Meet The Team
Conexus Insurance is a people first organization. We seek out people who share our core values and strive to create real connections with our clients in a way that makes Conexus feel like an extension of their business – a partner, not a vendor.
Managing Partners / Owners
Aaron Hoffman
Managing Partner
Aaron began his career in insurance after graduating from Colorado State University. Before forming Conexus Insurance with his business partners, he developed his insurance expertise as a producer and manager of RSS Insurance Services for 19 years before purchasing the agency in 2015. He is licensed in 16 states in property, casualty, health, life, and surplus lines. He loves learning about people and their businesses and has made it his passion to help our clients make sure they are properly protecting what’s most important to them. Aaron enjoys woodworking, camping, hiking, motorcycles, traveling, reading, and spending time with his family.
Sara Hoffman
Managing Partner
Sara joined the insurance industry after graduating from Colorado State University with a degree in Business Marketing. She joined the agency (formerly RSS) in 1997 and focused on the marketing and accounting side of the business. She’s been married to her husband and best friend, Aaron, since 1995 and raised three daughters with him. When not assisting in the management of Conexus, telling its story, and directing the finance team, Sara enjoys spending time with her adult children, date nights with Aaron, cooking, reading, traveling, hiking, camping, and entertaining at her home in Broomfield.
Alex Pedersen
Managing Partner
Alex started his insurance career by getting a life insurance license in the state of Iowa back in 2000. He moved to Colorado in 2002, where he began to focus on Commercial, Property, and Casualty insurance. In 2007, he purchased his agency and formed Day Larsen Pedersen Insurance (DLP Insurance), which transitioned to Conexus Insurance Partners in 2022. He prioritizes building long-term, consultative relationships with his clients while advising them in best protecting their assets. Alex is an avid tennis player and golfer and loves to travel and spend time with family and friends.
Team
Greg Beehler
Greg Beehler
Insurance Advisor
Greg is a true Coloradan having been born and raised in Arvada, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1993 with a degree in engineering. Greg continues to live in Arvada, loves spending time with his family, and is an active golfer and tennis player. Greg feels strongly about caring for his family and his customers. He says, “My honor and integrity are very important to me. It’s not only my goal to find the best price and coverage for my customers, but to help them understand what they are purchasing and why it’s important.”
Jessica Beuten
Jessica Beuten
Operations Assistant
Jessica joined Conexus in July of 2017 and became licensed in Property/Casualty insurance shortly thereafter. She comes from a large family (she’s one of seven kids) and is a Colorado native. She can read and speak sign language, as both of her parents are deaf. Jessica has been married for five years to her husband, Darian, who works in construction. Jessica took classes for a year in Business Administration and enjoys traveling, hiking, baking, knitting, and trying new foods. She loves watching “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” and of course the Broncos games with her dad. Jessica says the most important things to her are her faith, spending time with her husband and family, and being active in her church.
Dena Brown
Dena Brown
Commercial Account Manager
Dena has served our clients and team for over 30 years! She has been married to her husband Charlie for 35 years and they have one daughter, Brittany, who is a Social Studies teacher in Jefferson County. Dena is also a dog lover, with three of her own named Snickers, Bailey, and Harley. As a Colorado Native, Dena loves the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies, and enjoys bowling, long walks, and time with her family who live in Westminster. Dena says that Conexus is like her second home and family, and she plans on retiring from our agency.
Brissa Calderon
Brissa Calderon
Commercial Account Manager
Brissa is a single mom to two beautiful kids, Erick and Naiara. She is passionate about spending time with them; but also enjoys anything outdoors, working out, Hot Yoga, listening to music, meditating, and spending time with friends. Her goal is to help her clients with whatever they need to the best of her ability.
Steven Caravella
Steven Caravella
Personal Lines Team Lead
Steven is a Personal Account Manager and has over 18 years of experience in the insurance industry. He’s performed every role in an insurance agency from Janitors Assistant to Agency Owner and brings a wealth of industry knowledge to his clients. Steven grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and relocated to Denver, Colorado in 2020. Steven is an avid Green Bay Packers fan (Go Pack Go) and spends his spare time hiking, camping, biking. He is passionate about his family and taking the time to connect with others.
Kathy Carnahan
Kathy Carnahan
P&C Accounting Manager
Kathy wears many hats for Conexus. Originally from Durango, Colorado, she graduated from Blair Business College with a Professional Accounting degree. She has been married to her high school sweetheart Kirk for 46 years. She is passionate about her three children and seven grandchildren, and enjoys gardening, canning, needlework, and the outdoors. Kathy enjoys helping her clients find solutions for their issues whether it’s billing, claims, or needing coverage. She also assists with accounting and human resources for the agency.
Julie Cooper
Julie Cooper
Commercial Account Manager
Julie joined our team April 2023 as a Commercial Lines Account Manager. Growing up in Littleton, she is a Colorado-native who now lives in Arvada. Julie has a son named Corey, a daughter named Brittany, a granddaughter named Ruby, and is the second youngest in a family of 10 kids. Julie loves the Denver Broncos, traveling, and musical events, enjoys sewing and is passionate about animals! In fact, Julie ran a dog rescue for over 10 years with her sister and is currently caring for 12 elderly dogs. She also has many chickens, four ducks, and two rescue mini pigs. Gaining her CRM and CIC years ago, Julie also says that it’s important to her to be there for her clients and provide exceptional service.
Andrea Eaton
Andrea Eaton
Commercial Account Manager
Andrea joined our team in May 2023 as a Core Team Commercial Account Manager. Andrea is originally from Minnesota, spent 10 years in Michigan, and then moved to our beautiful state seven years ago (she now lives in Lakewood). Andrea has a dog named Jewel whom she adores and loves to take on walks. She has a background in the hospitality industry and attended culinary school for hospitality management before transitioning to the insurance industry in 2020. Andrea loves exploring all things Colorado, especially the mountains and nature. She also enjoys drinking coffee and red wine (specifically California Cabernet), baseball and attending Rockies games, and being around happy people and positive environments. Integrity is very important to Andrea, and she believes in always saying and doing the right thing even when no one is around.
Emerald Felix
Emerald Felix
Personal Account Manager
Emerald serves our clients and team as a personal lines account manager. She relocated to Colorado from Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1993. She has one daughter, Victoria, and a new grandbaby Kai’lani. They are her pride and joy and keep her very busy when she is not working. In her spare time, she loves to travel, bake, and create balloon arrangements. It is important to her to educate and advise her clients on the best coverage for their personal insurance needs and she believes that it's not a “one size fits all”. She is also passionate about learning! In her words, “there is always room for growth, both personally and professionally”.
Gabriella Glanz
Gabriella Glanz
Commercial CSR
Gabriella joined Conexus in June 2022 as a Commercial Lines CSR and assists the commercial account management team and our clients. She grew up in northern New Mexico and moved to Colorado in 2021 so she could be closer to family. She married her husband Michael in 2020 and they have an Australian Shepherd named Muggsie, who runs their lives. She is currently attending CU Denver. Gabriella enjoys camping, hiking, stand up paddle boarding, playing video games, and reading a good book.
Lynn Griffin
Lynn Griffin
Commercial CSR
Lynn joined our team in 2022 as a Core Commercial Team CSR. Lynn grew up in Michigan and moved to Colorado in 2006. She attended Pikes Peak Community College where she received an Associates of Arts, Dance. Lynn is an avid lover of the art and entertainment-dance, music, film, and live events. Before starting her career in the insurance industry, she previously worked with production companies like AEG Presents at the world renown Red Rocks Amphitheater. Over the last couple of years, she has taken up gardening, cooking and DIY projects. Lynn loves helping people, solving problems, encourages curiosity, and has a thirst for knowledge that keeps her always learning.Scott Hughes
Scott Hughes
Insurance Advisor/Partner
Scott grew up in Iowa, but moved to Colorado right after graduating from the University of Iowa in 2004. He worked in banking and advertising while getting his Masters in Business in 2009. He joined the agency that same year and has been in insurance ever since. Scott and his wife Evie have been married since 2015 and they have a 5 year old son and a baby daughter.
Scott is a loyal fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes and enjoys following professional golf as well. His hobbies also include snowboarding, golf and traveling. Scott enjoys being involved in the Westminster community and helping business owners protect their growing businesses. He believes this world we live in is smaller than we realize and it's important to treat others with respect as our paths are likely to cross more than once in a lifetime.
Rena Kennedy
Rena Kennedy
Benefits Accounting & Payroll Manager
RSS welcomed Rena and her wealth of health insurance industry knowledge to our agency in June of 2016. Rena has worked in the health benefits industry for over 18 years and is licensed not only health and life, but also in property and casualty insurance as well. She is a Colorado native, grew up in Denver and has a 16-year old daughter named Shelby. Rena loves the outdoors and staying active. She enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, snowboarding, biking, working out, swimming and boating. She loves spending her time with family and also enjoys watching sports. She says she is passionate about everything she sets her mind to and loves to try and experience new things, and always gives it her all.
Paula Lamp
Paula Lamp
Commercial Account Manager
Paula joined the Conexus team in 2012. She has nine years of experience within the insurance industry and is currently a Commercial Account Manager. She grew up in Winner, South Dakota, with her sister, mother, and grandparents, but then moved to Colorado in 2012. Paula enjoys camping, ladder golf, badminton, movies, board and card games, sports, and music. She is passionate about her family and wants to make sure she does good by her clients which include being detail-oriented and consistent, and helping her clients to the best of her ability.
Brandi Lemoine
Brandi Lemoine
Employee Benefits Specialist
Brandi joined the Conexus team in May 2023 as a Benefits Specialist. She was born and raised in Texas and went to high school in Carrollton, Texas before moving to Colorado several years ago. Brandi has a 10-year-old corgi dog named Millie and now lives in downtown Denver. She enjoys art and literature and facilitates a book club for autistic individuals in her spare time. As an avid learner, she likes expanding her knowledge through audio books and language exchange. She also loves karaoke, fluid art and other forms of painting, taking walks with her dog, and has a collection of orchids, video games, and tabletop game equipment. Brandi also says that she’s passionate about strengthening local communities and working on continuous personal improvement through both professional projects and personal hobbies and endeavors.
Hilary Lynch
Hilary Lynch
Commercial CSR
Hilary joined our team September 2022 as a Commercial Lines CSR. She has over 12 years of experience in commercial insurance and is a Westminster, Colorado native, attending Standley Lake High School. She currently resides in Thornton with her husband Brian, 13-year-old son Kage, 17-year-old stepdaughter Kylie, and her two dogs, Rex and Tolkien. Hilary loves music, baking, and spending time in the mountains and with her family. She is passionate about people, helping others, and building relationships.
Ernesto Marquez
Ernesto Marquez
Insurance Advisor
Ernesto has worked in the insurance industry for 17+ years and works with our commercial clients as an insurance advisor Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, he lives in Denver with his family of four that includes his wife Jaya, his children Ciana and Cruz, and their family pup named Rocky. He is passionate about his family and friends, but for the last 15 years, he has also enjoyed coaching baseball at Denver North High. In 2012, he was nominated for and won the Colorado Rockies Adult Leadership Award for his work in the local Hispanic community.
Angela Mattei
Angela Mattei
Employee Benefits Advisor
Angela joined our insurance team in June of 2015. She has been working in the health insurance industry for over 24 years and holds a health and life insurance license. She loves meeting new people and prides herself on the relationships she builds with her clients. Angela lives in Thornton with her husband and best friend René. She has one beautiful daughter named Jennaé and a four-legged child named Preston. Angela is a huge Broncos fan and loves spending time with her family, being crafty and creative with her daughter, decorating and spending lots of time outdoors in our beautiful state. She says her goal is to continue to grow and prosper as a businesswoman and educate her clients in every way possible in this ever-changing world of healthcare reform, but to also enjoy and cherish each moment in life with her family.
Karina Mendoza-Garcia
Karina Mendoza-Garcia
Commercial Account Manager
Karina has lived in Colorado for the last 22 years with her husband Renato and their four kids Allyson, Isabella, Alexis, and Evelyn. She is a licensed Commercial Account Manager and loves getting to know her customers! She is passionate about helping others and in her spare time Karina enjoys nature, camping, and hiking.
Allison Morrison
Allison Morrison
Commercial CSR
Allison is a Colorado Native with a small close-knit family. She is close to her parents and little brother, and loves being an aunt. She is married to her best friend Ryan, and they are pet-parents to a very adorable Calico named Ember. In her spare time Allison loves to read, listen to podcasts, sing, play video games, travel, and find new coffee shops to try.
Sara Nash
Sara Nash
Commercial CSR
Sara has been with Conexus since 2007 and she loves her job! She has lived in Iowa and Ohio but now lives in Colorado Springs. Sara has a daughter who lives nearby and a grandson who lives with her. Her two dogs Delilah and Ziva are also part of the family. She loves to read, go for walks, and grow plants and flowers. Sara is passionate about the equality of all people and the compassionate treatment of animals.
Adrian Neacsu
Adrian Neacsu
Commercial Insurance Broker / Partner
Adrian Neacsu has focused on commercial insurance for the last 15 years. Outside of work, Adrian enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and enjoying local cuisines.
Evie O'Brien
Evie O'Brien
Personal Account Manager
Evie joined our agency in 2022 and has over four years of experience in the insurance industry. Born and raised in Colorado, she comes from a large family of eight and has a twin sister. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, bowling, tubing, windsurfing, camping, fishing, and loves finding a good book to read.
Erica O’Connor
Erica O’Connor
Office Administrator
Erica joined Conexus in February 2023. She grew up in El Paso, Texas, attended University of Texas at El Paso, and graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She’s lived in Colorado for over 20 years and currently resides in Erie with her husband James, their two daughters Avery and Sydney, and their two dogs, a Maltese named Coconut, and a Shih tzu named Chloe. Erica enjoys staying active (kickboxing, hiking, walks with dogs, golfing with family), attending her daughters’ sporting events, cooking, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends. She’s passionate about being kind, living life with purpose and integrity and giving back to others. Erica most values her family, faith, friends, health, happiness, and job success.
Logan Pratt
Logan Pratt
Personal Account Manager
Logan Pratt joined our team in May 2022 as a Personal Lines Account Manager. Logan grew up in small-town Missouri and moved to Colorado with her fiance in 2021. Logan has a six-year-old daughter named Brynnin, and her fiance Aaron has an 11-year-old son named Mason. They share an apartment together in Thornton and she says together they are one blended and happy family! Logan enjoys spending time with family and friends, visiting her hometown in Missouri, and taking drives in the mountains to explore our beautiful state! She says her family is number one, she loves being a mom and believes in living your life to the fullest and never settling.
Lisa Rayburn
Lisa Rayburn
Employee Benefits Account Manager
Lisa joined our team May of 2022 as an Employee Benefits Account Manager. Lisa has over twenty-five years of experience in the Employee Benefits space! She is a Colorado native, growing up in Lakewood, but calls Arvada home now with her husband Nick. She loves spending time with her family, especially with her granddaughter Adley. Lisa enjoys camping, tennis, wandering antique stores, flea markets and estate sales, and is a fan of the Denver Broncos and Colorado Avs. She says she’s passionate about her work and creating great experiences for people which in turn creates great relationships. It’s a win-win for everyone.Ernie Schaefer
Ernie Schaefer
Insurance Advisor
Ernie has been in the insurance industry since 1972, and owned RSS Insurance Services from 1995-2015 before transferring ownership of the business to his daughter and son-in-law so he could spend more time doing what he loves most- traveling with his wife of 53 years, Terry. Ernie has lived in Colorado since 1985, and has a degree in business from Black Hills State University. He loves restoring antique furniture when not traveling, advising some legacy clients, spending time with his five grandchildren, and spoiling his cat Thomas.
Tara Scheffelmaer
Tara Scheffelmaer
Commercial Account Manager
Tara joined our team early in 2023. While born and raised in Montana, Tara has lived in Colorado since 2015 with her husband Ray and their two daughters, Brenna, and Shelby. She earned her associate degree in Accounting at Montana State University College of Technology, as well as her CISR designation in 2007 and her CIC designation in 2017. Tara enjoys camping, traveling, barbecuing, trying new recipes on her smoker grill, and supporting and watching her daughters in their various activities. Tara values providing great customer service, treating others how she would want to be treated and learning, continuously.
Cort Siegele
Cort Siegele
Employee Benefits Account Manager
Cort Siegele joined the Conexus team in July 2022 as a Benefits Specialist, assisting in our Employee Benefits department. Cort grew up in Lakewood, received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University, and now lives in Denver. He is the youngest of four brothers (Chase, Chance, and Connor). Cort has a dog named Winston, is a Marvel movie fan, enjoys Fantasy Football, and loves playing golf and watching the Kansas City Chiefs (we won’t hold that against him 😉). He likes spending time with family and friends and being true to himself is very important.
Elizabeth Stark
Elizabeth Stark
Personal CSR
Elizabeth joined our team in 2021. She grew up in Wichita, Kansas and studied at Kansas State University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Elizabeth moved to Colorado in 2017 with her partner, Kenneth. They married in 2019 and have three pets together, Ava, Samson, and Misty. She enjoys spending her time working on crochet projects, watching Star Trek, and playing PC games online with friends. She also enjoys hiking and camping trips during the summer months.” While Elizabeth cheers mostly for Kansas based sports teams, she does support the Colorado Rockies as her MLB team. Elizabeth believes it is important that she’s continuously improving herself for the betterment of her family, community, and society as a whole. She believes it’s important to be the example of change we want to see.
Brian Stevens
Brian Stevens
Commercial Account Manager
Brian joined our team in May of 2022 as a Commercial Account Manager. While he grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, he’s been a Colorado resident for 16 years, and now lives in Arvada with his wife, Mary, his two sons and daughter, and his dog Indiana Jones (a rat terrier mix).
Brian has a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Wisconsin and a master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Arizona. Brian says he loves challenges and was a middle school teacher for 14 years before starting his insurance career and has also been a volleyball and basketball coach for 20 years.
He loves all things outdoors, and is a marathoner, ultramarathoner, a recovering fly-fishing guide, and a gardener. Training for long races has made him an audiobook listener, and he loves to read a variety of literature. He’s a fan of the Wisconsin Badgers, Colorado pro teams (especially the Rapids), and the Green Bay Packers.
Lastly, Brian says that integrity, kindness, and a sense of accomplishment from hard work are very important to him.
Irving Valdez
Irving Valdez
Commercial Account Manager
Irving Valdez joined the Conexus Small Commercial team in June of 2022. He grew up in Texas and moved to Colorado in 2016. While the majority of Irving's immediate family still resides in Texas, they originally hale from Chihuahua, Mexico, specifically Colonia Villanueva.
Irving has nine years of insurance experience and earned an associate's degree in Drafting and Design. He's a hobby fisherman/angler and spends much of his time serving at and with his church in different outreaches and ministries. He's dedicated to always doing the right thing and says he's passionate about relationships and serving people in any way he can.
Kristen Wenger
Kristen Wenger
Commercial Account Manager
Kristen joined the Conexus team in February of 2020 as a Commercial Account Manager. She is focused on assisting our advisors in quoting new business accounts and obtaining the best possible customized insurance programs for our incoming business clients. Kristen grew up in the bay area of California where she went to school at St. Mary’s in Moraga, California. She and her husband Tristen lived in the metro Denver for eight years before moving to Nederland. She is passionate about animals and loves her two dogs Teddy and Annie. In her spare time she loves exploring the great state of Colorado, camping, paddle board, and bicycling. When asked what was important to her Kristen said, “work ethic and personal integrity.”