Don has been in the insurance industry since 2002. He has experience in claims, underwriting and marketing for an insurance company. In 2016 he purchased Bay View from Bridget and Grady and has continued the legacy they started by striving to exceed clients service expectations and ensuring they have the coverage that is right for them. Don specializes in commercial accounts, personal lines and life insurance for Bay View. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, Liz and the dogs.

Bridget started the agency in 1997 with her husband Grady. She specializes in commercial lines and is a jack of all trades in the office. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Chris has been with Bay View 2010 and in the local insurance industry for over 20 years. She is multi-faceted and has both personal and commercial lines insurance experience. Chris was born and raised in Leelanau County and currently resides in Suttons Bay with her husband Don.

Julia has been with Bay View since 2006. She became an agent after one year and has grown with the team ever since. She specializes in personal lines, Life and is our agency trainer. Julia was married to her husband Brad in 2013 and enjoys spending time with their horses, dogs, cats, chicken’s and gardening.

Ben Gareiss has been a member of the Bay View insurance team since June 2019 and in the insurance industry since 2014. Ben specializes in personal, commercial & life insurance. He gets joy out of helping people find the best coverage at the best price to fit all their insurance needs. He is a member of the Traverse City Young Professionals and you will also find him participating in or volunteering at many of the local races in our area. In his free time Ben loves to spend time with his family at the beach, biking or camping in Traverse City’s outdoor recreation paradise!

Charron lives in Manistee and has been in the insurance industry as a licensed agent for over 20 years. She very much enjoys insurance and loves to work with clients to understand different coverages in the unique facets of insurance. Her hobbies include crafts, gardening, boating, and she loves all animals! She has two children and two step children.

Dawn joined our team in November of 2019 after working 19 years in the wireless industry. Dawn was raised in Suttons Bay. She has one daughter Justine and son in law Ryan and 3 grandchildren. In her spare time Dawn and her boyfriend Mike enjoy spending time with their family and friends, hiking, boating, fishing kayaking and being outside enjoying everything Michigan has to offer.

Coni joined Bay View in April of 2022 with a background in hospitality. She lives in Kingsley with her boyfriend, Mike. They enjoy spending time outdoors kayaking and hiking. She also enjoys her cat, horse, and participating in the occasional dressage show.

Mary Ann has been in the insurance industry with personal lines since 1998. She recently joined the team at Bay View and has a passion for customer service. She has been married to her husband Rick for almost 44 years and they have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren. She loves spending time with her grandchildren, the great outdoors, and taking walks on the beach.

Mary has been a licensed insurance agent since 1981. During her career she has provided customer service commercial and personal lines clients from the states of Michigan, Texas and Kansas. Mary and her husband have a daughter and son-in-law. They enjoy fishing and camping, along with traveling.

Donna lives in Lake Ann and has worked in the insurance industry for 13 years, recently joining Bay View Insurance. Donna loves spending time with her family, especially the grandchildren. She also loves going to Florida for the winter - soaking up the sun, playing cards, and going to estate sales with her husband, Mike.

Forrest & Finn bring zero experience in insurance and they will never have any. What they lack in experience they make up for with licks, tennis ball retrieval and an abundance of good natured kindness. They love our team and our customers and we love them back! Forrest & Finn currently reside in Traverse City and enjoy doing the same things at home as they do at work with the addition of swimming and chasing squirrels.