Bank On
Dream Team
Meet The DreamTeam
S. Christopher Johnson
CLU
Chris Johnson has held positions in a variety of insurance industry disciplines including; retail sales, marketing, sales management, independent as well as bank and broker-dealer distribution.
Chris has held positions at three large insurance companies. Most recently Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at National Western Life. Chris was elected and served for 6 years on the National Association of Fixed Annuities, (NAFA) board of directors culminating as Chairman of the Board in 2015. He is a Die-Hard Nebraska Cornhusker fan and married his college sweetheart. He is a proud father of four.
Jeffrey E. Ellis
SVP
Partnership Development
BBD, Inc.V
Jeff helped build the #1 SPL life insurance company and now is engaged with the fastest-growing BGA in America.
In Jeff's spare time he enjoys making wood-fired, maple syrup from his sugar maple trees in the Great Lakes region. He is passionate about being a Prison chaplain and is a three-time New York best selling author.
Jeff is the proud father of six kids and fifteen grandchildren.
Sean Carter
VP
National Sales Director
BBD, Inc.
Sean is the National Sales Director and has created and developed top-performing Bank Insurance and Insurance Distribution programs.
Sean has collaborated with numerous carrier manufacturers to construct, develop and enhance the industry-leading bank insurance products and processes.
Sean is the biggest fan of his wife of 20 years and 3 daughters! My dog (she’s a girl too!), The Ohio State Buckeyes, Cincinnati Reds, Columbus Blue Jackets, brewing beer.
Sean loves working and partnering with some of the best people in the industry and helping them to serve others.
Doug S. Traylor
President
CEO
Largest independent life premium distributor in the bank industry. Coined the moniker “Savings Based Insurance”, Known as an industry thought leader.
One of Doug's memorable professional moments is he gets to work with Chuck Woolery as the companies spokesperson!
Doug is a fan of his two kids! Longhorn Football, cool cars, and working with all the “A” players on this team and getting the privilege to serve them as they serve our clients!
Timothy Moriarty
Managing Partner
VIP Insurance
Over the years Tim has worked with over 30 major NFL, NBA, and NHL players which includes 5 Hall of Famers. Tim serves on four company advisory boards from 2008-2017.
Tim holds a General Insurance license, as well as the Investment Company & Variable Contracts (Series 6) and Securities Agent State Law (Series 63) registrations.
In Tim’s spare time he is enjoying family time with his wife, four daughters and son-in-law’s and 13 grandchildren.
Christopher Spates
Partner
Chief Marketing Officer
Chris is instrumental in the growth of VIP Insurance and is responsible for business development for new financial institutions and broker-dealer relationships. He is the National Account Manager for three large national broker-dealer accounts and
manages the international department.
In his free time, Chris enjoys coaching his two sons in sports and hanging out with his best friend, his wife.
Gary Fischer
Gary has been in the insurance industry for 32 years. Gary has worked in all aspects of the business. 20 plus year as an advisor and 10 years as a Regional Vice President.
Gary grew up on the farm. So the insurance industry is easy compared to hauling hay and building fences.
Gary loves being a dad, Hunting, Fishing, Golfing, Football, and George Strait. He is a true Texan.
Robert Cantu
Robert is the #1 producer within the independent life premium distributor in the bank industry.
He loves telling the story when he partied with Michael Jordan in Las Vegas. And he knows all lyrics of the rapper Tupac Shakur.
Robert is as diverse as he is true and the fact that he attended a seminary school and swears that he's seen
UFO and a Chupacabra is all the proof you should need.
But one thing for sure is he owns more shoes than any other male we know.
Robert is the biggest fan of his family, Positivity, and Balance in Life.
Scott Reenan
Director
of
National Accounts
FT Financial
Scott is the Director of National Accounts at FT Financial. He is a rare breed…..worked at as a wholesaler…went to work for a brokerage firm….went back to work as an account manager. Scott spent the last four years working directly with clients….understanding what is truly important, the client experience!
He coined the phrase “Grandma Test.” and would love the opportunity to talk to you about it.
He went to Campbell University for Professional Golf Management. And is a fan of: his wife, Regin and children: Graham (6 years old) Haddie (4 years old). In his spare time you can find Scott coaching his two kids and spending time in Montana (Big Sky Country) on the farm. He is a fan of the Cincinnati Bearcat Sports and working with a great Team, and enjoying every day.
Scott Reenan
Alyssa Lachapelle
Alyssa is Regional Sales Director with 8 years in the insurance industry, award-winning insurance sales representative and wholesaler.
Prior to her insurance career, Alyssa studied to become an opera singer and performed throughout the US and Italy.
Alyssa is her son, Elijah's biggest cheerleader and loves donuts and the New England Patriots
Anna Michaelson
Anna has been in the financial industry for over 25 years in various roles including direct sales, sales management, home office support and wholesaling in bank broker dealers. She has been with the dream team now for 2 years and enjoys working in such a supportive family environment. Her passion for coaching others to success comes through on a daily bases in her top producing market of Ohio, WV and VA.
Anna has been married to her best friend Roger for 20 years and has two daughters Alexandria and Abigail. In her spare time she is on the Board of the Central Ohio Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and volunteers for their top two fund raising events. She also enjoys working on home projects and watching her favorite college football team Marshall University “GO HERD”.
Jackie Valley
Chief Education Officer
Benefit Bank Distributors
Jackie is a Senior Product Specialist/Trainer with over 7 years in the insurance industry and 20 years training experience.
Jackie started a non-profit organization when she was 24 years old and was the Executive Director of that agency for 18 years. She was named one of New Hampshire’s 40 under Forty professionals which celebrates up-and-coming leaders.
Jackie is a fan of her husband Chris, son Jacob and the Boston Red Sox!
Alyssa Lachapelle
Education Officer
Benefit Bank Distributors
Alyssa is Regional Sales Director with 8 years in the insurance industry, award-winning insurance sales representative and wholesaler.
Prior to her insurance career, Alyssa studied to become an opera singer and performed throughout the US and Italy.
Alyssa is her son, Elijah's biggest cheerleader and loves donuts and the New England Patriots
Anna Michaelson
Regional Sales Director
Benefit Bank Distributors
Anna has been in the financial industry for over 25 years in various roles including direct sales, sales management, home office support and wholesaling in bank broker dealers. She has been with the dream team now for 2 years and enjoys working in such a supportive family environment. Her passion for coaching others to success comes through on a daily bases in her top producing market of Ohio, WV and VA.
Anna has been married to her best friend Roger for 20 years and has two daughters Alexandria and Abigail. In her spare time she is on the Board of the Central Ohio Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and volunteers for their top two fund raising events. She also enjoys working on home projects and watching her favorite college football team Marshall University “GO HERD”.
Meet The Dream Team
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Najja (Naj) Cannady
Senior Internal
Annuity Specialist
Naj has been an investment advisor for 18 years. He is an Iraq war combat veteran 2003. A proud father of 2 children. A Raiders and a Mets fan. Finally, he is an MS survivor. His motto is “if war can’t stop me MS won't either”.
Marcy Nicholson
Senior Internal Marketing Specialist
Marcy has more than 25 years of sales and sales management experience and has spent over 13 years in medical professional liability. Prior to joining Benefit Bank Distributors Marcy was Assistant Vice President of Business Development for The Doctors Company’s Northwest Region. She is currently in the process of completing her Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation. In her spare time loves to watch college football, is an avid gardener and loves to play with her rescue dogs.
Patrick Gillis
Senior Internal Marketing Specialist
Pat Grew up in Westport, CT around the Insurance industry. He is a motorhead who drives to fast, enjoys modifying and playing with his toys and commonly breaks them. He moved to Texas to join the dream team and is very excited about being part of one of the fastest growing companies in the industry.
He is a diehard NY Giants, Rangers, and Yankees Fan. He enjoys spending time outdoors, golfing, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. He also loves spending time with his family and cherishes all the time he spends with his two nieces!
John Heath, CRPC
Senior Internal Marketing Specialist
John has been in the financial services industry for over 15 years and has been associated with the insurance industry for over 30 years. He has been a Dream Team member for 5 years with Benefit Bank Distributors since 2013. He has served in numerous capacities in the industry including Divisional VP and Regional Manager for Fortune 500 Broker-Dealers. He is registered with FINRA as a General Securities Principal. John served in the U.S. Navy in the Nuclear Submarine Service and is married to Lorrie, an attorney in Austin Texas.
Heather Hall Senior Internal Marketing Specialist
Heather has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years. She has a great combination of marketing experience along with expertise in the financial services industry. She enjoys coaching her clients to success and relationship building is her forte! She is passionate about the value, provision & legacy that Life insurance creates.
She grew up in central Texas and calls it home. Her most important role is being a wife & mom. She is a loyal fan of her husband Terry for 25 years, and her three amazing daughters Jenna, Sophie & Katie. She gives back to her community by volunteering at her church in various leadership roles. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, walking & cooking with family.
She has been a part of the dream team since 2016 as a Senior Internal Marketing Specialist.
Taylor Mungia
Senior Internal Marketing Specialist
Taylor is a Native Texans that loves the outdoors. Faith and family are the most important things to him. He is a proud father of two kids. Taylor has been in the Financial institution for 10 years and the last five at Benefit Bank Distributors. He is an avid Dallas Cowboys and Texas A&M fan. In his spare time, he enjoys deer hunting/lake and river fishing (bass and catfish) and working with his hands.
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Meet The Dream Team
Seth Colley
Sr. Regional Sales Director
Benefit Bank Distributors
Seth has been fortunate to have been a sales leader for tier one financial distribution companies for over 15 years.
He loves the fact that he gets the privilege of working with the best team in the industry at Benefit Bank Distributors, Inc.
Seth is a devoted fan of his wife and two kids as well as Nashville predators hockey and Tennessee Titans football.
Luisa Gonzalez
Senior Educational Officer
Benefit Bank Distributors
Luisa Gonzalez comes equipped with 20 years of experience as a Financial Advisor and another 7 years in the banking industry which have help her developed knowledge and skills that she applies in her current role.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing.
As a CFP® (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™) professional, Luisa has helped clients over the years to plan for their financial future. Her passion now is mentoring, coaching and passing on the knowledge she has acquired to other Financial Professionals.
When she is not teaching, Luisa loves spending time with her husband of 26 years and her 3 kids. She enjoys planning road trips with her family and serves at her church as the administrator for the Bible Institute.
Brooke McCord
Senior Regional Director
Benefit Bank Distributors
Brooke has been in the Life insurance industry for over 6 years and in the financial services industry for over 11 years.
Brooke has run 4 marathons and has even run the Paris marathon in France!
In Brooke's spare time you will find her working out and taking challenging hikes.
Jo-Anne Rogers
SVP of Operations
Benefit Bank Distributors
As the SVP of Operations of Benefit Bank Distributors, Jo-Anne is both diligent in her passion for life insurance and committed to the profession of operations. Jo-Anne joined Benefit Bank Distributors in April of 2020 after 10 years of working at Liberty Life within distribution operations where she served as a liaison, bridging the gap on all facets of operations and technology to the top banks in the United States. With over 22 years of experience, she strives to continue building and managing best practices to ensure the best agent and customer experience while developing plans to optimize growth and expansion.
Jo-Anne grew up as a military brat moving state to state, country to country on a moment’s notice. New Hampshire being where she raised her children is where she considered home until the recent move to Austin Texas. Texas is now her new home.
In her spare time, Jo-Anne enjoys spending time with her two children and being a Lifestyle Wellness Coach.
Joyce Theis
Joyce considers herself the consistent "student" of the business for over three decades; known for dissecting the analytics behind complex cases and creating simple-to-understand presentations.
Joyce is an internal optimist, and persistent problem solver - if an answer exists, she'll find it!
Joyce is a fan of her talented husband and daughters; the Vikings (MN roots); all music genres; healthy living; new cultures and experiences; and, creating beautiful home designs.
Carlos Rodriguez
Sr. Regional Director
Benefit Bank Distributors
Carlos is no stranger to the financial services industry, having over 26 years of experience in corporate finance, financial advisory services, and Insurance coaching and education. He is a qualified Financial specialist and currently holds the Series 7,6,63 FINRA Licenses.
After a successful career in Mergers & Acquisitions with UBS Warburg-PaineWebber, Carlos became top producer as a financial consultant with Banco Popular N.A. where he was a national advisor in the athletic and entertainment wealth services division.. After 11 years as a financial consultant, Carlos joined Liberty Mutual where he was a V.P.Regional Director and achieved Liberty Leader’s Conference several years as a top performer. There he contributed to the industry leading development sales and marketing strategy team ranked #1 in the financial services industry for 10 years.
Today, Carlos Rodriguez is proud to be working with Benefit Bank Distributors as a Senior Regional Director for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Carlos is an external product - relationship partner that educates and coaches financial advisors to integrate insurance and investment-based solutions in their practice.
Carlos went to Queens College where he studied business management and has successfully completed the sales management certification at Cornell University. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his three children. They enjoy traveling, hiking, boating, skiing, and any opportunity to relax on a beach.
Robert E. Klein
Relationship Director
"It takes a TEAM to Win"
Amanda Mongillo
Sr. Regional Director
Amanda has been a well-respected Insurance Professional for 17 years. She started her career as a Property & Casualty agent, but quickly found her true passion was for LIFE insurance!
Amanda has been a Top Producing Regional Director for 12 years and recently joined the BBD in January 2020.
Amanda has been married to her soulmate for 11 years and has two daughters, Giada and Giuliana.
When she isn’t working, you will find her entertaining family and friends at her home. She loves to cook!
Amanda also enjoys family beach vacations and riding her Peloton bike.
Danny Barajas | VP, Relationship Manager
Danny has been in the financial services industry for over 20 years in various roles including direct sales, sales management and wholesaling in the bank and independent broker dealer channels.
Danny and his family can be found most weekends on a tennis court. His daughter Isa is a USTA competitive junior tennis player and both Danny and his wife Sarah officiate USTA and ITA tournaments.
When not on a tennis court, having grown up in Spain and Germany, Danny loves to travel with his family.
Meet The Team
Forrest Reed
CLU, ChFC
CLU, ChFC
CLU, ChFC
Forrest is fluent in the Spanish language.
As an internationally experienced guest speaker and financial advisor, Forrest can assist in solving the risk, tax, investment and estate planning needs of high net worth clients through the use of insurance products.
His practice focus is on working with high net worth non-resident clients.