STAFF
DON BARNESON
Honestly, a career in insurance is not what I had in mind when I graduated with a Business Finance degree from Long Beach State in 1981. I really thought the insurance job with Mutual of Omaha was just a place where I could work in the evenings so I could play golf during the day. Obviously, my insurance business has been blessed far more than my golf game over the years. I am grateful for a wife and children who have been supportive over the years when I had crazy hours at the office or had to take calls during dinner. I’ve also been fortunate to have employees at both offices who are genuinely nice and totally fun to work with. As the years progress, they feel much more like friends than employees.
I spent my first 20 years in the business working for three different firms. I was given an amazing opportunity to buy Wilkinson Insurance in 2000. They trusted me and gave me an opportunity few would have offered someone who had never owned a business. I will forever be grateful for that opportunity given to me by Terry Wilkinson.
Whether I head to the office in Whittier or La Quinta, I’m usually joined by our 6 year old yellow lab named Rory. We were puppy raisers for Guide Dogs of America and raised her to be a guide. She clearly had other ideas and lives them out hanging out in the office and doing her 50 laps a day in the pool.
Finally, I feel so blessed that we have the clients that we have. They have put their trust in us to make certain they have the insurance they need at the best price we can find. I know that no one in our office takes that responsibility lightly. No doubt we don’t say thank you often enough.
EDGAR ARELLANO
Edgar began his insurance career as CSR in 2002, in which he then received his California Insurance license 2004. He initially joined the WBA & La Quinta Insurance team in 2006, as a personal lines insurance agent and eventually becoming a health & life insurance agent. His primary focus is maintaining the La Quinta office, by helping the agency grow along with educating and making our clients happy. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family in which keeps him very occupied from attending 412 Church and taking his four children to dance class, baseball, football and taekwondo. With so many activities during the week, the weekend is no day to rest when you have four children ages 1,4,10 & 16. Movie night is my nap time.