Audrey Carls, AgriSompo North America
Audrey Carls, AgriSompo North AmericaAudrey Carls currently serves as AVP of Product Management and Support for AgriSompo. In this role, Audrey provides support and oversight for the Product Owner and System Support teams. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Audrey holds a B.S. in Agricultural Communications and has been in the crop insurance industry for ten years, with much of that time spent in Underwriting and Operations. Audrey and her husband, Jeff, operate a family farm in the Springfield, IL area and have a two-year-old son, Jack. She enjoys spending time at home cooking and gardening, traveling (especially to Florida), and cheering on the Fighting Illini.
Aaron Larson, AgriSompo North America
Aaron Larson, AgriSompo North AmericaAaron Larson is currently the Business Development Manager for the Upper Midwest Region at Agrisompo. The region includes the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. He manages 7 Business Development Representatives throughout the region. In that role, he spearheads business growth in targeted areas and helps establish long-term strategic crop insurance agency partners. Aaron has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint John’s University in Minnesota and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree from Dakota Wesleyan University. He started his career in crop insurance as an agent in 2012 and transitioned to the business development role in 2022. In his free time, if there is any, Aaron enjoys spending time with his wife, Renee, and their four children. They enjoy camping, traveling, exploring, and anything outdoors. For fun, Aaron also participates in one-hundred-mile trail running events. The pain Aaron feels during these events is often less than he feels living a life of being a Minnesota sports fan for the Vikings and Timberwolves.
Heather Jager, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Inc.
Heather Jager, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Inc.Heather Jager is a Crop Insurance Specialist with American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Inc. (AFBIS). In this role, she assists in livestock-related tasks and supports the processing of crop paperwork throughout the insurance cycle. Heather holds a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and a Master of Science in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time on the farm with her fiancé, gardening, and visiting family.
James “Jamie” Mason, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services
James “Jamie” Mason, American Farm Bureau Insurance ServicesJames (Jamie) Mason is a Claims Representative for American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, INC. Jamie’s role at AFBIS includes claims management, claims review, and policy compliance. He attended Vincennes University, concentrating on management. He currently farms with his wife, Joscelyne, and children, Elaine and Oren, raising corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, and cattle. In his free time, he enjoys watching his children’s sports games and is an avid outdoorsman. Jamie is involved with many civic organizations, including the ELKS and Sullivan Co. Pilots’ Association, to name a few.
Dylan Houser, COUNTRY Financial
Dylan Houser, COUNTRY FinancialDylan Houser is a Crop Claims Field Supervisor at COUNTRY Financial. In this role, he trains new adjusters and works closely with lead adjusters, underwriting, and agency teams to deliver outstanding customer service to COUNTRY Financial clients. Dylan was raised in rural Piatt County, where agriculture was a central part of his upbringing, working for local farmers throughout his youth. He earned his degree from Illinois State University in Bloomington, IL, in 2012 and began his career in the seed sales industry before joining COUNTRY Financial’s Crop Claims department as an adjuster in 2014. Outside of work, Dylan enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and coaching his two children as they begin their athletic journeys.
Shelby Oetting, Farm Bureau Financial Services
Shelby Oetting, Farm Bureau Financial ServicesShelby Oetting is a Regional Crop Consultant for Farm Bureau Financial Services. In her role, she supports agents through training and education on crop insurance products, sales strategies, and provides direct outreach and training to farmers. Raised in Nebraska’s agriculture industry, Shelby holds degrees from Iowa Western Community College and Bellevue University. She brings a well-rounded perspective to the crop insurance space, having worked on both the AIP and agency sides of the business. Outside of her professional work, Shelby enjoys motocross and camping with her family and is an active volunteer in her community through her daughters’ schools, 4-H club, and Girl Scout troop.
Josh Menz, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
Josh Menz, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of IowaJosh Menz is the Assistant Vice President, Crop Underwriting with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa. He leads a diverse team in the FMH Crop Underwriting Department whose responsibilities include supporting agents, processing business, PASS error resolution, and overseeing the implementation of new programs and processing system enhancements. His passion for agriculture started early, growing up on the family farm located in Central Iowa. He continued at Iowa State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business, a Double Major in Economics, and a Secondary Major in International Agriculture. He has found a home in crop insurance underwriting for the past 12 years. Supporting his kids in their activities, such as softball, soccer, and basketball, is where he spends most of his time, but he also enjoys watching all sports, with college football being his favorite, spending time with family, movies, golfing, and fishing.
Kathleen Bjerke, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
Kathleen Bjerke, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of IowaKathleen Bjerke currently serves Farmers Mutual Hail as a Regional Sales Manager for the Central Region. She and her team cover Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a bachelor’s in business marketing and a master’s in business administration. She started with FMH in 2020 and has assisted FMH in various sales roles. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, biking, running, golfing, hunting, and baking.
Avery Cook, Gallagher Re
Avery Cook, Gallagher ReAvery Cook joined Gallagher’s reinsurance broking team as US Agriculture Reinsurance Lead in May of 2025. His role is to develop innovative products and solutions for crop insurers and to promote new business production. Avery has worked in crop insurance for over 20 years as an insurer, reinsurance broker, World Bank consultant, and global reinsurance underwriter. In his spare time, Avery likes to fish, run, and build new crop insurance products.
Kody Kirkendall, Guy Carpenter
Kody Kirkendall, Guy CarpenterKody Kirkendall is a Senior Vice President at Guy Carpenter. At Guy Carpenter, he serves as a broker placing reinsurance programs for a number of Approved Insurance Provider clients who write Crop and Livestock business across the United States. Prior to becoming a reinsurance broker, he led the marketing and placement team at March McLennan Agency, as well as spending nearly 20 years on the carrier side of the business in various agribusiness underwriting leadership roles. He grew up on a row-crop family farm in rural Nebraska and earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from the University of Nebraska. Mr. Kirkendall is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). He currently lives in Minneapolis, MN, with his wife Christen and three young children: Harper, Rex, and Vance. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, following their children’s sporting activities, as well as spending time outdoors fishing, camping, and following the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sundays.
Ashley Hawley, Hudson Crop
Ashley Hawley, Hudson CropAshley Hawley is the Livestock Regulatory Operations Manager at Hudson Crop Insurance. In her role, she oversees the claims processing and compliance departments for the Livestock and Index Division. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences from the University of Arkansas and brings over twelve years of experience in the crop insurance industry. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys watching her kids play baseball and softball, spending time as a family showing pigs, and cheering on collegiate sports—especially the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Issac Straub, Hudson Crop
Issac Straub, Hudson CropBio coming soon
Josh Goche, Rural Community Insurance Services
Josh Goche, Rural Community Insurance ServicesJoshua “Josh” Goche works for Rural Community Insurance Services as a Field Service Representative. He is responsible for business development in the Southern third of Minnesota and parts of Eastern Wisconsin. He retired from the MN Army National Guard after 22 years of service and multiple leadership roles. He attended South Dakota State University for Mechanical Engineering and obtained a certificate in Leadership and Work Force Development from the US Army War College. He has worked in the crop insurance industry for 14 years. His hobbies include camping, snowmobiling, and spending time with his wife, Brittney, and their three children: Jackson, Liam, and Piper.
Stephanie Manhart, Rural Community Insurance Services
Stephanie Manhart, Rural Community Insurance ServicesStephanie Manhart is a District Claims Manager for Rural Community Insurance Services, where she oversees claims operations across Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. She leads a team of nine Area Claims Managers and manages over one hundred adjusters. Stephanie holds a dual degree in Marketing and Management from Kansas State University. She began her career in crop insurance in 2013 as an adjuster in northwest Kansas, gaining hands-on field experience before advancing into leadership roles. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys spending time on the farm with her husband, Doug, and their daughter, Avery. She is also passionate about showing American Quarter Horses and actively volunteers with the Gove County Community Foundation.