Meet Our Team
Our industry knowledgeable team has over 100 years of combined experience offering innovative and compliance-driven risk transfer lending solutions.
Our team shares the same core values and innovative thinking.
At Unitas, our team is united by core values and a commitment to innovation. We believe success is rooted in honesty, transparency, and true partnership, guiding every solution we offer and every relationship we build.
Here's our recipe for success.
More Than Colleagues
We are a community united by our mutual commitment and dedication to helping not only our clients succeed, but each other as well.
Knowledge is power
Our team has over 100 years of combined experienced within the specialty insurance industry helping clients with risk management.
100% Client Success
You're not just a client; you're a valued partner. Our team has and always will be 100% focused on the success of our clients.
Innovative Thinking
We leverage innovative thinking to develop tailored solutions, ensuring our clients gain a competitive edge and achieve lasting success.
Leadership
Client Services
Business Development & Marketing
Real Estate Investor Division
Product Development & Partnerships
Delivering tailored solutions that simplify risk management.
Explore our risk management solutions that streamline servicing, improve efficiency, and eliminate insurance tracking for real estate, consumer, and equipment portfolios—ensuring compliance and reducing administrative burdens.
Real Estate Lending
Our real estate lending solutions safeguard lenders by transferring risk, optimizing servicing, and ensuring compliance.
Consumer Lending
Our auto lending solutions mitigate uninsured collateral risk, simplify servicing, and ensure compliance.
Blanket Protection
Solutions designed to protect collateral and simplify servicing by removing the need for insurance tracking across portfolios.
Lisa Cooper
President
Lisa has been in the financial institution and real estate investment segments of risk management since 1985. She is a licensed insurance agent for both admitted and surplus lines business in 40+ states and has achieved and maintained her CIC credentials demonstrating her commitment to excellence in this demanding industry. Lisa developed a relationship with Lloyd’s, London that has led to tribunalization of two different agencies enabling binding authority status.
Lisa has strong expertise in underwriting and managing coastal risk. Lisa resides in Florida and enjoys the beach and other activities that the warm weather brings.
Greg Shimkus
President | Specialty Division
Greg’s professional experience includes leadership positions in Technology, TPA Operations, and Strategic Business Development for privately held specialty insurance agencies and Fortune 500 global enterprises. With a career focus on financial institution (FI) risk, Greg has designed and implemented risk transfer programs aligning community banks and credit unions, captive finance companies and top 100 commercial banks with major domestic and foreign program underwriters. Greg's extensive network of relationships across corporate America, and throughout the domestic and foreign Insurance marketplaces brings a unique set of talents to Unitas.
Gary Criscillis
Chief Strategy Officer
For the last 29 years, Gary has served as President of Lenders Service Corporation (LSC). LSC joined Unitas Financial Services in early 2021. Gary holds licenses across multiple states in Property, Casualty, Credit, and Surplus Lines insurance, in addition to his designation as a Managing General Agent (MGA). Gary has directed all aspects of agency operations including marketing, underwriting, carrier relations, and claims administration. Gary was nominated to serve as President of the Association of Financial Insurance Brokers (AFIB) in 2018. He continues to lead the agency’s customer-focused initiatives on a daily basis.
Brian Barnett
EVP | Client Services
Brian currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Customer Success. Brian joined Unitas Financial Services in April 2002, with over 15 years of financial institution experience. After graduation from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, he married his wife of 28 years and resides on their third-generation family farm with his two sons. Brian adopted the company motto of “Great Programs with an Attitude of Service” when he joined the company and still believes and practices this motto with every client contact today.
Logan Douglas
VP | Client Services
Logan graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Sociology. Before joining Unitas Financial Services, she served as the Commercial Contract Administrator/Coordinator for a large MDOT tree service.
Raised in Lapeer County, MI, Logan continues to reside there while working partly remote. She enjoys traveling throughout Michigan to collaborate with Unitas partners and assist with their insurance needs. When not working, Logan spends most of her time with her family and her three dogs.
Tod Hastings
EVP | National Sales
Tod began his Unitas journey in 2009 as an agent and currently oversees national sales efforts. After graduating from Miami (OH) University in 1989 with a degree in Business, he spent the next 20 years in the lending and credit industry holding various leadership and sales roles. This experience has given Tod the first-hand knowledge of the different ways lenders can use Unitas solutions for their risk mitigation needs. Tod is based in Navarre, Florida and enjoys playing golf and fishing in his spare time.
Matt Moore
VP | Regional Business Dev.
A Graduate from the University of Louisville with a B.A. in Political Science and Public Policy, Matt has a knack for understanding the effects of an ever-changing regulatory environment on Financial Institutions and advising clients on the best practices for ensuring their lending portfolios are matched with the proper insurance coverage. Prior to joining Unitas Financial Services, Matt was the VP and Director of Business Development at Lenders Service Corporation. Matt was previously employed by Discover Financial Services and Sullivan University.
Matt was raised in Oldham County, KY, where he currently resides with his wife and two sons. Matt is a devoted follower of Jesus. Outside of work, he enjoys playing the drums and mentoring young men in the High School Ministry at Northeast Christian Church.
Blaine Moricle
SVP | Regional Business Dev.
Blaine joined Unitas Financial Services in January of 2020. After graduating from Elon University, Blaine has spent his professional career in the consumer and mortgage lending industries in various sales and leadership roles. During this time, he has worked with lenders of all sizes in growing their loan portfolios, generating fee income, and transferring risk from their balance sheets.
Blaine is a native North Carolinian and currently resides in Summerfield, North Carolina. In his spare time, he enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife and two kids.
Brian Ruhe
SVP | Regional Business Dev.
Having joined Unitas Financial Services in November 2017, Brian serves as a Senior Vice President of Regional Business Development. Brian is a graduate of The Ohio State University, with a B.S. in Allied Medicine. For the last 15 years, he has gained experience in various aspects of sales and business management, including time in mortgage banking and credit consulting. He understands the lending challenges that community banks and credit unions face across the landscape of this great nation and is motivated to offer them solutions to improve their overall strength.
He and his wife cherish the daily challenges and delights in raising their four young daughters, life is certainly busy.
April Storie
VP | Client Services
Based in Centerville, Ohio, April serves as the Vice President of Client Services at Unitas Financial Services, overseeing Southern, Central, and Northeast Ohio, as well as Eastern Indiana. Originally from Louisiana and a resident of Southern Ohio since 1998, April holds an Associate’s in Business Administration from Louisiana State University.
With more than 20 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry, April joined Unitas in 2021, driven by a passion for working with exceptional clients and solving their most complex lending challenges. Her role allows her to travel to various locations, meeting with customers and addressing their financial needs.
Outside of work, April enjoys spending time with her family (husband, daughter, and son), friends, and loves traveling, reading, and watching college football.
Joshua Threm
Director | Marketing
As a graduate of Central Michigan University with a B.S. in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Josh began his insurance career with First Service Corporation (FSC) in 2015. Before joining FSC, he worked at Universal McCann, specializing in digital marketing for clients such as Chrysler FCA, Aldi, Nationwide, and Pure Michigan.
Josh resides in the Detroit Metro area with his wife and two daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, and relaxing at his family’s cabin in Northern Michigan.
Wade Tiemann
VP | Regional Business Dev.
Wade’s career has focused exclusively on providing insurance and lending solutions to financial institutions and lenders. His career has been exclusively with financial-focused insurance agencies, ranging from smaller, privately held firms to larger corporate organizations. Wade is passionate about collaborating with carriers and vendors to find the best program for each client he works with.
Wade has broad experience with financial products and services ranging from Collateral Protection programs to Enterprise Risk Insurance coverages. This has enabling him to approach client needs with a comprehensive understanding of the industry and needs of a lender.
At Unitas Financial Services, Wade values the collaborative and client-focused culture Unitas has fostered. Wade appreciates the team's dedication to providing the best possible experience for clients, colleagues, and partners alike.
Outside of work, Wade enjoys a busy family life raising six children, volunteering at their local church, and engaging in various hobbies. Living in Minnesota, they take advantage of the state's lakes and parks, spending time fishing, hiking, enjoying campfires, or playing card games with loved ones.
John Watt
ARM, VP | REI Program Manager
Based in Fort Lauderdale, FL since childhood, John Watt has been a trusted professional in the insurance industry since 1985. His career began with providing life insurance, investment solutions, and employee benefit programs to businesses, later expanding in 1992 to include property and casualty lines.
John holds a Risk Management degree earned in 2006 through the Insurance Institute of America, leveraging coursework developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania. His extensive expertise spans a wide range of insurance coverages, making him uniquely equipped to align clients' needs with optimal solutions in an ever-evolving market.
John's approach is centered on understanding the unique goals and requirements of each client. He is dedicated to crafting custom insurance programs that not only meet but exceed client expectations, while also satisfying third-party obligations. His guiding principle is simple: "Delivering the most comprehensive insurance solutions at the best possible cost."
In his free time, John enjoys traveling to new destinations, playing golf (though he claims to be a bit rusty!), and bowling—proudly achieving nine perfect 300 games.
Skip Davis
EVP | Product Development
Skip has worked in various roles in the insurance industry for over 35 years. Among other duties Skip currently manages the Unitas Claims Team. Skip obtained his B.S. in Accounting and Financial Services as well as an M.B.A from University of North Florida. During Skip’s career in the Insurance Industry, he has almost exclusively focused on products targeted to and marketed by lenders and dealers.
A proud father of two, in his off-time Skip enjoys being a Martial Arts instructor, Motorcycle touring, and Competitive shooting events.