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🀫 Gratitude · the insurance agents

The people who protect your family.

Gratitude to the insurance agents and producers who show up for families and businesses on their hardest days. Celebrated from public work, with a cited source on every card. Find or get discovered locally in the 🀫 Yellow Pages.

All championsThe Apple 1024

30 of 1024 Β· celebrated from public information, cited on every card.

VM

Van Mueller

Milwaukee life insurance agent and educator, a longtime MDRT Top of the Table qualifier known nationally for his question-based approach to serving middle-income families.

Van Mueller LLC, Milwaukee, WI

life insuranceretirementeducationmiddle-income families
Why we celebrate them

He built a career teaching agents to ask better questions so families protect what matters, insisting the job is to inspire ordinary households to take action.

About Van Mueller β†—
TH

Tom Hegna

Economist, author of Paychecks and Playchecks, and former New York Life senior executive widely known as a retirement-income educator for advisors and families.

Author and speaker, retirement income

retirement incomeannuitieseducationauthor
Why we celebrate them

He turns retirement math into plain guidance so people can cover their basics with guaranteed lifetime income and retire without fear of running out.

About Tom Hegna β†—
CG

Christopher Gandy

Founder of Midwest Legacy Group in Lisle, Illinois, a former NBA player who became NAIFA's 2026 national president and a recognized diversity champion.

Midwest Legacy Group, Lisle, IL

life insurancefinancial planningdiversitynaifa
Why we celebrate them

He champions financial security for underserved communities and has used his NAIFA leadership to argue that a more diverse profession serves more families well.

NAIFA profile β†—
TC

Thomas Cothron

Southern Farm Bureau agency manager in Ocala, Florida, who served as NAIFA's 2024 national president advocating for career agents and their clients.

Southern Farm Bureau Insurance, Ocala, FL

life insurancecaptive agencyadvocacynaifa
Why we celebrate them

A career agency leader, he spent his presidency defending the everyday advisor and the middle-market families they insure across small-town America.

NAIFA leadership β†—
PL

Patty Lares

Founder and president of AA Lares Insurance Services, a Latina agency owner who started in insurance at 16 and was named an Insurance Business America Elite Woman.

AA Lares Insurance Services

independent agencypersonal lineslatina-ownedcommunity
Why we celebrate them

She built a two-location agency from the ground up and leads a close team that serves her community in the language and spirit of the families she grew up with.

IBA Elite Women 2017 β†—
AD

Andrea Cris Dyer

President and CEO of HCP National, described as the largest insurance agency in the country owned and led by a minority woman.

HCP National Insurance Services

independent agencycommercialminority-ownedleadership
Why we celebrate them

She bought and grew a national brokerage while opening doors in a field short on women and minority owners, proving the model can be both diverse and dominant.

HCP National β†—
MF

Mehdi Fakharzadeh

Iranian-born MetLife agent (1922-2019) regarded as one of the most successful life insurance salesmen in history, with decades of MDRT Top of the Table honors.

MetLife, New York / New Jersey

life insurancemdrtimmigrant storylegacy
Why we celebrate them

He arrived as an immigrant and served clients for six decades with relentless optimism, writing books on his belief that nothing is impossible for those who keep showing up.

Life Insurance Round Table β†—
BF

Ben Feldman

New York Life agent from East Liverpool, Ohio (1912-1993) who sold more than a billion dollars of life insurance and is widely called the greatest life salesman ever.

New York Life, East Liverpool, OH

life insurancelegacysales craftsmall-town
Why we celebrate them

He stayed in one small Ohio town his whole career and still set world records, proving that deep service to local families can outlast any big-city stage.

Wikipedia β†—
RB

Regina Bedoya

President of RB Financial Advisors in Juno Beach, Florida, and the 2020 president of the Million Dollar Round Table.

RB Financial Advisors, Juno Beach, FL

life insuranceretirementmdrtlatina
Why we celebrate them

A two-decade MDRT member who led the global body, she specializes in retirement and insurance planning and mentors advisors toward higher, service-first standards.

ThinkAdvisor β†—
TC

Tony Caldwell

Co-founder and CEO of One Agents Alliance, one of the country's largest regional independent-agency networks, and an author who mentors new agency owners.

One Agents Alliance (OAA), Oklahoma

independent agencyagency growthauthormentorship
Why we celebrate them

He has helped create hundreds of independent agencies and shares his playbook openly in books and blogs so more local owners can build durable businesses.

OAA profile β†—
FB

Frank Bettger

Former ballplayer turned Philadelphia life insurance salesman (1888-1981) whose classic How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling shaped generations of agents.

Fidelity Mutual, Philadelphia, PA

life insuranceauthorsales craftclassic
Why we celebrate them

He wrote the book that turned countless struggling agents into confident ones, teaching that enthusiasm and genuine interest in the client come before any close.

Simon and Schuster β†—
KD

Kelly Donahue-Piro

Founder and president of Agency Performance Partners, a consultant and speaker who has advised more than a thousand independent insurance agencies.

Agency Performance Partners

independent agencyconsultingretentionauthor
Why we celebrate them

She coaches agency teams to become what she calls ridiculously amazing at service and retention, helping local agencies keep the clients they worked to earn.

Meet Kelly β†—
CP

Chris Paradiso

Founder of Paradiso Insurance in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, a national Agent for the Future award winner known for community service and agency marketing.

Paradiso Insurance, Stafford Springs, CT

independent agencymarketingcommunitypersonal lines
Why we celebrate them

He turned a small-town agency into a model of local giving and modern marketing, then taught other independent agents how to do the same.

Agent for the Future award β†—
JJ

Jill Judd

State Farm agent in Capitola, California, who served as NAIFA's national president and champions women advancing in insurance.

State Farm, Capitola, CA

life insurancecaptive agencywomen in insurancenaifa
Why we celebrate them

Two decades serving one coastal community, she has used her national platform to open the profession to more women and to defend the everyday agent's value.

ACLI Impact profile β†—
RH

Ryan Hanley

Founder of the digital commercial agency Rogue Risk and host of one of the largest independent-agent podcasts, now leading Finding Peak.

Finding Peak / formerly Rogue Risk

commercial linesdigital agencypodcastauthor
Why we celebrate them

He built a modern digital agency from scratch and shares hard-won lessons with thousands of agents so the independent channel can compete and grow.

Ryan Hanley β†—
BF

Bradley Flowers

Founder of Portal Insurance in Alabama and co-host of The Insurance Guys Podcast, focused on customer-centric independent agency practice.

Portal Insurance, Saraland, AL

independent agencycommercial linespodcastcustomer experience
Why we celebrate them

He started an agency to fix the industry's lack of customer focus and, with his podcast, mentors a generation of agents to build client-first practices.

The Insurance Guys Podcast β†—
MW

Michael Weaver

Former multi-seven-figure agency owner who founded Weaver Sales Academy and authored Game Changer to train insurance sales professionals.

Weaver Sales Academy

sales trainingagency growthauthorcoaching
Why we celebrate them

Having run a top agency himself, he now coaches thousands of agents to sell with integrity and serve clients better rather than just push products.

Weaver Sales Academy β†—
CW

Carey Wallace

Founder of AgencyFocus, a consultancy providing valuation, benchmarking, and fractional CFO services to independent insurance agencies.

AgencyFocus, Charleston, SC

independent agencyvaluationperpetuationconsulting
Why we celebrate them

She helps agency owners understand what their life's work is worth and plan a sound succession, so family agencies survive into the next generation.

AgencyFocus via IIANC β†—
RS

Roger Sitkins

Founder and CEO of Sitkins Group and longtime Rough Notes columnist, regarded as one of the most influential coaches to independent insurance agencies.

Sitkins Group, Inc.

independent agencysales coachingauthorculture
Why we celebrate them

Raised in his parents' agency, he has spent forty years helping agency teams build high-performance cultures and become the best version of themselves.

Sitkins Group β†—
BW

Billy Williams

Founder of Inspire a Nation Business Mentoring and CEO of Williams Family Insurance, a nationally recognized coach to insurance agencies.

Inspire a Nation / Williams Family Insurance

agency mentoringindependent agencysmall businesscoaching
Why we celebrate them

He mentors a large network of partner agencies with low-cost, best-practice systems, helping everyday agency owners grow their books and their communities.

Inspire a Nation β†—
DC

David Contorno

Founder of E Powered Benefits and a nationally recognized employee-benefits advisor named Forbes Most Innovative Insurance Broker and BenefitsPro Broker of the Year.

E Powered Benefits

employee benefitshealth planstransparencycost reduction
Why we celebrate them

He rebuilt employer health plans around full transparency and value, publishing his own fees and cutting costs so workers get better care for less.

E Powered Benefits β†—
AN

Andy Neary

Former professional athlete turned employee-benefits advisor, founder of Complete Game Consulting, and author of Breaking Through the Status Quo.

Complete Game Consulting

employee benefitsadvisor coachingauthorbranding
Why we celebrate them

He teaches benefits advisors to build a genuine personal brand and prospecting discipline so they reach the employers who most need honest guidance.

Complete Game Consulting β†—
DD

David Duford

Founder of Duford Insurance Group (The DIG Agency), a final expense, Medicare, and life insurance agency that recruits and trains thousands of agents.

Duford Insurance Group

final expensemedicarelife insuranceagent training
Why we celebrate them

He specializes in protecting seniors and modest-income families and openly trains new agents through books and videos to serve that market with honesty.

About The DIG Agency β†—
MF

Marvin Feldman

Life insurance leader (1945-2026), 2002 MDRT president and CEO emeritus of Life Happens, honored with NAIFA's John Newton Russell Memorial Award.

Feldman Financial Group / Life Happens

life insurancemdrtpublic educationlegacy
Why we celebrate them

Son of legend Ben Feldman, he devoted his career and the nonprofit Life Happens to teaching the public why life and health insurance protection matters.

NAIFA tribute β†—
HV

Heidi Vescio

President and owner of United Insurance Agencies and Affordable Auto Insurance in Omaha, Nebraska, and an Insurance Business America Elite Woman.

United Insurance Agencies, Omaha, NE

independent agencyauto insurancecommercial lineswoman-owned
Why we celebrate them

A second-generation agent since age 18, she grew the family agency and built a top auto book serving Omaha drivers others could not easily cover.

IBA Elite Women 2018 β†—
JS

John Savage

Co-founder of Savage and Associates in Toledo, Ohio (1931-1993), a life insurance great and author of Savage on Selling who built one of the nation's largest agencies.

Savage and Associates, Toledo, OH

life insuranceauthoragency buildinglegacy
Why we celebrate them

He credited people skills, not technical tricks, for his success and only recommended what he would buy himself, treating every client like a good friend.

Savage and Associates β†—
BH

Bryon Holz

Founder of Bryon Holz and Associates in Brandon, Florida, and NAIFA's 2023 national president, recognized as a Florida Advisor of the Year.

Bryon Holz and Associates, Brandon, FL

life insuranceretirementestate planningnaifa
Why we celebrate them

Four decades serving Florida families and business owners, he has led at every level of NAIFA to protect the advisor-client relationship.

NAIFA profile β†—
MJ

Michael Jans

Founder of Agency Revolution, which built the insurance industry's first digital marketing system for independent agents, and author of several agency marketing books.

Agency Revolution / Michael Jans Advisory

independent agencymarketing automationauthoragency growth
Why we celebrate them

He gave small independent agencies the marketing tools once reserved for big carriers, helping thousands of owners build lasting client relationships.

About Michael Jans β†—
AG

Alexis Goines

Owner of Allstate: The Goines Agency in Clarksville, Tennessee, a military spouse and small-business owner whose agency earned NAIFA 100 percent Agency status.

Allstate: The Goines Agency, Clarksville, TN

personal linescaptive agencymilitary communitywoman-owned
Why we celebrate them

Serving families around Fort Campbell, she finds her greatest reward in giving military and local households real peace of mind about their financial security.

NAIFA feature β†—
KC

Kathy Conley-Jones

Founder of The Conley Financial Group, built into the largest Black-owned independent insurance agency in Missouri, and a 2022 Insurance Business America Elite Woman.

The Conley Financial Group, St. Louis, MO

employee benefitsmulti-lineblack-ownedcommunity
Why we celebrate them

Over 35 years she broke barriers as a Black woman owner, focused on protecting multi-generational wealth and founding the NAAIA St. Louis chapter to lift others.

The Narrative Matters β†—
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What this is, and isn't.

A celebration of the Insurance Agents community, assembled entirely from public information as an act of credit and gratitude. It is not a claim of endorsement, affiliation, sponsorship, or partnership by anyone featured. Every person is real and publicly documented, with a cited source of truth on their card; we never invent a person or a claim, and we prize accuracy over speed. Anyone featured can ask to be updated or removed at any time. Names and marks belong to their owners.