The Lakeshore Agency is located in Plymouth, Wisconsin, and serves the greater Sheboygan area. Please contact any of the individuals listed below or the Lakeshore Agency office if you live in the Sheboygan area and are interested in learning more about our life insurance or annuity products. The Lakeshore Agency is also always available to help connect you to your local fraternal branch if you are interested in getting involved in any social or community service projects.
William J. Rutten joined BetterLife's Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent in February 2019 and was named District Manager of the Lakeshore Agency in January 2020.
William came to BetterLife so he could continue serving his community after retiring from a 30-year law enforcement career where he last served as the Kohler Chief of Police. He is actively involved in community projects including the Kohler Police Athletic League, Meals on Wheels, and is the head usher at his local church.
William grew up in Menasha, Wisconsin and received his master’s in public administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He currently resides in Kohler, Wisconsin with his wife, Kathy, and their two daughters, Courtney and Jennifer. In his spare time, he is an avid golfer and enjoys running, spinning, and working out.
Chia Yang began his career as an insurance agent with BetterLife in September of 2001. Chia graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and computer information systems. During college, Chia worked as an office assistant for the College of Natural Resources, as a Vector Marketing sales rep, and as a customer service rep.
Chia speaks Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Spanish and Chinese and served as a Hmong/English interpreter at Mid-State Technical College in Stevens Point. He even taught the Hmong 101 Conversational Course at UW-Stevens Point.
Chia and his wife reside in Madison with their children. In his free time, Chia enjoys soccer, volleyball, running, singing, reading and computers.
Steve Ernst, FIC, came to BetterLife with over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. Steve has a passion for protecting families through life insurance and helping them truly understand how much coverage they need.
Throughout his career, Steve says he has delivered several death claim checks over the years. He has never been told to take a check back because it’s too much. If he had the option to pick his own job title, Steve would label himself as an “Ambassador for Doing Good”.
Outside of “doing good”, Steve likes to spend his time attending Wisconsin Badger sporting events, camping, fishing or attending theater shows. When given the choice of any travel destination in the world, Steve hopes to travel around Europe, especially Germany, Poland, and Russia.
Steve grew up in the Fox River Valley area and has lived in Madison, Wisconsin, since 1988. He and his wife will celebrate 40 years of marriage in August 2020! Together they have four grown children and three grandchildren, with another due in November! Steve says that is biggest inspiration in his life is his wife because no matter what is going on, she is always working hard at her job and taking care of the family at home.
Darrel Schmidt joined BetterLife as an insurance agent in 2020. Darrel needs to be in a career where he can directly help those in need, and BetterLife allows him to do just that.
For the past 16 years, Darrel has worked as a Licensed Funeral Director in the Fox Cities area. He’s seen the struggles families endure when there is no life insurance to pay for final expenses. Now, he’s grateful to be able to helps individuals overcome these difficult situations through life insurance products.
If you would have met Darrel in his younger days, you’d know that he played Rugby for the Appleton Jesters/Gargoyles! Nowadays, he spends most of his time outside of BetterLife either camping with his family, hunting, fishing, or lounging on his pontoon. When given the choice of any location in the world, his dream destination is Bora Bora.
Darrel was raised and currently resides in Appleton, Wisconsin. He has a wife, Krystal, and a beautiful daughter, Amara. Darrel says his daughter is his inspiration. “Being a dad is a life-changing, amazing ride. My success is her success, and her success is my success.” His personal motto is, “Do what you believe in and believe in what you do, and the rest will take care of itself”.
Whitney Yang was personally introduced to BetterLife by his mentor and mother, former BetterLife Career Agent Tzong Vang Yang. Whitney describes his job as an insurance agent as "getting rewarded for helping others." He adds, “Once you see the fruits of your labor and what a simple life product can do, it is something your clients will continue to thank you for the rest of their lives. I choose to help regardless if it’s life insurance related or not.”
Whitney enjoys a challenge, which may explain how his career began in the sales industry. “My mother told me to go sell a product that I enjoyed, so I did! I became a used car salesman in my early 20’s. I figured that if I can handle the toughest, stereotypical position, I can handle any sales position. I loved my experience, and it prepared me for all the obstacles that come with running your business.”
Whitney also loves being outside. His favorite outdoor activities include hunting, fishing, grafting apple trees, and even carving pumpkins! When given the choice of any location in the world, he hopes to travel to South Korea and Japan.
Whitney grew up and currently resides in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, with his wife and two daughters. His top personal value is “doing what you say you are going to do” and lists his mother, BetterLife’s first female Agent of the Year, as his largest inspiration.
Cassondra Meyer joined BetterLife’s Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent because she wanted to help people navigate through life with personalized life insurance and annuity plans. Her own values of honesty, kindness, and integrity go hand-in-hand with her goal of helping others get the protection they need. When she looks at what she does as an agent, she considers herself to be a life consultant above everything else.
Cassondra grew up in Oostburg, Wisconsin with her mother, father, and brother. She and her boyfriend currently reside in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with their cats and dog. Hunting, fishing, and spending time with her pets are just a few of the things she enjoys most.
Cassondra is also an avid traveler and visits her foreign exchange student in Europe on a frequent basis. She’s been to a total of eight different countries; Ireland is the next destination on her bucket list!
Jay A. Dobbs, II joined BetterLife’s Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent to make a difference. He likes knowing he can help people avoid the costly financial burden of final expenses as well as offer people the opportunity to support their loved ones after they’re gone. His extensive experience in customer service makes him a natural at putting our members’ interests first.
Jay has 12+ years experience as a paralegal and a background in real estate. He received his B.A. and M.A. from Governors State University in University Park, IL.
Jay is currently a member and volunteer at BetterLife Branch 145 out of St. Charles, IL. He greatly values honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic. That’s why he’s most inspired by hard workers, underdogs, and people who don’t give up.
Jay grew up in Chicago and currently resides in Matteson, IL. In his free time, he enjoys reading and building model boats and airplanes. He also likes to travel and dreams of one day visiting Greece, Italy, and Spain.
Sami Clemins joined BetterLife’s Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent because she believes in the values our company holds: doing what’s right for members and putting their needs first. She has been in the life insurance industry since May 2018 and considers herself a “Life Planning Representative”. After she unexpectedly lost several loved ones within a short period of time, she quickly learned the emotional and financial burden it causes families when they lose someone they love. She says that experiencing loss firsthand has given her the inspiration to help others learn about the importance of protection and prepare for the unexpected.
Sami grew up in Cedarburg, WI, where she currently resides. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her parents and three brothers, her friends, and her boyfriend. Like a true Wisconsin girl, she loves to go up north, shoot her bow, and ride her boyfriend’s Harley. She also loves to work out, go for hikes with her chocolate lab Denali, and go to the farm to ride her horse Rex.
Sami currently holds a license in life insurance.
Chris Deedon joined the BetterLife Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent after retiring from 30 years of teaching. He’s always had an interest in financial literacy and likes that his new career allows him to continue his passion for helping others. While he hasn’t had the formal title of “Insurance Agent” in the past, he explains that teaching high school is exactly the experience he needs. “I had to try to convince adolescents that their education and the material I presented was important. It really is the ultimate sales job.” Additionally, he acted as the school’s department chair for many years, which helped make him a great leader and communicator.
Chris is passionate about life insurance and annuity sales because he has seen first-hand what the lack of protection can do to people and their finances. Those who work with Chris will benefit from his caring and passionate personality as well as his ability to help them understand why protecting themselves and their families is so important.
Chris has a B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an M.S. from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He's also very active in the community. He is a member and volunteer at St. John's Lutheran Church as well as an active supporter of the Lodi Boosters Club. He's also been a volunteer volleyball and youth baseball coach.
Chris grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin and currently resides in Lodi, Wisconsin with his wife of 30 years. He has three adult children and one grandchild. In his free time, he enjoys spending time in his yard, gardening, reading, golfing, and spending time with his one year old grandson.
Nikki Smilanich joined BetterLife’s Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent because her father, who’s also in the life insurance industry, instilled in her the importance of protecting your loved ones. She has a drive to educate others on the benefits of life insurance and a desire to help prepare families for the unexpected.
Nikki graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with her Bachelor’s Degree. She’s deeply inspired by her strong and independent mother who taught her that she can achieve any goal she puts her mind and heart into. Nikki values family, freedom, adventure, authenticity, and wisdom above all else.
Nikki grew up in Sussex, Wisconsin and currently resides in the nearby town of Mequon. In her free time, she likes to stay active and take part in outdoor activities, like tennis and volleyball. When cold weather keeps her indoors, she loves to curl up with a good book. She’s also quite the traveler, and has been to 40 of the 50 states in the United States!
Dean Gardner joined BetterLife’s Lakeshore Agency as an insurance agent to help people protect their present and plan for their future. Many years of experience in the insurance industry along with an Associate Degree in Finance from Western Wisconsin College help him when customizing the right protection plan for each member he meets with.
Dean is very active in his local church and is incredibly passionate about helping the homeless. He values honesty and integrity above all else. His number one inspiration in life comes from his late parents, who gave him a solid base to grow from.
Dean grew up, the youngest of four children, on a dairy farm outside of Soldiers Grove, WI. He currently resides in Madison, WI. In addition to Western Wisconsin College, he also attended University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. In his free time, he enjoys lifting weights and playing the liturgy organ for his church. One day, he hopes to travel to Norway!