Speaker Lineup

 

Keynote Speaker: Sean Clifton, Master Sergeant (retired), US Army Special Forces (Green Beret)

Sean Clifton (US Army, Master Sergeant) retired from the Army in 2016, after 22 years of service; a balance of active duty service, as well as Army National Guard. Sean was a US Army Special Forces Green Beret, with specialties in Intelligence, Operations, and Communications. Sean has tours of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones, as well as tours of duty throughout Europe.

During his last tour of combat in Afghanistan in 2009, Sean was critically wounded while conducting a raid on a Taliban/Al-Qaeda compound. During the raid, Sean entered an enemy controlled compound and was shot multiple times by enemy fighters; suffering gunshot wounds to the left wrist, abdomen, and right leg. The medics kept him alive on the battlefield; enduring more than two years of surgery, recovery, and therapy. Sean’s medals include the Purple Heart Medal and Bronze Star Medal (with Valor), among other awards and medals.

Sean earned a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice (MSCJ – Homeland Security) from Tiffin University (Ohio). Sean’s experience also includes 5 years as an Analyst with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Columbus, OH (Cincinnati Division). After retiring in 2016, Sean started his own consulting company in Dublin, OH; providing specialized consulting services to first responders, law enforcement, and military personnel worldwide.

Sean continues to serve his community and country as a volunteer and leader for several non-profit organizations (one of which he is a co-founder) to include:

  • Purple Heart Racing Project (501c3): Co-founder and wounded warrior athlete. Sean is also the Team Captain of the Ohio Chapter of Purple Heart Racing; managing an Ohio team of 12 athletes as well as organizing multiple athletic and racing events in the sports of BMX, Mountain Bike, and Sports Car racing.
  • Buckeye Purple Heart Foundation (501c3): Combat Wounded Veteran ambassador. Sean assists this foundation with social media engagements, event support, event planning, and fundraising ops.

Sean is also an active member of the City of Dublin Veterans Advisory Committee, whereas he works with other veterans in the community alongside Dublin City Council; raising awareness, promoting events, and providing support for veteran’s concerns in the community. Within his role on this committee, Sean was able to get the City of Dublin officially recognized as a “Purple Heart City” with city proclamation approval in July 2021.

 POST-MILITARY AWARDS/RECOGNITION:

Sean lives in Dublin, Ohio with his wife (of 22 years) and their three sons (ages 17, 15, and 13).

 Opening Session Speaker: Jason Peacock

Jason has been an independent insurance agent since 1998.  He began his career in production with HRH (Willis). In 2002, he opened a branch office for Insurance Office of America (IOA) in Gainesville, GA.  Starting with 1 employee and zero in revenue, he and his partners grew the Gainesville operation to 15 employees and over $4 million in annual revenue.  In 2016 he sold his portion of the agency and joined McGriff Insurance Services as a partner in their Telecommunications Practice Group.

As a top performing agent, founding partner and agency manager, Jason has a unique perspective by being able to relate to those on the front lines of selling, as well as those involved with management and leadership.

Through his books, speaking engagements and live workshops, his passion is to “pay it forward” to the next generation of insurance professionals.
Jason and his wife Wendy spend their spare time hanging out with their 3 adult children and enjoying the freedom of being empty nesters!

Nicole E. Broch, MPA, CIC, CISR, PLCS

Nicole Broch spent over a decade as an Independent Insurance Agent and Manager of a successful partnership between a community financial institution and a local independent agency in Springfield, Illinois.  After leaving the retail agency side of the industry, Nicole spent time supporting agents in Central and Southern Illinois for NatGen Premier and The Hanover Insurance Group for personal lines products.  Currently, Nicole is a Senior Account Executive for Bliss-McKnight, Inc, supporting agents, brokers, and public entities throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

She attended The Hartford School of Insurance and achieved her National Underwriter awarded Personal Lines Coverage Specialist (PLCS) designation in 2005.  She went on to receive the National Alliance CISR designation in 2007 and CIC designation in 2009. Nicole teaches National Alliance CIC and CISR modules, IIABA Errors & Omissions, Ethics, and customer service and professional development topics for IIAs, PIAs, and trade associations throughout the country.

Originally from the Orlando Metro area of Florida, Nicole earned her undergraduate degree in English from Florida State University and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of South Florida.  Nicole has two children, Natalie and T.J., and enjoys traveling, active vacations that include bike riding, kayaking, and hiking, and weekend golfing (badly).  Nicole volunteers in her community for her local chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.

Joseph Cox

Joseph Cox, the Marketing Director at Trusted Choice, is all about boosting Big "I" member agencies’ marketing game by educating them on the latest trends and how to leverage Trusted Choice’s super handy free marketing resources. With over five years at the Big "I" and nearly 15 years in marketing roles, he knows just about everything there is to know about the marketing challenges Independent Agencies face and he’s on a mission to tackle these challenges one by one. Joseph is passionate about inspiring agencies to shake things up and get creative with their marketing strategies, using modern tactics and tools.

Ross "Trey" Gregory III

Ross “Trey” Gregory III is currently a personal and commercial lines producer at Gregory Associates Insurance Agency in Fort Wayne Indiana. His great grandfather Sam founded the agency in 1933, he is proud to be a 4th generation agent. 

He graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington and accepted a job as a personal and commercial property/liability adjuster with a Fortune 500 insurance carrier.  He has experience handling a wide variety of claims ranging from multi-party liability claims in suit to commercial fire losses in excess of six figures.

He has earned his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Associate in Claims, and Associate in General Insurance designations from the Institutes. He also carries an active independent adjuster license in the state of Indiana. 

Richard S. Pitts

Richard S. Pitts is general counsel to the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana.  As counsel to the Big “I,” Rick speaks annually at the association’s “New Laws” seminars and teaches various seminars on insurance and employment-related matters. Pitts is a 1983 graduate of Wabash College and a 1986 graduate of Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis. Pitts has co-authored two articles appearing in the Indiana Law Review.

Carey Wallace

Carey is passionate about helping agency owners leverage data to grow and thrive in the changing insurance marketplace. She created Agency Focus in 2021 to grow this passion, and now uses her Certified Exit Planning Advisor Designation (CEPA) and her prior experience in the industry to help hundreds of agencies understand their value and create a plan for their agency's future.

Nolan Duda

Nolan is the Client Experience Manager and Partner at IdealTraits Inc., has been with the insurance-specific company now for over four years. In Nolan’s day to day he is responsible for hiring, training, inspiring, and motivating a team of industry professionals while overseeing the daily operation of the Support, Marketing, Retention, and Sales Departments at IdealTraits. Throughout his four-plus years with the company, he has spent countless hours helping thousands of insurance agents all over the country solve their biggest pain point: finding and identifying great talent for their agencies. Outside of his passion for helping insurance agents, Nolan is an avid golfer that enjoys travel and time spent with his irreplaceable support system filled with friends and family.

BreeAna "Bree" Kempf

BreeAna “Bree” Kempf is a personal lines producer at Schultheis Insurance Agency in Evansville, Indiana. She previously worked for a carrier as a multi-line claims adjuster and primarily handled automobile and casualty claims.  Her passion is using her past claims experiences to assist her clients in understanding their coverages and helping them build a policy that best suits their needs.  

She graduated from the University of Southern Indiana in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Social Work.  Bree and her husband, Kyle, have one daughter, Addison, and are expecting another child in December. In her free time, Bree loves to exercise, read, and spend time with her family.  


Sergeant John Perrine

Sergeant John Perrine is a 21 year veteran of the Indiana State Police and currently serves as the Public Information Officer for the Indianapolis District. During his career, Sgt. Perrine has served as a firearms and tactics instructor, a member of the Honor Guard, Field Training Office and a certified Indiana Safe School Specialist.