Shareholders Bios

Aaron began his career in the insurance business in 2013 and in 2021, Aaron joined the firm as a partner. He holds an Associate in Science degree and Associate in Applied science from Barton County Community College and Northwest Kansas Technical College.

Aaron spent Seven years serving in the Army National Guard based out of Topeka, KS with the 74 Quartermaster Unit with one tour in Iraq. He’s married to his wife Caryl and together they have 3 kids: Starla, Allyson, and Miles.

Aaron leads a worship team at his local church and serves on the local Board of Economic Development. He enjoys golf, exercise, hiking, and home remodeling projects in his spare time. His career has led him towards commercial risk management through his heart of a teacher consultative approach. Aaron enjoys empowering his clients helping them to make sounds risk management decisions for their business.

Dave started his insurance career in 2002 with Iron Insurance Partners working in the Crop insurance lines. He later moved into property insurance for Farm and Ranch and commercial liners. In 2008 he bought into the agency and became a shareholder. He has been through several accusations and mergers and currently is servicing those same lines With Iron Insurance Partners.   Prior to the insurance business, Dave was actively involved in the family farm and was employed by Moorman MFG as a livestock feed supplement salesman and consultant. His formal education started at Fort Hays University where he received a BS in Physical Education. He went on to KSU and earned his master's in Agricultural Education, minoring in Animal Nutrition. Dave is married to Lisa and has 3 grown children and 7 grandchildren. He has been active in the community serving on several boards and committees. He is past president of the Norton County Horse Council and Norton County Extension board, served 3 years on the Norton City Chamber board and still is active in supporting 4-H and FFA youth activities when needed. During any off time, he enjoys driving his team of draft horses or riding saddle horse in the mountains. The thing he enjoys the most is spending time with the grandkids.

Debi Deal, a native of Lyons, KS, graduated Kansas State University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Finance.  Before joining Iron Insurance Partners, she was employed by Regional Mortgage Corporation (Denver) and Kennedy & Coe (Garden City.)  In 2001, she obtained her Series 7 & 63 securities licenses to become a financial planner.  When her company relocated to Wichita in 2003, she chose to stay rooted in Garden City, where she accepted an accounting position with (then) Keller-Leopold Insurance.  Since then, she’s worn several hats including finance, licensing, compliance, IT, and HR.  Debi became a shareholder in 2016 and later became the Agency’s Chief Financial Officer.  She and her husband, Jim have two kids, Oliver and Maggie. She is involved with the Leave a Legacy Foundation, helping to improve cancer care in Western KS and serves on the Executive Committee of the Women of Purpose, an endowed fund managed by the Western Kansas Community Foundation.  In her spare time, Debi enjoys reading, planting (just about anything), traveling and spending time with extended family.

Doug Keller is an agency partner and account executive who specializes in risk management services for a select number of commercial and personal accounts. For more than thirty years, Doug has guided his clients in making insurance decisions that maximize their financial security.

Prior to joining Iron Insurance, Doug spent four years as a public accountant.

In his free time, Doug enjoys golf, travel, and family time. Over the years, he has volunteered in both leadership and fundraising roles in his church and various non-profit organizations.

Doug is a Garden City native. He and his wife, Trish, have three sons. Doug earned a B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Kansas.

Eric started his insurance career with Iron Insurance Partners in 1995 after a ten-year sales career with Nestle.  Over that ten- year career he had the opportunity to work in a variety of sales positions including the private label division, drug/mass. division and in their National Accounts Division.  While with Nestle he moved six times and had a great opportunity to see the country.    Eric earned a bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Kansas University in 1987.  After his stint in the grocery industry, he moved home to join his families insurance agency.  He has lived in Garden City most of his life, where he helped raise his three kids, Brennan, Denton and Kaylee and has been active in his community including time spent on the KU Alumni Board, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce and he was a founding member of the Finney County Preservation Alliance.  Eric works primarily in commercial lines and enjoys working with contractors and other small business owners.  He prides himself on his ability to “think outside the box,” and help bring valuable business experience to his customers.  Outside of work he enjoys traveling, KU Basketball games, restoring furniture and hiking in the mountains.

Jim earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Jim began his insurance career in 1976 as a sales management trainee in the home office of Federated Insurance Companies. He later became a district manager and ultimately a sales manager for Federated, covering the western half of the State of Missouri.

In 1982, Jim joined what was then known as Insurers & Investors Inc. to once again work more closely with clients in order to assist them in reducing their total cost of risk.

Jim acted as managing CEO of Assurance Partners until the merge with Keller Leopold Insurance in 2021.

Today, as Executive Chairman of Iron Insurance Partners, Jim and the firm have attained the status of Certified Analytic Brokers™ powered by TCORCalc®. The Analytic Brokerage Platform helps firms identify financial leakage that is occurring in their business operations. Once identified, resources are deployed to help eliminate the Financial Leakage, thereby enhancing shareholder value.

With over 40 years of experience as an Insurance Broker & Risk Manager, Jim works with larger firms in the Midwest. His primary expertise is in the areas of Healthcare and Manufacturing. Jim is well known throughout the region as a Business Consultant with considerable expertise in Alternative Risk Transfer programs.

Mark started his insurance career in 1993 as a producer with the Gilbert-Magill Company in Kansas City, where he completed the Producer Partnership Program with the St. Paul Insurance Company. During that time, he also earned his AAI designation. In 1997, Mark joined the Philadelphia Insurance Company as a Production Underwriter. In 1999, Mark joined Iron Insurance Partners.

In 2000, he relocated his family from Missouri to Salina. He became Vice President and a shareholder in 2005. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Baker University. Mark and his wife, Kellie, have two boys Jack and Charlie. Jack attends the University of Arkansas and Charlie attends KU. Mark is involved in many community organizations. Serving on the board of Salina Country Club, Sacred Heart JR SR High School Endowment, Salina Area Home Builders. Mark is also past president of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Salina.

Mark has developed expertise as a broker and risk management consultant and directs that experience into two main industries; Construction and Public Entities. He counsels his clients in dealing with the design, development and management of insurance, risk management and surety portfolios. He routinely consults with public administrators to develop new strategies that reduce their risk profile and positions them for a more favorable financial performance.

Shawn began his insurance career in January of 2009 joining Iron Insurance Partners as an account executive focusing on commercial insurance. In 2012 Shawn moved into the role of Chief Growth Officer overseeing the day-to-day operations. In 2016 shown became a shareholder and in 2019 Chief Operations Officer. After the 2021 merger, Shawn was named CEO of the newly named Iron Insurance Partners. In May of 2022 Shawn and his family relocated to the Wichita office.

Shawn was born and raised in Kansas City MO and went to Hastings College in Hastings NE graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast communications and a minor in English literature.

Shawn has been married to wife Betsy since 2008 and has four children Jace, Jack, Taytum, Tierce.