Nicole Allyn
Director of Sales

925.296.8818, My Calendar

Nicole Allyn assumed the role of Director of Sales in July 2023, marking a significant milestone in her career at Claremont. She joined our team in 2020 as a Regional Sales Manager, bringing with her a wealth of expertise accumulated over more than twenty-five years in the industry. Her extensive background in sales management includes a commendable fifteen-year tenure at LISI and BenefitMall.

Nicole is a collaborative and team-oriented manager who leads by example. She excels in building strong partnerships with her team, brokers and carrier partners. Nicole is known for her skill in crafting sales strategies and providing top-notch service and solutions to clients. She derives immense satisfaction from helping her team and partners succeed.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Nicole is a devoted mother to her teenage son, Joey. In her free time, she finds enjoyment in lifting weights and creative expression through playing the guitar and singing.

Laura Hogsed
Service Manager

925.296.8823

Laura Hogsed has over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry.  Prior to joining Claremont, Laura held various positions including at companies such as Blue Shield of California and BD Medical. Laura has extensive expertise in pharmacy, utilization, prior authorization and billing. Laura holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Sciences for Medical Assisting from Heald College and has been licensed by the California State Board of Pharmacy for over 20 years. Laura enjoys horror movies, haunted houses and anything that involves a good scare. Ask her how many days there are until Halloween!

Robert Traynor
Chairman

Bob Traynor has over 40 years of experience carrying out successful sales, marketing, and management responsibilities. He previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Blue Cross of California, where he directed a sales and marketing organization that produced nearly $1 billion in annual premiums. In 1985, Bob founded Creekside Consulting Co., a marketing and management consulting service that consulted on the design and implementation of several successful statewide and national specialty managed care organizations. In 1989, Creekside became Claremont Business Group Inc. Currently, the Claremont family of companies includes Claremont Insurance Services and Claremont Behavioral Health.

Bob was educated at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and completed the Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business, University of Michigan.

Renee McLemore
Vice President, Marketing and Sales

925.296.8808

Renee joined the Claremont team with over 20 years of healthcare marketing and sales enablement expertise. Working with Kaiser Permanente, UCSF Medical Center, and McKesson, Renee has successfully developed and executed business building and branding strategies for B2B and B2C markets. Prior to joining Claremont in 2014, Renee directed hospital-segment marketing strategy for McKesson’s pharmaceutical distribution business. Renee earned an MBA from Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a BS from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Michael Traynor
President

925.296.8806

Michael has been with Claremont Insurance Services since 1993 as one of its founding members, and he has made a tremendous impact on nearly all aspects of the company’s sales, operations, and overall strategy. Michael designed and installed the company’s information management system, designed and managed Claremont’s web site, and created the concept for PRISM, Claremont’s interactive, online broker service.

Prior to joining Claremont, Michael spent ten years in the printing and advertising industry where he worked for regional and national advertising firms in Northern California. Michael served as President of the Silicon Valley Association of Health Underwriters from 2014 to 2016, and for 2017/2018. He remains active with the chapter board.

He received his BA from San Francisco State University.

Kevin Carlin
Regional Sales Manager

925.296.8820, My Calendar

Kevin has over 35 years of experience in the employee benefits industry, working with leading health and dental insurance companies, including California Dental Network and Humana. His expertise lies in consulting with brokers to develop tailored benefits solutions for their group clients across California.

Throughout his career, Kevin has built strong broker relationships by regularly attending networking events and staying engaged with the latest trends in employee benefits. His active presence on LinkedIn allows him to share valuable insights, helping brokers and industry peers navigate the evolving benefits marketplace. Kevin’s collaborative approach empowers brokers with the tools they need to grow their businesses.

Based in Huntington Beach, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family – his wife, Denise, and their two children, Taylor and Sean. He also loves exploring the natural beauty of Southern California, taking his French Bulldogs, Zoey and Lola, on walks around favorite local spots like the Bolsa Chica wetlands and Central Park.

Patricia Rodriguez
Regional Sales Manager

925.296.8817, My Calendar

Patricia has decades of experience in healthcare and benefits administration. Her varied roles include provider, medical group and hospital contracting, multistate network development, national recruitment/contracting of mental health providers, and creating the state’s first network of complementary/alternative healthcare providers.

Her superior bilingual skills and firsthand knowledge of the cultural issues in the Hispanic community support her understanding of underserved community groups and the brokers who serve them.

As a member of the Claremont Insurance General Agency family, she is focused on bringing education, advocacy and differentiation to the agent and broker community throughout California.

Patricia and her family enjoy the beautiful surroundings throughout the state. Big Sur and Mendocino coasts are among her favorite locations to explore with beach walks and hikes in the mountains and trails on her weekends. She also enjoys serving her local community by volunteering through local agencies and her community of faith.

Heather Chandler
Regional Sales Manager

925.296.8812, My Calendar

As one of our Regional Sales Managers, Heather is helping brokers in both Northern and Southern California grow their books of business through proven sales strategies and solutions. She has over fifteen years of experience in employee benefits including various sales roles at Health Net, BenefitMall, and LISI.

She uses a well-developed team approach to work collaboratively with brokers to close business with their employer clients, solve problems, and provide carrier market knowledge to brokers and their staff.

When not working with brokers, Heather spends most of her time in her second job as a professional scuba diver. She’d love to teach anyone that’s interested!

Joanne Donnelly
Market Strategist

925.296.8847

With over 30 years of industry exposure, Joanne found her passion in ensuring the best benefit solutions for brokers and their clients across many market segments with diverse business needs. Prior to joining Claremont in 2015, Joanne held strategic sales roles with BenefitMall, Lincoln Financial, Lafayette Square Insurance, New York Life and Aetna.  This experience helps Joanne bring an unparalleled breadth of perspective in developing strategic market and customer-specific solutions. Joanne likes to compare her job to that of a Charcuterie board. The next time you see her, make sure to ask her about it!

Danna Nibre
Broker Services Strategist

925.296.8814

Danna has been an integral member of the Claremont team since 2006. She began as a Broker Service Representative, and progressed through various roles on the team before being promoted to Broker Services Manager in 2014 and then Broker Services Strategist in 2020. Danna has over 20 years of healthcare industry experience including roles at an ambulatory surgery center and a third party administrator. With each role, Danna gained a broader perspective of the healthcare industry by working directly with various carriers, healthcare providers, brokers, employers and their employees. When Claremont began representing Covered California for Small Business to brokers, Danna played a critical role in ensuring our Broker Services team was fully versed in best practices to support brokers.

Derek Fahlman
Customer Engagement Manager

925.296.8837

Before joining Claremont, Derek was a benefits consultant for Brown & Brown Insurance where he delivered cost containment and self-funding solutions to the small and large group markets.  Derek started his employee benefits career with OneDigital Health and Benefits focused on small group, level funded products, and bringing companies into the digital era. Prior to the insurance industry, he was a sales manager in the Denver, CO hospitality industry. Derek attended Regis University in Denver with a focus on Business Administration. A native Californian, Derek enjoys being active in his community as a board member of the De La Salle High School Alumni Association.  He’s also an avid outdoors enthusiast, downhill skier and snowboarder.

Jessie Gonzalez
Customer Engagement Manager

925.296.8835, My Calendar

Jessie comes to Claremont from Anthem Blue Cross, where for seven years he was part of the Anthem large group new sales team. Prior to Anthem, Jessie spent two years with Health Net, also in large group new sales. Jessie also has experience in retail banking and agency insurance sales, having worked at Wachovia Bank as a licensed personal banker and as a products representative with State Farm Insurance. In his spare time Jessie likes to play basketball with his son Santana, enjoy family day trips, and occasionally bang on the drum set in his garage.

Elisha Youngman
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8819

Elisha joined Claremont in 2025 as a Broker Service Representative. With a background in medical office administration, she managed patient appointments and insurance verifications before advancing to the billing department of an infertility clinic, where she gained in-depth expertise in insurance processes. Now transitioning into employee benefits, Elisha is eager to expand her knowledge of the market, our carrier partnerships, and strategies to support brokers in growing their business.

Outside of work, she enjoys strength training, cooking, caring for plants, and spending time with friends.

Rebecca Hernandez
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8822

Claremont is excited to welcome Rebecca Hernandez as the newest member of the Service Team. Rebecca brings with her 6 years of industry experience. Most recently she held the position of Small Business Senior Renewal Specialist with eHealth Insurance, where she provided service in all 50 states, to over 9,000 groups. “Rebecca is the perfect addition to help round out our team,” says Laura Hogsed, Service Manager. “Her experience in renewal analyzation is a great asset which will take our ability to provide wholistic service to our brokers to a higher level.”

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys taking Zumba classes, gem collecting or listening to self-improvement books.

Suzie Wirths
Broker Service Representative

925.348.0856

Suzie has over six years of employee benefits experience and has worked with Third Party Administrators as well as brokerage firms. “Her experience and knowledge are only part of what Suzie brings to the table. She strives to provide the best possible experience to everyone that she interacts with and she is eager to make an impactful contribution to our customers. Our clients are already saying how much they enjoy working with her.” said Laura Hogsed, Service Manager.

Suzie loves the outdoors. In her spare time, you may find her hiking, kayaking, caving and exploring the mountains.

Crystal Nelson
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8826

Crystal joined Claremont in 2017. Previously, Crystal worked in a private dental office for four years coordinating treatment coverage with carriers. Crystal holds an Applied Science Degree in Dental Assisting. Crystal loves spending time with her twin daughters and friends either at home with games and movies or outdoor activities like camping, horseback riding and hiking. Ask Crystal about Snickers, the family Mini Holland Lop bunny.

Kimberly Dantono
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8813

Kim joined Claremont in 2015. Previously Kim held various sales and customer support positions at companies including BenefitMall and IBM. When not working at Claremont, Kim keeps her hands full with running after her two small children.

Raquel Contreras
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8824

Raquel came to Claremont as a temporary employee. With over seventeen years of small group benefits experience under her belt, she joined the team fulltime in 2019. As a Broker Service Representative, she focuses on the processing and completion of service requests and administrative services. Perhaps it’s blasé, however Raquel wants to be sure that even minor requests are processed and completed, timely and error-free. Spanish-language services are also provided by Raquel, when needed at the office, or requested by a group for an open enrollment meeting. Overall, Raquel enjoys working the back-office. On weekends, Raquel enjoys the quiet life, with cooking, hanging out with friends and family, and enjoying a walk outside or listening to music.

Lea Torres
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8825

Lea brings over 5 years of experience in the employee benefits industry having spent that time at an independent brokerage serving as a Senior Benefits Analyst and Account Manager. “Lea has a strong acumen for analyzing benefits and assisting clients to best meet employee and company needs. She will be an asset to Claremont and will provide stellar service to our clients,” said Karlee Navarro, Assistant Manager, Service.

When not working, Lea and her husband enjoy scuba diving, traveling, and spending time with their fur-babies — cats Ava (Tabby) and Otis (Russian Blue), and their Pomeranian puppy Loki.

Maria Mallari
Broker Service Representative

925.296.8815

Before joining the Claremont team in August of 2018, Maria began her career in health care in 1993 at Health Net.  What started out as a receptionist/switchboard position turned into a 25-year career.  Over the course of those 25 years at Health Net, Maria was promoted to many different roles within the organization.  After briefly providing administrative support for the Vice President and the Human Resources Director, she quickly began her career in customer service by supporting the Small Group account management team. She then began managing her own small group book of business.  In 2004 she began working in the large group market sector where she provided day to day support for many large group clients and then began managing her own book of business in the Labor & Trust division. Personal interests include being with family and friends.  Maria likes to bake, hike, go wine tasting, attend concerts, festivals, plays/ cirque du soleil shows and she loves to shop.

Tracey Lewis
Office Manager

925.296.8811

Tracey is Claremont’s Office Manager. She joined us as Administration and Executive Assistant in 2008, and has taken on more responsibilities every year. Anyone who’s visited the Claremont office knows Tracey. She exemplifies the customer focus and professionalism that Claremont stands for. Tracey served on the SVAHU Board of Directors for five years in various capacities including Treasurer. Each year she leads the organization of several local industry events and fundraisers. In her spare time Tracey is a self-confessed home improvement addict. From asbestos abatement to zone irrigation, there’s no job she won’t tackle.

Chris Kersey
Applications Developer

925.296.8849

Chris is Claremont’s Salesforce Administrator. Prior to Claremont, he worked as a database architect and application developer in the B2B technology space, both independently and as an IT employee of several Bay Area companies. As a Claremont developer, Chris works with end users to streamline their interaction with data, setting up automations and generating reports. He creates technology tools that aid in file management, data transformations and automated tasks. When not behind a computer screen, Chris enjoys short camping trips with his family, performing with his band at local venues and spending much of his “idle” time remodeling his home, office and music studio. His current personal project is a foray into audio and video engineering and production.

Kathleen Conner
Accounting Manager

925.296.8886

Kathleen joined Claremont in 2010. Previously, Kathleen held various finance and accounting positions at companies including Cigna and the University of Miami. Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Mississippi. Kathleen is an active member of SHRM and AFWA. In her spare time, Kathleen is a volunteer at Diablo Day Camp and is a local Girl Scouts board member.

Kim Dinh
IT Administrator

925.296.8833

We’re very proud that Kim is the longest-serving member of our Claremont team. In her IT Administration and Data Reporting position, Kim plays a crucial role in keeping our entire team productive and armed with the information we need to best support our customers. Kim’s dedication to her Claremont job is clear to everyone – it’s rare that anyone manages to get into the office before her. But the most important job in her life has been raising her four children. Kim’s fellow parents at Claremont feel very humbled at the devotion, dedication and energy that Kim brings to that job too.