Chris & Kelly Kerner
Lancaster, PA
Former Occupation: U.S. Army

Paying it Forward
The life that Chris & Kelly Kerner, of Lancaster, PA, once shared with their two young children was one they desperately wanted to change. “In 1995, we were living paycheck-to-paycheck in a small two-bedroom apartment in Virginia with four deadbolts on the door,” Chris recalls. “Our home was located about a mile away from the local prison and there was a sewage plant in the back. It was not a desirable life by any means!”

At the time, Chris was an Army Executive Officer at Fort Belvoir, where he was second in command of about 400 troops, while Kelly was a stay at home mom. The young military family was originally stationed in Germany where Chris served as a Tank Commander, but they had to return to the United States after their son, Clark, was born prematurely. “We were living in civilian housing while he received medical care at Walter Reed but we were eager for something better,” Kelly adds. “Out of the blue, we received a phone call from Primerica Representative Larry Moylan who asked if we’d be interested in what Primerica offered. My main concern was whether we could pursue the business opportunity if we moved out of state but once he said it wouldn’t be an issue, I assured him Chris would be at his meeting that evening.”¹

Kelly wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to pursue a new path. “She rushed me out of the door so fast after work that I didn’t even have time to change out of my combat fatigues,” Chris jokes. “Even though I earned a business degree from Penn State University, I never learned any of the financial concepts that Primerica teaches! The reality is that most kids will graduate high school without a personal finance class but we have to deal with money every day. We often tell people if they read the How Money Works book, they’ll know more about finances than 95% of the general population.”²

Better Together
Chris spent the next year splitting his time between the Army and Primerica. It wasn’t always easy, but he wasn’t deterred by the challenges. “I needed to learn a lot of the fundamentals but having a ‘half-glass full mentality’ helped me to trust the growth process and stay inspired by the potential.”³

While they worked to build their Primerica business, Kelly and the kids relocated to a new home in State College, PA, when she landed a full-time job at Penn State. But the distance soon became too much for their family. “We spent 14 months apart where I was living and working in another city during the week and driving home on the weekends to see everyone,” Chris adds. “That was when Kelly and I understood we were much better together. As we achieved more success in Primerica, she was able to be more involved in the day-to-day operations and transition out of Penn State. We both love that this Company not only allows us to work together, but encourages it.”

After more than thirty years together, the Kerners are grateful Primerica crossed their paths at the right moment. Their daughter, Anastasia, joined the family business in 2012, and they’ve been able to build a multi-generational business as a result of their efforts to build relationships with clients. “One client has been with us for more than twenty years and we’re now helping his granddaughter set up an account for her daughter, which would be his great-granddaughter. When you’re first starting out, you don’t realize the impact you can have because you’re just trying to take care of your family. It’s incredible what can happen over time when you continually strive to do the right thing for people. What we’ve learned in Primerica has impacted intangibles in all areas of our lives – marriage, relationships, parenting and philanthropy.”

Giving Back
Their transformative success has allowed them to give whenever and however they can towards their local community. “Our Giver’s Gala is one of our biggest events,” they say. “It started 22 years ago as a small way to help families in need and it’s grown so much! We’ve been able to raise more than $100,000 for different philanthropic needs in the community. We now host the gala around Thanksgiving every year and we’ve even had teammates modify our concept to bring it back to their communities.”

They add, “We’ve also benefitted tremendously by learning from so many successful, yet humble Primerica leaders. We were searching for mentorship and it made such a difference once we met Primerica Representatives Jim and Mary Kocher. There are very few places where everyone starts at the same spot regardless of your education, background or circumstances. But Primerica offers a level playing field. It’s up to you to do your part if you want to change your life. Unlike corporate America, you get to become a better version of yourself while still being yourself. The relationships you make with teammates and clients here are priceless. We love to meet new people and we view it as an opportunity to pay it forward. Always choose to believe if you put good out there, it will come back around. We are living proof of it.”