About Us
Bannister & Associates is a family owned and operated, independent insurance agency and broker, that has been serving Huntington Beach and the surrounding areas since 1974. The majority of our clientele base stretches from Southern California to Northern California and on into Mexico. In the past several years, our clients have also been spreading across the country.
Our mission continues to be to preserve our tradition of excellence with an eye to new ideas and our evolving community needs.
As a full-service agency and broker, we represent a large variety of companies enabling us to meet the many diverse needs of our business and personal clients.
What has made Bannister & Associates successful for all these years? We are a team working together that takes pride in helping our clients. We work hard for our clients and friends and have developed strong relationships with not only our clients, but also the insurance companies we represent. As a result of those close ties, more than 95% of our clients have remained long time relationships. Our involvement with the community has strengthened those bonds and solidified our presence in the insurance industry.
Our Team
Doug Bannister
Email: [email protected]
A lifelong boater, father, and agency principal.
Doug is a 35+ year veteran of the insurance industry. He began his insurance career as an independent property adjuster, working his way up to become their Marine and Large Boat Special Adjuster. Doug later joined Bannister and Associates in 1991. He has worked every desk in the agency from personal lines to advanced middle market commercial. In 2001 he co-purchased the agency and is now acting President/CEO. Doug has two children who are in their own careers these days, and he is now waiting patiently for grandchildren..
Kristie Bannister
Email: [email protected]
Travel enthusiast, mom to 2 adult children, amateur family genealogist and Insurance Agent.
Kristie is one of our Commercial Lines service representatives. Her pride and joy are her kids. When her daughter married in 2015, she also gained a wonderful son-in-law, both of whom are now teachers, and her son is in the midst of his higher education. She enjoys traveling when time permits. Her favorite place to be is outdoors whenever possible, whether camping, hiking, reading or just going for a walk along the beach. Her music interests are largely influenced by what her kids introduce her to.
Rich Higgins, CIC
Email: [email protected]
Sports enthusiast, Dad of two daughters and one son, and Insurance Agent!
Rich is our Commercial Lines manager and agency principal that has been with the agency for over 20 years. He is a lover of all sports particularly including football, soccer and golf! Although originally from New England, his favorite NFL football team is the San Francisco 49ers! He volunteers his free time coaching soccer and participating in whatever local community and neighborhood activities he can. Rich is the proud father of three beautiful children that keep him more than busy. When he is not happily engrossed in the many facets of the insurance industry, he enjoys spending his time with his wife and children camping, hiking, biking and all other outdoor activities. He greatly enjoys all books and movies but particularly of the science fiction/fantasy genre. Rich’s favorite place to vacation is Maui, HI!
Jonathan Severson, Agent
Email: [email protected]
Self-Taught Car Mechanic, father to two beagles, and Insurance Agent.
After years of working in the service industry, Jonathan was introduced to the world of insurance through his love of classic cars, a packed warehouse, and a downsizing project. Now, coming up on 5 years working with Bannister, he loves his job as a Personal Lines agent who strives to help whoever calls or wherever he can around the office. From insurance questions, to tech support, to handiwork he always tries to have a solution to your problem. Outside of the office you can find him in a multitude of places, including but not limited to: riding his bike by the beach, hiking in the mountains, flying his drone, at a park with the dogs, or under his car working on the next project, or at home reading. While he isn’t the best at taking a day off, he wants someday to Road Trip across the country, take a week in Japan, Hawaii, Spain, and Ireland (not necessarily in that order).
Jordan Wächter
Boating enthusiast, husband and father, Insurance Agent.
Email – [email protected]
Jordan is a Senior Account Executive in our Commercial Lines department that has been with the agency since 2018 bringing with him over fifteen years’ experience in the commercial security and risk management industry. He is an avid boater with a soft spot for wood boats. As a Newport Beach resident, he can often be found out on the water spending time with his friends and family. He volunteers his free time with the Newport Beach Foundation, the Newport Beach Harbor Commission and at Balboa Yacht Club. Jordan is happily married to his beautiful wife Christine. They welcomed their first child and daughter in 2019, who is the light of their life. Jordan and his wife also enjoy traveling to new places and experiencing new cultures. They most recently visited Valletta, Malta and are already dreaming their next trip abroad.
Kerry M. Wakely
Email: [email protected]
Insurance agent by day, amateur pop culture critic by night!
Kerry has been an agent for over seven years. He got his start with health insurance but found his groove in property and casualty. He keeps up with the latest in music and television, particularly alternative rock and dramedy, but enjoys both a lot more when he can discuss them with a group over a plate of pasta or during an intense board game. Although a lifelong native of California, Kerry has traveled east several times and always hopes to head back and get another taste of actual seasons. He's read a lot of books over the years and tends to prefer historical fiction, especially if time travel is involved. When he's not writing emails at the office, he writes a little more of that great American novel he's been kicking around in his head for years during his park walks with his dog Prince.
Lisa Bannister
Email: [email protected]
Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Friend, happily owned by ‘teen’ puppy "Duncan McLoone the Immortal", and Insurance Agent!
Lisa seems to have been here forever, but really began her full time employment for the agency back in 1983. Her very first client (C.F.) is still a client! Although she has worked most areas of the agency, her passion is for helping her Personal Lines clients. When not at the office, Lisa loves to be involved with her many neighborhood children (she is known as “Aunt Lisa” to most of them) and volunteering week long events helping with the HB 4th of July parade, or being a chase car for a 565 mile/7day bicycle ride along with CA coast to raise research funds. She has volunteered at the HB Playhouse, Habitat for Humanity, Storehouse, and other community events making new friends as she goes along. Lisa has a passion for animals, always having been owned by one 4 legged friend or another. She enjoys travel, road trips or airplane rides as her passport indicates, finding an eager travel buddy in her niece and her friends. Books, movies, theatre, music, dance ~ she enjoys them all.