Our Team, Your Legacy

As Vice President of Advanced Markets for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Michael Amoia works with our clients and our clients’ advisors to implement advanced wealth transfer and business planning techniques that leverage the use of life insurance. With over 28 years of experience and a deep understanding of complex estate planning techniques, Mr. Amoia works closely with both our back- office life insurance case design and financial planning teams to create client deliverables that help illustrate how these techniques and strategies can maximize the ability for clients to efficiently transfer intergenerational wealth. Mr. Amoia is a frequent national speaker on various estate planning topics and an author of numerous industry articles. He is also a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®), Juris Doctor (JD), which he earned from the University of Baltimore’s School of Law, and holds a LL.M in Taxation and Certificate in Estate Planning from Georgetown University Law Center.

As the Vice President of Underwriting for Valmark Financial Group, Lauren Ballantine is responsible for the technical assessment and negotiation of underwriting offers and serves as an escalation contact for new life business and underwriting. She is an advocate through every stage of the underwriting process, working to anticipate potential issues, identify the most appropriate carrier and negotiate the best possible underwriting outcome. She earned a BA in Biology and Art from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, where she received the President’s Scholarship and made the Dean’s List. Mrs. Ballantine is a Fellow of the Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU), Past President of the Twin Cities Association of Home Office Underwriters (TCAHOU) and holds Minnesota Life and Health Licenses.

Chris Bottaro is the Senior Vice President of Insurance for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. He is responsible for the vision, strategy and execution of life insurance marketing, underwriting, new business, and inforce insurance solutions. In this role, he prides himself in partnering with advisors and insurance carriers to help make the life insurance process simpler and more efficient for clients. He has a technical risk assessment background and spent the first 12 years of his career in various underwriting production and leadership positions at Lincoln Financial Group in Hartford before relocating to the Twin Cities to join Valmark in February of 2015. He has an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, a BA in Economics from Boston College, and holds Series 6 and 26 registrations. Chris is a proud member of the Twin Cities Association of Home Office Underwriters, Brokerage Underwriters Forum, the Minneapolis Leadership Roundtable and sits on multiple insurance company advisory boards.

James Dawson is the Director of Life Settlements for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. James is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the life settlement business. This includes establishing and implementing new processes and procedures, directing and facilitating the sale of policies from the initial offering through the formal case submission and acting as an escalation resource for complex and technical life settlement issues. He works to find ways to simplify the life settlement transaction process and improve efficiencies. Above all, Mr. Dawson is passionate about delivering the best possible experience for our clients. Mr. Dawson earned a BBA in Financial Planning from the University of Akron, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He also holds Ohio Life, Health, Accident and Variable licenses, Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) professional.

As Director of Insurance Marketing for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Luke is responsible for advanced life insurance case design, product analysis, and the development of analytical and educational tools to assist our clients with their financial goals. He brings a decade of experience in the life insurance space working in roles at both a carrier home office and the independent agency environment. Mr. Ehinger holds a bachelor’s degree from Trine University and has his Series 6, 63, 7, and 24 registrations. He is also a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and holds a Certification in Long Term Care® (CLTC®).

As Vice President of In Force Insurance Solutions for our partner, Valmark Financial Group, Michael leads the Valmark Policy Management Company (PMC) and Life Settlement teams. Michael is responsible for integrating strategies and solutions to maximize in force insurance business to best serve our clients. Previously, he was Manager of Practice Management at Securian Financial Services, Inc., a Senior Training Manager for Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., and Sales Manager for Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Michlitsch earned his MBA from the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas and his BA in Management and Marketing from Bethany Lutheran College. He is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ (CRPC®) and carries the following Financial Services Designations: CFS, CIS, CFF, CES, CAS and CTS. In addition, he holds Series 7, 24 and 66 registrations as well as Life, Health, and Variable Life and Annuity licenses.

Keith Miller is the Vice President of Insurance Marketing for our partner, Valmark Financial Group. Keith works with the insurance marketing team to provide advanced case design and sales expertise. His core areas of focus include customized wealth transfer solutions, product analysis and holistic life insurance design. Mr. Miller is a national presenter at the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU) annual conference. He received his BA from Samford University and his MBA in Finance from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Mr. Miller is also a Chartered Life Underwriter® (CLU®), Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and holds Ohio Life and Health licenses as well as FINRA series 7 and 24 securities registrations.