Grant Davis
President / Broker
Grant.Davis@gdiins.com
Grant Davis began his career selling insurance door-to-door as a one man office in 1980.
By 1985 he joined and became partner in a small independent agency until 1989 when it was sold. He then started his agency, GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. (GDI), as an exclusive agency and later terminated his exclusive relationship and started from scratch as an independent agency in 2000. GDI has since grown to do business across the country and is ranked as one of the largest and most innovative agencies in the country.
Grant has taken it upon himself to create and/or improve upon products/services in the marketplace to ensure his clients are provided with the best programs to meet their needs. Noticing the impending burst of the housing bubble, he created the Home Value Plus program in 2007 to cover 20% of the market value of a home. More recently, he created Credit Enhancement Bonding and Insurance as a program to secure his clients’ businesses/projects in order to increase the likelihood of acquiring funding.
In addition to receiving acclaim for the programs listed, he has also been featured and published numerous times in trade publications such as Rough Notes, Agent & Broker, Builder & Developer, Personal Real Estate Investor, and many others.
Grant is also a nationally recognized expert on the topic of insurance salesmanship with the collection of trainings he’s created throughout his career; such as the “Life Werks” seminar series and his salesmanship website (www.thehabitualsalesman.com).
Lately Grant has directed his focus to assisting agent in achieving and securing the dream of every agency owner – to be truly independent – through GDI’s agency partnership program. Through the program partners are provided access to and training with GDI’s proprietary sales and service systems, sales meetings, marketing planning, and management support to assist in effective organic growth.
Grant resides in Turlock, CA with his wife Minnette and youngest son and spends his spare time traveling between California and Texas visiting his children and grandchildren.
Matthew Davis, MBA, CPCU, AAI
Vice President / Broker
Matthew.Davis@gdiins.com
Matthew Davis obtained his Property and Casualty insurance license and began his insurance career with GDI Insurance while in high school. He has obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Business with a focus in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from California State University Stanislaus and his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Corporate Finance and Entrepreneurial Strategy from University of Pacific.
While pursuing his MBA, Matt left GDI to work as an MBA Intern for Kaiser Permanente where he was tasked with evaluating and improving the operational efficiencies of underperforming departments. The experience with Kaiser allowed Matt to replicable experience in identifying operation deficiencies, developing improvement plans with obtainable goals to correct the deficiencies, and to implement plans in a manner to deliver measurable operational improvements. Following completion of his graduate studies, Matt accepted a position with E. & J. Gallo Winery as a Financial Analyst in their Domestic Sales Finance Organization where he was responsible for aggregating and maintaining annual sales plans, implementing a new financial reporting system, and routinely reporting sales field performance.
Matt possesses both his Property & Casualty and Life insurance licenses. He has also completed extensive insurance and risk management training including multiple sales and risk management courses from the Hartford School of Insurance and has obtained his Charter Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) designations.
In his spare time Matt enjoys travel, outdoor activities, running, playing sports and is an active member in multiple community service organizations including Turlock Sunrise Rotary Club.
GDI rehired Matt in 2010 where his responsibilities include client consulting, risk management and engineering, sales, and managing GDI’s day to day operations.
Nicholas Colbert
Operations Manager / Broker
Nick.Colbert@gdiins.com
Nick began his career with GDI in 2003.
Over the years Nick has developed an extensive knowledge in personal insurance, capital asset protection, and overall risk management. Currently pursuing his Associate in Personal Insurance (API) designation.
Nick is also a volunteer firefighter since he was 18 years old. He graduated Turlock City’s fire academy in 2006 and is certified by the state of California in many areas of fire and emergency management service including, advanced incident command system, hazardous material first responder operations, confined space rescue, trench rescue, Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician.
Nick was a natural to head up GDI's risk management department! Nick provides our clients with their Illness and Injury Prevention Programs, Osha compliant safety programs, as well as other risk management programs they may need. He also teaches our clients how to implement their plans!
Susie Souza
Employee Benefits & HR Manager
Susie.Souza@gdiins.com
Susie began her health career in 1987 with Blue Shield as a medical review examiner. In 1997 Susie obtained her Life and Health Insurance Lincense and began her insurance career.
In 2011 Susie joined GDI Insurance as its Health and Benefits Manager where she has already made a profound impact with both new and longtime customers alike.
Susie's objective is to assist her customers to both obtain and maintain the best health insurance plans available by presenting the right carriers to her customers create the best overall package to meet their budget.
Susie is always ready to help to service and retain her customers.
Her professional interests extend beyond just Health Insurance and include such things as Employee Wellness and Human Resouce advising. In her spare thime she enjoys many outdoor activities, water skiing and spending time with her family.
Jessica Ciccarelli
GDI Insurance Broker
jessica.ciccarelli@gdiins.com
Jessica Ciccarelli started her insurance career in the ROP program while in high school. In 2001, she obtained her insurance license for property and casualty.
After working for a Farmers agent for three years, selling and servicing personal lines clients, Jessica started working for an insurance agency in Pleasanton as a commercial lines account manager. In 2003, Jessica joined GDI as a commercial lines account manager. Over the next 4 years, Jessica worked her way up into the Commercial Lines Department Manager.
Jessica handled large commercial accounts specializing in the Construction industry, Non Profits and Driving Schools. In addition, Jessica specializes in risk management, claims review and safety programs for all account types.
Jessica is skilled to handle all premium size accounts with General Liability, Commercial Auto, Property, EPLI, Workers Comp, Umbrellas, Bonds and Crime policies as well as Dairy and Personal Auto and Home policies. In 2010, Jessica took a 2.5 year leave of absence to spend time with her new baby. In January of 2013, Jessica rejoined GDI as a sales agent.
Stephanie Silva-Gomes
Commercial Account Manager
*Bio Coming Soon*
Stephanie.Gomes@gdiins.com
Shanna Brown
Commercial Customer Service Representative
Shanna.Brown@gdiins.com
Shanna started her commercial insurance career in 1998 and has a strong background in Workers’ Compensation. She took a hiatus from insurance for a while to be home with her twin boys who were born on 9/11/06. Shanna rejoined the insurance industry in 2011 as a commercial CSR and received her Property & Casualty License in April 2012. In her free time she enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with her husband and 4 children.
Lorraine Azevedo
Personal Insurance Manager
Lorraine.Azevedo@gdiins.com
With 30 plus years of insurance back ground, Lorraine joined GDI Insurance to be able to offer her clients more choices, lower premiums and better services. Services designed to keep her clients families safe. GDI's exclusive teen driver program is just one example of Lorraine's commitment to keep you family and loved ones safe. And or course save you money!
Click Here To View GDI's Teen Driver Presentation! Then give Lorraine a call to find out how much she can save you on your families Auto and Home Insurance.
Lorraine also is a gifted Agribusiness Insurance and dairy insurance broker! This week she saved one dairy over 33% on their insurance, while adding nearly twice as much coverage. Safety plans, HR systems, and having the best insurance companies gives her the upper hand. Lower Rates, Better Service!
Elizabeth Sousa
Personal Insurance CSR
Elizabeth.Sousa@gdiins.com
Elizabeth started her insurance career with GDI in 2008. In 2009 She received her California Property and Casualty Insurance license and has since been a vital part of GDI’s personal lines team. Elizabeth continually maintains the highest levels of customer service to her clients.
To strengthen her ability to provide her clients with the service they deserve, she is currently pursuing her Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation – One of the insurance industry’s premier service related designations.
When she is not working diligently to maximize her client’s well being or volunteering in activities with her daughter, she actively participates in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Please click on the following link if you are interested in donating to this important cause.
Cristina Vieira
Personal Insurance CSR
Cristina.Vieira@gdiins.com
Cristina Vieira began working in the insurance industry in 2005, obtaining her Property and Casualty Insurance License in 2006. While specializing in personal lines insurance she later obtained the CISR designation. Cristina also has an Associates Degree in Liberal Studies from Merced College and studied psychology at California State University Fresno.
In 2010, Cristina was hired by GDI Insurance as a personal lines account manager. She was thrilled to join the GDI team, not only to educate her clients in choosing the right coverage for the best possible price, but to be part of a team that truly believes in the well being of their customers.
In her free time, Cristina enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets. She is an animal and nature enthusiast. She loves to walk her dog, read a good book, and go to the theater, dance, collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia, and travel anytime possible.
Zac Jarvis
Broker
*Bio Coming Soon*
Zac.Jarvis@gdiins.com
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Eva Preciado
Broker
*Bio coming soon*
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Stephanie Halsor
Broker
Stephanie has been with GDI since 2011. She joined GDI as a receptionist, but had larger ambitions which led her to obtain her Property & Casualty license in 2012 and she is currently pursuing her Health & Life license as well.
Beginning in late 2012, Stephanie branched out from her primarily service oriented role and began selling both Personal and Small Business insurance.
In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with family (especially her daughter) and friends and almost any activity as long as its outdoors.
Stephanie looks forward to a long and very rewarding career with GDI, and GDI looks forward to the same.
Bill Waite
GDI Waite Insurance Services, Tulare, CA
Bill.Waite@gdiins.com
GDI Waite Insurance Service
131 E Kern Ave, Tulare, CA 93274
Bill Waite literally stumbled upon GDI Insurance in mid-March, 2012. After attending a webinar that featured a nationally recognized insurance industry consultant, he began to investigate the consultant’s track record by examining the testimonials featured in the consultant’s marketing materials and website. One company in particular stood out from all the others to him.
Since this company happened to be located just a couple hours away from Bill’s office in Tulare, he decided to contact the founder of this company, Grant Davis – not for a job but rather for encouragement. You see, after several years as an independent insurance broker, Bill knew the level of service he wanted to give his clients and he knew that as a one-person office he couldn’t meet his own expectations in that regard. Grant offered many thoughtful insights and the two agreed to sit down and talk further. In GDI Insurance, Bill found all the resources and expertise needed to deliver the kind of client service that he always knew just had to be available somewhere. Bill quickly came to realize that GDI didn’t simply deal in insurance but rather in solutions.
Bill has always been a problem solver – in recent years as an insurance broker and in over twenty-five years before that as a business consultant and in various other capacities structuring and placing diverse commercial loans and other asset-backed financing and leases for both U.S. and Mexican businesses. Some of his transactions completed include restaurant fixtures financings, a cross-border point-to-point satellite communication system and a $24.5 million sale-and-leaseback (via bareboat charter agreements) of two ocean-going cargo vessels.
Bill is a 2002 graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University (Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an International Emphasis and a minor concentration in Spanish). In the not-too-distant future, he would like to begin work toward a Master of Science degree in Risk Management and Insurance. Bill is a husband, dad and “Grampa” and also enjoys his involvement with the Tulare Sunrise Rotary Club.
Bill Waite can be found in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley at GDI’s office in Tulare.
Leslie Machado
GDI Machado Insurance Service, Hilmar, CA
leslie.machado@gdiins.com
GDI Machado Insurance Services
8339 N Lander Ave, Hilmar, CA 95324
888-991-2929
Leslie Machado began her career while still in high school as an ROP student working as an assistant in an insurance agency.
In 1987 she began working for Blue Shield of California in their Turlock, CA service center where she was began as a Claims Examiner and Customer Service Representative and was promoted to Trainer, Auditor and Analyst. She then accepted a position as a Contracts specialist with Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, CA in 1994. Anxious to return to the agency side of the insurance business where she initially began her career, in 1998 Leslie became an Employee Health and Benefits Agent.
Leslie worked to master her Health and Benefits Insurance knowledge and abilities and in 2012 entered a partnership with GDI Insurance Agency, Inc. of Turlock, CA to her own agency, GDI Machado Insurance Services. Grant Davis, owner of GDI Insurance Agency, Inc., was in fact the owner of the agency Leslie began her career working for while she was high school.
Leslie Machado and GDI Machado Insurance Services specializes in Individual Health, Dental, Life and Long-term Care Benefits; as well as Group Sponsored Employee Health, Dental, Life and Retirement Plans. Her relationship with Carrier Underwriters and Field Representatives ensures each of her clients and customers receive prompt and accurate proposals on all available products and solutions.
Leslie lives in Hilmar with her husband and two children. She is a board member for the Elim PTA, Hilmar Stevinson Youth Baseball & Softball League, and Hilmar Relay for Life. She is extremely active in her community and donates much of her time to various events and causes to support her local area.
Micahel de Laet
GDI de Laet Insurance Services
Tahoe, CA
