A team you can trust and call – anytime.
Meet Our Talented Independent
Insurance Agents and Team
Meet the Beach Mountain Insurance Group team – passionate independent insurance agents ready to help you navigate and simplify your insurance options.
Erik Serio
President
erik@beachmountainins.com
865.381.2033
Meet Erik! He's a passionate, second-generation independent insurance agent, born and raised in beautiful South Louisiana. After earning his BS in Quantitative Business Analysis and MBA from the University of Tennessee, he spent several years abroad in commodity trading and risk management sectors. Now firmly rooted back home in Tennessee, Erik combines his wide-ranging knowledge with a dedication to impacting the local community. And when he's not inspiring others to achieve their financial goals, you'll find him exploring the outdoors with his beloved daughter, Ansley. They love discovering faraway places and rare sights, making every moment count!
Julie Friend
Insurance Specialist
julie@beachmountainins.com
865.381.2116
Julie is a Chemical Engineering and French graduate from Iowa State University with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. She brings her killer knowledge, sparkling personality, and charming wit to all her client relationships. After taking a break from the professional world in 2021, she joined Beach Mountain as an insurance producer. Before that, she spent years as a research engineer and even owned a business. Julie's clients love how she helps them get the perfect coverage and educates them. When she's not helping clients, Julie loves to read, travel the world, and dive into historical fiction with the book club crew. Fun fact: She's been to every continent – even Antarctica!
Chris Smith
Insurance Specialist
chris@beachmountainins.com
865.722.7116
Chris is an ambitious and dedicated independent insurance agent based in Georgia. He started his career as a trivia host at various spots in North Georgia and proudly graduated from KSU with a History degree. With two years of experience in service and agency operations, Chris loves working for Beach Mountain because they genuinely care about their employees and clients. When he's not working, this passionate Georgian enjoys reading books and creates and hosts his own trivia challenges. His proudest professional achievements involve helping those who are hard to insure, offering coverage even in challenging situations like DUI incidents. For Chris Smith, no task is too daunting. Fun fact: He once appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with Regis Philbin and won $100,000. On his bucket list: seeing the Northern Lights and Neuschwanstein Castle in Europe.
John Hawkins
Commercial Sales
john@beachmountainins.com
865.337.3223
John is a seasoned healthcare and business executive with more than 36 years of experience spanning operational management, C-Level leadership, medical device manufacturing, and investment capital ventures for start-ups. He has held roles in both direct patient care and executive leadership, most recently with Atlanta based Broadwell Group Inc. Other companies he held leadership roles in were Otto Bock Healthcare, Functional Pathways, Baxter Medical, Coker Group, DYN’R Medical Systems and Blackstone Medical Services, contributing to growth, operational excellence and market expansion within the healthcare and medical device sectors. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives across hospital systems, medical device companies, skilled Nursing Centers, and private sector organizations, driving operational efficiency, revenue growth, mergers and acquisitions and strategic expansion. John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Business Management from the University of Tennessee and completed advanced studies in Cardiac Perfusion Science at Gross Mont College in California, combining a strong scientific foundation with executive business expertise.