GPAgency (GPA) is an independently owned and operated, national full-service brokerage firm located in Raleigh, NC. Beginning as a regional office for Transamerica, today GPA is a top-tier brokerage firm and premier partner with more than 50 of the nation’s top-rated insurance carriers.
Celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2018, we have a record of providing exceptional service to the independent insurance agents we serve and offering quality solutions to the clients they serve. Our ability to stay relevant can be attributed to our experienced staff, the strategic alliances we have formed with the industry’s best, and our drive to continuously explore new opportunities and tools that will help us “move the needle” forward. We believe in what we do, and support industry advances in products and delivery.
Please take our TOUR.
Day-to-day, you can count on us to deliver the following:
- Easy access to 50+ top-rated carriers of life, DI, LTC and annuity products, giving your clients a wide range of options
- Advanced product/underwriting consultation for your difficult-to-place cases or complex business clients
- Expedient, unbiased illustrations — we’ll shop your case for the best rate and fit
- Experienced sales and marketing support, including assistance with client presentations and a library of impactful, customizable marketing collateral
- Interactive web technology, giving you 24/7 access to quoting tools, carrier forms, e-apps, and more
- Full-service, proactive case processing from application through delivery with an assigned case manager
- CE training opportunities, lunch & learn programs, webinars, and recognition events
- Competitive commissions… and so much more!!
When you work with us, you’ll have access to more options ( increasing your likelihood of making the sale) and spend less time on administrative and underwriting issues. With our hands-on service, the latest technology, and premier carrier relationships, your cases will move through the system with ease. Spending less time on each case means you can better serve your clients, and prospect for new business, translating into increased sales and revenue! Call us now to learn how we can help you generate more business!
Meet Our Principals
Chris Carrigan, CLTC
Partner, Brokerage Sales
Chris grew up in West Bolyston, MA, where he attended Assumption College. He graduated with a political science degree in 1991 and was recruited by Paul Revere to become Disability Income specialist. He spent the next year running an agency in Columbia, SC; a year later he moved to Raleigh, NC, to take over a larger office. In 1998, he became the Southeastern Group Manager for Commercial Travelers. Chris caught the attention of MassMutual who recruited him in 2000 to become their Regional Disability Income specialist for 10 states. He has been the MassMutual Brokerage Director for all product lines for the Raleigh and Greensboro areas since 2004. Chris and Angela Mcilvain formed a partnership in 2007 to assume ownership and management of the Gene Pleasants (GP) Agency. Chris has been a CLTC since 2003, and is a RAIFA board member, a NAILBA member and a MassMutual BDAX member. He lives in Raleigh with his wife Brook and his five daughters.
Angela Mcilvain, CLTC
Partner, Brokerage Sales
Angela, a Franklin County, NC, native, entered the insurance brokerage business in 1992. During the day she worked for a local life brokerage firm, while she put herself through night school. By the time she received her degree in Early Childhood Development, she had already discovered her niche in the life insurance business. In 1999, Angela made the move to John Hancock. Her drive and knowledge of the industry caught the attention of Gene Pleasants, who wasted no time in recruiting her. In February 2007, Angela became a partner at the Gene Pleasants (GP) Agency. She is a member of NAIFA and NAILBA, has been involved in CLTC since 2002, is currently enrolled in CFP with the College of Financial Planning, and has served on the Board of Education for the local FPA chapter. Angela lives just outside of Raleigh in Wake Forest with her husband, Rock, and three children. They attend Catch the Fire Church and are involved with local and global humanitarian efforts — they are actively doing work with Pakistan, Uganda, and Haiti.
Gene Pleasants
Consultant
After finishing high school in his native Franklin County, NC, Gene entered East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. When he graduated in 1964 with a liberal arts degree, he immediately went into the insurance business. He set his sights on starting his own company but knew it would take years of experience and learning to get there. In 1977, he earned his CLU certification and, in the mid-1980s, Gene founded the Gene Pleasants Agency as a Transamerica brokerage firm. Over the years, he has been involved with FPA, NAIFA (currently serving on the Board of Education for the local chapter), and NAILBA. Outside of insurance, Gene is an avid hunter and supporter of Ducks Unlimited and is a member of the North Carolina Symphony Board. He resides in Raleigh with his wife, Linda, but, when possible, they split their free time between their mountain and beach homes.