Our Team
Meet the team members of Northern States Agency. To learn more about a staff member, click the button below their image to see a short bio.
Leadership
- Shaun T. Olsson serves as President of Northern States Agency and Sr. Vice President of Ringwalt & Liesche/Pacific Gateway. Prior to joining the group in 2009, he worked for Universal Underwriters/Zurich as Regional Sales Manager in Denver, and as an Account Executive in Tulsa OK, where he began his insurance career.
- In his spare time, Shaun enjoys playing golf, hanging out with his wife and two daughters, and rooting for the Oklahoma Sooners. In addition, he has been active in a variety of faith-based and industry related organizations in the communities in which he has lived, including the MN CPCU Society and the MN Valley Young Life Boards.
- Shaun holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tulsa and has earned the CPCU, ARM, and ARe designations. He has also served as an adjunct professor in the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa and has attended the NAPSLO Executive Leadership School at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
- From St. Paul, MN.
- Obtained his bachelor's in business administration with an emphasis in marketing at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
- Worked for a large insurance company right after college, working with both personal and commercial lines before joining NSA in 2002 as a commercial auto underwriter, and now Vice President.
- Brent is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, three dogs, and watching movies and Netflix.
- From Cherokee, IA.
- Obtained a bachelor's in business management with a minor in legal studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA prior to starting with the company in 2014.
- Earned a Master of Business Administration degree at Bellevue University in 2023.
- Obtained Associate in Commercial Underwriting Management and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designations.
- Enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, training dogs, hunting, fishing, gardening, and anything else outdoors.
Marketing
- Originally from Kimball, Minnesota
- As a three-sport colligate athlete, Cailyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications in late 2023, and will earn her MBA by September 2025.
- Cailyn started working for Northern States Agency in June 2025.
- In her spare time, you can find Cailyn working out, caring for her cat & plants, and spending time with her family and friends.
Underwriting
- From St. Paul, MN.
- Traveled along the west coast after high school and moved to Honolulu, HI in 1980 where she met her significant other. After moving back to Minnesota in 1984, she joined NSA.
- Pam is a big Minnesota Gopher football fan, she enjoys 70’s music, crafts, collecting Turquoise, spending time with her two black rescue cats, and traveling to Minnesota's North Shore.
- Lifelong resident of the Twin Cities.
- Obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary's University in Winona, MN.
- Prior to joining NSA in 1999, she worked for an insurance group and at her father's insurance agency.
- Anne enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
- From St. Paul, MN.
- Obtained her bachelor's degree in mathematics from Hamline University.
- Joined NSA in 2004 and earned her Certified Insurance Counselor designation in 2011.
- Bethany enjoys reading, jazzercising, traveling to Minnesota's North Shore, and spending time with family.
- From Minneapolis, MN.
- Obtained his Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from the University of Minnesota.
- Prior to joining NSA in 2014, Jerry worked as an underwriter for a personal lines MGA for 12 years.
- He enjoys working out, movies, listening to live music, cheering on the Vikings, taking his black lab, Turbo, to dog parks and swimming holes, and watching his two grandchildren play hockey.
- From Eveleth, MN.
- Obtained her B.S. in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Minnesota, Duluth in 2022.
- Joined NSA in 2023. Prior to working at NSA, Tia worked for an independent insurance agency in Duluth, MN as a personal lines agent.
- In her free time, Tia loves to snowboard and go on runs. She also loves watching hockey, rarely missing a Minnesota Wild game.
- From Bucks County, Pennsylvania which is right outside Philadelphia.
- Obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saint Joseph’s University in 2021.
- Joined NSA in 2024. Previously she worked in sales for personal insurance plans.
- Chelsea and her partner enjoy skiing in the winter and backpacking/traveling whenever possible! Most nights she will have a book in her hand as that’s her favorite way to unwind.
- From Savage, MN.
- Obtained a B.S. in Mathematics with an emphasis in Actuarial Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
- Joined NSA in 2024. Prior to NSA, he worked at GEICO as an Auto Adjuster.
- Ryan is an avid Minnesota sports fan. His hobbies include bowling, golf, and hockey. He coaches a U16 hockey team along with his father-in-law and brother-in-law.
- From St. Paul, MN.
- Worked at an insurance company for 34 years prior to joining NSA. She has experience in commercial lines, personal lines, and customer relations.
- Lori enjoys weekly retail therapy, baking, crocheting, and spending time with her two daughters and grandchildren.
- From Southwest Minnesota.
- Obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in organ performance from Southwest Minnesota State University.
- Substitutes as an organist for various churches.
- Merlin started out in the insurance industry in 1981, worked for four carriers, earned the certificate in General Insurance in 1992, and joined NSA in 2001.
- He enjoys latch hook and cross-stitch projects, and even makes hand-stitched nametags as gifts for co-workers.
- From St. Paul, MN, but wishes she was from California.
- Has been with NSA since 2003.
- Beatrice loves spending time with her five children and ten grandchildren, cooking for family and friends, and unwinding on the patio with a glass of wine.
- She hopes to one day write and publish a book on her life.
- From Lincoln, NE.
- Obtained his bachelor's degree in general studies with a minor in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and his master's degree in higher education administration-student affairs administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
- Joined Ringwalt & Liesche in Omaha in 2017, NSA's sister agency, prior to transferring to NSA in September of 2017.
- Josh is a big movie buff and an avid film collector, with around 1,000 movies currently. He loves music, going to concerts, and working out. He also (begrudgingly) loves his three cats Felix, Gilly, and Pepper.
Accounting
- From Cedar Rapids, IA.
- Earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa.
- He worked in the banking areas of finance, accounting, and operations before becoming the Controller for Northern States Agency in 2006. In 2012 he assumed the same duties as Controller for Ringwalt & Liesche.
- Sean enjoys golfing, traveling, and spending time with friends & family.
Want to join our team?
NSA offers a variety of career opportunities. For further details on employment opportunities within NSA or within our larger family of partner agencies, click below to visit our Careers page.