Our Team
Meet the team members of Pacific Gateway. To learn more about a staff member, click the button below their image to see a short bio.
Leadership
Shaun T. Olsson, CPCU
Senior Vice President
- Shaun T. Olsson serves as President of Northern States Agency and Sr. Vice President of Ringwalt & Liesche/Pacific Gateway. Prior to joining the group in 2009, he worked for Universal Underwriters/Zurich as Regional Sales Manager in Denver, and as an Account Executive in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he began his insurance career.
- In his spare time, Shaun enjoys playing golf, hanging out with his wife and two daughters, and rooting for the Oklahoma Sooners. In addition, he has been active in a variety of faith-based and industry related organizations in the communities in which he has lived, including the MN CPCU Society and the MN Valley Young Life Boards.
- Shaun holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tulsa and has earned the CPCU designation. He also has served as an adjunct professor in the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa and has attended the NAPSLO Executive Leadership School at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Mark Thorne, CPCU
Vice President/Underwriting Manager
- Mark has lived in Los Angeles most of his life after emigrating from the UK as a child.
- He has been in the insurance industry since 1994, working as an Underwriter handling package accounts prior to coming to PGIA in 2003. Previously, he had many jobs outside of insurance and even obtained a Recording Engineering Degree.
- Mark obtained his CPCU designation in 2001, along with an Associate in Marine Insurance Management (AMIM) in 2004.
- He likes to spend time with his family, traveling, and producing music projects. You may catch him playing the occasional live gig, and he enjoys a good game of trivia.
Brian Schoonover
Vice President/Underwriting Manager
- Brian is from Rochester, NY and lived in Ohio and Michigan before moving to California.
- He has a BA in Economics, with a Minor in Applied Statistics, from the University of California, Irvine.
- Brian started with PGIA in 2003. He previously worked at USI Rental Specialties for six years and State Farm for seven years.
- He enjoys camping, fishing, anything radio control, music, concerts, riding bikes, and spending time with his family and friends.
Brock Benson
Assistant Vice President
- From Cherokee, IA.
- Obtained a bachelor's in business management with a minor in legal studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA prior to starting with the company in 2014.
- Obtained Associate in Commercial Underwriting Management and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designations.
- Enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, training dogs, hunting, fishing, gardening, and anything else outdoors.
Mike Gower
Director - Accounting & Information Technology
- Born and raised in Altadena, CA.
- He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Cal Poly, Pomona.
- Mike joined the PGIA team in 2004. Prior to that, he spent five years in IT support for a large paper company (not Dunder Mifflin).
- He enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, camping, watching sci-fi, and playing board games (X-Wing, Dominion, Splendor, etc).
Marketing
Larry Uleman
Senior Marketing Representative
- Larry is a California native, born and raised in and around the San Fernando Valley.
- He graduated from California State University San Marcos with a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature and Writing Studies.
- Larry started at PGIA in 2015. Before that, he worked in the insurance industry for 25 years.
- He has two children. When work is done, you will find him at the beach surfing or hiking in the hills.
Underwriting
Brandon Kelley
Underwriting Manager
- Brandon was born and raised in Southern California.
- He graduated from California State University, Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.
- He has been with PGIA since 2016. Prior to that, he worked at a local police department for three years as part of a college student program.
- Brandon is a sports fan of all L.A. teams (Lakers, Rams, Dodgers, and Kings). He also enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and his pets: two puppies and a bearded dragon. His favorite hobbies include playing video games, playing basketball, building computers, and camping.
Paul Dezso, CPCU
Senior Underwriter
- From Canyon Country, CA.
- Paul graduated from California State University, Northridge with a B.S. in Accountancy in May 2017.
- Paul obtained his CPCU designation in March 2023.
- He started at Pacific Gateway in June 2016 for a one-year underwriting internship and liked it so much that he returned to underwriting as a re-hire in August 2017.
- Paul enjoys camping and fishing, distance running, rock and metal music, computer games, and studying history. He has two parakeets which may occasionally be heard in the background on phone calls.
Jake Devine
Senior Underwriter
- From Indianapolis, IN.
- Obtained bachelor's degree in Risk Management & Insurance and Business Administration from Ball State University.
- Worked for five years at AssuredPartners before joining our team in 2017.
- Enjoys running, cycling, hiking during the summer, and snowboarding in winter. Jake is a big San Francisco 49ers fan and enjoys playing the board game Settlers of Catan.
Andres Ramirez, CPCU
Senior Underwriter
- Andres is from Gardena, CA.
- He has a B.S in Business Administration, emphasis in Finance from California State University, Long Beach.
- Andres obtained his CPCU designation in July 2024.
- Andres joined PGIA in 2019.
- He has five half-siblings (triplets included) and one full brother and a cat named Batman. In his free time, Andres enjoys kayaking, playing strategy/RPG games, and spending time with family and Batman.
John Saulan
Underwriter
- From the Philippines and currently residing in Palmdale, CA.
- John graduated from California State University, Northridge with a B.S. in Finance.
- He joined PGIA in March 2021. Prior to that, he worked for a car dealership as a vehicle condition assessor.
- John enjoys photography, hiking, traveling, and trying new food. He also enjoys watching basketball and baseball and is a big fan of the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Osvaldo Manzo
Underwriter
- Born in Panorama City, CA.
- Osvaldo obtained bachelor’s degree in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
- He started at PGIA in 2021. Before that, he worked at a tech company for five years.
- Osvaldo enjoys traveling and exploring new locations. He is a Philadelphia Sixers and Los Angeles Angels fan. He also enjoys watching movies and is a big fan of Marvel and Star Wars..
Ryan Hedeen
Underwriter
- From Castle Rock, CO.
- Graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Statistics from Colorado State University.
- Ryan was a lifeguard and aquatics manager at the Castle Rock Community Recenter and DoorDash driver before joining our team in 2022.
- Outside of work he enjoys spending time in the mountains, hiking during the summer and skiing during the winter. He also enjoys playing men’s volleyball in intramural leagues. His parents moved to Orlando, FL for retirement and he’s looking forward to visiting them during the winters to escape the cold of Colorado.
Arnold Escobedo
Underwriter
- Born and raised in Palmdale, California.
- Arnold graduated from California State University Northridge with a B.S. degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics.
- Arnold joined the PGIA team in 2023. He previously worked in the mortgage industry for 2 years.
- In his free time he loves exploring new areas to hike and being around nature as much as possible. He enjoys off-road dirt bike riding and plays guitar, recording song ideas in his home studio.
Justine Bigelow
Underwriter
- From Santa Clarita, CA.
- Justine obtained a B.S. in Small Business Management & Entrepreneurship from University of Phoenix and an A.S. in Small Business Administration & Management from College of the Canyons.
- She joined the PGIA team in 2014.
- She enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. Justine loves classic cars, owns a 1964 AMC Rambler American, and is part of a car club. She also enjoys going on car cruises and attending car shows. She loves the mountains, camping, baking, and being creative.
Mary Meador
Underwriting Assistants Supervisor
- From Santa Clarita, CA.
- Mary graduated from California State University, Fresno with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
- She has been with PGIA since 2011.
Kevin Gregg
Senior Underwriting Assistant
- Born and raised in California.
- Kevin has been with PGIA since 2001. Before that, he worked at American International Group (AIG).
- He is from a large family with one brother and eight sisters. Kevin loves playing golf, basketball, and paintball, among other outdoor activities, as well as listening to music of all genres.
Roberto Gomez
Underwriting Assistant
- Born in San Bernardino, California, and raised in San Luis, Sonora.
- Before joining PGIA in early 2022, Roberto was a trainer and customer service specialist at a wholesale company.
- He loves to go to the movies, play chess with his kids, and go on road trips.
Cristina Espinosa
Underwriting Assistant
- From Santa Clarita, CA.
- Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from California State University, Northridge.
- Cristina joined the PGIA team in 2022. Previously, she worked at a local insurance agency for 10 years.
- Her favorite hobbies include reading mystery novels, gardening, dancing, traveling and anything outdoors. Cristina loves spending time with family and friends, and she loves animals. She has two cats, Leia and Winston.
Melanie Ventura
Underwriting Assistant
- Born and raised in Sylmar, CA.
- Melanie obtained a B.S. in Financial Analysis from California State University, Northridge.
- Prior to joining PGIA in 2024, Melanie worked as a General Manager and also worked seasonally as a Tax Preparer.
- Melanie enjoys trying new foods & restaurants, working out and going to the beach. She loves to spend time with her family, friends, and pets.
Customer Support
Shannon Contreraz
Customer Support Manager
- Born and raised in Ridgecrest, CA. Shannon has lived in SoCal her entire life.
- She started with the company in 2001.
- Shannon is married and has four children, two bonus kids, and one granddaughter. She enjoys camping, visiting the beach, pretty much anything outdoors when the weather is nice, reading, and crafting.
Judy Ruzella
Customer Support
- Born in Los Angeles and lived in the San Fernando Valley before moving to Santa Clarita Valley in 1995.
- Judy joined the PGIA team in 2006. Previously, she worked for a large cruise line.
- She likes to travel and visit family in AZ and TX. Judy enjoys watching most sports and cheers on many teams, but she likes basketball and football (pro and college) the most.
Leslie Thomson
Customer Support
- From Ventura, CA.
- Leslie received a B.S. degree in Psychology from Corban University.
- She started with PGIA in 2016. She previously worked for her church and in the legal industry.
- Leslie and her husband have five adult children and are involved in their local church. They love to watch the Dodgers in their spare time.
Jose Espino
Customer Support
- Born in Mexico, Jose has lived in SoCal since the late 1980s.
- Jose started with the company in early 2022. He previously worked at another carrier-owned MGA in Calabasas, CA for 20 years.
- In his free time, he enjoys working on cars, watching the MotorTrend network and the Oxygen channel. He also enjoys watching sports and is a Dodgers, Lakers, Kings, and Raiders fan.
Katie Reilly
Customer Support
- Born and raised in Southern California, Katie grew up in Saugus, CA.
- Katie started at PGIA in 2016. She has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. She spent seven years in the claims department at a personal auto insurance company and five years in the underwriting department of a life insurance company.
- She enjoys spending time with her adult boy/girl twins and her new “grand” pets: Maggie an English Cream Retriever puppy and Winston, a rescue kitten from a shelter. Katie also enjoys going to concerts, spending time at the beach, and trying new restaurants.
Ana Manalo
Customer Support
- Originally from Manila, Philippines, Ana emigrated to the U.S. in 1992.
- Ana has a B.S. in Architecture from University of Santo Tomas (Manila).
- Ana began at PGIA in early 2022. Prior to joining PGIA, she worked for a firm marketing Life and Annuity plans.
- She likes to travel, go on road trips with her husband, and hone her photography skills. Ana’s favorite places to visit are art museums, flea and farmers markets, and beach towns.
Kimberly Cervenka
Customer Support
- Lifelong Californian. Kimberly was born in Pasadena and raised in the San Fernando Valley.
- Kimberly joined PGIA in May of 2023. Prior to this adventure, she worked in Underwriting at a company in Calabasas for over 13 years.
- She has been married for 40 years to her husband, Alan, and they have 3 adult children (but no grandchildren). In her free time she enjoys reading, puzzles, games, snuggling with their rescue puppy, Karlee, and going to the beach.
Accounting
Mike Gower
Director - Accounting & Information Technology
- Born and raised in Altadena, CA.
- He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Cal Poly, Pomona.
- Mike joined the PGIA team in 2004. Prior to that, he spent five years in IT support for a large paper company (not Dunder Mifflin).
- He enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, camping, watching sci-fi, and playing board games (X-Wing, Dominion, Splendor, etc).
Katie Sazo
Accounting
- Born and raised in Santa Clarita, CA.
- Katie has an Associate of Arts degree in Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting.
- Before starting at PGIA in 2023, Katie worked in the mortgage industry handling secondary markets & profitability.
- Katie loves to read; she could read a 500-page book in a day with no distractions. She loves to play card games with her husband and family, Uno games can get intense. Katie enjoys spending time with her husband and their fur babies.
Zach Cunningham
Accounting
- From Nebraska City, NE.
- Zach is currently attending Metropolitan Community College.
- Before starting in 2024, Zach worked as a medical lab assistant for 4 years.
- In his free time, Zach enjoys games, playing guitar, building and painting models as well as learning about new topics.
Want to join the Pacific Gateway team?
PGIA offers a variety of career opportunities. For further details on employment opportunities within PGIA or within our larger family of partner agencies, click below to visit our Careers page.