PEOPLE
OUR
LEADERSHIP
GARRY
KAUFMAN
president
JARED
PITTS
vice president
OUR
PEOPLE
Stephanie Rippard
Senior Client Success Specialist
Jeremy Sonnier
Risk Advisor
Jeremy is a commercial sales executive that brings nearly ten years of sales experience to the GIA team. He has a passion for building relationships in his community and helping businesses succeed. Outside of work, Jeremy enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife and daughter, being out on the golf course and fishing the Texas coast.
Yvette Dupree
Senior Client Success Specialist & Commercial Lines Training Coordinator
Yvette has vast experience in commercial insurance and an eye for detail, making sure all of her clients are covered to the fullest. In her spare time, you will find her beach-combing as her love for the beach life is second to none. She is also quite the wine enthusiast and loves to travel and make recommendations on the best wineries Texas has to offer.
Megan Mallory
Chief Financial Officer & HR Director
Eliza Cardenas
Client Success Advisor
Eliza has been in customer care for twenty-nine years. Eliza began working at GIA in 2005 and became an account manager at the agency a few years ago. Eliza has a passion for helping others and applies this to her daily communication with her clients. Eliza enjoys cooking, listening to music and family gatherings.
Stephanie Rippard
Senior Client Success Specialist
Stephanie has sixteen years’ experience in the commercial insurance industry. She has been with the agency for ten years and is very well versed in managing large property schedules and multipolicy programs. Stephanie loves to spend time in the outdoors, camping and hunting with her family. She also loves riding roller coasters, watching scary movies and cheering on the Houston Astros!
Michael Ruiz
Risk Advisor
Michael’s experience as sales executive at GIA has led to a passion for insuring Galveston’s historic real estate, and island condominiums. On weekends you can find him grilling on the back porch with his wife and son, at the golf course or enjoying an Astros game.
Holly Crummett
Client Success Advisor
Garry Kaufman
President
Garry is the President at Galveston Insurance Associates (GIA). He graduated from Texas Tech University in 1987 and has been with GIA since 1995. Garry spends his days working hard for his clients and fellow associates and is consistently learning from all the smart people he surrounds himself with. Away from GIA, he spends his time with his beautiful bride and as many of his four kids and his adorable granddaughter and energetic grandson as possible. G-Pop tries to stay in shape, loves his ranch chores, and is always looking for some time to fish, hunt or hit a golf ball to the right.
Aimee Godinich
Personal Lines Manager
Aimee has been part of the GIA family for twenty-five years. She enjoys working closely with clients to find the best coverage options possible. When Aimee is not at GIA she enjoys spending time with her four beautiful kiddos.
Dakota Wills
Client Success Advisor
Dakota joined the GIA family in 2021 after graduating from Texas A&M Galveston. Although she is not from Galveston, she has fallen in love with the coast and all it has to offer. In her spare time, you can find her spending time with her growing family and enjoying moments with her husband hunting and fishing.
Max Miller
Commercial Lines Manager
Max leads the service and marketing teams in the commercial lines department. When he’s not at the office, he’s having fun with his lovely wife and two goofy kids. He also enjoys running, rock music, and pulling for the Horns and Stros.
Taylor Miller
Communications Coordinator
Taylor handles all things marketing, branding, social media and community outreach for the agency. Her greatest accomplishment is being a mommy to her precious daughter, Marlowe and adorable son, Sonny. You can also find her hanging out with her cool husband, Max. In addition to the love for her family, she enjoys the beach, alternative rock, lattes, thrifting and home projects.
Monica Brown
Senior Client Success Specialist & Marketing Coordinator
Monica has been with the agency for nineteen years. In her spare time, Monica enjoys reading, painting, and spending time outdoors.
Jared Pitts
Vice President
Jared spends his time with his clients and leading a dynamic group of sales people to new heights. When Jared is not leading his team, he is spending his time with his three cool sons and understanding wife. You can also find him driving fence posts and stalking deer.
Marisa Yu
Sandra Stout
Senior Client Success Specialist
Sandra is the Condo Queen of GIA and she takes great pride in making sure that every Insurance need of the Condominium Associations is met. When you step in Sandra’s office you can see displayed her pride of her country, her enthusiasm for Christmas, and of course her love of her Houston Astros. The latest love to enter her life is her great granddaughter.
Kirk Lowe
Risk Advisor
Kirk is a lifelong Gulf Coast resident. Before becoming a commercial producer with GIA, he spent nineteen years as a high school coach and teacher. He now gets his sports fix by cheering on his Baylor Bears and Houston sports teams, and by broadcasting high school sports. When he’s not at work, you can find him enjoying a crisp apple, working out at the gym, or spending time with his wife and kids.
Staci Bennett
Jacqueline Nance
Client Success Advisor
Jacqueline has been with GIA for twenty-two years. In her spare time, Jacqueline enjoys listening to music and spending time with her grandson.
Dee Stevens
Client Success Advisor
Dee has been with GIA for eighteen years and brings over thirty years of commercial insurance and customer service experience to the Agency. Her off time is spent making crafts, taking walks with her dog Molly, enjoying fine wine or a good cup of coffee with friends, and fun times with the grandkids.
Heather Gately
Client Success Advisor
Heather joined the GIA family in 2025 and has worked in insurance for 6 years. She loves God, her family, butterflies, sunshine, traveling (but not flying), and anything sweet! When not working, there is nowhere she would rather be than spending time with her children, grandbabies, and fiancé.
Tara Langston
Benefits Client Success Advisor & Coordinator
Tara was born and raised in Houston. She has been married to her husband for almost twenty-four years. She has two wonderful children, who both currently attend Texas A&M University! Tara has worked in Employee Benefits on both the human resource and agent side for seven years. She loves college football and watching the Aggies play! Tara also enjoys spending time with her family and working on projects around the house.
Bailey Wooley
Client Success Advisor & Marketing Associate
Bailey joined the GIA family for the second time in 2022. From starting back in Personal Lines to crossing over to the Commercial Lines department shortly after her return, she works diligently towards gaining the knowledge and expertise to confidently support her clients’ needs. As Marketing Associate and Client Success Advisor, she enjoys challenges and relationship building. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her sons, dancing, and bringing joy to others.
Scott Howard
Ashley Dotson
Ana Longoria
Client Success Associate
Ana has worked in insurance for just under 4 years. She is bilingual, a mom of three, loves to travel, decorate, read, spend time with loved ones and make memories. Sge recently became a grandma and is obsessed!
Trey Davis
Trevor Teykl
Risk Advisor
Kristina Davalos
Benefits Client Success Advisor
Kristina has worked in insurance for just under 4 years. She loves spooky things, scary movies, drawing, and music. When she is not at work she enjoys spending time at concerts, the beach, and traveling!
Amy Sustaire
Client Success Advisor
Amy have been in the insurance business since 1992. She has been married for 25 years and has two sons and three grandsons.
Claudia Canches
Client Success Advisor
Claudia has a fur baby, Chloe (terrier-mix) and recently started adding new plants to her collection. She owns a snake plant, money tree and an aloe. She enjoys thrifting, live music and nature walks.
Trevor Teykl
Risk Advisor
Trevor focuses on commercial insurance with a deep interest in multifamily real estate and enjoys working closely with property owners in that space. Outside the office, he loves spending time with his wife, Kyle, and their three kids, Georgia, Gray, and Griffin, along with golfing and supporting the Rice Owls.