Management Team

Terry Buckner

President/CEO

Terry H. Buckner is the President and CEO of Buckner —a third generation, Utah family-owned business. Terry studied as a finance undergraduate student at Brigham Young University and earned his MBA from Utah State University in 1979. He completed his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1983. After assuming full command of Buckner in 1992, Terry made several critical strategic moves that allowed the company to experience explosive growth, expanding to more than 20 times the size than when he took the reins. Terry has served as the Chairman of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and served on various advisory boards for BYU, Utah State University, and Weber State University.

Terry and his wife, Lynne, are parents to seven children and 13 grandchildren. He enjoys mountain biking, golf, and skiing, as well as experiencing new foods, activities, and cultures as he travels with his family.

Frank Lancaster

Executive VP/CFO

Frank began his insurance career in 1999 working in a small insurance agency while developing his education. After graduating with an Accounting degree from the University of Utah and obtaining an MBA from the University of Colorado, he fully committed to the insurance industry by immersing himself in budgeting, mergers and acquisitions, operational workflows, and compliance.

Frank’s personal focus is centered on a patient wife and 3 great kids. His hobbies consist of anything outdoors, including snowboarding, volleyball, motorcycle riding, and the occasional camping trip. He is a little bit of a foodie and loves to find the local “hole in the wall” restaurant. Frank also enjoys attending a baseball game when he needs to relax.

Christian Deputy

Chief Sales Officer

Christian has been working in the insurance industry since 2001. He specializes in helping clients in the retail, manufacturing, technology, and professional services industries.

He is a walking quadriplegic due to a mountain biking injury and enjoys flying and fly fishing.

Lisa Levy

Director of Carrier Relations

Lisa has been in the insurance industry for over 40 years and joined Buckner in August 2016. She has held positions with various regional and national brokers and has also been a commercial lines underwriter with a large national insurer.

Lisa holds both a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation. She is active with various insurance organizations.

Brad Nielson

President, Buckner Idaho

Brad entered the insurance industry in 1978, joining Buckner in 2010. His areas of expertise include Agriculture, Aviation, Fuel Distributors, and Construction. He has obtained his CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) licensure.

Brad counts hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, and sports among his various hobbies. He considers raising his family his greatest accomplishment.

Lance Butler

President, Buckner Colorado

Lance joined Buckner in 2017, bringing with him over 25 years of insurance experience. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and has experience in various sectors within the insurance industry.

Lance enjoyed playing sports as a child and considers his kids to be his greatest accomplishment in life. Carmine’s on Penn is his favorite restaurant and Hawaii is his favorite place for a getaway.

Lianna Kinard

Vice President of Marketing

Lianna joined Buckner in 2016 as Vice President of Marketing. In her role, she manages the firm’s brand communications and marketing strategy for five offices. Lianna earned a B.A. in Marketing from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in General Management from Harvard University.

Lianna is from Honolulu, Hawaii and was a member of the National Scholastic Surfing team in high school. She enjoys traveling with her children.

Chris Dahl

Vice President of Employee Benefits

Chris joined Buckner in July 2010 and specializes in providing consultative analysis to larger employers. His goal is to assist clients with his broad understanding of the employee benefits space, with the ultimate objective of introducing solutions that align with the clients’ needs, culture, and business purposes. Chris received his B.A. in Communications from the University of Utah. He is fluent in Spanish.

Prior to joining Buckner, Chris spent many years in sales and underwriting for various insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and pharmacy benefit managers. He has more than 23 years of insurance experience. Those who have worked with Chris describe him as, “intelligent, dedicated, resourceful, driven, ethical, and a strong leader.”

He and his wife, Suzanne, are parents to three children. In his spare time, Chris is an avid pilot with more than 2,800 hours of flight time. He also is a Certified Flight Instructor with Instrument and Multi-Engine privileges. Chris enjoys mountain biking and fly fishing.

Sierra Teger

Director of Human Resources

Sierra started with Buckner in 2015 as the Human Resources Director. She oversees the “people” side of the company, including Benefit Administration, Legal Compliance, Employee Relations, Payroll, Recruiting/Onboarding and the Wellness Program. Prior to joining Buckner, Sierra spent nearly three years managing the HR Department for Oakwood Homes.

Sierra graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources. She earned her Group Benefit Associate designation in 2017 and is a Society of Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) . Sierra enjoys the outdoors and loves spending time with her family. After moving 15 times while growing up, she now calls Denver home.

Sunni Nelson

Corporate Controller

Sunni began working in the insurance industry in 2005 and has been part of the Buckner team since 2013. She completed her formal education at the University of Utah and earned her CPA license shortly after. During her education, she had the opportunity to work with several independent insurance agencies and was happy to learn the unique processes of insurance accounting.

When Sunni is not at work, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She likes to keep an active lifestyle and hopes that she can help others to be a little more happy each day.

MANAGEMENT TEAM