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Our Team

When you become our client, you place your trust in us to help make your vision a reality. We honor that trust with the help of our team. Together, we make a strong commitment to customer service. If at any time you have a question, concern or need, please let us know.

Leadership

Bret Michael Wheeler

Chief Executive Officer

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Bret developed his acute business acumen while working as the General Manager at Harvey’s Clothing Store. His mentor, Clair Jones provided him with a common sense business approach, that he was able to directly translate to his career with Northwestern Mutual. Bret has consistently been an industry leader with Northwestern Mutual since 1989.

Early in Bret’s career he realized that there was a level of expertise missing in the financial services industry when advising business clientele. In order to fulfill this need, Bret and his partner, John Packard Jr. founded Packard Wheeler Succession to provide expert guidance in the succession planning of corporations, businesses, and high net worth families. As the founders of Packard Wheeler Succession, Bret and John built the infrastructure to succeed by recruiting and training the representatives and staff that comprise Packard Wheeler Succession.

Bret enjoys spending quality time with his wife and four children. He enjoys reading about his favorite subjects; history and politics. In the summer, you can find Bret and his family relaxing at their river home on the Pend Oreille River.

Timothy Johnson

Chief Operating Officer

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Tim has worked as an Area Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the largest rental car company in the world, where he learned (the hard way) how to run many aspects of a business, with a focus on Employee Development. After that, he worked for Principal Financial Group, both as a Financial Representative and as a consultant in the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation arena. In his time with Principal, he worked closely with C Suite level executives to analyze and implement NQDC plans. In 2010, Tim went to work for Life Center Church in Spokane, where he served as the Executive Pastor. In his time there, he helped set the strategic direction for the church, and worked with the staff to implement that vision.

Tim is from Spokane, and received his BA in International Studies from the University of Washington, and his MA in Theology from Whitworth University. He and his wife Holly have four children, two of which are married. He loves hiking, fishing, reading, golfing, and watching the Mariners.

Jessica Bonar

Chief Strategy Officer

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Jessica began with PWS in August 2024. She brings innovation and creativity to sales and services strategies, pairing it with an energy that inspires others to invest in the direction of professional, and personal, growth. Instead of just ‘thinking outside the box’, Jessica asks us to consider, “Sometimes maybe we need to remodel the box.

Never advocating for change for the sake of change, she finds healthy balance in her leadership and strategy execution because responsibility is her #1 strength and motivator. With a long history of roles that have always involved a multi-faceted focus on the health of individuals, their businesses, and their employees, she brings a keen eye to our team and the people we serve. Jessica has a strong public speaking background which allows her opportunities to fulfill her purpose statement. “I must inspire people with simple solutions to complex problems that will change their life.

Jessica is a proud mother of two. She is a lover of food and adventure; therefore, she can often be heard saying, “Let’s go somewhere we’ve never been.” A dog will put an instant smile on her face, especially her doggo Luna! She considers coffee a love language and if stranded on a desert island, the presence of Maranatha creamy peanut butter will improve her morale ten-fold.

Financial Representatives

Jonathen C Hernandez

Financial Advisor

Heath M Waechter

Financial Advisor

Protection

Hazel Bean

Insurance Operations Manager

Jacqueline L Trout

Client Service Administrator

Kelby Medeiros

Office Assistant

Kyle Kunze

Administrative Assistant

Accumulation

Desirae Kivett

Retirement Plan Operations Manager

Grace Hilderman

Client Service Coordinator

Succession/Retirement

Jeff O'Brien

Client Experience Manager

Juliya Crouse

Client Service Coordinator

Benefits

Cody Lewis

Director of Business Development

Victoria Wheeler

Director of Business Development

Andrew Rowley

Director of Client Relations

Joshua Grant

Supervisor of Client Relations

Tracy Crider

Practice Manager

Mary-Ashley Busse

Client Onboarding Specialist

Justin A Krieger

Client Experience Manager

Marita Howard

Client Experience Manager

Gerard Larson

Client Experience Manager

Lexi Watkins

Client Experience Manager

Nicole Paulsen

Client Service Coordinator

Sarah Bushnell

Client Onboarding Specialist

Brennan Priddy

Client Service Coordinator

Catherine Ashley Allen

Client Experience Manager

*GROUP HEALTH AND CERTAIN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SERVICES ARE OFFERED THROUGH AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED COMPANY, WHICH OFFERS ACCESS TO COMPREHENSIVE EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SERVICES AND IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH, NOR A SUBSIDIARY OF THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY