Our Leadership Team
With a heart for people, our founder and CEO Ed Shackelford and our executive team can help you make the best decisions for your goals. Our executive management group guides and directs agents and staff with clarity and transparency. This high-performance team brings a surplus of knowledge, experience and a dedicated commitment to the betterment of all areas of the organization.
R. Todd Barrett
Regional Vice President
Doug A. Bunting
Regional Vice President
Mark L. Carter
Chief Financial Officer
Robert G. Casey
Sr. VP, Medicare & Compliance
John A. Davis
Director, Ordinary Life
Jennifer M. Dennis
Director, Commissions
James L. Dodd
Regional Vice President
Matthew K. Dorbeck
Regional Vice President
Shannon M. Dugger
Regional Vice President
Christopher C. Finan
Chief Operations Officer
J. Scott Glanton
Senior Vice President, Sales
Steven H. Jarvis
Sr. Vice President, Marketing
W. Curt Klein
Chief Marketing Officer
Robert W. Knotts
Regional Vice President
Sean K. McGee
Regional Vice President
Evan C. Monahan
VP, Training & Special Programs
H. Vann Owens Jr.
Director, Information Technology
Kevin M. Poznek
Sr. Vice President, Recruiting
Edward L. Shackelford
Founder & CEO
Amy N. Smith
Sr. Vice President, Operations
Isaiah Smith, II
Senior Vice President, Annuities
Jeffrey N. Sowards
Regional Vice President
Christopher L. Weaver
Senior Vice President, Sales
Edward L. Shackelford
Founder & CEO
Never able to contain his entrepreneurial spirit and his dreams of growing a company, Ed left the textile industry in 1988 to begin building the foundation for what would eventually become The Assurance Group. Ed is recognized throughout the industry and among his peers as a trendsetter in the areas of employee benefits, final expense distribution and Medicare Advantage sales. Actively engaged in the day-to-day management of the company, Ed continually brings forth fresh and innovative ideas that fuel TAG’s explosive growth year after year. Ed and his wife Beverly have twin daughters, Brooke and Brittany, and two grandsons.
Video: Getting to Know Ed Shackelford
Duration: 47 Minutes 37 Seconds
Christopher C. Finan
Chief Operations Officer
After serving as TAG's long-time legal council, Christopher officially joined TAG in 2023 as Chief Operations Officer. Chris works tirelessly to increase efficiencies and improve processes to benefit TAG's agents.
Matthew K. Dorbeck
Regional Vice President
Matt joined TAG already with an extensive background in the senior market. He leads a successful team headquartered in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
R. Todd Barrett
Regional Vice President
Todd came to TAG with extensive experience in the senior market. He leads an impressive team headquartered in Kentucky.
Darrin L. Shackelford
Regional Vice President
Darrin leads a record-breaking team in North Carolina which has dominated the recruiting and Medicare sales segments. Darrin’s unique team building style, competitive nature, and the culture and camaraderie he fosters inspires others within the company to be better every day.
Jeffrey N. Sowards
Regional Vice President
Jeffrey joined TAG in 2025 and has had a long career and valued reputation in the financial services and senior markets. His invaluable insights and experience help guide the direction of TAG’s initiatives.
Robert W. Knotts
Regional Vice President
Coming to TAG and the insurance industry from a truck driving background, Bob is the long-time leader of TAG’s team in Ohio. His invaluable insights and experience help guide the direction of TAG’s initiatives.
Shannon M. Dugger
Regional Vice President
Shannon is the long-time leader of TAG’s team in Oklahoma. His invaluable insights and experience help guide the direction of TAG’s initiatives.
W. Curt Klein
Chief Marketing Officer
Curt joined TAG in 2007 and is responsible for sales across both the career and brokerage channels in addition to management and oversight of TAG’s corporate marketing initiatives and brand development. With 30 years of industry experience, 21 of those in senior-level positions at insurance carriers, Curt has developed expertise in sales distribution and management, product development and agent compensation and incentive programs. Curt, a licensed agent, is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University with a BA in Human Resource Management. Curt and his wife Sharon have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Doug A. Bunting
Regional Vice President
After a fourteen-year stint with Bankers Life & Casualty where he ultimately served as a Branch Sales Manager and Assistant Regional Director, Doug joined TAG in 2014 as a Regional Sales Director. Doug is a leader on many fronts. His Denver Metro team consistently ranks among the top five offices, he lends his support to TAG’s western-most offices as a Regional Vice President and he spends many days writing business “on his own pen.” Doug and his wife Sherry have been married 42 years and are the parents of four children and eight grandchildren.
James L. Dodd
Regional Vice President
“Jamie” left an advisor role with Prudential to join TAG in 1998 and quickly became one of TAG’s top-producing agents – and stayed at the top until elevated to the position of Regional Vice President in 2019. Over Jamie’s 27 year career at TAG, his teams consistently ranked in the top 5 based on his strong command of multiple product lines. Many of Jamie’s agents went on to become successful managers and sales team leaders as a result of Jamie’s coaching and mentoring abilities. Jamie currently leads his own team based in Thomasville and also supports the growth and development of other regional sales offices. Jamie and his wife Stephanie have been married 28 years and are the parents of Joy, Natalie and Collin.
Mark L. Carter
Chief Financial Officer
Mark joined TAG in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer. Mark’s broad experience in finance, fiscal control systems, audit, taxation and capital deployment strategies ensures TAG maintains the fiscal discipline necessary to continue the company’s rapid growth and expansion. Mark is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Accounting. Mark is the parent of one daughter, Ashley.
Robert G. Casey, CSA
Senior Vice President, Medicare & Compliance
Rob joined TAG in 1998 as an agent and through hard work and personal commitment now enjoys a position on TAG’s senior leadership team. In addition to oversight and management responsibilities over TAG’s Medicare division, Rob is an expert in insurance law and regulation, making him uniquely qualified to also head up TAG’s compliance department. Rob is a graduate of The University of North Carolina earning a B.A. in Psychology. Rob and his wife Jill are the parents of two daughters and one granddaughter.
John Davis
Director, Ordinary Life
John joined TAG’s administrative team in 2014 and quickly demonstrated a strong acumen for the complexities associated with the presentation and sale of indexed life products. Appointed Director of the Ordinary Life Division in 2018, John works closely with TAG’s agents and field sales leaders to support their sales activities in the areas of training, illustrations and new case processing. John is a graduate of Cornell University earning his B.S. degree in Business. John and his wife Tina have been married for 36 years and are the parents of three children, John, Tyler and Nicholas.
Steven H. Jarvis
Vice President, Marketing
With over a decade of career experience at The Assurance Group, Steven currently serves as Vice President of Marketing. Beginning his career at TAG with a major in Computer Programming, he has embraced a radically different philosophy to traditional marketing. Steven’s fusion of information technology experience and his passion for finding creative marketing solutions has simplified nationwide brand expansion for The Assurance Group. It is his career mandate to utilize technology to enable TAG to continue making a difference in the lives of their agents and each of the individuals insured. Steven and his wife Janielle are the parents of daughter Skylar.
H. Vann Owens Jr.
Director, Information Technology
One of TAG’s first full-time employees, Vann joined TAG in 1993 and quickly introduced the company to the benefits of computer technology. Now, 32 years later, Vann oversees TAG’s robust information technology platform and leads a very talented group of programmers and developers. Vann earned B.S. degrees in both Business Administration and Computer Information Systems from High Point University. Vann has been a long-time Scoutmaster in Archdale, NC (Troop 25) and was awarded the prestigious Silver Beaver Award from the Old North State Council. Active in church activities, Vann and his wife Misty have been married 30 years and are the parents of two children, son Brent and daughter Shay.
Amy N. Smith
Vice President, Operations
Coming to TAG from her position as Marketing Director at Settlers Life Insurance Company, Amy arrived in early 2019 and quickly made significant process improvements to TAG’s back office in the areas of contracting, agent onboarding and reporting. Working closely with TAG’s field sales leaders, Amy and her teams support the sales process through efficient and effective carrier appointment processes, agent on-boarding and agent integration into TAG’s various hierarchies. Amy, a licensed agent, is a graduate of Virginia Intermont College earning her B.S. in Computer Information Management with Minors in Business Management and Graphic Design. Amy and her husband Jeff are the parents of two children, daughters Reagan and Riley.
Isaiah Smith, II
Senior Vice President, Annuities
Since joining TAG in 2013, Isaiah has made a significant impact on annuity sales through enhancements in TAG’s product offerings, training, and agent mentoring as well as improving sales and submission processes. A seasoned financial professional, Isaiah has over 25 years of experience in the annuity, life insurance and mutual fund markets. Isaiah was responsible for growing annuity sales from $350 million to more than $1.4 billion over a nine year period in his previous position. Isaiah, a licensed agent who also holds his Series 65 license, is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte earning a BSBA in Marketing. He and his wife Nicki are the parents of four children.
Duane Vestal
Senior Vice President
Duane joined TAG early in the company’s evolution as an independent agent in 1988 after Ed Shackelford recruited him away from a short stint in banking. Doing business then as Piedmont Brokerage (TAG’s predecessor), Duane and Ed knocked on doors of local employers to offer supplemental health insurance products. As the client base began to grow, so did the product line, and with Duane’s help, the company established a firm foundation for future growth. During Duane’s 37-year affiliation with TAG, he has held various senior-level positions. Duane now focuses his many talents on the recruiting and development of both agents and managers at TAG. Duane and his wife Lori are the parents of daughter Olivia.
Christopher L. Weaver
Senior Vice President, Sales
A recognized expert in the development and distribution of supplemental health products, Chris joined TAG early in 2014. For nearly 40 years, Chris served in senior positions with Capitol American Life, Conseco and PMA-USA. In 2012, Chris founded Queen Street America, a national insurance marketing company focused on the sale of cancer plans. Chris’ role at TAG is to recruit talented sales leaders in order to support the continued growth of both the career and brokerage channels. In addition, Chris oversees TAG’s seminar selling platform, TAG Retirement Seminars (TRS). Chris is a graduate of The University of Evansville and has two daughters. Chris and his wife Amy reside in Stowe, VT.
Kevin M. Poznek
Senior Vice President, Distribution Development
Recruited to TAG as a Regional Sales Director in 2017, Kevin successfully migrated his entire agent downline to TAG from Poznek Insurance Agency. After a little more than a year of record-setting sales, Kevin was convinced to join TAG’s senior team and is now responsible for leading TAG’s corporate recruiting initiatives. Kevin and his wife Catherine are the parents of three children, daughter Ashlyn and sons Kevin and Ethan.
Evan C. Monahan
Director, Training
Evan joined TAG in 2018 after leaving Settlers Life Insurance Company where he held the position of Agent Performance Manager. Responsible for developing TAG’s training programs and initiatives, Evan has developed comprehensive programs to better position agents for sales success utilizing TAG’s broad product portfolio and diverse support systems. Evan earned his B.S. degree in Business Administration from King University in 2016. Evan and his wife Brooke have been married 24 years and are the parents of two children, Payton and Aiden.
Jennifer M. Dennis
Director, Commissions
Jennifer joined TAG in 2010 and progressively worked her way up through various administrative positions to become the leader of TAG’s commission accounting department. Jennifer’s talented commissions team processes tens of thousands of transactions per month, making certain that commissions, overrides and renewals are paid to TAG’s agents both timely and accurately. Jennifer works closely with TAG’s IT department to ensure that TAG’s automated payment processes meet her very high standards. Jennifer earned her B.S. degree in Accounting from High Point University. Jennifer and her husband Jason have been married 30 years and are the parents of two children, daughter Macy and son Gavin.
J. Scott Glanton
Senior Vice President, Sales
Bringing 28 years of experience and a long history of industry success, Scott joined TAG in early 2020. Prior to joining TAG, Scott helped lead OneLife America to annual premium sales approaching $100,000,000 as their Chief Sales Officer. Scott’s tenacious support of agents and managers over the years has had a profound impact on many individuals in the industry. Scott is a graduate of Augusta College, earning a B.S. in Mathematics. While at Augusta, Scott was a three- year starter on their baseball team. Scott and his wife Erin have been married 25 years and are the parents of three children, Ian, John Luke and Isabella.
Sean K. McGee
Regional Vice President
After a very successful career as a sales leader with Jackson National Life and ING, Sean joined TAG as a Regional Sales Director in 2013. Sean and his Greenville, SC team are perennial award winners taking #1 office honors at TAG in both 2018 and 2019, in addition to many monthly and quarterly #1 team and product category awards along the way. Sean builds leaders as evidenced by the frequent awards garnered by his management team. Sean is a graduate of The University of South Carolina where he earned his B.S. degree. Sean and his wife Jan have been married 29 years and are the parents of daughter Anna.