Merchants Leadership
Merchants Officers
Executive Committee
Larry Taylor
Chairman of the Board & PresidentWest Des Moines, Iowa
William Warner, Jr.
Senior Vice President of Operations & Corporate SecretaryWest Des Moines, Iowa
Don Blum
Chief Financial Officer & TreasurerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Josh Penwell
Senior Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Jim Holter
Vice President, Commercial SuretyWest Des Moines, Iowa
Therese Wielage
Chief Marketing & Communications OfficerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Steve Dorenkamp
Vice President, Claims ManagerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Brad Rasmussen
Chief Information OfficerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Stacey Cale
Vice President, Human ResourcesWest Des Moines, Iowa
Contract Underwriting
Jason Dettbarn [AFSB]
Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Kirk Rathjen [AFSB]
Regional Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Doug Schnicker
Regional Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Ed Sipfle [AFSB, CPCU]
Regional Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Keenan Lehmann
Regional Vice President, Contract UnderwritingAustin, Texas
Aaron Raschke [AFSB]
Regional Vice President, Contract UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Chris Bachman
Assistant Vice President, Contract UnderwritingPhoenix, Arizona
Mike Foster [AFSB]
Assistant Vice President, Contract UnderwritingKansas City, Kansas
Justin Price [AFSB]
Assistant Vice President, Contract UnderwritingSeattle, Washington
Cody White [AFSB]
Assistant Vice President, Contract UnderwritingDallas, Texas
Commercial Underwriting
Terry Frederick
Assistant Vice President, Commercial UnderwritingWest Des Moines, Iowa
Corporate Service
Jay Farley
Assistant Vice President, Assistant Claims ManagerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Connie Israel
Assistant Vice President, Compliance OfficerWest Des Moines, Iowa
Merchants Board of Directors
Larry Taylor
Chairman of the Board & President
Lloyd Taylor
Director
Bill Taylor
Director
William Warner, Jr.
Senior Vice President of Operations & Corporate Secretary
Jan Taylor
Director
Don Kemp
Director
Melissa Warner
Director
Jeff Taylor
Director
Brenda Cushing
Director
Industry Involvement
Industry Association/Committee Leadership
Larry Taylor
Chairman of the Board & President
- Past Chairman of the Board of the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA)
- Past Chair of the National Association of Independent Sureties (NAIS)
William Warner, Jr.
Senior Vice President of Operations & Corporate Secretary
- Past Chair of National Association of Independent Sureties (NAIS)
- EveryStep Care & Support Services – Board of Trustees
- Vistage Executive Peer Advisory Group
Steve Dorenkamp
Vice President, Claims Manager
- National Bond Claims Association (NBCA) – Board of Directors
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) - Government Affairs Advisory Committee
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America Surety (SFAA) – Claims Advisory Committee
Jim Holter
Vice President of Commercial Underwriting
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) – Commercial Surety Advisory Committee
- National Association of Independent Sureties (NAIS) – Surety School Educator
Therese Wielage
Chief Marketing & Communications Officer
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) – Communications Advisory Committee Chair
- West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce – Board Chair
Brad Rasmussen
Chief Information Officer
- Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) – Board of Directors
- National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) – Technology Sub-Committee
Josh Penwell
Senior Vice President of Contract Underwriting
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) – Contract Bond Advisory Committee
Stacey Cale
Vice President of Human Resources
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) – Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee
Keenan Lehmann
Regional Vice President of Contract Underwriting
- Texas Surety Federation – Board of Directors
Justin Knock
Contract Underwriter
- Surety Association of Iowa – Secretary & Treasurer
Michelle Patterson
Commercial Underwriter
- National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) – Commercial Surety Advisory Committee
Gina Lockwood
Senior Claims Attorney
- The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) – Government Affairs Committee
Dan Lengeling
Assistant Director, Commercial Surety
- Vaughan Institute of Risk Management – Young Alumni Board of Directors
Kelsey Spaniol
Assistant Commercial Surety Underwriter
- Rocky Mountain Surety Association, Women in Surety – Director of Events
Andi Black
Contract Underwriter
- Rocky Mountain Surety Association, Women in Surety – Director of Education/Business Affairs
Industry Association Membership
Accounting and Finance Women’s Alliance
American Bar Association
American Payroll Association
Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa (APAI)
Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Builders and Contractors of Arkansas
Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Baltimore
Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa
Associated Builders and Contractors of Oklahoma
Associated Contractors of New Mexico
Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Dallas/Fort Worth
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Iowa
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Missouri
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of San Diego
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of South Dakota
Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Texas
Association for Talent Development (ATD) – Central Iowa
Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP)
Builders Association
Builders Exchange, Inc.
California Surety Federation
Chicago Surety Claims Association
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) of Orange County
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) of San Diego
Contractors Association of West Virginia (CAWV)
Greater Des Moines Committee
Heavy Constructors Association
Houston Contractors Association
Independent Insurance Agents (IIA)
Independent Insurance Agents (IIA) of Illinois
Independent Insurance Agents (IIA) of Iowa
Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
Insurance Accounting and Systems Association (IASA)
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Iowa Insurance Institute (III)
Iowa State Bar Association
Kansas Contractors Association (KCA)
Master Builders of Iowa (MBI)
Mid-Atlantic Surety Association
National Association of Independent Sureties (NAIS)
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)
National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP)
National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC)
New York State Automobile Dealers Association (NYSADA)
Office of Professional Regulation
Ohio Contractors Association (OCA)
Rocky Mountain Surety Association
Securities and Insurance Licensing Association
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Central Iowa
Southwest Washington Contractors Association
State Bar of Texas
Surety Association of Alabama
Surety Association of Arizona
Surety Association of Connecticut
Surety Association of Dallas
Surety Association of Florida
Surety Association of Georgia
Surety Association of Houston
Surety Association of Illinois
Surety Association of Indiana
Surety Association of Iowa
Surety Association of Kansas City
Surety Association of Kentucky
Surety Association of Louisiana
Surety Association of Massachusetts
Surety Association of New Jersey
Surety Association of New York
Surety Association of Northern California
Surety Association of Ohio
Surety Association of Oregon
Surety Association of Philadelphia
Surety Association of South Texas
Surety Association of Washington
Surety Association of Wisconsin
Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA)
Surety Claims Institute
Surety Underwriters Association of Southern California (SUASC)
Syracuse Surety Association
Technology Association of Iowa
Texas Surety Federation
The Breakfast Club
Vistage Worldwide
West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce
Women In Surety
Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO)