JR Runkel
President
Office:(309) 682-0519
Fax:(309) 682-0553
Cell:(309) 370-6549
JR has been in the insurance industry since 1996 where he started as a Marketing Manager for Westfield Companies. A proud graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio where he was a 2-year starting quarterback and President of the Student Senate his senior year. He is a native of Carmel, IN and is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health. Prior to selling insurance, JR worked in the Public Relations department for the Indianapolis Colts. He was part of the 2009 Class of 40 leaders under 40 in Peoria for his commitment to the community and leadership. He is the father of twin boys, Mason and Drew and they enjoy attending and watching any and all sporting events together.
Dawn Fortner-Alwan
Vice President
Office:(309) 682-0519
Cell:(309) 696-7054
Dawn is a graduate of Iowa State University. She grew up in the insurance industry watching her father, Bob Fortner, start Fortner Insurance Agency. She is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health insurance. As an avid equestrian, Dawn is an Advisory Board Member of Central Illinois Riding Therapy, a not-for-profit organization as that utilizes horseback riding as a means of therapy for children & adults who have physical handicaps. In 2009 she was named one of 25 Women in Leadership for her Community Contributions and Commitment to Easter Seals. She and her husband also own Echo Valley Meats and Catering in Bartonville. They enjoy spending time with their son, Jordan
Christina Bohannan
Agency Manager
A native of Peoria, Christina has been with Fortner Insurance since August 2001. She is licensed in Property & Casualty and Life & Health insurance lines. She also has her Associates in Personal Lines & Associates in General Insurance Designation. In her spare time she likes to read and spend time with family and friends. Christina is married to husband Nick with three children - daughter Payton and twin daughters Sophia and Olivia. Christina & her family reside in Washington, Illinois.
Dan Gschwendtner
Agent
Gschwendtner Insurance Agency, LLC
dan@gschins.com
401 N. Plum Street
Pontiac , IL , 61764
Office: 815-844-2500
Dan has been selling insurance since 1994 and an independent agent since 1997. He consults on all lines of insurance in our industry:
Home - Auto - Life - Health - Farm - Crop - Business Insurance
Dan was born and raised on the family farm in Pontiac, IL. He graduated from Pontiac Township High School and Illinois State University. Married to Sara, they have two children, Grace and Max. In his spare time, Dan enjoys coaching youth sports, water sports, boating, and an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan.
Kyle Varnold
Agent
Kyle came to Fortner in 2014 after five years with State Farm. He is licensed in all lines of insurance but specializing in life and health. If you need a weather forecast, our resident “Weatherman” will be more than happy to offer one as Kyle received his B.S. degree in Meteorology from NIU. “HERE TO SERVE” is Kyle’s philosophy, as he believes that is the fundamental bedrock of this agency and what we do here at Fortner, building trust and taking care of the customers is our priority. In his free time, Kyle assists with coaching the Metamora Township High School Speech Team and is very active in his parish at St. Mark’s in Peoria. Kyle resides in West Peoria with his wife Kendra and their son Kellan.
Travis Goff
Agent
Travis began his insurance career in 2006. He joined Fortner Insurance in 2016 and now specializes in all lines of insurance including Commercial, Personal, Life and Health. He enjoys working directly with customers and striving to become their trusted advisor for all insurance-related decisions. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. Travis moved to the Peoria area in 2000 and married his wife Alyssa. In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, cooking, watching the Seahawks, playing with his fur babies and traveling with his wife.
Marcy Ely
Personal Lines Account Manager
Marcy has been in the insurance business since 2000. She has worked in the central Illinois area assisting people with all their needs with superior customer service. Marcy is from Chillicothe and still lives there with her husband Mark and son Mason. She enjoys playing golf, going to sport events, shopping and traveling.
Wilda Martin
Agent
Wilda graduated from Robert Morris College in Carthage, Illinois in the Sales and Marketing program in 1985. She has had a diverse customer service work history which includes a local utility company, retail stores in Peoria, the medical field and a local plant nursery. She became a licensed Life & Health insurance agent in 2013 and joined the Fortner Team in 2014 where her focus of customer service is with Medicare enrollees. She is a native of Chillicothe where she still resides. She enjoys working in her yard, Contra Dancing, and listening to many different genres of music. She is also a Cardinal Fan.
Tammy Lobdell
Commercial Lines Account Representative
Tammy is a native of Peoria and licensed in Property & Casualty Insurance since 2018 and has also worked in the Food Industry and Engineering Field with over 25 years of customer services experience. She is married to her husband Robert and has three children and one grandchild. Tammy’s youngest son is serving in the US Army and the other two children are both Managers at local businesses. Tammy’s down time is spent with her Husband, Children, Grandchild and extended family. Also Tammy and Robert like going fishing and weekend road trips and are both avid Green Bay Packer Fans!
Sabre Kaplan
Account Representative
Sabre has been licensed in Property & Casualty insurance lines since 2011. In her free time, Sabre enjoys reading and spending time with her family. Sabre is married to husband Dan with two children, son Isaac and daughter Maya.
Robert Fortner
Founder
May 15, 1937 to Jan 2, 2020
Robert "Bob" Fortner sold insurance as an independent agent for over fifty years. He founded Fortner Insurance Agency, Inc. in 1973 and was dedicated to writing policies, taking care of his customers needs, putting them first and building long-term relationships with his vast years of insurance experience. Bob specialized in all lines of insurance ranging from personal autos to corporate group health insurance plans and all coverage’s in between. The philosophy, Mr. Fortner, started so long ago of building trust and taking care of the customers is still evident at the agency today. He will be missed but never forgotten.
Kaylynn Raaum
Executive Administrator
A native of Bartonville IL, Kaylynn has over 25 years’ experience in executive management and 15 years in the insurance field . Kaylynn enjoys ranching and farming with her husband Jory. Spring is her favorite time of years when calving season arrives and she getting to see all the new calves. She has 2 sons Tyler and Houston and 1 grandchild. She enjoys reading, gardening and spending time with her family.
Ashley Englebrecht
Commercial Lines Account Representative
Ashley is a native of Peoria has been in the insurance industry since 2019. She has worked in the customer service field over 10 years. Ashley likes to spend her spare time with family and friends. She is big into camping so she loves being outside. She is married to her husband Dan with three step boys and her daughter.