Meet Our Staff

Matthew Dudash, Center Manager

Matthew, born and raised in Easton, PA, graduated from Kutztown University with a BS in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology.

With Farmers, Matthew relocated to Las Vegas, NV in 1997 and over the next 10 years held several positions in both Claims and Marketing. Matthew’s four years in Claims included the positions of Senior Claims Representative, Claims Management Trainee and Field Claims Supervisor within the Phoenix region. After completing several special projects with the Farmers Nevada State Office, in 2002, Matthew accepted the position of Senior Marketing Specialist. He then spent six years in marketing, including a position as Division Marketing Manager (Colorado State Office), and a relocation to Home Office for the position of Sales Manager (Promotions) under Jim Westerman. While in claims, Matthew obtained professional awards including the Blue Vase and FCLS and FCLA designations. He is currently enrolled in CPCU courses.

In addition to being the State Chairperson for the March of Dimes Foundation, Nevada (2001-2002), Matt is currently on the Board of Directors of the Cuyahoga County Chamber of Commerce and is actively involved with local schools, especially the Independence, OH school system.

Christy Presnar, Business Operations Manager

Christy, born and raised in Bryan, OH, recently came to us from Cincinnati, OH where she graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences degree in Mass Communications.

Christy started her career with Farmers Insurance Group at the Cincinnati Career Center. She has a strong business background which derives from working in her family-run plastics manufacturing business in her hometown. Currently, Christy is responsible for the daily operations of the Cleveland Career Center as the Business Operations Manager.

Christy takes pleasure in spending time with family and friends and enjoys exploring the Cleveland area, especially the community of Broadview Heights where she currently resides. She also enjoys many outdoor activities that include running and biking.

Esma deCaro, Reserve District Manager

Esma attended the University of Texas at Arlington, and now resides in Twinsburg, OH with her husband Jan and two children, Samantha and Michael.

She has more than 17 years of experience in the insurance industry, specializing in the sale and administration of life insurance. Most recently, she spent four years as Director of Operations for an office of a major life insurance carrier. Esma has earned her FLMI designation with distinction and is also a Registered Principal with Farmers Financial Solutions.

Esma is also a member of the Twinsburg Chamber of Commerce and has a strong passion to help others succeed.

Dave Kalavsky, Reserve District Manager

Dave, born and raised in Stow, OH, is a graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a minor in Management.

Dave had five years of experience in the insurance industry before joining our team. He currently oversees the training and development of our reserve agents as the Reserve Agent Manager. Dave also manages all marketing events for the Center’s reserve and career agents.

Dave enjoys golfing and attending sporting events in his free time. He also works weekends with the Cleveland Browns on their Gameday Marketing Staff.

Monae Breece, Reserve District Manager

Monae graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Technical Education. As a past president of the University of Akron chapter of the American Society of Training and Development, she brings strong leadership skills and a unique training style to the Cleveland Center of Insurance Excellence.

Monae comes to Farmers from the real estate/lending industry where she won numerous awards and recognitions for her top sales production. Having owned several businesses, she brings her expertise in management along with her entrepreneurial spirit to the Center. Monae is currently in charge of the Center’s Active Recruiting Division.

Rich Bucceri, Reserve District Manager

Rich is a graduate of the University of Toledo and also attended the U.S. Naval Accounting School, where he graduated with honors.

Rich, who currently lives in Garfield Heights, has over eight years experience with recruiting, specifically in the areas of management and accounting. Rich has worked most recently for Robert Half International as the Accounting Division Manager and worked as a Corporate Recruiter at Equity Consultants before joining Farmers. Rich currently leads the Center’s Internet Recruiting Department.

Rich is the proud father of his four-year-old daughter Ariana. In his free time, Rich enjoys playing golf and spending time with his daughter. He is also a supporter of Cleveland's professional sports teams.

Reese Gable, Reserve District Manager

Reese is originally from Lima, OH and obtained his degree in Social Work from the University of Cincinnati. He currently resides in Sheffield Village with his wife Jessica and two children Harper and Anderson.

Prior to joining our team as a Reserve District Manager with a focus in Active Recruiting, Reese was a highly successful career agent with our Center and achieved the Blue Vase and Topper Club Sales Awards.

Reese likes to stay active in his spare time by running and spending time with his kids.

Mike Vakos, Reserve District Manager

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Mike has been living in the Cleveland area since 1999. He attended Illinois State University on a wrestling scholarship where he earned a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Marketing and Management. Mike was an NCAA national qualifier for wrestling in 1995 and was also an assistant head coach for the varsity wrestling team at Bloomington-Normal High School during his college years.

Prior to joining our team, Mike worked for AT&T in Corporate Sales and prior to that, NovaStar Mortgage. Mike was a successful small business owner of a restaurant franchise and his combination of sales and business management experience is a tremendous asset to our office.

Mike is married to Claudia and has three children, Dominic, Nathanial and Ariana. He enjoys spending time at his summer house in Millersburg, OH and enjoys water skiing, boating and fishing.

John Avon, Reserve District Manager

John is a native Clevelander with a degree in Business & Organizational Communication from The University of Akron. John currently resides in South Hills with his wife Kisha and their newborn daughter, Sydney.

John has nine years of sales and management experience before joining Farmers Insurance, most recently as a sales consultant for Fiber Seal of Cleveland.

He enjoys dining out at many local establishments, cheering for local sports teams and spending time outdoors skiing and playing golf.

David Becker, Reserve District Manager

David, originally from Solon, Ohio, is a graduate of Muskingum College where he earned a double major in Marketing and Management.

David has spent over 10 years of his career in outside sales and over five years with a specialization in recruiting. He most recently came to us from Paychex where he worked as a Human Resources Sales Consultant. David currently works in our Internet Recruiting Division and will bring his past experience of working with business owners to assist our recruiting team.

David is a member of the Cleveland Professional 20s and 30s Club and enjoys working out in his free time. He resides in Shaker Heights with his twin daughters, Abigail and Riley.