Ben Markland

Technology Manager & Carrier Relations

What is your favorite food, animal, and book?   

My favorite food is probably tacos.  I could eat any kind on any day. This summer I tried crickets in a taco for the first time, it was interesting to say the least. My favorite animal would probably be the sailfish.  It is one of the fastest and strongest fish in the sea, and top of the food chain with no real predators. I plan on catching one soon so we can finally meet. As for books I cannot really say I have a “favorite” book as I usually read a book once and move on. A book I read recently that had a big impact on me was Win the Day by Mark Batterson. It is a great book about perseverance and how small victories can snowball into life changing ones.

Who inspires you and why? 

My wife, Ashley, is a big inspiration for me. She teaches special needs middle schoolers and has volunteered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association since she was a teenager. All that on top of raising our two crazy boys and keeping me in line. She truly has a servant’s heart. I tell her all the time I would never survive walking a day in her shoes.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

I married into a golfing family so I realized early on I had to up my game or I would spend the rest of my life losing on the course. I am slowly but surely getting there but on most fair-weather weekends you can find my whole family on the golf course. I also enjoy fishing and cooking.  

What three items would you take with you to a deserted island?

I would take a fishing pole (to catch Mr. Sailfish), an all-inclusive resort with swim up bar, and a boat. Once I decided I have had enough I would hop on the boat and go home.

What’s your favorite holiday and why?

Definitely Christmas. Hard to beat the magic of all the lights and presents under the tree. Now I get see excitement in my kids’ eyes which makes it even better. Also, I love that my whole family knows the real reason we celebrate which is the birth of Jesus Christ.

Becky Stevens

Underwriting New Business Manager

What is your favorite food, animal, and book?   

Mashed potatoes, dog, and The Wish by Nicholas Sparks.

Who inspires you and why? 

My parents because they are enjoying retirement and still married after 50+ years.

What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

Watch my son play baseball and hunting.

What three items would you take with you to a deserted island?

Food, sunscreen, and my dog

What’s your favorite holiday and why?

Thanksgiving because of the time I get to spend with my family.

Briefly tell us about yourself.

I am a Louisiana woman married to a MS man. My husband and I have one son, who is a senior in high school.

I have a twin sister, who still lives in my hometown, and we are closer now than ever before.  I also have a younger brother that lives in Illinois. 

  

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, watching my son play baseball, hunting (deer and turkeys), and being outdoors.