Our Staff

Deborah Gross

Partner, Office Manager

Debbie became a licensed insurance agent in 1985, and has been affiliated with Capital Insurance & Associates since 1996. She is a member of the Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives, as she has completed the academic requirements to receive this designation. In October of 2005, she purchased stock in Capital Insurance & Associates, and as a partner, she continues to work as a Producer and an Office Manager.

Debbie has been married to her husband, Chris for 33 years. With 25 years of sales experience, Chris left his position as a Sales Executive for Motorcycle Stuff in Cape Girardeau, and joined the sales force at Capital Insurance & Associates. They have 2 children Cassie 29 and Dustin 33, Cassie married Edgar Myers on September 30, 2011 and we are now bless with 2 step grand children Morgan and Hayden. Cassies is working for the Department of Treasury and continuing to work on her doctorate. Dustin stated his own business Cape Girardeau Tile Company.

John Wondel II

Partner, Producer

John graduated Cum Laude from Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration in 1997. He went immediately to work at Capital Insurance & Associates since his father and mother were principles of the agency. Since then, he has been a producer, writing commercial and personal lines as well as life and health insurance. John is one of the partners of the agency John is married to Shanna and they have two children, Katie and John III, and they reside in Jackson, MO.

Chris Gross

Partner, Producer

First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to visit our website. I joined the Capital Team following twenty-four years of dedicated sales service within the distribution business. Thus, the most important component of my sales doctrine is the value of putting customer service first, above all else. Our ultimate goal here at Capital is to serve our clients so they feel as though we are part of their personal staff. Simply, we do not want to just be their insurance agent but, rather, a partner in developing their personal businesses, as well as to ensure the protection of their families. I am a homegrown Cape Girardeauan where I joined the Navy after a brief stint of college football. In 1976, I married Debbie Schuessler when we promptly moved to Texas for four years to fulfill my military duties. During this stay, Debbie and I were blessed with our first child, Dustin. After my military tour, we moved back to Cape where I worked for Pepsi where I worked, first, as a route driver and eventually became a branch manager. During this time, we were again blessed with our second child, Cassie. Following my tenure at Pepsi, I joined the sales team at a growing company, Motorcycle Stuff Distributors. After twenty-four years of service at MC Stuff, the table was set for one more move . . . I joined Debbie at Capital as their newest sales associate. In 2007, we were afforded the opportunity to partner in the growing agency and now I am eager to help to develop our company and support our clients. Things are going really well. I am so excited about starting this new venture, my children are both doing great (Dustin is the service manager at Cyclewerx and Cassie is now working for the Department of Treasurer and contuing to work on her doctorate. I have two passions: golf and wine. Both of which I continue to realize will take a lifetime to master. I hope that this brief outline of my life has enabled you to know me a bit better. I am always available for any questions or concerns.

Paul Stehr

Producer

Paul started in the insurance business in 1973, with Hahs-Stiegemeyr Underwriters in Cape Girardeau. That agency was then sold to Colonial Insurance Group in 1977 and later sold to Cape Insurance Agency in 1988. Cape Insurance Agency then merged with Giddens and Johnson Insurance Agency, and later the name was changed to G & W Investments, Inc. D/B/A Capital Insurance & Associates. Paul has been a producer with Capital Insurance ever since, writing both personal and commercial lines, life and health insurance. Paul was born and raised in Cape Girardeau. He graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO in 1958, with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, lettering in both basketball and baseball. He served in the United States Marine Corps, obtaining the rank of Captain. He served on the City Council in Cape Girardeau for six years, and later served as the Mayor of Cape Girardeau for three years. He was on the Legislative Affairs Committee for the Missouri Association of Independent Agencies in 2004. He teaches a total of two hours per semester of homeowners and auto insurance courses to Southeast Missouri State University students. He has been married for 52 years to wife, Joan, and they have three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Mary Kistner

Producer

Mary's father, Norman E. McElreath, founded McElreath Realty and Insurance in 1955. In 1970 she began working for the agency while attending Southeast Missouri State University. Licensed as both agent and broker in 1971, Mary continued her education and graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration in May of 1973, majoring in general business management, and minoring in chemistry and mathematics. She was an agent/broker for the agency and because partner in 1977. After her father's retirement in 1985 she continued to operate and own McElreath Realty and Insurance until September 1, 1997, when the agency merged with Capital Insurance & Associates. This merger enabled Mary to focus on serving her customers. She has served multiple terms as president, vice-president and secretary-treasurer of the Independent Insurance Agents of Cape Girardeau since 1975. In 1978, she served as a director on the Small Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Missouri. As a producer at Capital Insurance & Associates, Mary writes all lines of property, casualty, life and health insurance. Her interest, experience, and the predominant volume of written accounts are commercial property and casualty. For all customers, she concentrates on providing the best combination of coverage, price and service. Mary is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, and has served on the Finance Board, Evangelism Board, secretary of Church Planning and Building Committee ($2,100,000 church building project, 1977-1982), secretary of the Board of Education of Trinity Lutheran School, and Sunday school teacher. During her tenure on the Board of Education, she served to establish the Trinity Lutheran School extended care program and the Trinity Lutheran School Foundation. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Saint Francis Medical Center Foundation in Cape Girardeau. Mary is a Cape Girardeau native with two children. Shane is an employee of the Rite Group, and a student at Southeast Missouri State U

Mike Hornbeak

Producer

Mike began working in the insurance business in 1988, where he worked in his father's agency, Hornbeak Insurance, in Tamms IL. Upon his father's death in 1999, he became the owner of Hornbeak Insurance. In 2000, Mike merged his agency with Capital Insurance & Associates. He is licensed in property & casualty and life, and specializes in personal and commercial lines. Mike has been married to wife, Teresa, who is a RN with a BSN working for Braxton Medical, for 13 years. They have one daughter, Skyler, who is 12. They reside in Jackson, MO.

Kevin Cox

Producer

Kevin Cox received his Property and Casualty license and began working for Capital Insurance and Associates on November 1, 2011. After high school he joined the Marine Corps where he served for four years. Then worked as Manager for Hibbett Sports before becoming a Customer Service Representative for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Tara Fischer

Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative

Tara worked in the banking industry for approximately nine years, as a Customer Service Representative and then a Financial Service Representative. During that time she received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She received her Life Insurance License while working at Union Planters Bank, and decided that she would like to pursue a career in the insurance industry. She went to work for Capital Insurance & Associates in July of 2001 as a Personal Lines CSR, where she received her license in Property & Casualty. In June of 2004, when the position of Commercial Lines CSR became available, she then transferred over to that department, and has been there ever since. Tara is married to Scott, who is the General Manager of Fastenal Industrial Supplies in Cape Girardeau, and they are the proud parents of two boys, Chase and Tyler.

Terina Hotop

Personal Lines Customer Service Representative

Graduating from Metro Business College in Cape Girardeau, Terina earned her Associates Degree of Applied Science in Business Computer Specialist. In 2005, Terina started her insurance career obtaining her Property and Casualty insurance license. In July of 2009, she joined the Capital Insurance & Associates team to continue to serve the commercial and personal insurance needs of the community. Terina, Kent Dillahay and their daughter, Mackenzie reside in Perryville, MO.

Ardell Fisher

Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative

Ardell started her insurance career in 1977 at Safeco Insurance Co. in Denver, CO in the commercial rating department. She became a Commercial Underwriter & Senior Underwriter during her tenure with the company. She also worked as a Senior Underwriter at Cigna & Senaca Insurance Companies in Denver. Her husband was transferred to KS in 1995 and she worked for a commercial insurance agency there as a Customer Service Representative. In 1998, the couple was transferred to Cape Girardeau where she continued to work for insurance agencies as a Customer Service Representative, Commercial Account Manager and Office Manager. She joined Capital Insurance & Associates in a part time position in the Commercial Department in 2011.

Ardell & her husband Don have been married for 21 years. Don is the Senior Director – Physician Practice Operations at SoutheastHealth. Ardell has two children. Kristin & her husband Neil live in Waxhaw, North Carolina & Randall & his wife Randi live in Phoenix, Arizona. Don has two daughters living in Texas.

Alisha Kennedy

Customer Service Representative and Producer

Earning her license as a Certified Nurse Assistant in 2001, Alisha has spent the last 8 years studying and practicing health care. In 2006 Alisha graduated from the Cape Girardeau School of Real Estate earning her license as a Missouri Real Estate agent. Alisha also earned her certificate in medical billing and coding in 2009 from the Cape Girardeau Career & Technology Center/Mineral Area College. Alisha joined Capital Insurance in January 2010 and earned her Property & Casualty license in March of 2010. Alisha has two children, Layne, 9 years, and Haylei, 6 years.