Jason Zattler has worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years, seven of them with the insurance agency of which he is now an owner, Wiser Insurance of Mound.
“The agency was formed in 1995 by two men who didn’t want the name of the agency tied to either of their names; they wanted the agency to potentially outlive them,” Jason explained. “It became the agency with the owls in the logo and a slogan that came along with it: ‘make the wiser choice.’ People have come to know the name, and it stuck.”
Jason grew up in Mound, graduated from high school there, and later married his high school sweetheart, Suzanne. They have two sons, Dominic and Sam. Their family’s love of the Mound community has been a constant in their lives, and it helped shape Jason’s career path.
“I used to travel all over the country in my work,” said Jason. “I worked for large, national corporations in nearly all aspects of insurance: property and casualty, revocable trusts and mutual funds, health, limited medical benefit plans, directors and officers liability, business, and personal and home coverage. When I realized that my career path was sending me on a trajectory that would keep me from home even more than I was already—40 of 52 weeks a year—I started seriously considering alternatives. That’s when working with Wiser came up.”
One of the two Wiser founders was looking to retire, and Jason was confident enough in his abilities that he was keen to accept the challenge of building a book of business from scratch. As a new agent in 2012, he started with zero income but let his hard work carry him. He is now one of three agency owners that still include one of the founders.
“I knew Sherri Dehn, Vice President of the Real Estate Division at Minnesota Lakes Bank,” Jason said. “She helped me structure an SBA loan so I could purchase my share of the agency’s building, and without her help I wouldn’t be in this position today.
“I am committed to the concept of doing business with hometown banks and hometown people, and Sherri checks all the boxes,” continued Jason. “National banks have their place, I know, but when it comes to relationships and trust, nothing compares to the service that community banks like Minnesota Lakes Bank provides.”
Jason describes himself as a big family guy; family, friends and community are important to him. It’s no surprise, then, that he devotes his free time to activities that reinforce those values. He’s the immediate past president of the Professional Insurance Agents of Minnesota and a member of the Northwest Tonka Lions Club. He’s also worked with the United States Power Squadron, an organization that is “all about boat safety.” As a frequent user of nearby Lake Minnetonka, he and 200 other fellow Power Squadron members volunteer to provide special events for kids hosted on property the local chapter owns on Big Island in Lake Minnetonka.
“My community and family are important to me, and Sherri Dehn and Minnesota Lakes Bank hold those same values,” said Jason. “It’s a great place for me to bank.”