Craig W. Klenk

Craig began his insurance career in 1985 when he joined his family brokerage agency to build a company network and develop an online presence.  Through the encouragement of his parents, he immediately began taking Charter Life Underwriter (CLU) and Charter Financial Consultant (ChFC) courses through the American College completing all 14 courses within two years.  Craig continued his American College education by obtaining a Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) degree in 1992.  During this time, he was honored to be the President of the Houston Chapter of Financial Services Professionals in 1997 and Chair of the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) in 1998. 

In 1995 he purchased his family’s agency The Shaw Company and subsequently merged with the Harrison-James Brokerage Agency in 2001 to become the Chief Marketing/Sales Officer of 8 offices with a staff of over 100.  Several years after this merger, Harrison-James sold to BISYS of New York where Craig was named the Senior Vice President of Acquisition Integration.  He remained with BISYS for numerous years before leaving to consult with several firms looking to be merged or acquired. 

In 2011, Craig was hired by American National Insurance Company for the Vice President Brokerage Sales position.  In 2023 Craig was promoted to Head of Sales – Life & Annuity Distribution for the entire company. In 2026, Craig assumed the role of Strategic Account Management.  While at American National Craig obtained his Fellow Life Management Institute (FLMI) and LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow (LLIF) designations.  He also has served on the LIMRA Brokerage Committee as Chair in 2014 and on the NAILBA Charitable Foundation Board from 2019 to 2022. 

Craig is married to Sandra (Sandy) and lives in Corrigan, Texas just north of Houston.  They have 5 adult children and 9 grandchildren ranging in ages from 1 year to 18 years.  Both Craig and Sandy love the outdoors, hunting, fishing and especially spending time with their grandchildren.