After a rewarding career in nursing for eleven years, Tamara  got her Health and Life insurance license and began working for UnitedHealthcare as an Internal agent for four years.  She specializes in Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans.  She built a strong working relationship and friendship with another agent, Janis Lakkees, who told her she should consider broadening her repertoire of products she could offer, by getting out from working with just one insurance provider and instead joining a Medicare brokerage which would allow her to offer many insurance company’s plans.  Tamara realized she and Janis have a similar drive, and knowing her growth and the support she receives from Bridlewood, she believed this would be a good fit for her also.  Tamara’s approach is that her background gives her the ability to be a solid resource to her clients, so they feel confident in their choice of Medicare plan.

Originally from the Inland Empire, Tamara moved to Seattle in 2003.  She moved back and now resides in Los Angeles since 2016.  She is married to Jaimaine, and they have a little boy, Malcolm age 2, and she has a stepson, Jalen age 10.  Tamara loves to travel, and is always up for a new adventure and new places.  She has enjoyed having the freedom in her schedule to spend as much time as she can with Malcolm as he is in his crucial formative years.

Penny joined Bridlewood Insurance in 2014. Penny became interested in insurance while assisting her husband in his work and being a caretaker for her mother-in-law. The benefit of her experience and continuing education is invaluable. Her goal with Medicare is to make it simple, clear and a painless experience with satisfying results. Her ability to listen to people carefully to better understand their preferences, their doctors & specialists, their prescription medications and their budget for health insurance is essential to quality customer service.

Penny Carlson is a native from California, born and raised in Orange County. She worked at Disneyland (Club 33), and was a controller in an architectural firm. Penny met her husband on a blind date 25 years ago, and they have two children. They share the love of cooking (and eating), gardening, and traveling. Penny also enjoys painting and knitting.

Bernie has more than 24 years experience in the insurance industry.  For many of those 24 years, he has focused on Medicare insurance, and matching the most appropriate plan designed to meet each individual client’s needs.  Bernie has been with Bridlewood since it’s very first days, when there were only 10 agents. His passion is working with seniors like himself, making Medicare easy to understand and navigate through.

Bernie grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and joined the Marine Corps right out of high school.  He was stationed in San Diego, and after serving in Vietnam and leaving the Marine Corps, he decided to make San Diego his home.  His wife, Barb, is also an agent with Bridlewood.  They have two sons, 7 grandchildren and 4 parrots.  Bernie and Barb love to travel, and they belong to several wine clubs and enjoy visiting them for a glass of wine.

Ron has had a successful life insurance business as an independent agent for the past 23 years. As time has progressed he has come to recognize the growing need that individuals of his generation have in understanding all the options available to back up Original Medicare coverage. With Bridlewood’s full range of Medicare Advantage, Supplemental and Prescription Drug Plans Ron firmly believes there is no better place to provide for this service.

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.

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.

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 5 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 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!

Dawn is an established insurance professional who prides herself on supporting her customers and loves the challenge that Medicare provides. At Bridlewood, Dawn feels great satisfaction when helping her clients understand their Medicare options. Dawn began her career working in both the investor and marketing departments at a real estate company until the market crashed in 1987. Dawn has been very successful selling Aflac supplemental insurance for the last 14 years. She is also certified to sell insurance through Covered California.

Dawn earned her degree in psychology from UC Irvine in 1981. Dawn spends her free time working out, spending time at the beach and bay, visiting with friends, and family, and playing with her three cats! She also has a side business selling Juice Plus+ and is very passionate about health and fitness.