2025
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH RECIPIENTS
March
Mary Moore
Mary has been part of DBS since January 2009, recently celebrating her 16-year anniversary with the company. She currently serves as a senior case manager on the East Coast team.
Originally a member of the “Term Team,” Mary quickly rose to the position of Team Lead. She later transitioned to (what was referred to back then) as the “Trad Team,” where she began managing permanent cases.
Among her many responsibilities, Mary is one of the dedicated team members handling the RBC Insurance Link process. Additionally, she excels at training new case managers on processing permanent business.
A recent trainee of Mary’s had this to say:
“Mary was incredibly thorough, very patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. She is very good at explaining the process and explaining it so a newbie can understand the reasoning for the process. She is an incredible trainer!”
An advisor remarked recently:
“Every conversation I have with Mrs. Moore is exceptional. She is always very helpful, knowledgeable and easy to work with too. She focuses on solving problems and keeping customers first.”
Mary’s supervisor added this:
When doing case and call audits, listening to Mary’s phone calls with her advisors is always so fantastic. She answers every call with enthusiasm, provides clear answers and you can tell her advisors truly love working with her. She ends every single call with “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”
This is Mary’s 4th Employee of the Month win, also being named in September 2020, October 2017, and September 2015.
We are so thankful to have Mary on the DBS team. Congratulations!!!
February
Kristin Dolan
Kristin has had quite a year already! She roared into 2025 spending New Year’s Eve in New Orleans with Prudential at the Sugar Bowl, attending yet another DBS Carrier Partner event focused on new opportunities and cases already in play for 2025. Thankfully, she was in for the night well before the tragedy on Bourbon Street.
Just a month later, nominations for Kristin boomed with her participation with advisors at Osaic’s W Forum, preceded by a Women’s Elite Advisor Study Group in Palm Springs alongside DBS and carrier representatives.
Kristin’s commitment, professionalism and ability to communicate the DBS value proposition effectively was praised with the following nomination:
“Kristin was incredible throughout every single event. She was completely engaged with the attendees and focused on getting to know as many of the advisors as possible.”
Kristin is not only cultivating case opportunities from advisor attendees in her region but is also aligned with several new women advisor recruits outside of her region which reinforces DBS’s commitment to the women’s market.
Kristin has become a motivational force of positivity and results for the sales team and across all of DBS. In fact, she’s been described as a “true cheerleader for DBS.” She is already on pace with her ambitious sales goals, and she works with her dedicated Senior Case Design Analyst to provide excellent service to her region.
A two-time Spirit Award winner in 2022 and 2024, Kristin demonstrates a high level of collaboration and partnership with all teams across DBS from case management to underwriting.
During a recent advisor event, Kristin stood out with the numerous in-person testimonials from advisors praising her passion, persistence, and dedication to solving their clients’ insurance needs. Her persona, skill set and decades of experience make her the best choice for serving their Life, LTC and now annuity needs.
Congratulations, Kristin!
January
Zach Goodermont
Zach began his journey at DBS as a Marketing Media Specialist in August 2019 and has consistently proven himself to be an invaluable member of the team. His dedication, creativity, and hard work continue to shine through in every project he tackles, enhancing DBS’s reputation and success.
Zach is an expert in video editing, and he contributes to a variety of projects, including those for the sales team, internal and advisor training, and broader marketing initiatives. His work extends beyond the office, earning him praise from external partners.
With a strong command of graphic design, social media strategy, email campaigns, and account engagement, he’s well-versed in multiple platforms and tools. He’s driven to continually elevate his work, so he actively seeks out new techniques and isn’t afraid to experiment with fresh ideas to improve projects. He also shares his knowledge and expertise by training others.
Zach’s ability to manage a diverse array of marketing requests on a daily basis—along with a high volume of incoming tickets—is nothing short of impressive. His organizational skills and efficiency are key in keeping the team running smoothly.
Here’s something we heard about his exceptional work last month:
“Zach did an amazing job during the annual Sales Meeting and Awards Show dinner. The level to which he delivered was amazing and we heard from multiple partners that the professionalism and program flow was outstanding and created an unforgettable experience for attendees. Zach was there for virtually every aspect of all events and ensured that everything went smoothly. Without his work, neither the meeting nor the awards show would have been the same.”
He also played an important role in the virtual holiday gathering.
Friendly, diligent, and consistent, Zach embodies all the qualities you’d hope for in an employee. More importantly, his passion for DBS and its marketing initiatives is evident in everything he does and helps to elevate DBS and its reputation.
Congratulations, Zach!
2024
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH RECIPIENTS
December
ED CURTIN
Ed joined DBS in the fall of 2019 to lead the Northwest Enterprise Region. From the start, he embraced new advisor relationships, learned the DBS way and became familiar with all our life carriers. Even the 2020 lockdown did not get in the way of Ed’s strong and steady life and linked benefit premium growth for DBS.
Prior to working at DBS, Ed was an internal wholesaler at John Hancock, and he is continuing to build a legendary career at DBS with his CAN DO attitude and tireless pursuit of best solutions for his advisors and their clients.
Ed has a number of accolades, including receiving the DBS Spirit Award for 2022 for demonstrating exceptional partnering skills with all areas of our company and being a member of the DBS Champions Circle in 2023 for meeting and exceeding life and linked benefit goals.
This month, DBS received some advisor praise and shared with us that “Ed Curtin is an amazing partner to work with.”
We also heard from a national account partner that, “Ed has the ‘right stuff’ for delivering outstanding solutions and support with Advisors. Many advisors have made Ed their GO TO for all of the Life Insurance needs for their clients.”
Internal praise included, “From the start, Ed’s been a best colleague and friend for me. While striving for his own personal sales success, Ed is known across our team for his positive attitude and for making our overall success at DBS a top priority. Ed shines brightly with his partnering skills which is a key component to a successful sales team.”
CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Ed Curtin!
November
KATIE SWANSON
Katie joined DBS in October of 2019 as a Term Case Manager and is a member of the Central Case Management Team. Right from the beginning, Katie has always provided top-notch service for her advisors.
Katie is always a strong and consistent presence in the Case Management team. She reaches out to advisors at the right time to help move their cases along and has the perfect balance of professional with a bit of cheeky humor.
We received the following great feedback on Katie from our partner surveys last month when we asked, “What made your experience with DBS great?”
- “Working with Katie Swanson because she always does an excellent job of helping me out, responding to my emails in a very timely manner, and helping to make any changes for me.”
- “Whenever I call with a question I get excellent service. Katie Swanson always is great to work with. She always gets back to me in a timely manner and has an answer to my question. Shout out to Katie.”
- “Things were smooth as usual, and Katie is ALWAYS the best to work with. She answers questions, keeps me in the loop and is always so nice and easy to work with.”
- “Katie Swanson is simply awesome!”
This is Katie’s second EOM win! We are so grateful to have her on our team!
Congratulations, Katie!
October
BARBARA FREDERICKSON
Barbara has been with DBS since May 2020, initially joining as a National Insurance Specialist before transitioning to the Underwriting Team, where she has quickly become one of our top performers.
With over 35 years of industry experience, Barbara has an impressive background in complex medical and financial underwriting, sales, and customer service. She has held various roles throughout her career, including with RSM and 20 years in a Field Career Agency.
Her broad knowledge of all product lines—ranging from life settlements to business insurance and premium financing—makes her an invaluable asset to our team. This expertise allows her to provide exceptional service to our advisors and their clients, helping to navigate complex underwriting situations with ease.
An advisor had this to say about Barbara: “Thank you so much for the time you took today to talk with us. I really appreciate it, and we were very, very pleased with the discussion and next best steps as well. You did a great job making things clear for the insureds to understand. I am very thankful to have such a great partner in DBS and specifically with you.”
Barbara, your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have not gone unnoticed. We are incredibly grateful for everything you do and are proud to have you as part of our team.
This is Barbara’s first Employee of the Month win—congratulations, Barbara!
September
KRISTEN GRIESS
Kristen joined DBS in March of 2022 and has since become a top performer in our Case Management team. She is a member of the Central Team reporting to Jason Bonk.
Prior to working at DBS Kristen was a New Business Specialist working on both life and annuity product lines. She came to us with years of experience at organizations like UNICO and One Resource Group where she honed her skills as an Account and Case Manager.
Kristen is always a calm and dependable presence in the Case Management team. She always pushes to get the best outcome for our advisors, and she anticipates the needs of our customers both internal and external. She is a key resource for our business cases, and her thoughtful approach helps those often more difficult cases move along in a positive fashion.
One of our partners shared this feedback: “Kristen continuously provides excellent service to our office. We are more than grateful for everything she helps us with. She goes above and beyond for us. When we need forms for our clients, she always assists with making sure we get them. If I can’t find contact information, she always finds what we need. She is always there when we need her. She’s amazing!!”
Another partner shared: “Kristen, you make this all so easy by providing feedback and solutions. We really enjoy working with you, Heather, and the rest of the team. Thank you so much for adding so much value to our team.”
This is Kristen’s 1st Employee of the Month win.
We are so thankful to have her on the DBS team! Congratulations, Kristen!
August
PETE SCHULTE
Pete has been with DBS since August of 2009, so he recently celebrated his 15-year anniversary with us! Pete joined the team after working on the sales desk at Allianz. He was initially hired to work on the IMO team, where his knowledge of Index UL and Allianz products was extremely valuable, but he has shown his value as a Case Design Analyst during his tenure with DBS.
Pete has an extremely positive attitude and is truly an asset to both the Case Design and Sales Teams. He connects very well with the Regional Sales Directors of the territories he covers, and he is a natural with advisors because of his strong phone skills.
Pete is adept at helping advisors easily navigate through more simple products and sales techniques, but his true gift (and patience!) comes out when explaining more complex strategies and products. In fact, he was recently pulled in on a call with an advisor, his client, and the client’s attorney to provide product insight on a jumbo case. The advisor was very appreciative and said this: “Pete, you were a rock star today! Thanks for your time on such short notice. Very impressed with you and your knowledge, as was my client. Really appreciate it!”
Pete also received a nomination internally with kudos for his speed and thorough nature. Here’s what his co-worker had to say: “Pete is always quick to run illustrations for me and our advisors. He is also VERY knowledgeable about all the different carriers and their products. I also appreciate that he works “late” for those of us on the West coast!”
Pete was named the Employee of the Month in August 2020 and is frequently nominated. August must be Pete’s “time to shine” since both of his wins were in August!
Way to go Pete!
July
JASON ZWICK
Jason, or “JZ” as he is known, joined the DBS family in May of 2022, and has become a true asset to the team as a Case Design Analyst. He is a very strong contributor to the CDA team, and his superior customer service attitude reflects so well on the organization as a whole.
Something that is quite unique about Jason is that he was actually one of our advisors before joining DBS! Pete was his CDA.
Jason consistently has one of the highest volumes of illustrations on the team, and he is always at the top with his phone calls as well. He is truly a dedicated employee and cares so much about the company and his team members. He is a really great guy, very positive and pleasant, and everyone loves working with him throughout the company.
Jason often receives nominations from advisors and co-workers alike and this month received a strong nomination that had this to say:
“It is hard to put a date down for Jason because he has done nothing but provide amazing customer service and follow-up from the time that I first started working with him. I feel bad because I don’t often follow through on some of the quotes that I run but he is ALWAYS prompt, friendly, and is very good at knowing what options will be best for my clients based upon their circumstances.
I really enjoy working with him and I am very appreciative of his hard work, expertise, follow-up and customer service! He really does do a great job and is extremely consistent at being awesome. I really appreciate him and the opportunity to nominate him because I have had such great experiences in working with him.”
Congratulations JZ!
June
DAWN GOSS
Dawn joined DBS in June of 2010 and has since become an instrumental part of our licensing department. Licensing is often the first contact an advisor has with DBS and Dawn helps make a great first impression for the firm with her excellent customer service. She is extremely knowledgeable in all things licensing and does an outstanding job documenting the things she learns so the rest of the team has resources to reference as well. She has helped with training new employees and taking on multiple projects and initiatives over the years, all while not letting it affect her workload.
Dawn always pushes to get the best outcome, and she anticipates the needs of our customers both internal and external. Customers have remarked how helpful she is with the licensing and appointment process, and she receives frequent nominations.
An advisor who nominated her had this to say about her:
“Having been in this industry for over 10 years, every interaction with DBS has been above excellent. Dawn was especially helpful in helping us know exactly what we needed to do with a non-linkable policy. We partially completed an application, and Dawn took the time to let us know that it wasn’t complete AND gave us the option to complete on paper. Thanks for looking out for us more than we ever would have even expected!!!”
This is Dawn’s 5th Employee of the Month win, having also earned the distinction in May, 2014; March, 2016; September, 2019; and February, 2022. Also, she earned the Distinction of Employee of the Year in 2019, making her one of the most recognized employees since the program begin in 2014!
We are so blessed to have her on the team! Congratulations, Dawn!
May
MELANIE KUHA
Melanie joined DBS in November of 1997, and as you saw in the recent internal announcement, she announced that she will be retiring at the end of this year. We are thrilled with the longevity she has had within our organization, and it’s great to see her being recognized as she gets closer and closer to the big day. She has been an influential member of the DBS Team throughout her career and she has exhibited many exceptional qualities as she provides excellent service to our customers.
Melanie anticipates the needs of others, educates with grace and patience, and provides outstanding service to all. As we all know, in many cases working with the inforce teams at our carrier partners is not always the easiest, but Melanie has a vast knowledge and has created excellent contacts to navigate the waters, and when she makes headway or learns a critical piece of information, she shares that with the team and adds items to the HUB so we all can best support our customers.
One of her fellow co-workers who nominated her said: “Melanie Kuha is one of the best coworkers that I have ever experienced. She is always positive and patient with everything and everyone. Every day she comes in ready to give 100% to her coworkers and clients. She has no issue taking time out of her day to explain the world of insurance to a completely new person like me. I call her “The Oracle” because I know that if I am ever confused or need guidance, she is there to l give me direction, and she knows just about everything when it comes to insurance! I love working with Melanie!”
Another co-worker shared: “Melanie is so knowledgeable and helpful and can always be counted on to go above and beyond for her team. She is truly an asset to DBS and always makes sure any information she obtains is passed out to her team. She is wonderful!”
This is her 2nd EOTM WIN! Congratulations, Melanie!
April
ANDREW GEORGES
Andrew joined the team in April 2021 after working at Gustavus Adolphus College as a User Services Technology Coordinator. He quickly made his mark on DBS, catching the notice of employees early on in his tenure, and won the Employee of the Month title two months later in June 2021. He has continued to have an important impact on both the IT department and the organization as a whole ever since and was also named the Employee of the Month in December of 2022.
For the past several months Andrew has been working diligently to complete our technology migration, a change that impacts all users tremendously. Andrew handled many pieces of the migration, ensuring all information and steps were accounted for, and worked right up to the 11th hour to make sure everything was prepared. His accountability, attention to detail, customer-oriented attitude, and his tenacity to get it right has shown through as the transition was highly successful. He has again gone above and beyond in this endeavor.
As his manager noted: Andrew was a key component in this transition; he worked tirelessly, making sure all users’ concerns were being met prior to the transition. Where there were gaps, he found creative solutions and tested them thoroughly. His knowledge and dedication was a big reason the transition went smoothly.”
A co-worker also mentioned the tech transition and had this to say: “My OneNote was not transferred over during the migration and this made me very anxious. Andrew tracked it down and I’m so grateful! I really appreciate how quickly Andrew was able to restore my notebook. Andrew and Jason did so much behind the scenes to make this migration happen as smoothly as possible.”
Another co-worker noted: “I can’t imagine all the time and effort that went into making the transition go as smooth as possible. Andrew was fantastic before that, but I don’t want this feat to go unnoticed. And he’s just a cool dude to work with :).”
Congratulations Andrew!
March
HEATHER SIMS
Heather joined the DBS Case Design Team in February of last year. She previously worked as an independent broker, where she had her own book of business and oversaw 6 brokers. She also worked in other positions within the life insurance industry and actually worked in law enforcement in the Canine Unit.
Upon joining DBS, Heather immediately made an impact on the team. Her experience as an advisor helped prepare her for her current role because she knows what it takes for an advisor to be successful and gives 110% to all her customers both internal and external. She is always polite and helpful to whomever she is working with.
Heather is a role model as both a proficient and efficient CDA. She is always looking for ways to work better and faster while still providing excellent customer service.
Just recently, Heather passed her first CLU exam in record time. Not only is she juggling her full-time position at DBS with her family life, but she is committed to advancing her industry knowledge while becoming an even stronger asset to the organization.
Heather consistently receives praise from her advisors. Here’s one example: “Heather is so informational and thorough. She is great when discussing various policies and gives me confidence to bring these solutions to my clients, and convince them of the need and benefits of the coverage. Every time I call her she takes the time and is not rushed to help me. I ask a lot of questions when I want to present a product to the client and will admit I’m no expert on life insurance. She is very knowledgeable about these products and explains them simply.”
Here’s another example: “I cannot thank you enough for all your help. I am very excited, and want to sing your praises for all the important work you do. I really mean that – I appreciate everything you do for me. Heather, simply put, you’re a rock star. Thank you!”
This is Heather’s second Employee of the Month win! She also won in September of last year.
February
AMY STIP
Amy joined DBS in March of 2022 and is an Inforce Case Manager on the Support & Services Team.
Amy is a dynamo when it comes to processing a huge amount of emails and work on top of conversions. Amy is a team player who helps out our New Business department when volumes rise or other Case Managers are out on vacation. She is a powerhouse in the inforce queue and willing to walk advisors step-by-step through the conversion submission process. She astonishes her customers (internally and externally) with her customer service and quality.
Amy has been consistently recognized by our external partners for her great work and in 2023 Amy S. received an “Ops RM Certificate of Excellence Award” from our carrier partner, Lincoln!
One co-worker had this to share: “Amy is an excellent employee. Every day she displays a positive work ethic and attitude to her co-workers, and she has really been helpful in acclimating me to this new position. I know the inforce team has been down two members during the month of February; however, Amy has taken on a lot of additional work along with everyone else in this team, and she has really shown that she is a true asset to the team.”
Another co-worker shared this about Amy: “S&S has been down two people during the month of February, and much energy has been spent training in our new member. On top of this, February has been a very high-volume month, and Amy has stepped up to take more phone calls and requests. She is absolutely integral to our department’s success, is incredibly knowledgeable and easy to train with, and cares deeply about her work and the success of the team.
We have only met once in person, but I feel as though I know her personally because she is so easy to connect with, and I know advisors feel the same way!”
This is Amy’s SECOND EOM WIN! We are so happy to have her be a part of our DBS TEAM! Congratulations, Amy!
January
RIKKI RITZ
Rikki joined DBS in November of 2020 as a Hybrid Case Manager and has been providing outstanding service from the start, truly hitting the ground running. Rikki is a part of the East Coast Team and is the sole Case Manager for all of our New York advisors.
A comment this month illustrates her connection with her advisors: “Rikki has developed such solid relationships with the advisors in New York and it is very evident how much they respect her and the work she does.”
Rikki is extremely thorough with her cases and her advisors. She has created New York cheat sheets and resources for the team to access in the HUB when she’s out of office so that the rest of the team is able to provide quick service. Even when she is has PTO planned, she is extremely thoughtful and works as far ahead as possible, and she consistently volunteers to assist the team with their work when she has a spare minute.
Rikki’s supervisor had this to say about her work with an advisor:
“Rikki did a fantastic job explaining the reasons behind a carrier issue in New York, and furthermore shared that DBS has expressed these same frustrations to the carrier. Rikki’s email explaining this was clear and concise, and while it wasn’t the answer the advisor wanted, it was factual and provided the information needed to all that were copied on the email.”
Another nomination for Rikki had this to say:
“WE SURE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE HER. Rikki’s interactions with our New York advisors are prompt, professional and straight to the point. Rikki is great all of the time. She is responsive, detail oriented, VERY efficient and very professional! I’m glad she manages a good amount of my cases.”
This is Rikki’s 2nd win! She also received the honor in July 2021. We are so grateful to have her on our team! Congratulations, Rikki!
