Bynum AssuredPartners Staff

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Lauren Barkley, Life and Health/Worksite Products Agent, joined AssuredPartners in May 2014.  After graduating from Presbyterian College in 2005, where she was a member of the women’s softball team, she moved to Sumter and joined the insurance industry as an associate with Aflac.  While working with Aflac she received several awards to include top producer in the region. Lauren and her husband have three children: Owen, Bennett, and Hudson.  She is a member of Christ Community Church and in her free time enjoys spending time with her family.

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Nicole Barnhill has been in the insurance industry since 2001. She currently serves the company as a Personal Lines Account Manager. Along with a Property & Casualty License, she also holds a Life & Health License. She enjoys anything that makes her laugh, Carolina football and spending time with her family.  She loves to cook, travel and meet new friends. She never meets a stranger.

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Ed began his insurance career in 1991 and is a partner/manager with Assured Partners. He has served as Chairman of the Sumter Chamber of Commerce, Sumter County Planning Commission, YMCA of Sumter, the Sumter Rotary Club and served as a member of the Sumter County Development Board. He is currently a member of the Prisma / Tuomey Hospital Foundation Board, Wilson Hall School Board and Sumter Smarter Growth Initiative (SSGI). Ed is a member of Christ Community Church. He and his wife Yvette have 3 children: Kennedy, Ellis & Lottie. Ed follows Clemson athletics and he enjoys running, working at the farm and time with his family.

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Cobern Epting joined AssuredPartners in 2015 as an Employee Benefits Agent. He is a 2010 graduate of the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in economics.  Prior to joining AssuredPartners, Cobern was the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Lt. Governor of Georgia, Casey Cagle.  He is married to Sydney Epting, Area Director for Young Life in Sumter, and they are active members of Christ Community Church. 

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Sumter native Renee Griffin joined Bynum AssuredPartners in 2014 as a Personal Lines Account Manager. She has since moved to Commercial Lines, where she works as an account manager. She is a Licensed Property & Casualty and Life, Accident & Health Agent. She has three children: Sarah, J.T. and Warner. She is actively involved in ministry at Providence Baptist Church and at Lakeside Outreach Ministries with her husband, Rev. Kenny Griffin. She enjoys spending time with family and working in the church.

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Kristi Humphries joined Bynum AssuredPartners in 2015 as a Personal Lines Account Manager. Kristi is a Sumter native and University of South Carolina graduate. She is licensed in Life, Accident & Health and Property and Casualty.  Prior to joining Bynum AssuredPartners, Kristi worked for a coastal agency where she helped customers with auto, homeowners and life insurance. Kristi has four children:  Gavin, Owen, Emma Kate and Bennett.  She enjoys spending time with her family, visiting museums, hiking in the mountains and going to the beach.

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Thomas A. Johnston III (aka “Bubba”) first came to Bynum AssuredPartners in 2008 and is a Commercial Lines Agent. A 1992 graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Financial Management, he has been in the insurance business in Sumter since 1995. Bubba teaches a College and Career class at First Baptist Church of Sumter and enjoys fishing, hunting, the outdoors, and the Clemson Tigers. He and his wife Kim have two children: Thomas and Arden.

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Catherine Kelley joined AssuredPartners as an Employee Benefits Sales Executive in 2020. She is a 2020 graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Marketing and an emphasis in Sales. Catherine previously interned with AssuredPartners for two years. At Clemson, she was an actively engaged leader in the Sales Innovation Program, the Sales Club, the Clemson University Guide Association and the Student Alumni Council. She works in the Sumter and Greenville office.

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Byron Kinney became part of Bynum AssuredPartners in 1997 as a Commercial Lines Agent. Prior to joining the insurance industry, he was a teacher and coach at Sumter High where his Varsity Boys’ basketball record was 276-94 including the 4A SC State Championship in 1985. Byron enjoys running, being outdoors, coaching youth sports, and spending time with his wife and three sons.  He is a lifelong resident of Sumter, attends Trinity UMC and is also an active member of the Sumter Family YMCA.

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Myles Lee joined Bynum Assured Partners in 2019 as an Insurance Agent. He is a 2016 graduate of the College of Charleston with a bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Tourism. Prior to joining Bynum AssuredPartners, Myles was the Director of Logistics and a Sales Representative at Freeman Boatworks in Charleston, SC. Myles has a passion for serving people and working in a career centered around serving the community. He is married to Bailey Lee, a teacher in Claredon County. Myles enjoys time with his wife and family on the lake and working in the yard. He's a socialite at heart and enjoys anything centered around people.

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Kathy Mayer has been in the insurance industry since 1979. Kathy has been with Bynum AssuredPartners since 1996. She currently serves the company as a Personal Lines Account Manager. She is married to Bruce Mayer and has three daughters, one son-in-law and two grandaughters. Kathy is an avid quilter and gardener. She is a member of The Swan Lake Quilt Guild and St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.

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Dotte joined Bynum AssuredPartners in 2007. For over 10 years, she has enjoyed servicing her clients and helping the Sumter community with their insurance needs. She is one of our Personal Lines Account Managers. She, her husband Ray and their children currently reside in Clarendon County. While Dotte is not at work, she enjoys family time more than anything, along with crafting, Clemson football and baking.

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Commercial Lines Department Manager Kenneth Mims, a Bynum AssuredPartners member since 2001, was born in Sumter, SC. After graduating from Sumter High School and the University of South Carolina, Kenneth entered the insurance field. He has three children: Logan, Wilson, and Mary Evans with his wife, Mary Beth. Kenneth is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church and the Sumter Rotary Club. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and basketball, and following South Carolina athletics.

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Commercial Lines Account Manager Kelli Pollock has been working in the Commercial Department since October 1995 and in the insurance industry since 1987. Kelli has been married to her husband, David, since 1992 and they have four children: Kaitlyn, Laura, Matthew, and Nathan. Kelli teaches a Sunday School preschool class and an Awana Sparks class at Dalzell Baptist Church. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and crafts.

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Sumter native Caren Schwartz manages the Health and Life Department and has been with Bynum AssuredPartners since 1995. Caren has received several awards from BlueCross BlueShield and Carolina Care Plan as a top producer. Caren, who is a graduate of Clemson University, and her husband, Milton, are parents to three boys: Hughes, Reid, and Grier. She has served as a past president of the Sumter Family YMCA, Sumter Junior Welfare League and the Wilson Hall PTO. She also serves on the Sumter County Museum Board of Directors and is a Tuomey Fellows Graduate. Caren is a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, where she is actively involved in various committees.

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Brandi M. Sloan is a Commercial Lines Account Manager and has been with Bynum AssuredPartnerssince 2009.

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Commercial Lines Account Manager Marie Steele has over 40 years in the insurance business and has been with Bynum AssuredPartners since 2000 . Marie teaches Sunday School at First Baptist Church of Sumter and sings in the FBC Singing Christmas tree. She also enjoys traveling and reading. She and her husband have 2 daughters, one son-in-law, a grandson and a granddaughter.

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Tracy Way joined Bynum AssuredPartners in 2005 and is the first face you see when you walk into our office.  She is a Licensed Life, Accident & Health Agent.  Tracy and her husband Ronnie have two sons: Dustin and Dylan.

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Kimberly White, Employee Benefits Operations Leader for South Carolina and Account Manager,  was born in Sumter, SC.  She is a 2001 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in Finance and Management with a minor in Southern Studies.  She and her husband Chris, have a daughter, Madison and a son Nicholas.  They are members of First Presbyterian Church in Sumter.  In her free time, Kimberly enjoys spending time with her family and friends creating memories to last a lifetime. She also enjoys cheering on the Sumter High School Gamecocks and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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Sandy Wilson, Insurance Agent specializing in Personal Insurance such as homeowner's, renter's and auto. Sandy joined the company in 1997 and earned the Certified Insurance Counselor Designation in 2001. She and her husband Ed, are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sumter. Sandy’s interests include spending time with family, college football, riding bicycles and gardening.