tx and graduated from Midway High School. He has a brother Toby. Laramie enjoys working on cars and painting. He loves paint work and helping customers leave in vehicles that are repaired right. In his free time, he can be found listening to music and going to concerts.
Kimber Skinner
Collision Center Office Coordinator
Kimber is new to the automotive industry but is a wonderful addition to our team. Her and her husband have a son, three dogs and a cat. Kimber loves helping customers and working with her team. Outside of work she enjoys swimming and fishing at the lake, reading and spending time with her family.
David Reed
Parts Salesperson
David is a "Car Guy" that loves being in the automotive industry and helping customers. He has a bachelors from Canadian Mennonite University and an associates in collision repair and refinishing from TSTC. His faith is especially important part of his life and part of why he values the spirit of Bird-Kultgen. In his spare time he enjoys working on his vintage truck, reading and spending time with his wife and two bright, beautiful children.
Annette Landrum
Parts Salesperson
Annette joined our team in 2014 after a career in management and HR with Lowes and PSG Security. She has been married to her husband Travis since 1990 and they have 3 awesome children- Randy, Kristen, and Jesse- and 2 beautiful grandbabies Mia and Zane. In her free time they love spending time together as a family, BBQing with friends, and watching their youngest compete in sports. Annette also loves traveling, being outdoors, watching movies, attending car shows, and shooting at the gun range.
Michael Whisenhunt
Parts Associate
Michael is a Waco native that loves working on cars. He enjoys working at BK because it allows him to follow his passion and do what he loves. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his dogs, riding his dirt bike, building custom cars and spending time with friends.
Jon Taft
Service Manager
Born in Temple and raised in College Station, Jon is an AGGIE at heart. He earned his automotive degree from LTI in Dallas, TX and has been in the automotive industry ever since. He started at Garlyn Shelton imports in Bryan as a lube tech and worked his way up to become the parts manager. He has his master certifications in Hyundai, VW, Mazda, and BMWs. He joined the Bird Kultgen team in 2016 and is our Quick Lane manager. He enjoys helping customers with his expert advice on their vehicles every day, and loves spending time with his wife Keri and baby boy Bentley.
Ryan Fagan
Customer Experience Manager
Ryan is a native Texan with a Business Management degree from Texas State University. He is well-versed in sales, service, and management with a long 12-year work history at Enterprise Rent-A-Car where he served as the Area Manager for Central Texas. Ryan and his wife have 3 boys and a dog named Trigger. They attend Harris Creek Church in McGregor and enjoy spending their weekends watching their boys play sports, shooting firearms, or spending time with family. Ryan enjoys working at BK Ford because of the people he gets to help.
Jack Foster
Service Advisor
Jack is originally from Houston but moved to Waco in 2005. He fell in love with Waco and his wife and 2 sons are proud to call it home. Jack enjoys assisting people with all of their automotive needs. When he's not at work he enjoys spending time with his family, camping and being outdoors.
Angie Daily
Service Office Coordinator
Angie is originally from Wichita, KS but has been in Texas so long she calls it home. She is a mother of 3 beautiful girls and 2 active granddaughters. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her girls, volunteering at church, and is currently going back to school for family counseling.
Dusty Richmond
Fixed Ops Administrator
Dusty was born and raised in Waco, Texas. She is married with 3 boys, 1 girl and a dog named Yoshi. She is a Midway and MCC alumnus and loves her career. She enjoys providing knowledge and expertise to the dealership and its customers. In her spare time, she enjoys riding dirt bikes.
Caegan Michaels
Service Technician
Caegan is originally from Comanche, Oklahoma, and has a degree from Texas State Technical College. He specializes in diesel repair and diesel performance. He enjoys solving problems, working on cars, and proclaims to be a Mustang Enthusiast. When he's not at work he enjoys spending time with his daughter and his wife, who is currently carrying their new baby.
Richard Smith
Service Tech
Richard is originally from Fort Stockton but now resides in Hewitt. He is a graduate from TSTC and likes restoring old cars and trucks. He enjoys working at Bird-Kultgen because he gets to help people with their car problems. Richard has a wife, two daughters and a grandson.
Bobby Moran
Service Technician
Bobby Moran joined us in August of 2014. He is a recent newlywed to his bride Carolynn and they have one son JD. Bobby's brother Randy is also a technician in our service department, and their dad David was also a technician here for many any years. In his free time Bobby enjoys shooting, fishing, and bowling.
Ben Reed
Service Technician
Ben is from Waco, Texas and has his degree from Texas State Technical College. He enjoys working at BK because there is always something new and the automotive industry is constantly changing. He claims to have started in this industry at age 8 when he started collecting Hot Wheels. In his spare time, he enjoys car shows, cooking and hanging out with friends and family.
Ines Potter Long
Service Support
All the way from the beautiful state of Colorado, Ines joined the BK Ford team in 2015 and is loving it. She loves to ride motorcycles with her boyfriend Steve, who is a technician in our service department. Ines loves helping customers keep their rides in good working order. She also has a deep love for animals.
Tyler Michaels
BDC Representative
Tyler comes to us from Long Island, New York where is has a large family of 5 brothers and sisters. Tyler enjoys serving his community and is a retired Marine. Outside of work he enjoys hiking and spending time on the lake and is a huge movie buff. He enjoys working at BK because he likes being able to put a smile on someone’s face.
Pat Gee
Remote Experience Driver
Pat has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Central Washington University. He and his wife have a grown son that recently graduated from Baylor and is now in medical school. He loves spending time with his family, golfing, hunting, fishing, and going to church. He enjoys working at BK because he gets to be outside and meet new people every day.
Brent Wilson
Remote Experience Driver
Brent is a retired Michigan state trooper and enjoys spending his spare time with his family. He and his wife have two grown children, a daughter and a son. He enjoys working at Bk because of the team and people he gets to help. Outside of work enjoys all sports.
Robert Chollett
Quick Lane Manager
Robert has been in the automotive industry since 1998, when he started his career at Town West Ford as a lube tech. Over his career he has worked as a tech, service advisor, assistant parts manager, and service manager. In his spare time Robert loves camping, fishing, and spending time with his wife, Jenny.
Tyler Douglas
Quick Lane Advisor
Tyler is originally from Glen Rose but now calls Waco his home. He attended school at TSTC and loves working with customers and helping them with their problems. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his wife, Tiffany, and son, Brody. He also enjoys grilling, being outdoors and playing video games.
Jessica Allen
Quick Lane Advisor
Jessica graduated from Midway High School and is currently attending MCC. She enjoys the family atmosphere that makes coming to work fun. She loves her position because she gets to help so many people. Outside of work she enjoys art/painting canvases, traveling and spending time with her God babies.
Alberto Saledo, Jr.
Quick Lane Technician
Alex lives in Waco and is currently attending Texas State Technical College. He enjoys learning how vehicles work and using that knowledge to help people. In his spare time, he enjoys hanging out with friends, playing video games, building computers, and working on cars.
