Our Team

David Hughes, MBA, CLF, LUTCF

Managing Partner

(303) 744-2000 | Denver

David joined New York Life in 2001 and worked as an agent in the Mobile and New Orleans General Offices for five years. David was promoted to Partner in 2006 where he earned several company recruiting and leadership awards.

In October 2009, he was named Managing Partner of the Mobile General Office and charged with the task to “Grow the Coast.” In his final two years of service on the Gulf Coast, they won twelve National Production trophies.

David was then promoted to Managing Partner of the Covina Valley General Office in March 2013. In 2014 Covina Valley won “View From The Top” and finished with the #8 GPA (Growth, Profitability & Accountability) nationally. In 2021 Covina Valley grew to become the #15 office in the country. He proudly served on the Managing Partners Advisory Council (MPAC) from 2020-2022. In October of 2023 David was appointed as the Managing Partner of New York Life’s Colorado General Office. His commitment to providing a collaborative environment to the elite financial professionals of Colorado aligns with the collective vision of developing the premier financial services organization in our state.

David is supported by his wife of 22 years, Melissa and their two children Charlotte and Alex. You can reach out to him directly at DRHUGHES@newyorklife.com

Roman Hubbard

Executive Partner

(970) 266-7520 | Fort Collins

Roman A. Hubbard is an Executive Partner for New York Life Insurance Company in Colorado.

Roman joined New York Life as an agent in July of 1997 in the Colorado GO, where he became Rookie of the Year. He has been a Sales Manager, Partner, Senior Partner in 2008 and Co-Managing Partner in 2015 serving in the role until 2019. He is now serving as an Executive Partner in the Fort Collins Sales Office. He is a member of NAIFA and on the Board for the Monfort College of Business Alumni Association. Roman attended the University of Northern Colorado and graduated with a Bachelor's of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Marketing and minored in Mathematics. Roman enjoys coaching youth football and baseball. Roman has been married to Erin for 17 years and they have three children Sailor 16, Eastin 13 and Ceily 8.

Leroy Garcia, LUTCF

Executive Partner

(720) 300-5353 | Denver

Leroy Garcia is an Executive Partner with New York Life Insurance Company in Denver, CO.

A native of Colorado, Leroy started with New York Life  in 2001 in the Denver General Office. By 2004, Leroy was promoted to Partner. In 2013, Leroy was promoted to Senior Partner and was recognized as the National Senior Partner of the Year which highlights the best personal performance of an Executive/Senior Partner in five overall categories. In 2015, Leroy was promoted to Co-Managing Partner of the Colorado General Office, serving in the role until 2019. Currently, Leroy is serving as an Executive Partner in the Colorado General Office.

Leroy is a current board member for Judi's House, an organization committed to helping grieving families and children with programs and resources. He is the past Chairman and board member for the Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation. He is also a former board member for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA).

Prior to joining New York Life, Leroy attended Yale University, where he played football and studied architecture.

Heidi Halus, MBA, LUTCF, CLU^®

Senior Partner

(303) 910-3716 | Broomfield

A Colorado native, Heidi Halus has been with New York Life since 2001. Growing up in Southern Colorado, Halus excelled in academics and athletics. She attended the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs on a tennis and volleyball scholarship and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors of science in business administration. She went on to study and work abroad and then graduated cum laude with a masters in business administration from Florida Atlantic University.

A second-generation New York Life agent, Halus was promoted to Partner in 2005 and was promoted to Senior Partner in September, 2014. She earned the Licensed Underwriter Trained Consultant Fellow (LUTCF) designation in 2004 and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation in 2009. Earning Partner of the Year award for Colorado in 2012 and 2014, Heidi is committed to hiring and mentoring individuals who have a passion for helping people and want to achieve significance in their lives. She strives to continually improve herself and the community. She has served on the board of the state and local associations of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) from 2009 - 2011.

Heidi resides in the Denver Historic Highlands neighborhood with her husband, Tim, and their son Niko. She enjoys getting away to the mountains, skiing, and hiking and is an avid tennis player.

Kristen LaBate

Partner

(720) 381-9096 | Denver

Todd Miller

Partner

(406) 698-3015 | Denver

Mark C. Cook, LUTCF, CLU, ChFC

Sales Development Manager

(970) 402-0849 | Fort Collins

Justin Cordova

Sales Development Manager

(669) 203-4888 | Denver

JC is a Colorado native and began his career with New York Life in 2009. JC collaborates with a highly talented team of professionals and ensures that every agent he mentors is given the best opportunity to succeed. With the help of NYL's comprehensive training program, JC guides new agents in their journey to a lifelong, rewarding career. JC finds his passion and fulfillment through meeting new people, coaching them, and supporting their growth and potential by developing a winning game.

His long-term vision, perseverance, and ability to think outside of the box have earned him numerous awards at NYL. In his tenure with the company, his successes include New Organization Case Rate Leader: 2010, 2011, 2012, Rookie of the Year, Life All Star Award: 2012, 2013, Centurion Award: 2011, 2012, Executive Council: 2011, 2012, 2013, Latino Market 30-30-30 qualifier, AAMU Countdown to $10 Billion Incentive Campaign qualifier: 2014, 2016, Development Manager Achievement Awards for Best Percentage Sales Increase, New Org Retention, Life Case Rate Award: 2016, 2017, and Life First Year Commissions and Retention in 2019.

JC earned his Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Marketing and Languages Literature, and Culture from Colorado State University and Universidad de Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain. JC and his wife Nicole enjoy hiking in the great wide open, discovering new trails off the beaten path, camping, and traveling the world.

Michael Cheslek

Corporate Vice President, Service

Michael grew up in Grand Rapids, MI and immediately following graduation took a position as a middle school math and science teacher in Raleigh, NC where he taught for 7 years.  In 2013, he joined the New York Life family in the New Mexico General Office as an Associate Service Leader.  One year later Michael was promoted to the Service Leader role in Minnesota and in 2021 Michael started helping the Montana General Office as their interim Service Leader serving both General Offices.

Michael and his wife, Kristie, welcomed their daughter, Mackenzie, into their lives at the beginning of 2020 and now spend a lot of time at their neighborhood playground. They are into all things DIY and are avid foodies who love trying new restaurants and creating new recipes. They can’t wait to start their next chapter in Denver and explore all the city has to offer.

Norman Liu

Director, Agency Standards

Norman Liu is the Director of Agency Standards with New York Life Insurance Company in Denver, CO. He relocated back to Denver and joined the firm in 2021.

Norman began his financial services career with Charles Schwab in New York and held multiple roles in 20 years from Financial Service Representative to People Leader and most recently as a Branch Manager. He also spent 9 years at TIAA where he led various teams in the Contact Center and in its Wealth Management division.

Norman is a history enthusiast and enjoys travelling.