Thought Leader Bios

Tom Cothron, LUTCF, FSCP, entered the business in 1979 and joined NAIFA in 1981. In 1986, he was appointed as an Agency Manager for Southern Farm Bureau and manages a multi-line agency in Ocala, FL. He has been named Agency Manager of the Year several times and has also been chosen to receive Florida Farm Bureau’s Team Player Award on multiple occasions.

Cothron served as a NAIFA local chapter President in Ocala, FL in 1995 and 2002, as NAIFA-Florida president in 2008-2009, and served on NAIFA’s national board of Trustees from 2011-2015. In 2007 he was asked to serve on the “NAIFA In The 21^st Century” (NAIFA 21) strategic planning task force and after rotating off the national board in 2015 was asked to serve as a member of the “NAIFA 2020” strategic planning group. He was the 2011 recipient of NAIFA-Florida’s highest award as Advisor of the Year being named as the recipient of the “C.G. Snead/J.F. Bryan, III Memorial Award for Outstanding Service”. He has served as a LUTCF moderator and is a graduate of NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute.

Cothron serves as a NAIFA Key Contact for several state and federal lawmakers from Florida and his favorite activities include travel with his wife of 30 years, Susie, and any time spent with their 4 children and 6 grandchildren.

Brock Jolly is a Financial Advisor with Veritas Financial, LLC, and the founder of The College Funding Coach^®. He started his career in 2000 on a mission to help as many families as possible with their financial success. Inopportunely, his career launch coincided with the dot-com bubble burst. Rest assured, it was not entirely his fault. Over the years, Brock’s practice has evolved, but he always remembers those lessons he learned early on in his career.

In 2002, Brock created The College Funding Coach^®, which teaches parents strategies for saving and paying for college without jeopardizing their own retirement savings through a unique workshop entitled, “Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College.” What started as a small adult education class in the Washington, D.C. suburbs has spread to a national platform that teaches several hundred workshops each year to audiences of up to a few thousand parents, all of whom are desperate for this critically important and valuable information.

In 2014, Brock partnered with Gerald Radican to form Veritas Financial. “We merged two very different practices to help a broader set of clients with a deeper set of solutions,” Brock explains. He excitedly adds, “Veritas Financial allows us to build something that is much bigger than the sum of our practices and allows our clients to truly benefit from the synergies of partnership.”

A sought-after financial advisor and student of the industry, Brock has deep knowledge and resources in all aspects of financial planning. He graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2000. Brock is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP^®), and holds many other industry designations, including Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC^®), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU^®), Certified Family Business Specialist (CFBS^®) and Retirement Income Certified Professional^® (RICP^®).

Brock has been featured in numerous media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, PBS, Fox News, The Motley Fool, Federal News Radio’s “Blueprint for Wealth,” and Real Estate Radio Washington, where Brock provides the “Word on Wealth.” He has been quoted in industry publications such as Investment News, The National Underwriter, Insurance Newsnet, Think Advisor and Life Insurance Selling.

Brock has been recognized as a top performer within the industry. He is a perennial qualifier for the Million Dollar Round Table’s “Top of the Table,” as well as MassMutual’s “Leaders Club,” “Blue Chip Council,” and “Top of the Council” honors. In 2011, he was named the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. From 2012 to 2014, he served as the chairman of NAIFA’s Investment Committee, where he worked closely with NAIFA leadership to manage the association’s reserve account. In 2014, he was elected by his peers to serve as a National Trustee for NAIFA—the youngest trustee ever elected. In 2015, Brock was awarded the Legacy Award by the Washington, D.C. Helping Hands Society in recognition for his longstanding service to the organization, the financial services industry, the highest standards of professional conduct, and unselfish community service. He currently serves as the National Treasurer for NAIFA.

In his spare time, Brock enjoys traveling, distance running, SCUBA diving and playing ice hockey. He lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife, Lauren, their children Bryson and Olivia, and their adopted Goldendoodle, Wally.

Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, President of Bryon Holz & Associates, an Investment Advisor Representative, Registered Principal of SagePoint Financial -Building Brighter Tomorrow Since 1983. www.BryonHolz.com

Bryon and his team of associates in Tampa Bay, Florida have been building brighter tomorrows for their clients since 1983, specializing in asset protection, income planning and wealth conservation strategies.  Their firm's approach to financial services is based on the principle that the customer’s needs should always come first.

A business graduate and Presidential Scholar of the University of Tampa and graduate of the Professional Management Institute in Insurance Marketing Management at Purdue University, Bryon has complimented his industry education with numerous designations, certifications and credentials.

Holz has served in leadership on various professional boards including as state and local president, two-time national trustee, and current National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) President-Elect.  He was additionally feted with both his local and state association’s distinguished service awards, and honored to be both a graduate and two-time moderator of NAIFA’s prestigious Leadership in Life Institute (LILI).

A life, qualifying and Top of the Table member of the Million Dollar Round Table, Bryon is a long-time supporter of the MDRT Foundation, and has served on numerous MDRT and MDRT Foundation committees.  A regular industry columnist and speaker, he was thrilled to be a featured presenter at three MDRT Annual Meetings.

Holz believes in serving his community, and actively supports numerous civic and charitable causes including Instruments of Change, Epilepsy Services Foundation, Scouting, and the Nativity Food Bank among many others.

An avid traveler, photographer, and social media user, Bryon’s passions include his faith, family, profession, and especially music. Bryon Holz ROCKS! He supports diversity, equity and inclusion in his profession and is a supporting member of Women in Financial Services.

As NAIFA’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Mayeux, CAE, oversees the headquarters and national staff and manages relationships with life, health and financial service companies, other industry organizations, legislators, and regulators. Mayeux supports NAIFA’s Board of Trustees and committees and coordinates efforts with NAIFA’s 90 state and local chapters. As CEO, he led an effort to modernize NAIFA’s operations through the development and implementation of a bold new strategic plan, NAIFA 20/20.

Prior to becoming NAIFA’s CEO, Mayeux served as the Executive Vice President, Chief Officer for North American Operations, and General Counsel for the Institute of Internal Auditors Global Headquarters in Orlando, Fla. In this role, Kevin supervised the core membership services offered to all 75,000 IIA members in North America in 158 chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean islands. Kevin further served as General Counsel, guiding the IIA’s intellectual property protection, affiliation agreements and legal interests around the world. He is a Certified Association Executive and holds a Certificate in Risk Management Assurance.

Mayeux has served as an association management professional for more than 25 years, including serving as the executive director of a statewide trade association in Tallahassee and CEO of an international individual membership society in Indianapolis. He also practiced law in Central Florida. He has held leadership positions on both the state and national level within the association management community, including being named Indiana’s association executive of the year, serving as president of the Indiana Society of Association Executives, and serving on the board of directors for the Florida Society of Association Executives. Mayeux received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and took Masters in Political Science and Public Administration courses concurrent with his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he served as Student Body President. Kevin continues to serve his alma mater as a member of its national alumni board.

Michael Gerber joined NAIFA’s Law and Government Relations department in 1999 and became the association’s General Counsel in 2003. In 2008, Gerber assumed responsibility for NAIFA’s Human Resources team, and in 2016 he was named NAIFA’s Chief Operating Officer. With over two decades of experience with association law and governance matters, Gerber supports NAIFA’s legal, governance, and human resources functions, as well as NAIFA’s overall operations.

Gerber is a 1990 graduate of New York University School of Law and was a litigator in New York City for 9 years before joining NAIFA.

He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia, New York and Virginia, and of NAIFA–Greater Washington D.C., and the American Society of Association Executives.

Areas of Expertise: Disability Insurance, Employee Benefits, Health Care Insurance, Long-Term Care Insurance, 1099 Provision, Cafeteria Plans, Flexible Spending Arrangements, Health Savings Accounts, Medical Loss Ratio, State Exchanges, Employer-Provided Group Health Insurance, Estate Tax, Group Life and Disability Insurance Income, Life Insurance Death Benefit, Life Insurance Inside Build Up.

Diane Boyle joined the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors family in April of 1991 and serves as the association’s chief federal lobbyist. Her responsibilities include the development and implementation of legislative and regulatory strategy, and daily execution of association activities to provide advocacy services for professional insurance and financial advisors in order to support a private, competitive insurance marketplace. Prior to expansion of health services to all NAIFA members in January 2010, Boyle served as the executive vice president for the Association of Health Insurance Advisors, the former health conference of NAIFA.

Brian Steiner is the Executive Director of Life Happens, NAIFA's consumer arm. He previously served as NAIFA’s Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships from 2015-2021 and most recently as President of United Wealth Advisors Group.

Life Happens focuses on consumer education about the importance of life insurance and related products in a sound financial plan. It conducts three national awareness campaigns each year: its flagship Life Insurance Awareness Month in September, Insure Your Love in February, and Disability Insurance Awareness Month in May. Steiner, as the head of Life Happens, reports to NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE.

For over 20 years, Suzanne has served in lead marketing roles spearheading start-up or turnaround efforts for companies and organizations across a variety of industries. With deep roots in technology, Suzanne routinely serves as a change agent and driver for digital transformation as well as a speaker on a wide variety of topics in brand, channel, digital and inbound marketing.

Since joining NAIFA in 2018, her focus has turned to how to rebrand and reposition the organization after the historic vote to restructure and re-engineer the association. Suzanne serves as the brand architect and leads the marketing and communication efforts for NAIFA and has implemented a centralized enterprise marketing model at NAIFA to power the membership growth program.

Suzanne holds an MBA in global marketing from American University’s Kogod School of Business, a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University, and a BA in Philosophy from the University of Maryland, College Park. Suzanne is a proud member of the Ohio Society of Association Executives, the American Society of Association Executives, American Marketing Association, and is a member of her local Lions International club.

Corey G. Mathews, CAE, a certified  association executive, as NAIFA's Vice President, Member and Chapter Services, provides strategic direction and leadership to the department. Mathews has more than 20 years of association management experience, with nearly all of those years at chief executive or senior management level. Prior to joining NAIFA, Mathews ran his own Florida-based association management company (AMC), Your Association Office (YAO) for two years. Prior to founding YAO, he served as Senior Account Executive for another AMC, where he managed five state associations - including one in the insurance market that led him to obtain a General Lines Insurance License in Florida. His career has been focused on organizational and membership growth with a particular emphasis on turnarounds. The majority of his clients experience at least a 50% growth in membership within three years, as well as obtaining financial reserves equal to or exceeding 50% of their annual operating budget. In addition to his experience as a strategic leader and change-agent, he has managed all operational aspects of an association, including member services, marketing, communication, advocacy, education, events, and administrative/accounting functions. His extremely diverse experience makes him a key asset in directing NAIFA Account Executives on behalf of our Chapters.

Mathews obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Florida and a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Non-Profit Management from Florida State University. Despite having attended rival schools, he wishes to assure everyone that he is most assuredly a Gator fan! He is also an active leader with Marzuq Shriners, which supports the internationally recognized Shriners Healthcare for Children; a member of Robert Butler Lodge No. 305, Free and Accepted Masons; an Assistant Scoutmaster at Troop 44 in Tallahassee, Florida; and a proud Dad to Jack and Tom.

Phu Ngo is NAIFA's VP, Technology.

Michael Hedge serves on the NAIFA Government Relations team as the Director of Federal Government Relations. His primary focus centers on financial services, representing NAIFA before the House Financial Services Committee, the Senate Banking Committee, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and federal regulators.

Before joining NAIFA, Hedge served six years as a lobbyist for the Community Associations Institute, representing common-interest communities before state and federal legislators and regulatory agencies. He has worked for trade associations in the technology and energy fields and also spent four years representing the interests of the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates as well as in the United States.

Hedge got his start in DC on the staffs of former Ohio Congressmen John Kasich and David Hobson. He conducted his graduate studies at Georgetown University for social and public policy and completed his bachelor’s degree in history from the Catholic University of America, both located in Washington, D.C.