Donegal® Announces Key Marketing Promotion, Retirement in the Midwest

“A long-time contributor across Donegal’s marketing team, Rob has served in various roles, and he’s succeeded in each opportunity,” said Dan DeLamater, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. “Rob is a take-charge person who is approachable, available, and analytical. He has led high-performing teams in various roles, and I know that he will continue to enable and empower the high-performing Greater Midwest region in this elevated role.”

A Des Moines, Iowa native, Faber joined the Donegal team in 2009 as a Production Underwriter covering an Iowa territory. He transitioned to the marketing side as a Business Relationship Manager in 2012, and was swiftly promoted to Assistant Vice President & Regional Sales Manager for the Midwest Region in 2015.

Veenstra’s retirement follows a career of nearly four decades in insurance, including 23 years with Michigan Insurance Company and five years in Marketing leadership positions with Donegal, overseeing the more recent combination of Donegal’s Michigan and Midwest regions into the Greater Midwest region in 2024.

A Grand Rapids, Mich. native with experience on the agency side of the insurance business, Veenstra began her Michigan Insurance Company career in Personal Lines in 2002. In the years since, she held positions in both Personal and Commercial Lines management, before being named a Vice President at Michigan Insurance Company in 2012, and later Regional Vice President for the Donegal Insurance Group in 2021, leading to her promotion to Senior Regional Vice President in 2023.

“Leading the Greater Midwest region has been such a privilege,” Veenstra said. “I am incredibly grateful for the trust, collaboration, and strong partnerships we have built together.”

In April 2026, Veenstra was elected to the board of directors for Donegal Group Inc., where she will continue to contribute to Donegal’s future growth and success.

“Melissa is a tremendous leader,” said Kevin Burke, President & Chief Executive Officer. “When Donegal acquired Michigan Insurance Company in 2010, Melissa was instrumental in the success of that acquisition. Her commitment to her team and our agents has resulted in a success story for Donegal’s Greater Midwest region. She can look back on her accomplishments with great satisfaction.”

DeLamater credited Veenstra’s strategic thought and tactical discipline as a member of Donegal’s Marketing leadership team. “But even more than that, I appreciate Melissa’s poise, thoughtfulness, calmness and kindness,” he added. “Melissa is an effective leader because she is a respected leader. I am excited for the future we have in the Greater Midwest because of her investments in our people, products & processes.”

While Faber’s incoming leadership will oversee the Greater Midwest region, the group’s operations in the state of Michigan will retain their strong, separate brand identity as Michigan Insurance.

Veenstra shared her confidence in Faber’s leadership. “We are so fortunate to have Rob take the helm as the Regional Vice President of the six-state Greater Midwest Region,” she said. “Rob brings decades of industry experience and has an outstanding track record of driving innovation and customer success. Having worked closely with Rob for the last few years, I’m confident that his vision and dedication to excellence make him the perfect leader to guide our region into the future.

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