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Our Team
Christopher J. Viveiros, CLU®
Managing Partner
Chris started his career with New York Life Insurance Company in August of 2000 in the Boston General Office. Chris won numerous awards during his time as Agent such as qualifying for Executive Council*. After 3 years as an agent in the Boston General Office, Chris was invited to join the management team as a Partner. In September of 2007, Chris was promoted to Senior Partner in the Boston General Office.
After serving New York Life as a Senior Partner, Chris was then promoted to Managing Partner of the Norfolk General Office in May of 2011. In February of 2018, Chris accepted the position as Managing Partner at the Chicago North Shore General Office. His mission for the Chicago North Shore General Office is to be the premier financial services provider in the Chicago area.
Chris has earned the distinguished designation of Chartered Life Underwriter®, CLU®, from the American College as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management with a minor in Finance and Psychology from Roger Williams University. Chris is also securities licensed for FINRA series 6, 63, 66, 7, & 24.
Erica Berning, LUTCF, CLF, CLU®
Senior Partner
A native of Duncannon, Pennsylvania, Erica graduated from Central Michigan University where she received her Business Administration degree in Marketing. Erica joined NYL as an agent in December 2006 and within her first six-months she achieved Executive Council*. By year end 2008, Erica had achieved two Executive Councils* and was promoted to Partner at New York Life – Chicago in January 2009 at the very young age of 24. Erica is the most tenured Partner in the Downtown Sales Office of the New York Life – Chicago and has aspirations of one day running her own General Office as a Managing Partner. She consistently lets her team know that she truly sought out management to lead others and educate them on the endless opportunities that New York Life offers. Erica strives and wants to give her agents and potential agent candidates the career opportunity and high quality of life she has been able to achieve.
Erica and her husband Matt reside in Elmhurst along with daughter Harper and two sons, Matthias Jr. and Gunnar.
Celeste Garrett
Partner
A native of St. Louis, Mo., Celeste graduated from the University of Missouri prior to beginning a career in journalism. Celeste began working at New York Life in 2011, qualifying for Executive Council* twice, winning Life Case Rate Leader and Annuity Champion Elite awards before becoming a Partner in 2014. Celeste and her husband, Bennie, a New York Life financial services professional, live in Hyde Park and have 2 children.
Celeste Garrett is an award-winning former journalist whose 20-year newspaper career included work as a Chicago Tribune editor and Chicago Sun-Times editorial board member.
She also worked at newspapers in St. Louis, Kansas City and Memphis, with assignments that included coverage of Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, Illinois Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Celeste is a the daughter of Silas Garrett, an aerospace engineer who developed both the concept and design for the aviation lighting system atop the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and Jean Garrett, a music educator. Away from the office, Celeste and her husband are avid soccer fans and their children are collegiate soccer players. The family also includes three cats, M.J., Stripes, and Puurcy, and two dogs, Blue and Penny.
Brandon Greco
Partner
Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, Brandon Greco has built a long and distinguished career in financial services, with a strong focus on leadership, team development, and management. Throughout his career, he has remained committed to creating lasting impact through the professionals he leads and the communities they serve.
Brandon brings a disciplined, strategic approach to building and supporting high-performing teams, while advancing the organization’s mission of long-term financial security for clients and communities. Known for his collaborative, people-centered leadership style, he combines strategic insight, professionalism, and accountability to drive sustainable growth and organizational excellence.
He holds advanced industry designations, including CLU© (Chartered Life Underwriter) and ChFC© (Chartered Financial Consultant), reflecting his continued commitment to professional excellence and leadership development.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Brandon is married with four children and remains actively involved in his community. He values time spent outdoors and prioritizes family, service, and balance alongside his leadership responsibilities.
Brian P. Curry
Sales Development Manager
A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Brian started his career at New York Life in 2018 in the Constitution General Office. During his three years as an agent, Brian obtained several securities licenses and won numerous awards such as Executive Council*. He proudly represented New York Life as an active member of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), a trade organization for insurance professionals and financial advisors.
With the desire of making a broader impact, Brian accepted an invitation to join the management team at Chicago North Shore in October of 2021 as the Sales Development Manager. His role is to develop and retain agents joining New York Life who can help the Chicago community they serve build a more secure financial future.
Brian is a graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where he studied Finance.
Kirk R. Johnson, MBA, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, FLMI, LUTCF
CVP, Executive Director of Development
A native of the Chicagoland area, Kirk spent 6 years in Colombia, South America where he became fluent in Spanish. He attended North Park University prior to beginning a career in Health Insurance Operations while also obtaining his MBA. Kirk entered the financial services industry with New York Life Illinois General Office in 2001, qualifying for Council 5 times including President's Council, before entering management in 2008. After becoming a Development Manager in 2010, Kirk gained experience in 3 diverse offices and was promoted to Director of Development in 2017.
In 2020 Kirk was promoted to Regional Director of Development responsible for the Development Teams for all of Chicago. He was promoted to Corporate Vice President in 2023. Kirk has consistently been a leader in agent and partner development and retention. Kirk and his wife reside in Libertyville and have 4 boys.
Johnathan "Blake" Worrells
Director of Agency Standards
Johnathan “Blake” Worrells currently serves as Director of Agency Standards for the Chicago North Shore General Office since May 2017. Blake also serves as Director of Agency Standards in the Illinois General Office since August 2022. Prior to this he served as an Agent/Registered Representative for New York Life from June 2012 to March 2016 in the Mississippi General Office. Blake works consistently to increase his knowledge, and he strives to grow as an asset and leader for New York Life.
Wallace Foreman
Corporate Vice President
Wally Foreman began his career in management with New York Life in 1990 and has worked in several office locations across the country (Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas and Utah).
*Council is an annual company recognition program based on agent production from July 1 - June 30.
**The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals, is recognized globally as the standard of excellence for life insurance sales performance in the insurance and financial services industry.