For Bob Kelly, insurance runs in the family. Kelly’s father was an insurance salesman and a family man through and through. He instilled in Kelly the importance of using your talents to help others. “He'd bring various instances where he’d sold policies, and something happened a short time afterward and the family was taken care of,” Kelly says. “They didn’t have to worry about anything."

Jack Mander, of NAIFA-AK, protects Alaskan families with insurance, financial planning, and a heart for service.

Getting Started

Mander grew up in Nassau County, New York, but found himself on the opposite side of the country for a summer job during college: commercial fishing in Alaska. A life-long nature lover, Mander fell in love with Alaska’s beauty and decided to make his home in Anchorage. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Russian Language and Economics from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Mander began his career in insurance and financial services.

For Michael (Mike) Emmert, serving clients means learning everything there is to know about the products and services he provides.

Emmert has been in the insurance and financial services industry for four and a half years, but he previously had a long career in pharmaceutical sales. He has always strived to learn the intricacies of his industry and develop extensive product knowledge, and he brought that passion and attention to detail to his career in insurance and financial services.

Brett Rettenmund is a career insurance professional with a heart for serving others. 

Rettenmund began his career at Aflac just after graduating from college. He was interested in becoming a financial planner and was encouraged to enter the insurance industry. His goal was to build a book of business and gain experience before transitioning to financial planning. He joined Aflac because of their dedication to helping their clients. “I've served Aflac for over 20 years, and I love the culture of the company.” He continues, “I love what we do to help people financially, at a time they need it most. That's why I would say I'm exceptionally happy in my profession.” 

Mardi Woods is dedicated to promoting financial literacy in her community, from her work with youth organizations to her insurance and financial practice at New York Life. She is an Agent with New York Life Insurance Company and a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC (member FINRA/SIPC), a Licensed Insurance Agency and a New York Life company.

Woods entered the insurance and financial services industry in 2018. After spending time in the corporate world and taking time to raise her family, Woods wanted to find a career she could retire from. She was looking into several options when a friend at New York Life encouraged her to apply.

Gerald Wodkins loves helping people.

Wodkins started in the insurance industry in 2000 in Macon, GA. Young and newly married, he took a job at a Geico call center to help support his growing family. He was dedicated to helping his clients get the best coverage for their unique situations. He recalls, "I always prided myself on taking the opportunity to really dive deep and help people to really look at the whole picture.” Wodkins worked with Geico for 15 years before taking a brief break from insurance. In August 2021, Wodkins began working with American National. He now offers an array of insurance products and services and plans to focus on helping small businesses.

Stephanie Tulley is all about helping others reach their full potential.

Tulley, like many, got into the insurance industry inadvertently, but she soon grew to love her work. Starting as a receptionist at a State Farm agency in 2015, she soon moved to sales, management, and consulting. Now, she manages one of the top State Farm agencies in the Tampa Bay area and runs her own consultancy agency, The Insurance Advisory, to edify other insurance professionals and help them move forward in their careers.

For Danielle Humphreys, helping Americans protect their families is a way of life. 

Humphreys has been in the insurance field for over 15 years. She was introduced to the industry by her father, a lifelong State Farm agent, and started her career in his office. What started out as just a job quickly became her calling. “I just had this passion for making complex things simple,” she says. "It doesn't have to be overly complicated.”  

Nicholas MacDonald got into the financial services industry by an uncommon route. After completing his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science, he found a financial research firm looking for philosophy majors. He applied and became the office's Asia specialist. Soon, his interest in China led to an international move.

Eva Emperador and her family migrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1981. Her family started out in Sonneville, CA, she moved to various cities over the years, and now resides in Gilroy, CA. Eva began her career as a finance controller for various companies, managing budgets, profits, and loss for organizations in the food, manufacturing, and aerospace industries. After 25 years of success as a financial controller, Eva made the pivot into financial services. After meeting with her financial advisor, she was inspired to change her career path into the financial service industry in 2017.