Board of Directors

Grinnell Mutual's board of directors is a dynamic group of mutual insurance and community leaders — all dedicated to building trusted relationships with customers.

Dan Anderson

Dan Anderson is the manager of Great Plains Farm Mutual in Canton, S.D., and has been at the mutual for 22 years, five of them as manager.

Anderson holds the PFMM designation, is a NAMIC Merit Society Legacy member, a former chair of the Merit Society Committee, and served on the NAMIC Convention Planning Committee. He also is a two-time president of the the South Dakota Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. 

Anderson received a degree in Business Economics from South Dakota State University.

Larry Cook

Larry Cook is the CEO of Frontier-Mt Carroll Mutual. He has been with the mutual for 12 years. His other insurance experience includes underwriting, marketing, and management in both areas. He holds the PFMM designation and belongs to the NAMIC Merit Society.

Cook is the past secretary/board member and past chairman of the Illinois Association of Mutual Insurers. He has a bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Ill.

He is married with four children and one grandchild.

Dan DEArment

Dan DeArment is President and CEO of Friends Cove Mutual Insurance Company. He holds the PFMM designation and chairs the NAMIC Farm Mutual Forum board. He is a past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (PAMIC).

DeArment received his bachelor's degree from Dickinson College and his Juris Doctor from Dickinson School of Law at Pennsylvania State University.

He and his wife have two children.

Dave Heynen

Dave Heynen is the president of Farmers Mutual Insurance Association of Hull, in Hull, Iowa. He has been with Farmers Mutual since 2004. He has a bachelor’s degree from Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, and has served on the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies’ (NAMIC) Farm Mutual Conference board and is a NAMIC Merit Society and PAC member.

Heynen has also been active with the Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa (MIAI), serving on several committees, and is a MIAI PAC member. He holds the NAMIC Professional Farm Mutual Manager (PFMM) designation. 

Heynen lives in Sioux Center, Iowa, with his wife and three children.

Mark Knouse

Mark Knouse is the president/treasurer of White Pigeon Mutual Insurance Association in Wilton, Iowa. He has served in the role for 32 years. He was the recipient of the Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa’s PRIME award and is its past president and a two-time board member with the group.

Knouse earned a bachelor’s degree from Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is married with two sons.

Bill Lampe

Bill Lampe is the president of Heritage Mutual Insurance in Preston, Iowa. He has been with the mutual as president for 19 years. Other insurance experience includes working as a claims adjuster and claims examiner. 

Lampe has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Iowa and an MBA from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. He is a former member of the NAMIC Group Trust board, and former director and president of the Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa (MIAI). His industry certifications are NAMIC Professional Farm Mutual Manager (PFMM) and Associate in Claims (AIC).

Lampe is married with four children.

Mary Jo Robison

Mary Jo Robison is secretary-treasurer/manager of LaPrairie Mutual Insurance Company in Henry, Ill. She has been at LaPrairie Mutual since 1999 and has served as secretary-treasurer/manager since 2010.

Robison is a member of the NAMIC Merit Society and has served on NAMIC’s Farm Mutual Conference Board, and chaired its Development Planning Committee. Robison also served as chair for the Illinois Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (IAMIC). She holds the NAMIC Professional Farm Mutual Manager (PFMM) and Farm Mutual Director Certification (FMDC) designations.

Mark Schmidt

Mark Schmidt is president/treasurer of American Mutual Insurance Association of Grand Mound, Iowa. Schmidt is also the president/owner of Legacy Insurance Group, located within the mutual. 

Schmidt previously worked at Wells Fargo Financial, where he was vice president of risk management, leading a team responsible for all enterprise technology projects, and played a key role in developing technology solutions that were used by risk management to do forecasting, modeling, analytics, and reporting.  

Schmidt graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in finance and real estate. He also holds a Professional Farm Mutual Manager (PFMM) designation.

Paul Stueven

Paul Stueven is the CEO/treasurer of Fairmont Farmers Mutual in Fairmont, Minn. He has held the role for 16 years and been at Fairmont for 17, and has worked in the mutual insurance industry since 1979 as an agent, inspector/adjuster and company manager.

Stueven holds the PFMM and FMDC designations. He has earned the NAMIC Merit Society Award and NAMIC’s PFMM Manager of the Year award. He is also the past chairman of NAMIC and past chairman of its FMC board and Merit Society Board, and active with the Minnesota Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

Stueven has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Administration from National American University.

He is married and has eight grandchildren.

Susan Taggart

Susan Taggart is the CEO of Mutual of Indiana Insurance Company in Lafayette, Ind. She has served in the role for 25 years. She is a member of the NAMIC Merit Society and has the PFMM and FMDC designations, as well a property-casualty agent’s license.

Taggart serves on the board of directors of the NAMIC FMC, PAC, and Merit Society and has served many other roles in the NAMIC organization. She is also past president and vice president of Mutual Insurance Company Association of Indiana (MICAI).

She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saint Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kan.

Steve Underwood

Steven L. Underwood is the general manager of United Mutual Insurance Company in Washington, Mo., and has served in the role for more than 21 years. He has previous experience at Farmers Mutual of Webster County, Missouri.

Underwood hold the PFMM designation and has served three terms on the Missouri Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and four years as chairman of the MAMIC executive board.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Missouri State University.

Underwood is married and has two children.

Jim Wellman

James P. Wellman is the president of German Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. in New Knoxville, Ohio. He has served in the role for 12 years. Before joining German Farmers, he was a claims representative, a sales and marketing rep, and a licensed insurance agent. He holds PFMM, FMDC, AINS, AIS, and AIC certifications. Wellman is also a member of the NAMIC Merit Society and served on the NAMIC FMC board of directors.

Wellman has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He is married and has three children.