Leon Van Berkum began his insurance career as an exclusive agent but quickly realized a single company could not satisfy the diverse needs of all of his customers. He established Northland Independent Group in 2009 as a full service agency representing individuals, families, and businesses in the Kansas City area. Leon is from Alta, IA and has a Bachelor’s Degree from Iowa State University. Rebecc
a Walker joined the agency in 2010 with a background in claims and agency management. Rebecca was born and raised in Joplin, MO and received her education from Rockhurst University in Kansas City. She and her husband have 4 children. Diane Smith brings to the table 14 years of insurance expertise, after being a Farmers agent for 7 and then opening Freedom Insurance in 2011. Our two agencies merged in January 2017, expanding our services to include business insurance and health plans for seniors, including Medicare. Robert Hackney came to us in May 2020, specializing in customer relations and administration. Rob grew up in the Kansas City area and earned his Bachelor's Degree from Kansas State University. After spending several years in Topeka, he and his family relocated to Parkville. Rob and his wife have 2 children. Rey Lopez joined the agency in February 2022. He started his career in the insurance industry in 2007, with emphasis in the Hispanic community. He started with supplemental policies and later added property and casualty lines. Rey was born in Cuba and has lived in the Kansas City area for over 20 years. He has earned two Doctorate degrees, one in Pastoral Theology and another in Christian Counseling, from Faith Bible College in Independence Missouri. He is married and has three daughters. Rey is fluent in English and Spanish. We added Renalyn Aguirre in July of 2022 as a virtual assistant. Rena is from the Philippines and came to us with an exceptional customer service background. Prior to joining the agency, she worked in banking and in a call center before that. She majored in Human Resource Management and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Rena always starts the day on a cheerful note and her never ending positivity is a gift to our team! We strive to be a leader in the insurance industry by:
• Being available to our customers and prospects.
• Listening to our customers’ needs.
• Offering and explaining personalized options.
• Advocating in the best interest of our customers. Our goal is to apply our 20+ years combined experience and ongoing insurance education by providing a customized insurance plan with superior customer service.
