Who We Are

John Baumhover has 34+ years in the Financial Services industry and currently operates as an independent financial representative focused on income retirement planning and insurance protection. John has Insurance licenses in multiple states: Life, Accident and Health.  Securities licensed : Series 6, 63 and 7.

John’s focus at Community Educators is in operations and finance.

Erin Reese is an insurance industry professional with 14 years of experience in insurance sales, large client management, curriculum creation, training, and public speaking. As a part of Community Educators leadership, Erin focuses her expertise on content creation and improved learning experiences.

Erin carries insurance licenses in multiple states, including: Life, Accident and Health, Property Casualty, and Crop Insurance.

Erin is married with two daughters and lives in Urbandale, IA.

Chris L Weston is a 28-year veteran of the financial services industry.  Starting with a major insurance company Chris has served in various roles within the financial services industry.  Serving as a Financial Advisor for more than 10 years as well as serving as an OSJ for 2 financial institutions.

He was certified by the CFP Board of Standards in February of 2007 and in addition, has held his FINRA Series 7,24,53,65, and his ChFC (Chartered Financial Consultant) designation from The American College.

Chris’s focus at Community Educators is on marketing and customer service.

He lives in Central Iowa.

Craig Adamson is a financial advisor whose passion is helping his clients experience their own version of True Wealth.  Craig provides active stewardship by creating customized financial plans that match his clients’ values with their money.

Rick is a Disability Income Regional Vice President with Principal Financial Group and he oversees distribution of the company’s individual disability income product portfolio in the Midwest. He has earned is DIA (Disability Income Associate), DIF (Disability Income Fellow) and LUTCF (Life Underwriters Training Council Fellow).

He resides in the Des Moines, IA area.

Patrick entered the insurance industry in 1987.
He has a life, accident & health, series 6, 7, 8, 63 & 65 licenses and the CLU, ChFC, CASL, & LUTCF designations.

Jack has 20+ years in the accounting and financial fields with another 20+ years in financial personal financial planning. He specializes in farm legacy planning and develops and mentors new advisors.

Jack and his wife live in Central Iowa and have two grown sons.

Timothy has been in the financial services industry since 1999. Previously, he has worked in Advanced Markets and Sales Support in Life Insurance and Annuities. In 2016, Timothy began building his own financial advisory business as well as a tax practice in West Des Moines, IA. His insurance licenses include, Life and Health, Property Casualty.

Timothy lives in the Des Moines Metro area.

Brian is the founder of Peritia Advisors, a scratch agency specializing in Medicare and seniors who need assistance with associated products. He has been a 4-year sales leader as a captive agent with a large national carrier and is licensed in Life, Accident and Health, and Property and Casualty.

Brian recently became CLTC certified and lives in Eastern Iowa.

Ryan began practicing law in 1992 following his graduation from Drake Law school. Before joining our firm in 2019, he was a partner with the law firm of Culp, Doran & Genest for sixteen years where engaged in a general civil practice with emphasis on domestic relations, private termination of parental rights, and adoption. Ryan has continued to advance his knowledge and skill in the areas of domestic relations, private termination of parental rights, and adoption. Ryan has presented on a variety of topics including adoption, termination of parental rights, the Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Act and other matters related to domestic.

Michaela L. Perry is an accomplished insurance professional and currently serves as an Associate Underwriter for Burns & Wilcox, Ltd. With a career spanning over two decades, Michaela‘s journey in the insurance industry began as a file clerk, moved into an administrative assistant role, and eventually, transitioned into the underwriter position—a role she fell in love with.

Expertise in the property and casualty of personal lines and now developing a new skill in the intricate realm of the excess and surplus lines.  Grounded in integrity, honesty, and education, Michaela believes in being intentional and fostering positive relationships. Her work ethic is a testament to her commitment to these values, and she is passionate about mentoring young women and promoting personal development within the industry.

Aaron is an 18-year veteran in the health insurance industry, specializing in creating personalized insurance solutions for individuals and businesses. He was born on a small Christmas tree farm outside of Des Moines. Aaron went on to be a UNI Panther. After college he spent time working for a non-profit in Kansas City before returning to Des Moines to marry his wife Meleah and shifted to focusing on helping individuals and small businesses secure affordable health coverage. He now resides in West Des Moines where he and Meleah are raising two boys. In 2023, he was voted “Best Local Insurance Agent” in CITYVIEW’s annual Best Of Des Moines poll.

Aaron understands that in a changing technological landscape, it’s important for consumers to receive quick access to knowledgeable and informative insurance resources.

He strives to provide a no-nonsense and simplified approach to help demystify the complexities of health insurance and successfully guide people to the best health insurance companies and the right policy that suits their lifestyle. Aaron and his team constantly keep health, wellness, and vitality at the forefront of their work.

Mark has managed and administered national programs for EPLI, D&O, Cyber, and Workers Compensation insurance programs. He has a strong background in product development and technology and has launched excess SAM and EPLI programs around the nation. Mark brings his 30 years of experience to his dynamic and interesting presentations.

Mark is the owner of The Mark Kollar Consulting Group (MKCG) which specializes in addressing the needs of insurance start-ups and developing innovative insurance programs. As a Surplus Lines Broker and Intermediary, they bring together professionals from various disciplines to create effective insurance solutions. To learn more or schedule a demonstration with Mark, visit www.mkconsultinggroupllc.com.

Mark lives in the greater Chicago area.

Attorney Cynthia Letsch is an Iowa native who obtained her undergraduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Drake University Law School, in 1995, graduating from both universities with honors. Her legal career includes private practice, eight years of teaching at the university level, and serving as corporate counsel.

Her current office opened in 2013, and the practice is limited to Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Probate/Trust Administration. She is a frequent speaker on topics of Medicaid for the Elderly; Medicaid Financial Risk Management for Care Facilities, and Fiduciary Responsibilities of Agents under Powers of Attorney, Guardians, Conservators, and Trustees.

Admitted to practice in Iowa, Nebraska, and the Federal Southern District of Iowa, she is a member of the Iowa Bar Association Probate and Trust Section and Elder Law Section; the Dallas County Bar Association; Elder Counsel; and Wealth Counsel.

Alan Tenney is a Licensed Home Equity Retirement Specialist for Mutual of Omaha Mortgage.  For the past 20 years Alan has been a Consultant for this Government Program; 7 years with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, 1 year with MetLife, 3 years with Security One Lending, and now 9 years with Mutual of Omaha Mortgage.  At Wells Fargo, Alan achieved top 5 producer in the Midwest Region 6 of the 7 years.  At Security One Lending, he achieved Presidents Club in 2012-2014.  For the past 14 years, Alan has ventured into the Continuing Education aspect of his position in teaching Financial Advisors and Real Estate Professionals on all aspects of the HECM Program.  Alan, over the past 14 years, has educated over 750 Financial Advisors through NAIFA, FPA, and the Society of FSP.

Prior to being a Home Equity Retirement Specialist, Alan was a Credit/HECM Counselor for 5 years with Consumer Credit Counseling Service of NE Iowa.  There he counseled individuals on their credit, housing, and retirement issues.  It was there that he started to teach credit education in the classroom at various High Schools in the Cedar Valley and where he concluded that being in the HECM world is where he needed to be.

Alan has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

Alan and his wife Jonie, have been married for 42 years and reside in Cedar Falls, IA.  They have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.  Alan spends a lot of his spare time golfing, biking, and spending time with his children and 3 grandchildren.