TRAVIS  SCHWARZKOPF, CWCA, MWCA
Director of Business Intelligence

THE MASTERMIND

Travis Schwarzkopf is Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s Director of Business Intelligence, a position created expressly to harness his aptitude for creativity, problem solving, and data analysis.

Using his degree in robotics and love for technology, Travis is constantly developing new processes to improve the experience of the clients he serves which range from startups to multinational nonprofits and manufacturers.  This has taken many forms, including spotting coverage gaps and anomalies overlooked by incumbent brokers, to assisting trade associations in building an insurance infrastructure to address their members’ concerns, to creating customized policies out of thin air (well, he’s actually negotiating with a Lloyd’s of London Syndicate for bespoke coverage, but it might as well be magic.)

Travis believes in environmental preservation and a sustainable future, so he serves as an advisory board member and Data Working Group lead of the North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture. He is also a volunteer data analyst for the Plant Based Food Association, donating several hours a week to assist in reviewing and processing industry-critical information.

Travis was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and has resided in Savannah, Georgia for 8 years with his senior rescue dog, Klaus.

ERIN JAY, CPCU, CLCS, Account Manager

THE RESOURCE

Erin Jay, CPCU,CLCS is a commercial insurance expert and a member of Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s account management team.  Erin holds the title of being the firm’s most “designation decorated” and is the staff’s go-to resource for the most up-to-date, textbook-perfect technical answers for tough insurance coverage questions.

She started in the insurance industry in 2012, originally servicing supplemental benefits and life insurance. Erin switched to commercial lines in 2014, working primarily with contractors, medical offices, and non-profits. Erin earned both the Certified Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) designations in 2018, as part of her ongoing dedication to educating herself in order to pass that knowledge on to her clients. Her personal philosophy can be summed up by the phrase she often uses when meeting someone new, "I'm trying to make the world a better place, one insurance policy at a time."

A passionate believer in sharing her ability to educate and inform others about her work and the insurance industry in general, she is a seasoned lecturer and presenter, particularly on the subject of cyber liability insurance. She heavily participates in sparking local commerce as a longtime member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and was recently honored as “Ambassador of the Year.”

Erin is a native of Palm Springs, CA, and a recent transplant to Ohio, where she resides with her husband, dog, and cat.  Her hobbies include knitting, sewing, video games, and cosplay. She also has a rare talent for restoring old things such as fountain pens, cast iron pans, and vintage sewing machines. Speaking of vintage, she learned that her great-grandfather was an agent for New York Life during World War II, and proudly displays one of his sales awards in her office in his memory.

CHRIS BAIR

CWCA, CRIS, Riskmaster

THE DETECTIVE

Chris Bair has worked in all facets of the industry since 2016 when he started as a CSR for USAA. Since then, he has been an Account Manager for OneStop, a Business Development Manager, and an Underwriter at RVNA. He has since donned a cape for the starring role as GxG’s Riskmaster. He is masterful at finding coverage gaps in a business’ current coverage, and if he had to have a catchphrase it would be “If a business has less than 4 policies, it’s probably underinsured.”

Outside of his work for GxG, he is a member of his local BNI chapter where he helps other business owners with their insurance questions and concerns. He has been featured on numerous podcasts, notably Money Minder, which is a podcast for nonprofits, and The WeddingZilla podcast as a wedding insurance expert.

Chris was born in Michigan but now lives in the Salt Lake City area with his cats, Jasmine and Maris. He spends his free time cooking (with some serious plating skills), photographing the local scenery, cultivating his whiskey collection, and playing board games.

WILL MANDERSCHEID

CLCS, Account Manager

THE ACTIVIST

Will Manderscheid, CLCS is Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s most seasoned account manager and resident expert in niche insurance coverages.  As a second-generation insurance agent (both his parents owned and operated agencies in the Los Angeles area), the passion for providing insurance as a service rather than a product runs deep in Will’s blood.

His 10-plus years of experience in the industry provide him with unmatched insight and problem-solving capabilities. His ability to establish rapport with both clients and carriers alike, along with his legendary (at least here in the agency) persistence have reaped incredible dividends in resolving even the most dire and unusual coverage concerns. Whether it’s convincing a carrier to rescind a massive audit to securing last-minute complex packages of coverage for a desperate contractor, there’s next to nothing that he hasn’t been able to accomplish for the benefit of the agency’s clients.

Will is fervent about giving back to the community - both at a local and global level. He regularly volunteers his time to nonprofits across the country and is a committed ethical vegan.

A resident of Parker, AZ, he leaves no opportunity wasted to enjoy outdoor activities such as off-roading and boating. Ever the jack-of-all-trades, his spare time is filled with cooking, restoring and repairing vehicles, obtaining his pilot’s license, and yoga. Oh, and ladies - he’s still single.

TARYN HAAS

AINS, Underwriting Mechanist

THE ADEPT

Taryn Haas, AINS  is Griswold & Griswold's Underwriting Mechanist. You might be asking yourself, what does that mean? Well, it encompasses Taryn's unique abilities of breaking a risk down to its parts, then putting it all back together in a written, cohesive format. "Mechanist" also includes structuring, maintaining and analyzing GxG's carrier relationships.

Forging their Underwriting and Brokerage experience with their love of writing, Taryn is able to  present complex and difficult risks in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner to streamline the approval process with our partners.

Taryn was born and raised in Pennsylvania, but now lives in Vermont with their 2 rescue dogs and cat. They spend their time writing and writing science fiction and fantasy, playing various video games, and performing at the local dive bar. They also love training their dogs and taking them on mountainous adventures. In the colder months, they can be found snowboarding.

JOSHUA RACKLEY

CLCS, CWCA, Account Manager

THE REDEEMER

From his humble roots in sales as a storm chaser and Buick salesman, Josh established himself as a top salesperson. From there he moved to insurance, gaining experience with Geico and Nationwide before he was “rescued” from the corporate hamster wheel by fellow Strike Team member, Chris. He now uses his sales powers for good, identifying coverage gaps and winning over clients he manages to elect coverage that’s in their best interest.

A consummate gamer nerd and animal lover (seriously - two dogs, two cats, and a rabbit share his living space), Josh and his wife live in the suburbs near Charlotte, NC. Like his teammates, Josh is also a fan of craft brews and spicy food. Did we mention that he’s an atheist that is somehow also an ordained minister? We’re just full of surprises here.

JOSE MURILLO

CWCA

THE ARBITER

The GxG Strike Force’s youngest member, Jose has been working in the insurance industry since the age of 16. The seed of Jose’s passion for insurance was planted during his tenure with a State Farm agency, and over the years he grew more interested in exploring the more complicated world of commercial risks. Never one to back down from a good challenge, Jose enjoys finding unique solutions to solve problems for his clients, especially those in the construction industry.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Jose now resides in Austin with his wife, daughter, and three cats. He is a vehement Cowboys fan (and yes, he does know they suck), an avid gamer, and a lover of small locally-owned breweries.