Gideon For-mukwai is an award-winning author, educator, and speaker. He is a new representative of WFG Transamerica and a new NAIFA member.

For-mukwai was first introduced to the financial services industry by a family member. His wife’s uncle was involved with the WFG Transamerica and thought For-mukwai would be an excellent fit, so he asked him to join the company/firm. At the time, For-mukwai was finishing up his doctorate in Education and Instructional Leadership at Concordia University, and coaching and training others through his business Story Warrior Associates & Nerds, i.e. (SWAN Studios). While he did not feel like he could join WFG Transamerica at the time, Gideon knew that if his uncle could get his wife on board, he would eventually convince him, too. He said, “When he got her, he knew he got me too.”

Tom Berger is an Agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services in Rapid City, South Dakota, and a new NAIFA member.

Berger first entered the financial services industry 17 years ago. Before joining, he served in the U.S. Air Force. After retiring from the Air Force, he decided to go back to college. In his late 40s, he earned his Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a financial management emphasis. He says, “Numbers have always been something I like to work with, so this seemed like a fitting step in my career.”

Henry Angelucci is an advisor at Knights of Columbus Insurance and a new NAIFA member.

Before starting his career in the financial services industry, Angelucci worked as a union electrician. After working for the same company for 10 years, he found himself looking for a less physically demanding job. While he was an active member of the Knights of Columbus, he had never considered a career with the company. One day he came across a flyer in the mail advertising a job opportunity. Angelucci took this as a sign and decided to give it a try. After all, he had always been interested in investments and personal financial planning because of his father’s influence.

James Orr is a Life Field Annuity Director for Cincinnati Life Insurance Company and a new NAIFA member.

After graduating from Wittenberg University with a bachelor’s degree in history and a Spanish minor, Orr was eager to move back to Cincinnati, OH. While he had initially considered going to law school or teaching, he decided he was open to other opportunities, if they led him back home.

Morgan Fimpel is an Account Manager for Summit Financial Group and a new NAIFA member.

After graduating from Central Baptist College with a Bachelor of Science in General Studies and a Recreational Leadership minor, she moved to Dallas, TX. She and her fiancé planned to settle in the area eventually, so Fimpel began applying to open positions that somewhat aligned with her past work experiences. Not long into her search, she was interviewed for a position at Summit and offered the job. At the time, she knew this would be an incredible growth opportunity, but little did she know that this would turn into a career she would fall completely in love with. She says she was attracted to this industry because, “I knew there was the potential of this job turning into a career, and I love helping people. Now that I’m actually in it, I realize it’s 100% where I want to be, and I’m so glad I decided to give it a try!”

Mark Davis  is an Insurance Agent at Southern Farm Bureau Insurance Company (SFBIC) in Meadville, Mississippi, and a new NAIFA member.

Formerly a college administrator and professor of history classes at Mississippi College, he became aware of an available position at SFBIC through a friend. After a 5-6-month session of conversations and interviews, they offered him the position.

Christine Virost is a Registered Representative at Western & Southern Financial Group and a new NAIFA member.

She first entered the financial services industry when a recruiter reached out to her on LinkedIn to see if she would be interested in a career. While she had no prior industry experience, she was ready for change and jumped at the recruiter’s offer to train her.

Courtney Kastelic is a Senior Disability Sales Manager for Principal Insurance Company and a new NAIFA member. Growing up in a middle-class family, Kastelic became aware early on the stressful impacts money has on a family, which piqued her interest in the financial services industry.

Veronica Rodriguez specializes in property and casualty insurance at Gateway Insurance Group and is a new NAIFA member. Coming from the payday lending industry, she was thrilled to enter a field where she could continue helping people—this time without high interest rates and repossessions. Rodriguez is most passionate about helping people plan for the unexpected in order to prevent them from ending up in a position that forces them to borrow money at high interest rates.

Crystal Nguyen is a sales manager with MassMutual Texas Gulf Coast and a new NAIFA member. She began her first job in the insurance and financial services industry because it seemed like a good option for her. “I sort of fell into it,” she said. But she has developed a successful career because of her passion for serving clients.