Carol has more than 30 years experience in the insurance industry.  She has worked as a territory Manager & Marketing Specialist for SecureHorizons/United Healthcare, a Broker Manager for HealthNet Medicare, and is the owner of Strickler Insurance Services in SoCal.  She provides multiple plan options for her clients, including HMO, PPO, Stand Along Prescription Drug plans and Medicare Supplement plans, and hold licenses in multiple states.

Carol decided to partner with Bridlewood in 2015 as her Field Marketing Organization.  An FMO is a broad group of insurance professionals and staff that are a great resource that communicates to agents in the field, so they are kept up to date on Medicare laws and changes so they can keep their clients well-informed.  Bridlewood’s approach to business and clients mirror Carol’s beliefs and values of integrity and excellent customer service.  Carol feels that building long-term relationships with her clients has made a huge impact on her life.  Her clients depend on her for all of their insurance needs, such as Life Insurance, Medicare, Dental and Individual and Family health insurance plans. Working for just one insurance company as a captive agent doesn’t allow an agent to develop those trusted relationships, which is why she became an independent insurance broker, offering all the available plans in her area.  Her family of clients make a huge difference in her life, and she is integral to them as well.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, she spent 10 years in the small town of Tehachapi, where she is raised her 3 sons.  Carol currently lives in Bakersfield, where some of the most famous country artists began their careers.  She likes that Bakersfield has big city options, but still maintains that small town feel.  And she really enjoys the warmer climate.  Carol and her husband, Jeff, have been working together in the Medicare industry for many years.  She was his “Medicare teacher” and now he teaches her a thing or two! Together they have 4 boys and two dogs – Harley which is a Yorkie and Sassy which is a maltipoo. They travel with them everywhere they go, and are such a joy in their lives.   They love to camp in their trailer and travel around the country.  They both enjoy nature and animals. One of Carol’s favorite things to do is rearrange and decorate her friend’s and family’s homes.

Jose has a Bachelor’s degree from SDSU in Mexican-American Studies and he has been Life and Health insurance licensed since 2014.  He is passionate about working with the Spanish speaking community on navigating through the complicated Medicare maze.

Jose grew up and currently lives in Oceanside, CA.  He is widowed with two young children; a 10-year old daughter and 4-year old son.

Medicare Agent

With more than 20 years of experience as an independent health insurance agent in San Diego, Evelyn joined the Bridlewood team in the summer of 2014. Evelyn’s specialty is working with seniors to demystify the complex Medicare system and to help find the best options for each senior’s unique situation. Most people need a trusted, knowledgeable agent to guide them through the process, answer questions and to be there when they need help. “I’ve spent my entire insurance career building trusted relationships.”

Evelyn has lived in San Diego County for 53 years. She is married to Wayne a CPA in private practice and they have two grown sons, Kevin & Nathan, and Wayne spend their spare time gardening, cooking and they enjoy helping friends, family and the community.

Dave graduated from Northern Kentucky University, with a Bachelor of Arts in Radio/Television/Film.  After many years working in both television and print media, Dave recently switched gears and got into the Insurance industry.  His choice of working for Bridlewood  stemmed from a long-time business relationship with the owner, Jeff Wetzel.  They had worked together during Dave’s tenure with the San Diego Union Tribune, when Jeff would place ads in the paper.  Over time, Dave came to understand how much integrity Jeff had, and insisted that all his agents have the same integrity and always put the needs of their clients first.

Health insurance is such an important part of our lives, and even more so now with the costs continuing to skyrocket.  There is so much misinformation regarding Medicare, and Dave feels strongly that it is his job to help seniors find the right plan for their medical and financial situation.

Dave grew up 10 miles south of downtown Cincinnati, which locals refer to as Northern Kentucky and the rest of the state of Ohio disowns them.  He moved to San Diego in 2004.  He met his lovely wife Cheryl in 2005, a born and raised San Diegan, and they married in 2008.  Since both were in their 40’s at the time and it was the first marriage for both of them, they do not have children.  However, they are the aunt and uncle of 11, with the number of great-nieces and great-nephews growing steadily and at last count there were 14.

Dave likes to read as much as possible; fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction. He also enjoys playing golf (though he says he is not very good), and softball, and loves watching baseball at any level. He is also a fan of college football and basketball, along with NFL football. Cheryl and he also spend quite a bit of time with yard work. The first hour is fun, then not so much!

Tamara has worked in various Healthcare environments including family practice, internal medicine, emergency services and urgent care for 11 years. She has been licensed in Health/Life since May 2017, ICA with United Health Care for 4 years and a Broker since 2021. Tamara partners with insurance companies and medical groups and has been a lead presenter for major insurance companies for 8 AEP’s. She specializes in MAPD, Medicare Supplement, and PDPs.

Tamara is originally from the Inland empire, and it is where she has resided for 40 years. She is married to Jaimaine and has 2 children. Jalen (currently 13) and Malcolm (currently 5). Tamara’s favorite past time was living in Seattle for 10 years. She enjoys outdoor activities and supporting her kids in the adventures they embark upon.

Tamara does not consider herself to have a job, but rather being a resource and providing information to the community to make informed decisions about their healthcare. She enjoys sitting down with people, having conversations, learning about how she can help them, and their friends and family navigate in this Healthcare maze.

Melissa attended Cal State University at Long Beach.  Over her years working in the Medicare field, she has been the Sales Coordinator for SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Agent for UnitedHealthcare, and is now an independent agent with Bridlewood Insurance.  She specializes in Medicare Advantage plans, Supplement/Medigap plans, and Part D prescription drug plans.  Bridlewood Insurance has an excellent reputation in San Diego, and she had no hesitation in joining their team.  Melissa felt it was time for her to grow as an agent, and they were a clear choice.  Melissa loves that she gets to help people get into Medicare, and help simplify what can seem like an overwhelming process.  She says it feels good to be able to save people money, time and stress as they transition into Medicare.

Originally from San Ramon, California, she has also lived in Italy for 11 years, Antigua, Mexico, and Turks and Caicos.  Melissa is married to Glen McIntyre who is also in Medicare.  They have a daughter Stella, 11 years old, and a son Samuel who is 9 years old.  They also have two cute kitties, Hannah and Callie, to round out their family.  Melissa is a regular blood donor and a school volunteer. She generally is a ‘kindness counts’ type of person, loves to travel, go to Pilates, and walk outdoors.

Beth has been a long-term resident of both Orange and Riverside counties, and currently lives in southwest Inland Empire. She offers her clients a wide range of Medicare Advantage, Supplement and Prescription Drug plans.

Beth’s background is in Financial/Accounting, Contract Administration, Life and Health Insurance, and Retirement Investment Planning.  She has also worked in the Financial, Real Estate, Commercial Products & Services, Aerospace and Banking industries. She joined Bridlewood Insurance in 2021 after receiving a newsletter from an affiliate broker under Bridlewood.  Their “Medicare Made Easy” process that they offer is seamless and easy to follow.  Beth really liked the idea of becoming a “problem solver” to seniors in need, rather than an insurance sales agent.  She was impressed with the high level of integrity and support Bridlewood offers to empower their agent’s success.  She felt it was an easy decision to join their team.  Because she enjoys helping others, Beth always endeavors to work smartly and diligently to provide coverage choices that are the most beneficial for each individual client.

Her favorite extracurricular activity is her role of Volunteer Leadership and Planning for Thrivent Action Teams fundraising events.  These events benefit various non-profit community service organizations in the Inland Empire.  Beth also enjoys off-season travel to experience the different culture, history, art and cuisine of each destination.

Michael is originally from Long Island, New York, and came to San Diego by way of his time in the service of the U.S. Navy, as a hospital corpsman. After his U.S. Navy service he liked the San Diego area so much, he decided to stay and began work as a medical assistant for Sharp Healthcare. While he considered a career in medicine, he always had an interest in business and personal finance, which also require a good bedside manner.

Michael became a licensed financial advisor and insurance agent in 2003, and since then has had the privilege of helping hundreds of families with their insurance and finance needs. “Longevity runs in my family and I have seen the benefits that quality healthcare plans played in the lives of close family members, and this is why I want to help provide my clients with the best plan possible and be your Medicare agent for life.”

Mike lives in El Cajon with his wife and daughter, and enjoys golf, fitness and family time.

Karen is the best at helping seniors navigate the Road to Medicare with all their options including: Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Plans, and Medicare Drug Plans!

Karen was educated in the UK and attended Bournemouth College of Commerce with a degree in Travel And Tourism.  She has owned several different businesses throughout the years, including an Esthetician business for more than 25 years, and a Health and Wellness Spa in San Pedro for over 15 yrs. She also built a successful Photo Booth business in Los Angeles before selling it and relocating to San Diego.  Karen specializes in working with challenging situations and providing help in finding the very best outcome.   She had moved to San Diego about 7 years ago and at that time was working for an office in L.A.  She knew she needed to find a more local office and, after interviewing with several, she decided she would really like to work for Bridlewood. Their principles and ethical values aligned with hers and that’s the main reasons she chose them.  Her favorite part of her job is when she helps clients save money and know that they are in the best plan for them.

Originally from the UK, Karen has lived in the States since 1980. She lived in the L.A. area and spent about 30 years in Torrance and surrounding area.  She notes that there is a very different healthcare system here, since they have socialized medicine in UK, which is both good and bad.   She is an organizer for a Meetup group, ” Singles over 60 Having Fun” and they have a great group of people. They arrange all kinds of fun events and outings from Happy Hours to picnics and road trips.  They even went to Paso Robles for wine tasting in the summer and also to see the Sensorio light show which was amazing!  She also takes care of other peoples pets when they are away, which she enjoys so much, as this allows her to get her pet fix.

Carmen has been a proud member of the Bridlewood Insurance team since 2014. She is a Licensed Health Insurance Agent in San Diego and continues to “make a difference in people’s lives” by helping Seniors have access to the Medicare Advantage, PDPs, and Supplemental Plans that best fit their individual needs.  Carmen’s specialty is helping those who may be a little confused as to how to enroll in Medicare and what plan to choose. She is a good listener and can easily help people sort through the “maze” of Medicare so they can make an informed decision and be able to choose a health plan that is the best for them. She chose Bridlewood because of its ethical and professional reputation and she truly enjoys being of service and helping others.  Meeting with new clients and answering their questions is the favorite part of her job.  She enjoys helping people and she takes her job very seriously, by always providing her clients with outstanding customer service.  She is always avaialble for them.

Carmen was born in Puerto Rico and has lived in California since 1984.  She lived in San Bernardino, then Escondido and now resides in Oceanside.   She has a B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico and an M.S. from Florida International University. Carmen is a retired teacher & high school counselor and a licensed real estate agent since 2002. She moved to San Diego County in 1996 with her husband, Gary, and their son and daughter.  She now has 2 beautiful grandkids who live in Los Angeles county.  They love spending time with them, but it has been a little more difficult now, with social distancing, so they have adapted by texting and doing Zoom calls.  Her favorite hobby is photography.  She also enjoys taking pictures and submitting them to the San Diego County Fair and other contests. Due to the present circumstances, she is not able to go out and take a lot of pictures so, she spends a lot of time in the kitchen, experimenting and preparing new recipes. Luckily, her husband enjoys her cooking, so this encourages her to continue to try new recipes whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and of course, last but not least, desserts. Bon appetit!