The Deft Team
Deft Claims was formed in early 2018 from the mindset of creating a solution to the near gridlocked claims dispute resolution process in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Jeremiah and his team recognized that there is a more efficient way to handle complex claims. One which gives some leverage back to the carrier while at the same time fulfilling the carrier’s promise to those they insure as our mission reflects.
Jeremiah Kiefer
Founder | CEO | Executive General Adjuster | Umpire
After stints in academia and general contracting, Jeremiah entered the insurance space during the chaotic 2005 hurricane season. He quickly found in claims handling a perfect companion for his core skill set and enjoyed the freedom to excel independently. After establishing himself as a respected EGA for multiple firms and carriers having successfully handled nearly 10,000 assignments across a wide swath of the property claims spectrum, his ambitions broadened in 2017.
A strong desire to push the claims sector into modernity led to his founding The Deft Group in early 2018. Through its B2B facing entities, Deft Claims, and Deft Consultants, his organization continues to reinvent what complex property claims handling looks like by fearlessly and unapologetically innovating while never losing track of industry leading customer service. Through The Deft Group, Jeremiah is confident of redefining the relationship between underwriting and claims handling through a data centric focus.
Darin Bradley
Chief Operating Officer | Executive General Adjuster | Appraiser
Darin began his professional career with Concentrix, working with Apple’s iOS division and Intuit’s TurboTax division respectively. His strengths as a leader were quickly recognized by his seniors who in turn leveraged his attributes to facilitate training, then supervise over 300 agents before the age of 23 between the accounts. Over the course of the following several years, Darin continued to develop his leadership capabilities with Claremont Food’s production team, creating an unprecedented position within the company for himself as a technical production lead, blending his strengths as a leader with his skills as a maintenance technician which resulted in the doubling of the program’s production rates within his first week.
While pursuing a future in automotive management in 2017, Darin was presented an opportunity to handle property claims in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. He made a very ambitious decision to pursue this opportunity, opening a door into an industry with the level of complexity in which he thrives. Darin’s talents were immediately apparent during this first deployment, securing the interest of several in our industry working with and around him in the field and office alike.
In early 2018, after deployments associated with Hurricane Irma had concluded, Jeremiah, and subsequently the Deft team, acquired Darin’s talents as a technology and systems analyst in addition to that as a field adjuster. Over the following years, Darin’s adeptness quickly manifested an indispensable resource, resulting in his spearheading many of Deft’s largest assignments to date. In an effort to leverage Darin’s formidable leadership capabilities, The Deft Group obtained his exclusivity both in the capacity of a general adjuster, as well as to formulate and execute an industry-leading training program. His polymathic nature became apparent during his progressively expanding collaboration across all of Deft’s divisions at which time he was offered the position of The Deft Group’s Chief Operations Officer, where he has continued to exploit his aptitude in the exponential flourishment of this company. Jeremiah and Darin’s relationship has and will continue to prove mutually advantageous for the foreseeable future.
William Garcia
Administrative Director
William began his career path as a Staff Accountant with Alere Toxicology in 2006. In his position, he began to assist in the Accounts Payable/Collection Site Departments by maintaining financial reports and complete general bookkeeping. In 2013, William transitioned to Norsafe Marine and Offshore Services as the Accountant for the New Orleans office. He had the responsibility for all accounting-related activities, including managerial accounting and finance activities within the company. He was part of a team help propel Norsafe’s New Orleans office as one of the most profitable/cost effective stations around the world. Once Norsafe Marine and Offshore Services merged with Viking Life Saving Equipment, he began to work along with Viking’s accounting office in Miami maintaining the same responsibilities for the Lifeboat business segment.
After 7 years of experience in the Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories Industry as well 8 years of experience in the Maritime Industry, he has shifted his sights to the Insurance Industry as an Administrative Director with The Deft Group. With the ability to assist in the financial growth and the willingness to adapt to an expansive position, William will provide The Deft Group an asset to the overall health of the company.
Ryan Bramblett
Claims Director
Ryan comes to The Deft Group with over 25 years of property claims industry experience. He started out his claims career as an outside property claims representative for The Hartford and Hanover Insurance respectively. There he increased his claim handling knowledge from working standard daily and catastrophe homeowner’s claims to large losses and smaller commercial claims. Looking for advancement in the industry, Ryan began working for a national independent adjusting firm as a Quality Assurance Supervisor. In twelve years, he advanced through ranks with the roles of Catastrophe Director, Vice President of Claims, and Vice President of Programs and Projects.
Following Deft Claims from outside the organization, through career relationships built, Ryan joined the Deft team in early 2022 due to the innovative way high-net-worth and commercial claims are handled by the team. Ryan joins the team as the Claims Director of Deft Claims.
Luke Castle
Systems Analyst | Training & Recruiting Manager
Prior to pursuing commercial and high net worth insurance, Luke completed a Ph.D. in sociology of technology and worked as a university instructor. Since the Deft Group fosters a culture that emphasizes cutting-edge and emerging technology solutions, joining the team seemed like a perfect fit. Luke will oversee creating and optimizing high-quality digital content in addition to aligning his background in higher education with the goals and objectives of The Deft Group's training operations to develop strategies for implementing innovative developments in the industry.
Kenyon Firestone
Managing EGA
Following his early career as a front-line supervisor in an underground coal mine, Kenyon started his insurance adjusting career in the heart of New Mexico and covering parts of southern Colorado and quickly learned that this industry is full of opportunity for those who want it. After handling a large variety of claims including, fire, water, vandalism, theft, hail, ice and snow, wind, and commercial in the NM & CO markets, Kenyon relocated to south Florida where he began to gain traction in the complex field adjusting market and continues to work as a Senior General Adjuster.
While working with The Deft Group, Kenyon excelled in his adjusting career, from handling large commercial losses on the water of Miami Beach to multi-million-dollar homes. He has shown his dedication to the complex claim market by pushing for a consistent superior product while demonstrating his passion for sharing his knowledge of this workspace.
Jeff Tarwater
Managing EGA
Parlaying his early career in construction including roles ranging from carpentry to project management, and with formal education in the engineering technology and construction management, Jeff began work in claims on the back end of Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2006 before holding a full-time daily property/casualty adjuster position through 2017, and since shifting focus to exclusively handle complex and large commercial losses.
Having now handled thousands of claims, combined with his superior knowledge base on the construction side, Jeff serves as The Deft Group’s Field Operations Director & Executive General Adjuster. In addition to handling Deft's most complex adjusting, consulting, and appraisal assignments, he leads from the front during CAT response. Deft and its clients consider Jeff to arguably be the best adjuster/consultant in the Southeastern US. We realize this is an aggressive statement but it is one that has been proven time after time in the most difficult of circumstances.
Matt Overstreet
Managing EGA
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in 2007, Matthew started his career in law enforcement as a felony probation officer. In 2011 he was given the opportunity to join Allstate’s National Catastrophe Team as a staff adjuster. Matthew quickly took to adjusting claims and rose through the ranks at Allstate. During his 7 years with the team, he was promoted to Vendor Oversite, Team Lead, National Onboarding Trainer, Quality Development Technician, and his final role as a Claims Service Leader managing a team of adjusters around the country.
In 2017 he took the leap of going into business for himself as an independent adjuster. Matthew again stood ahead of his peers and quickly became the “go-to” adjuster for several independent firms. In 2019, he started working commercial and high net worth claims where he found a niche that he fell in love with. While still working claims Matthew took on the role of account manager for an IA firm where he had previously worked managing a team of 50+ adjusters. Now Matthew can combine his two passions of management and complex claims at Deft Claims.
Dillon Boleware
Managing EGA
Dillon started his insurance career in 2011 with Quick Cat Claims where he assisted the president and claims director with daily tasks such as adjuster relations, claim intake and roster management. He shortly thereafter, and with the help of his mentors, carved out his own place in the industry handling daily property and liability claims for several independent adjusting firms. In 2015 Dillon took on a position with York managing and training adjusters nationwide.
After nearly a decade of well-balanced industry experience, Dillon joined the Deft team in 2019 and quickly embraced the opportunity to be a key facilitator for the rapid growth of Deft.