Mike Tennant
PresidentMike@InsureChampaign.net
Mike Tennant has been a Property and Casualty Insurance Agent since 1983. His clients range from owners of apartment buildings, construction companies, franchise fast food, medical facilities, and main street businesses. Mike is known for his expertise in claim settlements, especially those with property losses, and he has been an innovator for safety programs that the insurance industry has never seen from local agents. In his spare time, Mike likes to play golf, fish the White River in Arkansas, and take in sporting events. Mike and his wife Judy have raised 3 sons, 2 of whom are in the insurance industry, with Graham being one of those sons, working alongside him at InsureChampaign. Mike and Judy are also blessed to have 9 grandchildren and enjoy watching them compete in different athletic events.
Rachel Smithenry
Personal Lines ManagerRachel@InsureChampaign.net
Rachel Smithenry has been a Licensed Insurance Agent since 1999 and oversees the Personal Lines Insurance Division. By working as an independent agent, she writes Home and Auto Policies that usually exceed the client’s expectations. She is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and resides in rural Champaign County with her husband, Ken. Rachel and her husband have three children and two grandchildren.
Graham Tennant
Commercial Insurance AgentGraham@InsureChampaign.net
Graham Tennant, originally from Champaign, graduated from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Shortly afterwards, he began working in Chicago, IL for one of the largest insurance brokers in the world, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Graham joined InsureChampaign in 2012 and focuses on the student apartment program, main street businesses, and local contractors. Graham resides in Champaign with his wife, Hillary, and their children.
Chris Hall
Commercial Insurance AgentChris@InsureChampaign.net
Chris Hall joined InsureChampaign as a Commercial Agent in 2015. Chris started in the insurance industry in 2003 and was affiliated with an agency in the Effingham area before joining our agency. Chris has specialized in the past with clients’ insurance needs for property owners, contracting, trucking, manufacturing, and auto dealerships. Chris will continue to expand his customer base in Champaign-Urbana as well as sell Home and Auto Insurance. Chris currently resides in Mattoon and has two children, Landry and Cannin. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his children, as well as fishing and golfing.
Tucker Strang
Commercial Insurance AgentTucker@InsureChampaign.net
Born and raised in Champaign, IL, Tucker Strang attended Arkansas Tech on a baseball scholarship for his first two years before transferring to the University of Illinois and completing his undergraduate degree in Economics in 2009. Tucker has been with InsureChampaign since 2010 and focuses on the Jimmy John’s Franchisee National Program as well as main street businesses. In his free time, Tucker enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and enjoying the outdoors.
Lyle Burns
Commercial Insurance AgentLyle@InsureChampaign.net
Lyle Burns is one of our Commercial Insurance Advisors who has expertise in working with local contractors, manufacturers, property, and dealer risks. Lyle graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and holds a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska. In his spare time, you can find Lyle spending time with his family or golfing on the golf course. Lyle is originally from Mahomet, but he and his wife, Jessica, reside in Champaign with their two children.
Rachel Barnes
Personal Lines AgentRachelB@InsureChampaign.net
Rachel Barnes has been a Licensed Insurance Agent since 2018. She joined InsureChampaign in November 2021, focusing directly on home and auto insurance. She also oversees all the claims and processes them on behalf of our clients. Before working at InsureChampaign, she spent four years working as an Auto and Home Insurance Agent for a direct writer. Rachel was raised in Mahomet and graduated as a Bulldog. The Saint Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers are her favorite sports teams. Currently, she resides in Sidney with her husband, Tyler, and their children, Maelynn and Colten. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, stand-up comedy, and making memories with her friends and family.
Amy Smith
ControllerAmy@InsureChampaign.net
Amy Smith manages the operation of InsureChampaign, including the day-to-day accounting activities. This includes accounts payable/receivable, payroll, budgeting, and cash flow management. She helps with achieving accounting operational objectives, such as preparing and completing action plans, completing audits, financial reporting, determining system improvements, and implementing changes.
Elliott McGill
Group Health and Benefits AgentElliott@InsureChampaign.net
Elliott McGill joined InsureChampaign in 2021 and specializes in Group Health and Employee Benefits. He focuses on bringing personalized service and insurance plans to our local community. Elliott grew up in Champaign and attended Eastern Illinois University on a swimming scholarship. After graduating in 2009, Elliott became a coach at EIU and got his Master’s in Sports Administration. Following a 12-year coaching career, with stops in Texas and the University of Illinois, Elliott joined InsureChampaign in our Employee Benefits Division. Elliott resides in Mahomet with his wife, Emily, and their children, Grace and Chipper.
Jill Pankau
Benefits Client Account ManagerJill@InsureChampaign.net
Jill Pankau has been a Licensed Insurance Agent since 2003. Jill joined InsureChampaign in September 2019 to work in the Employee Benefits Division. Jill has been working in employee benefits for over 20 years and had prior experience on the medical carrier side. Jill is from Champaign and lives with her husband Steve; they have three children and eight grandchildren. She enjoys cooking, gardening, trying to keep up with all the grandchildren’s sports, and traveling to the beach with her husband.
Kimberly Walsh
Personal Lines CSAKim@InsureChampaign.net
Kimberly Walsh started with InsureChampaign in 2014. She found her niche in the Personal Lines Department and assists clients with Auto, Home, Boat, and other Recreational Vehicle Insurance. Kimberly resides in St Joseph with her precious dog, Sunny. She stays very active with her niece and nephew’s sports and activities.
Jeni Shreves
Commercial Lines CSAJeni@InsureChampaign.net
Jeni Shreves is a licensed CSA that has been with InsureChampaign since 2016. She works closely with the agency’s commercial clients, assisting in the Jimmy John’s Franchisee program as well as accounting. Jeni resides in Mahomet with her husband, Austin, and two dogs, Scout and Millie. In her free time, Jeni enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to concerts, and traveling.
Julie Parker
Commercial Lines Account ManagerJulie@InsureChampaign.net
Julie Parker has over 25 years of experience and works alongside Graham Tennant to provide excellent customer service to their clients. Since joining InsureChampaign, Julie has been instrumental in the renewal of clients in the Commercial Lines Division. Julie resides in Rantoul and has two children, Megan and Ryan, and a daughter-in-law, Paige. She is also a MeeMaw to her two adorable sports-loving grandsons, Kolvin and Kooper. She likes to cheer on the Rantoul Eagles Basketball and Baseball teams, participate in 5Ks, spend time with family and friends, and go hiking. One of Julie’s favorite memories was when she was hiking in Arizona with her family, and she reached the top of a mountain. Julie also likes to travel to tropical locations where she can relax on the beach with a good book.
Ashley Moe
Commercial Lines CSAAshley@InsureChampaign.net
Ashley Moe is a Champaign local and graduated from the University of Illinois in 2011. She has been in the insurance industry since 2016 and joined the InsureChampaign team in 2022. She works closely with the agency’s commercial clients, assisting with the Jimmy John’s Franchisee Program. Ashley also assists our Agency President with commercial clients on a daily basis. Ashley is married to Kyle, and they have a dog named Willow and a cat named Chief. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.
