Tamela Southan

CEO

As a native Texas, Tamela Southan, CEO & Agent, is a consumer and insurance professional with over 27 years of experience in the benefit industry. She is dedicated to provide clients, associates and consumers with a solid knowledge and understanding of benefits designed to suit their needs now and into the future.

Tamela’s background goes from her East Texas roots, moving to big D to obtain her degree at the University of Texas Dallas. Tamela accepting her first job as a licensed insurance agent with a large and prominent Brokerage Agency in Dallas. She moved on to Washington, DC heading up as Regional Implementation and Sales with CONEXIS national accounts for five years then to return to Dallas, opening her own agency, based in Richardson, TX. She’s got her roots back!

She enjoys our East Dallas- White Rock neighborhood, with fun walks / runs around the lake with her Great Dane – Ares and Xena and all the fun activities in our local part of Dallas.

Lisa Needham

Finance

Lisa has over 30 years’ experience in the administrative/secretarial field. She began employment with a major utility company for 15 years and has been working in the insurance industry for the last 20 years. She began with Morris Temple Financial Services as Executive Assistant to the President and transitioned to the position of Office Manager with Longacre Benefits Group the last 18 years. She came on board with BSBD in July, 2018 working in our Accounting Department. Lisa is in charge of entering all the commissions, tracking for accuracy and running financial reports for management. Her many years of experience provides great opportunity to help run our office with optimum efficiency. Lisa has been married to her husband Casey for 30 years, they have 2 sons and 2 daughters. The joys of her life are her 7 grandchildren who keep her very active. She enjoys spending time with family, her church family, friends and serving in ministry.

Chris Southan

District Sales Manager, P&C

Chris is our resident expert for Property and Causality benefits. He is accountable for developing and distributing comprehensive solutions for Auto, Home and Liability coverage.

Chris brings more than 20 years of business management and operations experience. Prior to joining Benefit Solutions by Design, Chris was a Seismic Analyst and Engineer. With the downsizing and current environment in the oil and gas industry Chris decided a change was needed. He is dedicated to his clients and is tenacious in obtaining the best and the most affordable coverage to put his client’s minds at ease.

Chris has a Bachelor of Science, Marine Science Degree from Texas A & M Galveston University and an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

Outside of the office, Chris is very involved with his neighborhood and serves as a Community Certified Emergency Response member. He loves to spend time working around the house, playing with his dogs Ares and Xena. He is an avid Red Wings fan and loves to play hockey, golf and scuba dives.