The Gavnat Team
Gavnat and Associates is headquartered in Minneapolis and our team works diligently to get home and business owners the compensation they are entitled to for property damage claims. Whether you’ve already submitted your claim, have previously been denied, or have yet to file, we can help get you the payment you are entitled to. With our decades of combined experience in the insurance adjustment industry, we know the claims process inside and out and are here to advocate for you. Get to know our team below!
Jim Pierce
Founder/Owner of Gavnat and Associates
[email protected]James Pierce founded Gavnat and Associates in 2007 and has been working tirelessly ever since then to advocate for the rights of insurance policy holders. Jim is a licensed public adjuster in a multitude of states outside of Minnesota as well including Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Montana and Ohio. In addition to his work in public adjusting, Jim has extensive experience in the Insurance Appraisal process having participated as an Appraiser or Umpire on over 1,000 appraisals to date with more involvement every year.
He has obtained a solid reputation in the industry as a name people can trust. Jim prides himself on making changes to the industry as a whole having helped set new case law through litigation and testifying in opposition of proposed insurance led bills that would affect policyholders. Jim is also the president of Minnesota Association of Public Insurance Adjusters and a member of National Association of Public Adjusters. His goal is always to assist each and every policyholder in obtaining the insurance award they deserve.
In his free time, Jim likes to spend time with his wife, Linda, and their two kids, Gavan & Nathan, whom he named his business after. Jim enjoys ice fishing during the winter months with his boys on Lake of The Woods and is an avid waterfowl hunter in the fall. Jim actively contributes to the Special Olympics and volunteers regularly as well. He also participates on the boards in varying areas including youth basketball sports, church, and other businesses when time allows.
Ryan Wiens
Director of Operations
[email protected]Ryan grew up in Richfield, MN and is a Marine Corps veteran having served from 2002-2010. During his time in the Marine Corps he worked in the legal field. After medically retiring, he went back to school and received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2013. Where he then went on to work as a Director of Operations before coming on board to Gavnat. Utilizing his strong work ethic and over 10+ years of administrative, legal, and operations experience, Ryan came to Gavnat originally in the role of Office Manager. He became a licensed public adjuster and acquainted himself with the ins and out of every aspect of the insurance claims process. He is now dedicated to ensuring the day-to-day business operations are taken care of as our Director of Operations, so our team of public adjusters can focus their efforts on our clients and their claims.
In his free time Ryan enjoys spending time with his wife, Katie, and two children, Weston and Brylen. He and his family volunteer their time to organizations they believe in such as Make a Wish, Toys for Tots, Minnesota Children’s Hospital, and various veteran’s organizations.
Justin Metz
Claims Coordinator
[email protected]Justin was born and raised in Eagan, MN. After graduating from the Academy of Holy Angels he attended the University of North Dakota. He started in the industry as a roofing salesman in 2013. His work with Gavnat began as an estimate writer before transitioning to the role of a claims coordinator working side-by-side with the Public Adjustors to assist clients in handling their claims. Justin is married to the love of his life, Jill and enjoys spending time at his family’s hunting land in northern Minnesota. Justin also enjoys passing on his knowledge and love of the game of hockey by coaching for his children Harrison and Elsie and their teammates.
Dennis McClay
Licensed Public Adjuster
[email protected]Dennis is a Minnesota native and attended the University of Minnesota. In 2006, he began his work in documenting storm damage in the field for contractors before venturing into insurance adjusting in 2009. Dennis has been working alongside Jim since 2009 in the early years of Gavnat and continues to be a vital member of the growing team. As a Public Adjuster, Dennis has had experience in all facets of the industry and prides himself on having knowledge in a multitude of areas. Dennis likes to spend his free time with his wife Diana and their three children.
Dan Wennerlind
Sales/Licensed Public Adjuster
[email protected]Dan grew up in Plymouth, MN and graduated from St. Cloud State University. He has worked in the insurance and construction industry since 2012. Having seen a multitude of perspectives in the insurance claim process, Dan understands the great need for Public Adjuster services across the board, from the residential claims to the large commercial complexes. His Goal is to make sure each and every client receives a “fair shake” and is compensated properly for their loss. Dan believes that Gavnat offers the resources, experience and reputation in the insurance industry to properly indemnify and enforce each and every client’s settlement no matter how big or small the value of the loss. Outside of work, Dan is an avid hunter and enjoys quality time with his two wonderful little boys, Brandt and Luke.
Jason Callias
Licensed Public Adjuster (Hail and Wind Specialist)
[email protected]Jason is a Minnesota Native, born and raised in St. Paul. He started his professional life as a teacher and a coach for ten years. He then made a career change into home restoration sales. Jason began as a salesman and has managed over 250 insurance claims as a contractor. Jason transitioned to Gavnat in 2019 as a Public Insurance Adjuster where his previous contractor knowledge helped him excel at identifying damage and negotiating loses with the insurance company. Jason lives by the motto “No detail is too small” which helps him take the time and identify details others may overlook, whether it be a dent from hail in a windowsill or a minute detail in an insurance policy. In his spare time Jason enjoys a variety of sports to include football, traveling to new places, and spending time with his family.
Brian Smith
Licensed Public Adjuster
[email protected]After attending Concordia College in St Paul and St. Cloud State University, Brian began working in construction in 1990. He became a “jack of all trades” doing everything from landscaping, heavy equipment operating, building decks, siding, framing and roof repairs. In 2005 his focus became storm restoration and lead him to his first insurance appraisal work in 2008. He joined Gavnat in the fall of 2020 combining his years of construction and insurance appraisal experience. Brian now specializes multi-family associations, single family residences and commercial claims serving both as an Appraiser and Public Adjuster. Outside of the office, you will find Brian with his wife of over 20 years and two teenage kids. His family are multi-sport athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Aside from his devoted family life, Brian has a passion for teaching sales techniques and business skills and enjoys motivational speaking. His goal is to help others become everything they were created to be.
Cody Thurman
Claims Coordinator
[email protected]Cody grew up in Maple Grove, MN and has been in this line of work for 5+ years on the restoration side. He obtained his Public Adjusting license in 2020 and is constantly expanding his knowledge to become the best asset he can to the team. He prides himself on making sure clients get the best experience here at Gavnat possible. In his free time, he coaches youth hockey and is pondering the thought of being the next Gavnat employee to have a canine companion.
Jessica Nelson
Administrative Services/HR Specialist
[email protected]Jessica graduated from Metro State University in St. Paul, MN in 2016 (Summa Cum Laude). She is a published writer and spent over 10 years in the legal field doing paralegal and drafting work before running her own business for the past 5 years. With her extensive legal and business knowledge, she joined Gavnat in 2020 and maintains all aspects of the human resources and administrative responsibilities. Jessica ensures the internal framework of the business runs smoothly so everyone at Gavnat can thrive. In her down time, Jessica enjoys a variety of hobbies including cooking, recipe creation and fitness related activities. She spends most of her time with her husband Greg and their three sons (Landon, Bodhi and Sutton) participating in family activities, managing youth hockey and creating new adventures for her children.
Mike Pream-Anderson
Licensed Public Adjuster
[email protected]Mike was born and raised in Coon Rapids, MN. He comes to Gavnat with 12 years’ experience in sales and project management and has assisted in managing over 1,000 insurance claims to date. Mike previously worked in the role of contractor before obtaining his Public Adjuster license. He spent the last 7 years on the Professional Roofing Advisory Council for the Midwest region. Education has always been and continues to be very important to Mike not only for himself but for his peers and clients. He leads his career with this is mind and believes it has contributed to much of his personal and professional success.
During his personal time, Mike enjoys time with his wife Jessica and their children Liam and Kora. He enjoys watching as well as participating in competitive sports such as football, basketball, baseball and dart leagues. He lives by the motto “live each day like it’s your last”.