Leadership

John Nelson

CEO

John Nelson is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Warner Pacific Insurance Services, one of the nation’s largest health insurance General Agencies.

John has long been a champion for the brokerage industry and fuels Warner’s mission of making health coverage accessible to all. John’s known for his legislative and educational efforts in the brokerage and health insurance industries. He has also been an adviser and friend to industry leaders, business groups and consumers and has had a hand in educating thousands of health insurance professionals. John is a Past President of the National Association of Health Underwriters and currently serves as a member of the Council of Employee Benefits Executives’ advisory committee.

John earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from UCLA in 1982. Within his community, John has consistently contributed resources to a variety of organizations, including youth programs and charities.

David Nelson

CEO

A problem solver and visionary, Dave initiated development of Warner Pacific’s proprietary enrollment technology, solving issues that have long vexed brokers and carriers. Now considered top-in-class, Warner Pacific’s PRO Suite of technology, including PRO Census, PRO Quote, PRO Apply, PRO Provider and PRO Rx, are the tools the pros rely on to help grow and support their businesses.

Dave is dedicated to the insurance industry, serving on the Board of California Association of Health Underwriters and as past-president of the Los Angeles Association of Health Underwriters. Dave earned a Bachelor of Science from UCLA in 1982 and is a member of the Westlake Village Rotary.

Debbie Adrian

Chief Operations Officer

Life
Debbie lives in Southern California and hails from Lubbock, Texas.

Work
Debbie is considered Warner Pacific’s indefatigable COO, or “Chief Optimism Officer.” She leads our organization with a positive outlook, encouraging employee engagement and building teams with heart and purpose. Prior to joining Warner Pacific, Debbie spent 23 years at Anthem, starting with keying claims on swing shift and rising through the ranks to Vice President of Sales and Operations, leading teams in 14 states. Before that, she managed operations and marketing for a family franchise of Jostens, famous maker of class yearbooks, rings and other school memorabilia.

Fun
Debbie loves to sing, a hobby she’s enjoyed since the age of three. She spends a lot of free time with family, hosting get-togethers and hanging out with her nine grandchildren.

Words to live by
“The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” - Steve Jobs

Memo Rodriguez

Chief Information Officer

Life
Memo was born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico. He graduated as a computer systems engineer from the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Guadalajara’s Jesuit University. An avid learner, Memo is working on his Master’s from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He has lived in California for 21 years.

Work
Before joining Warner Pacific, Memo worked as a software developer for several companies in the U.S. and Mexico.

Fun
Memo gives back to the community volunteering with his church. He is also a big Star Wars fan.

Words to live by
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” - Albert Pine

Jeff Papenfus

Chief Business Development Officer California

Life
A native Californian.

Work
Jeff’s official title is Chief Business Development Officer, but his real job is helping find solutions for broker partners. Before his time at Warner Pacific—a long and productive stint of more than 22 years and counting—Jeff found satisfying work as a sports buff, first at Aloha Skatetown, a skateboard park, surf shop and video arcade all in one. After high school, he moved to Mammoth to be a ski instructor. A few years after graduating college, he found a “way cooler” job—selling health insurance for John Alden Life. He worked his way up and down the California coast, across the country to Tampa, Florida, and eventually back to his home town in Westlake Village, California.

Fun
In the summer, Jeff likes to hang out on his boat with the family at their favorite lake. Winter is all about ski strips to Mammoth. When he’s not out on the water or hitting the slopes, you can find him playing golf.

Words to live by
“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.”

John Kurath

Senior Vice President of Sales Colorado and Texas

Life
John was raised in Boulder, Colorado. He attended Arizona State University and is a graduate of the University of Colorado. John considers his most important education as having the opportunity to work for some great bosses who mentored him over the years.

Work
John has spent the last 30+ years in the health insurance and healthcare space, with an emphasis on start-ups, market expansion and business development. He has been with Warner Pacific for more than 15 years.

Fun
With roots in Colorado, it’s no wonder John loves the great outdoors. Fly fishing, kayaking, hiking and camping are some of his favorite pursuits.

Words to live by
“Always do right. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” - Mark Twain

Jean Halsell

Vice President Human Resources

Life
Jean is a lifelong learner and received her bachelor’s degree as a working adult. Continuing her studies, she received her Master’s in Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School’s Straus Institute. She tries to learn something new each day.

Work
With her transferrable skills and interest in people, Jean has had the opportunity to work in various industries. Her current pursuits in healthcare allow her to apply her knowledge in both the provider and payer sides of the business.

Fun
Jean enjoys outdoor gardening, scuba diving and in the mountains. Family time is how she recharges her battery.

Words to live by
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” - Maya Angelou

Brent Hitchings

Vice President of Sales California

Life
Brent grew up in the farm country of central Illinois and went to Illinois State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

Work
Brent has been in the health insurance market most of his career, working on the carrier and General Agency sides of the business. His role prior to Warner Pacific was as Vice President and General Manager of Small Group at Blue Shield of California.

Fun
Brent’s passion is golf. Since his wife loves to golf as well, they spend a lot of time together on the course.

Words to live by
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

Trei Wild

Regional Vice President Texas

Life
Graduated University of Tennessee

Work
Trei is dedicated to the insurance industry, having served as President of the National Association of Health Underwriters and CEO of SafeGuard, Texas.

Fun
Trei dives into his passion of competitive swimming. He also enjoys spending time with family.

Words to live by
“If you are not first, you are last."

Dawn Baird

Vice President Strategy and Communications

Life
Dawn was born and raised in California.

Work
Dawn has 34 years of experience in the healthcare insurance industry. Before joining Warner Pacific, she spent the majority of her career at Anthem, where she served as Staff VP of Strategic Initiatives for the Individual, Small and Large Group Segments. During her career, she has held various leadership positions with direct oversight of individual underwriting, enrollment and billing, training, instructional design, quality assurance, process improvement, project management and vendor management. She also earned certification in 360 Feedback and Professional Leadership Coaching.

Fun
Dawn enjoys hosting gatherings with friends and family, working in her garden and relaxing on her back patio.

Words to live by
“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” - Amy Poehler

Yury Furman

Vice President IT Engineering & Security

Life
Yury grew up in Southern California and has made the Golden State his home. He received his BA degree from Cal State Northridge and his MBA from Pepperdine University, located on the beautiful Malibu coast.

Work
During Yury’s 30-year career in Information Technology, his primary focus has been on supporting organizations in the healthcare and finance fields. His work over the last 20 years has been centered on operational stability and security.

Fun
Yury is an avid racquetball player, a moderately adept snowboarder, and an expert at boating for relaxation. He also keeps busy in his kids’ ice hockey adventures, which is practically a full-time job.

Words to live by
“Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi

Kim Gomez

Senior Director of Operations

Life
Kimberly went to Pepperdine for her BS in psychology, with a minor in sociology. From there, she graduated from California Lutheran University with a master's in Marriage and Family Therapy — which has served her well in the business world, especially in the ever-changing area of insurance.

Work
Kimberly is about to celebrate 20 years with Warner Pacific, where she oversees CA Small Group Quoting and Large Group Operations, as well as operations in Colorado and Texas. Prior to her time at Warner Pacific, she worked at Starbucks, where she got her caffeine fix while attending Pepperdine.

Fun
Fitness and family are two operational words for Kimberly. She loves to play games with friends, swim with her two kids, cook, go to the movies, and spin on her Peloton.

Words to live by
“It will all be okay in the end. And if it’s not okay, it’s not the end."

Cara Mudgett

Senior Director of Operations

Life
Cara’s studies prepared her for her chosen field of healthcare and health insurance. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from California Lutheran University and a master's in Healthcare Management from Western Governors University, which she completed in 2019.

Work
Cara has spent her entire career in the health insurance industry. Prior to Warner Pacific, she worked on the carrier side in various leadership roles, including call center operations, medical management, enrollment and billing, and underwriting.

Fun
Cara loves spending time with her family. Her favorite activities include cooking Sunday dinner, gardening, and practicing yoga for relaxation.

Words to live by
“Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt