Our Team

Aaron Brooks

Aaron branched off to start his own brokerage firm to better serve the needs of his clients.

Located in downtown Cedar Rapids Iowa The Brooks Group has added a number of products and services to adapt with the changing times and needs of our clients.

Aaron earned his Bachelor’s degree from Columbia College in Psychology. Prior to starting the Brooks Group last year, Aaron worked as the health insurance specialist for State Farm in the eastern Iowa Region for the past 5 years. Aaron has also headed up the group health division with Heartland Associates of Missouri in Columbia Missouri prior to coming to State Farm. Aaron is a former collegiate All-American Basketball player who enjoys the responsibility of being your trusted insurance advisor. With over 12 years of experience in Defined Pension Plans, health, life, business, workers compensation, Auto, home & employee benefits insurance, Aaron has the knowledge and experience to help clients achieve their insurance goals.

Catherine Riggs

Catherine has been a benefits specialist for 19 years with 11 of those years spent in management and training. She specializes in the payroll market working with employers to expand their benefits package to meet the needs of their employees in the ever changing insurance industry.

Catherine has a passion for helping people and building lasting relationships with her clients. She looks forward to many more years of serving her clients and expanding her career in the insurance industry.

Robyn McMurrin

Robyn has worked in the insurance industry since 2001, she is a licensed agent in Property & Casualty, Accident, Health and Life. She has extensive knowledge of business operations, management and DOT regulations. Robyn believes in educating her clients and assisting them in finding the products that fit their needs and budget.

In her spare time, she is a current member of the Cedar Rapids Chrome Divas, which she served on the Board of Directors as Treasurer for 10 years. In her spare time to enjoys riding her motorcycle, spending time with family and friends, most of all enjoys being a grandparent.

Susie Makinster

Susie is licensed in health and life insurance, certified in Long Term Care, and certified in group and individual sales with LegalShield and Identity Theft products.

She also has experience with the sales of voluntary supplemental health insurance. Susie believes in educating her clients and assisting them in finding the products that fit their needs and budget.

Susie is from Springville, and has lived in the Cedar Rapids area all of her life. Prior to her insurance career, she was an advertising veteran who worked in multiple aspects of the industry. She is known as a broad-thinking innovative entrepreneur and a skilled diplomat, able to provide clients with an advanced level of expert advice and service, and to motivate and counsel others with an unexpected and natural humor that gets the point across.

Her extensive knowledge of business operations and management include: owner/editor of a publications business, Women’s Edition magazine for 5 years, Marketing Communications Supervisor at St. Luke’s Hospital for 7 years, and Production Manager at HRB for 14 years.

She is a past member of the CRPRA steering committee, past board member of ABWA, past board member and president of PWN, past board member and president AAF Cedar Rapids-Iowa City and a member of Daybreak Rotary.

Ryan Hutchcroft

Ryan became a father at a young age, which prompted him to be the proper role model for his son.

He enlisted for one term in the United States Navy, serving as a jet airplane mechanic aboard the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower for three years. The leadership skills he acquired in the military, led him to a career in sales. He knew he wanted to work with people in a fast-paced environment. He worked for Coca Cola for two years and then changed directions in 1999 after the birth of his second son. Since then, Ryan has worked as a wine and spirits consultant for Johnson Brothers of Iowa, the largest wine distributor in the state of Iowa. Now, he will join our team as a risk assessment agent, where he will put to good use his priority of building strong relationships. Newly engaged and adding another son to the mix, Ryan knows how much every penny counts. He is eager to help families and individuals find the best fit for their insurance needs.