spencer@thehelpfulpeople.com

A native of London, England, Spencer moved to the Grand Rapids, Michigan area in 1992. He has worked at Grand General since Feb, 2005 as an agent. In his spare time Spencer enjoys acting, playing REAL football and is enjoying life with his wife Kristin.

skye@thehelpfulpeople.com 

Skye joined our office in November of 2018. She graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2018 and enjoys music, literature, baking, and gardening. In her spare time she experiments with gourmet cupcake flavors which are sometimes shared with the office.

tori@thehelpfulpeople.com

Tori joined the Grand General team in the summer of 2022. She enjoys sinking into a good book, tabletop games, and spoiling her two cats. Her favorite part about working at GGA is her coworkers’ sense of humor and kindness.

andy@thehelpfulpeople.com

Andy joined Grand General in 2013.  A 2012 Grand Valley State University Alumni, Andy enjoys participating in recreational sports leagues, cooking, and whatever events Grand Rapids has to offer.

david@thehelpfulpeople.com

A Grand Rapids native, David joined Grand General as an agent in 2016. He enjoys hiking, fishing, and many other outdoor activities. He also volunteers at airshows around the Midwest supervising flight line safety and ground operation.

In 2005 Nancy joined the team as an experienced, licensed agent and delved into underwriting task here at GGA.  Since then she has become part of our valued support staff where she believes strongly in treating people with curtesy and respect, focusing on helping other find the best options to fit their needs.  She most appreciates the atmosphere of teamwork and friendship she experiences among her co-workers.

Outside of work Nancy enjoys gardening, walking her dog, and traveling. Top on her list is spending time with family and friends, especially her 3 children as well as spoiling her 5 grandchildren and 6 great – grandchildren.  Nancy’s super power would be to bring peace and harmony to the world along with curing cancer. 

dawn@thehelpfulpeople.com

Dawn joined the GGA team in 2004, and after a couple year absence has returned to us.  After starting in the mailing department, Dawn became an essential solution to our support needs across multiple departments.  She now focuses on system processing and downloads.   She especially values the flexibility and family-first orientation of GGA.  Dawn is an optimist, choosing to find the positive and fun in all situations.

Dawn is a highly creative person who enjoys floral gardening and design, jewelry making, glass fusing, and metal work when not at work.  She is married and has both a son and daughter.  One of her greatest wishes is to have the ability to ensure her loved one are fulfilled, successfully and happy.

Julie came on board to lend a hand with our mailing department in 2000.  She has since transitioned into clerical, processing and data entry responsibilities. Several things she truly appreciates about working here at GGA are her co-workers and the flexibility in her work hours.  In her spare time she enjoys reading and raising Foster Puppies for PAWS With A Cause, an organization which trains and provides Service dogs.

deb@thehelpfulpeople.com

Deb was born and raised in a small town outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.  She attended Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Deb stayed home with her two boys for sixteen years and has been back in the workforce for 10 years.  She enjoys all things music, nature, art and sports in her spare time.

walter@thehelpfulpeople.com

Walter is a graduate of Byron Center High School.  He joined Grand General in 2020 with an extensive background in Customer Service.  A father of two children, he spends his off hours working with Tears From Daniel, a Non-Profit working to raise Suicide and Mental Health Awareness in Northern Michigan. You can also catch him behind the lens of his camera as he works on honing his photography talents.

marti@thehelpfulpeople.com

Marti graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids with a degree in Business Administration and later received an MBA from Western Michigan University.

She supervised the support staff at Citizens Insurance West Michigan claims branches for several years. Marti has been the accountant for Grand General since 1998.

She handles everything from monthly statements for the agencies and companies that we work with, to payroll and company financial statements.She enjoys reading, bike riding and kayaking.

jeff@thehelpfulpeople.com

Jeff was born in Wisconsin, but has lived most of his life in Michigan.  He began his insurance career in 1989 when he started an agency in Grand Rapids.  Jeff came to work at Grand General as a field representative in 2011 after selling his agency.

Jeff is married and has two daughters.  One daughter is married and is a doctor in the Army. She is stationed at Fort Irwin in California. His youngest daughter is a Medical Coder for a health insurance provider.

In his many seconds of spare time, he and his wife raise service dogs for Paws with a Cause. If there are moments left after that, he likes to play soccer, golf, and go fishing.

susan@thehelpfulpeople.com

Susan first worked for GGA in 1988, taking a break when their first daughter was born. She has always been a part of the Marketing Department. In her spare time she enjoys stained glass, painting and volunteering at HUGS Ranch.

leah@thehelpfulpeople.com

Leah is a Chicago native, having been born in the suburbs of the Windy City and raised in Grand Rapids.  She is a graduate of Calvin College with degrees in accounting and finance.  She has been married for over 25 years and has run a construction company with her husband until quite recently.  Together they have also enjoyed raising three children and countless pets.  Her spare time is spent cooking, reading, and dreaming up new home renovation projects.

billk@thehelpfulpeople.com

Bill is a Grand Rapids, Michigan native and received his degree in business from Calvin College. He joined Grand General in January 1998 after being lured away from retail hardware management. Bill enjoys many hobbies, such as reading, fishing, golf and softball, but has little time for them as he and his wife Debi are kept plenty busy by their five children.

johns@thehelpfulpeople.com

John has been at Grand General for over 20 years.  He has worked in all areas at Grand General. John graduated from Calvin College with a Bachelors in Business and from Aquinas College with a Masters in Management.

John spends his spare time with his family, volunteering at church,  Ottawa County emergency services or in one of his myriad hobbies.  He likes woodworking, collecting coins, playing guitar and bass guitar and just being outside.  He enjoys spending time with his wife Susan, his two children, two grandchildren and two grand-dogs.

Dick has a B.S degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He also has a Masters in Management degree from Aquinas College.

Upon graduation from Wisconsin his first job was as an adjuster with Heritage Mutual of Sheboygan, Wis. (now Acuity.) With no intentions of having a career in insurance he took the job until he found something better. After 57 years he is still looking for that better job.

Leaving Heritage after eight years, he took a job with Foremost Insurance Company. He held various jobs with Foremost from claims to Lenders Indemnity Sales Manager to District Manager to National Accounts Sales Manager to Regional Vice President. In 1984 he along with Roger Roode purchased a 50% share of ABFS Financial from American Bankers Insurance Group. In 1987 Grand General Insurance Agency was formed.

In his spare time, he enjoys golf and hockey and serves as chairman of his church.

Chanel was born in Michigan and spends her days in the accounting department – part guard dog, part accounting associate. In her spare time, she enjoys all things pink, short walks, and snacks.