Agency Partners
Russ Schweikert is an Oregon native who has been working in insurance and risk management since leaving the U.S. Navy submarine service in 1993. He retired from the Navy/Navy Reserve in 2008 with 21 years of service, finishing as a Master Chief Electronics Technician (ETCM) (SCW/SS). He spent 10 years with the Ashland insurance firm Reinholdt & O’Harra as producer and partner serving clients in Oregon, Washington, and California, where he focused primarily on commercial and business coverage.
In 2003, after a mobilization recall to active duty for the Navy, he transitioned to work for Ashland Insurance. He services all lines of coverage and has added a significant focus on life insurance and retirement planning as well.
His primary responsibilities as a principal of Ashland Insurance include performing as Chief Development Officer, including recruiting and training new inside and outside producers, overseeing the company training plan, and pursuing inorganic agency growth opportunities.
Russ graduated from Southern Oregon University (SOU) in 2013 with a BS in Business Management and earned his MBA from SOU in 2015. He has earned the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) credential and the Certified Risk Management (CRM) credential to better assist clients with more complex commercial accounts with their growth management, asset utilization, and disaster recovery planning processes. He is also a national faculty member for the National Alliance for Insurance and Education.
He makes his home in Ashland, where he enjoys lifelong learning, and loves spending time exercising and traveling with his wife Kristina of 35 years, and their grown children Ellen of Jacksonville and Evan of Washington, DC.
Tom is proud to be an Ashland native; he received all of his education in Ashland, from Bellview Elementary to Southern Oregon University.
He joined Ashland Insurance in 1996 and enjoys helping small business clients with their insurance needs and is actively involved in writing health insurance.
Tom enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.
Ashland Office
ASHLAND OFFICE
- 585 A Street Suite 1 Ashland, OR 97520
- 541-482-0831
- Fax: 541-488-5851
Ashland Staff
Julie was born and raised in Ashland. After she graduated from Ashland High School, she attended Southern Oregon University. She started her insurance career in 1977 and worked for several local independent insurance agencies in Southern Oregon before she joined Ashland Insurance in 1989.
Julie is a commercial lines agent with Ashland Insurance; Julie’s interest in computer technology helps keep Ashland Insurance on the leading edge of responsive customer service.
Sam moved to Ashland in 2014 from San Jose, California and enjoys the natural beauty of southern Oregon. As an independent insurance agent, Sam provides his clients assistance finding policies that provide peace of mind and with multiple options. With a deep understanding of each individual’s unique situation, Sam enjoys providing tailored solutions that offer real value.
What sets Sam apart is his dedication to serving with honesty and integrity. He is a great listener and genuinely cares about his clients’ well-being, which allows Sam to build lasting relationships.
If you’re looking for an agent who truly listens and puts your needs first, he would love to help you navigate your insurance options with confidence.
In his spare time Sam enjoys backpacking in the rugged Oregon wilderness, working on automobiles, weightlifting, and finishing his projects at home.
Rannee was born and raised in southern Oregon. She has lived here her whole life.
She has been in the insurance industry since 2019, starting with an independent agency. Rannee specializes in personal lines insurance. She is able to help find what fits each clients’ personal insurance needs.
Rannee is bilingual and enjoys working with the Hispanic community.
she is a mother of 4 beautiful girls. She says life revolves around the girls and their sporting events.
She enjoys spending time with her family and making new memories. 2020 was devastating for her and her family as they lost their home in the Almeda fire. But from this experience she is able to bring a personal touch when talking with her customers about the importance of having adequate insurance.
After graduating from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications, Ed had the opportunity to enter the insurance field as a claims adjuster. He handled all types of auto, property and liability claims for a national insurance carrier. That experience gave Ed a solid foundation in the understanding of insurance policies and coverage. From there, Ed had the opportunity to join Associated Insurance Agency, Inc. in Ashland as an insurance agent. He built expertise in all areas of insurance, including business, personal lines, and life and health insurance. Along the way he was honored with many company production awards and served on a variety of regional and national company advisory boards. Continuing to build expertise, Ed built skills with sophisticated risk analysis and coverage placement becoming a trusted advisor with his clients.
Eventually, Ed acquired ownership of Associated Insurance Agency and built it into one of the larger agencies in the Rogue Valley. Ultimately, Ed sold the Agency to a large regional agency and continued to work for them for a period of years. Ed joined Ashland Insurance Agency in 2008 and with more emphasis on Ashland and the Rogue Valley. Throughout all this time, Ed has been very involved in the Ashland Community and has been involved in service clubs, such as Ashland Rotary, and other nonprofit groups with the goal of giving back to the community that has given him so much. Ed just recently completed a two year term as President of the Ashland Community Hospital Foundation, and was just recently recognized with the Distinguished Service Award, their highest honor of service to the organization.
Ed continues to make his home in Ashland with his wife, Jennifer. He enjoys all that Ashland and the surrounding areas have to offer. Ed is an avid “walker” and can often be seen on the streets of this lovely community.
Jake moved to Oregon to attend college at Southern Oregon University, where he graduated with a BS in Business Administration. He is excited to grow here at Ashland Insurance, which allows him to learn new industries and help our community with their insurance needs.
Jakes past work experiences have focused on customer service in the auto industry, which he will bring with him to the insurance world. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, playing music, and anything to do with cars.
Jake lives in Medford with his wife of 12 years, their car, and dog. Jake is excited to continue his journey and brings this enthusiasm to ensuring everyone he works with has the best experience possible.
Jeff Wilson is a former owner of Ashland Insurance and after 36+ years has transitioned to the employee ranks. Jeff will primarily be working with new health clients and will be transitioning his current clients to other full time employees at Ashland Insurance.
Jeff started with Ashland Insurance in June of 1986 working with clients home and auto needs and over the years transitioned into other lines of business: business property and liability, workers compensation, group and individual health and medicare insurance. In 1996 he opened the Medford office with 40 accounts and one other employee. In 2023 Jeff decided it was time to slow down and pursue other avenues and thus, sold his share of the business on 12-31-23. At this time, Jeff will only be in the office on Tuesday’s unless critical issues to service his accounts arise.
When not at the office, Jeff can be seen out on the soccer pitch (indoors and outside) and loves to organize soccer games whenever possible. In semi retirement Jeff has a long list of projects including learning Spanish, learning to play the guitar, reading more and traveling more.
Medford Office
MEDFORD OFFICE
- 801 O’Hare Parkway Suite 101
- 541-857-0679
- Fax: 541-857-9883
Medford Staff
Lisa Benchrif is a dedicated insurance professional with a passion for do-it-yourself (DIY) home projects, cooking, and a deep love for her family. With a background in the insurance industry, Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work, ensuring that her clients receive the best possible coverage tailored to their individual needs.
Outside of the office, Lisa cherishes spending time with her family, whether it’s enjoying quality moments at home, exploring new outdoor adventures, or embarking on fun family outings. She finds immense joy in creating lasting memories with her loved ones and values the bond of family above all else.
In addition to her devotion to family, Lisa’s love for DIY extends to various home improvement projects, where she enjoys renovating rooms, crafting handmade decorations, and tackling repairs around the house. Her passion for cooking also shines through as she experiments with fresh ingredients and creates delicious meals from scratch.
Driven by her creativity, attention to detail, and love for her family, Lisa approaches both her professional and personal endeavors with enthusiasm and dedication. With a keen eye for design, a flair for culinary creativity, and a heart full of love for her family, she finds fulfillment in transforming spaces, creating memorable experiences, and nurturing meaningful connections with those she holds dear.
Kimberly Edwards is a Commercial Lines Agent for Ashland Insurance in their Medford branch. She started her insurance career in 1995 working for a small independent agency, primarily writing and servicing personal lines policies. She then transferred to the accounting side of insurance, and soon transitioned into commercial lines. Kimberly enjoys meeting with clients and the challenges that arise out of each unique insurance situation; she has experience working with a wide range of insurance companies.
Kimberly was born in Oklahoma and moved with her family to Southern Oregon soon after. They settled in Phoenix, Oregon in the late 1970s. Kimberly attended Phoenix High School, and after attending Business College in the Rogue Valley, went to work for Harry & David for several years in their call center, completing orders and providing customer service.
Kimberly currently resides in Eagle Point, where enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Kimberly is located at the Medford office and manages Commercial Accounts.
Telia has been in the insurance industry since 2004. She grew up in Vallejo, California relocating to Southern Oregon with her parents in 1993, where she later graduated from Phoenix High School.
Outside of the insurance world, she and her husband are involved in the timber industry owning and operating log trucks. In her spare time, Telia volunteers with Financial Beginnings and is a member of Oregon Women in Timber. She enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 children and 2 grandkids.
Myrian Hernandez was born in Southern California but grew up right here in the Rogue Valley most of her life. Myrian loves to enjoy Southern Oregon’s beauty through hiking, fishing, and trying different local cuisines with her son Anthony.
One of the highlights to Ms. Hernandez enjoys about her career at Ashland Insurance is being able to service the people in the community and apply her second language when communicating with clients. She attended Rogue Community College for two years and continues to learn as much as she can to provide the best customer service.
Debbie Reed began her career the insurance in 1983 in the segment of Life and Health Insurance. She moved to Southern Oregon in 1985, and has been actively engaged in working with Commercial Lines prospects and clients since then with a unique level of specialization in the construction industry.
She is semi-retired as she joins the team at Ashland Insurance on a part-time basis to serve primarily construction and contracting firms.
In her spare time she tends her beautiful outdoor space in Spring and Summer and loves spending time with her cats and dogs year-round.
Krissa was born in Grants Pass Oregon. She has lived here in the Rogue Valley most of her life and graduated from Grants Pass High School before she moved into a career as a Relationship Manager at a national bank for four years before moving into a role at a mortgage company here in the Valley for a further two years.
Krissa has two daughters, Sophia and Alanna, whom she loves spending time with. During their free time, they go hiking, play soccer, go swimming, enjoy playing music and games, and they all love cooking together.
She is brand new to the Insurance industry but is excited to dive into a new adventure and continue to grow and learn in the community that she loves!
Mark Soderstrom moved to Southern Oregon with his family at age twelve and graduated from Medford Senior High School. He attended universities in both Oregon and France and graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon University.
After earning his business degree, he entered the Farmers Insurance management training program and supervised 32 people in their Commercial Policy Service Department in Portland.
Upon his return to Medford, he was an agent and owner of another successful independent agency in Medford for 19 years, selling and servicing insurance for business owners. He decided to take a break from the insurance industry to study furniture making in France, but has now come back to the Rogue Valley to continue his insurance career.
He resides in Phoenix, and when not working or traveling, enjoys downhill skiing and golfing with friends.
It is a treat to work with Ashland Insurance Inc., I really enjoy my co-workers and working with our clients. I started in the Insurance Industry right out of RCC College for a claim’s adjusting firm in 1974. From there I went into the agency part of insurance and I have been working in the Rogue Valley ever since as an Insurance Agent.
Professional specialties include hospitality firms, construction contractors, and apartment/condominium organizations. They are unique, challenging, and have many moving parts. The challenge keeps working fun.
With the freedom that Ashland Insurance gives me, in my retirement years, I get to go to the Grandkids’ Sports Tournaments, have family over for swimming, playing corn hole, and watching sports. Life is Good!
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