My roots are in North Dakota. I graduated from NDSU and immediately jumped into the insurance world with the Continental Insurance Companies. After spending nearly a decade working on the company side in marketing and underwriting I created my own general agency. Shortly thereafter I took on the task of creating a self-insurance pool for political subdivisions of North Dakota. That pool is still in existence almost thirty years later and is one of the largest in the nation . . . and the coverage is sold through agents.

I also operate an insurance agent network called Insurance Partners, which has been aggregating agents in the Midwest for over 20 years. I was National Agent of the Year for Metropolitan in 1993 and Midwest Agent of the Year for Travelers in 2011. I also serve as a founding board member of Surplus Lines Association of Minnesota.