With the retirements of Victor Muro and Jim Ortenzio effective July 1st, National Life welcomes two new General Agents who will lead our New York and New Jersey markets.
Richard Donado has been hired to lead the Affiliated Channel’s Metro New York Agency comprised of the New York City, Jericho, Flushing and Brooklyn offices. Rich is a dynamic leader, a talented recruiter, and successful producer with over twenty years in the financial services industry. Building on the business foundations put in place by Muro and Ortenzio, we have every confidence that he will develop and grow the Metro New York Agency toward even more impressive results.
After college, and within five years of starting as a Wall Street intern, Rich was recognized as a “President’s” and then “Chairman’s Level” producer at his firm. He entered management development and became a nationally recognized Sales Manager and decorated leader, winning the GAMA Bronze and Silver Awards on multiple occasions and the Chairman’s Signature Services for leading one of the top five teams in the country. MassMutual provided new opportunities and in 2015 Rich was appointed General Agent of MassMutual Nebraska where he led his team to a first-in-the-nation ranking in growth results year over year. In 2018 Rich returned home to New Jersey to join MassMutual New Jersey-New York City where he was appointed President and Co-General Agent in 2020. Rich’s former firm is currently a top-ten firm in the MassMutual System in Life, DI and LTC.
Much of Rich’s success stems from his passion for bringing new advisors into our industry and helping experienced advisors take their businesses to the next level. A bilingual Spanish speaker, Rich has grown his field force by 20% in the last four years and has a strong focus on growing the multicultural marketplace and expanding the ranks of women agents while serving the middle market.
Rich and his wife Evelyn, along with their two sons, RJ and Michael, live in Long Valley, New Jersey and believe strongly in giving back to the community. Rich is a frequent visitor to the Ridge Street Elementary School in Newark where he helps to mentor financial literacy knowledge and engagement for the youngest learners, and the entire Donado family coordinates clothing support for the homeless through the “Donado Boys Sock Drop.” Rich is a talented leader who already understands and embraces National Life’s Do good, Be good, Make good values.
We are excited to welcome Richard Donado to the National Life Group family and look forward to his continuing successes in leadership, recruiting, production, and service to clients and community.
With over three decades of experience in the financial services industry, Mike Marino brings to the New Jersey Agency a successful track record in both personal production and sales management. We look forward to his continuing success as he builds the agency, grows his talented team of advisors, and serves the clients of National Life Group.
A proud New Jersian, Mike graduated from Rutgers University in 1990 and immediately began his career as an advisor for MetLife. As a consistent conference qualifier, Mike moved into a leadership position in 1994 and for the next sixteen years led a team that consistently held a “top 10” national position. In August of 2011, Mike moved to Prudential Financial where, in his first full year, he won the company’s most prestigious management award, the President’s Trophy, for building the #1 team in the United States.
In May of 2015, Mike joined National Life Group as Executive Managing Director of the NY/NJ Agency, teaming with Ortenzio and Muro. Mike quickly ascended to the top of the management ranks, earning the #1 Managing Director spot in 2017, 2018, and 2019 based on combined protection and equity sales volumes. In 2020, Mike was promoted to Associate General Agent (AGA) and again achieved the #1 nationwide ranking leading National Life Group’s AGA community. During his tenure in this role, 90% of his team of advisors achieved Company recognition through invitations to President’s or Chairman’s Clubs. Michael also received repeated industry recognition in 2017 through 2020, earning the GAMA Brian Early Frontline Excellence Award.
Mike lives in Ocean Township, New Jersey with his wife Debbie, a kindergarten teacher in the Monmouth Beach school system. Their son Luke is a rising Senior at Ocean Township High School. Mike and his family are longtime supporters of two organizations that are near and dear to them: Team 94 for adults with autism spectrum disorder, and the Mya Lin Terry Foundation which supports children battling pediatric cancer.
Please join me in celebrating the current success and future achievements of Richard Donado and Michael Marino, the new General Agents of the Metro New York and New Jersey Agencies!
— Pam Blalock