Meet Our speakers

As the chief affiliations officer at Leavitt Group, Kevin directs corporate development and manages the integration of mergers and acquisitions across the company’s vast geographical footprint.

He also leads the team responsible for identifying agencies and ‘equity-ready’ producers who may be a good fit for joining Leavitt. His responsibilities extend to developing and negotiating deal structures, analytics and modeling, due diligence, execution of purchase agreements, and project management for M&A activities.

Noelle Codispoti, CPCU, ARM, is Head of The Academy at the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance, where she leads national initiatives focused on insurance education, workforce development, and emerging talent engagement. Her work includes leading the growth strategy for the CISR High School Program, which enables students to earn the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation before graduation while building early industry awareness, technical knowledge, and career readiness.

Amanda Crawford was appointed to serve as Texas insurance commissioner by Gov. Greg Abbott in January 2026.
As chief executive of TDI, Crawford oversees the regulation of the $293.9 billion Texas insurance market, the second largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the world. The agency regulates 3,447 companies and more than 983,411 agents and adjusters.
Crawford started her more than 24 years of public service at the Office of the Attorney General, where she held various roles, including ultimately serving as general counsel and the deputy attorney general for administration. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the Texas Department of Information Resources and the chief information officer for the state of Texas.
Crawford graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and earned her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

Contact Commissioner Crawford.

As executive vice president of affiliations at Leavitt Group, Jake is passionate about connecting with agency owners seeking a true partnership.
For over 20 years, Jake has worked in the insurance industry gaining experience in agency operations, team building, financial analysis, and leadership.
He’s had the opportunity to help agency owners become more profitable and efficient with the many resources you get by affiliating with Leavitt Group.

Brandon Smith is an award-winning public speaker, entrepreneur, and author. He hosts "The Missoula Podcast" and co-authored with his wife the best-selling children's book "Happy as a Hippo." In 2024, Brandon was selected to speak at TEDx on “The Power of Presence,” highlighting the idea that the secret to happiness is simply being present. He is a sought-after speaker, known for his ability to motivate and inspire audiences to think differently and reach their full potential. With 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Brandon currently serves as the EVP of Marketing & Communications for Glidewell, a Montana-based insurance and investment firm. In 2019, Brandon's innovative approach to business led to his receipt of the inaugural Liberty Mutual Agent for The Future Award. This prestigious award celebrates the most innovative, forward-thinking, and digitally savvy agents and agencies. In addition, Brandon's outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship recently earned him the prestigious Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship award, presented by Shark Tank’s Daymond John and former President Obama. He attended Southwestern University on a basketball scholarship. He is a die-hard Red Sox fan, loves coffee, Wi-Fi, down comforters, and was once a line leader in second grade. Brandon resides in Missoula, Montana with his wife Joy and their three children Avery, Boston, and Harper.