Maven Insurance Services was founded by Kevin Cookson.
The Maven team is committed to providing excellent insurance services.

Kevin Cookson – President/CEO 
Kevin Cookson moved to Grass Valley with his wife and two daughters in 2011. When he is not working, he loves to spend time with his family, especially outdoors. He loves to donate his time to some of the many non-profit and for-profit organizations in this community, however, you will find him most often coaching softball in our community.

In business, Kevin is focused on bringing a one stop boutique style insurance agency to the community. He has been a licensed broker for 17 years, and specialized in customer service prior to that. Thinking of keeping things local and family oriented, he took a leap of faith and opened his insurance business in Grass Valley in 2012. While this company started as a one-person business in the back room of his home, it has grown over the years. He and his wife Melissa Cookson have now co-owned Maven Risk Management since 2018. They are proud to be committed to the area and look forward to continuing to serve this wonderful community.

Melissa Cookson – President/CFO
Melissa and her husband, Kevin, moved their family from San Jose to Grass Valley in 2011.  She is a mother of 2 and enjoys spending time with her family.  She volunteers her time at her children’s schools and her local church.

Not long after settling in Grass Valley, Melissa left her retail management position and sought out her insurance license.  She has been licensed in Property & Casualty as well as Life & Health since 2012.  She joined Kevin in 2014 where she assisted their home & auto clients.  In 2016, she took the role of accounting, payroll & HR.  She became Co-Owner and CFO for Maven Risk Management with her husband, Kevin, in 2018.  Together, they are grateful for the people and community they serve.

Chris Graff – Vice President, Commercial Lines
With over 15 years of insurance leadership experience, Chris Graff has built a focus on construction while serving other industry sectors of risk management, including Real Estate, Manufacturing and Transportation.   Chris has gained experience developing risk management solutions that are tailored to address the unique risks his clients face.   He takes pride in understanding the unique obstacles, aspirations and traits of each client to create insurance and risk management programs that protect their employees, safeguard their assets and preserve their business reputation.

Afton Wasley – Personal Lines Agent
I graduated from California State University Sacramento in 2005. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with concentrations in Finance Risk Management and Insurance. After college I went to work for an auto insurance company as an underwriter. In 2010 I retired and spent time raising my daughters. In 2019 I joined the Maven family as a part time agents assistant. As time progressed, I became a full-time personal lines agent. The personal lines team concentrates on high wildfire homeowner’s policies and can also assist with all your personal insurance needs.

Anna Brazelton – Personal Lines Agent
Anna is a Nevada County resident of 25 years. Anna made Grass Valley, CA her home shortly after graduating from Simpson University in 2004 with her BA in Music and Worship Ministry. She enjoys her free time raising her two kids and spending time with her husband on home projects and light travel.

It wasn’t until 2018 that she found her passion in the insurance world and soon became licensed as a Personal Lines Agent. She recently joined the Maven family in 2024 and is dedicated to her clients, always striving for excellence when it comes to meeting her insured’s needs and expectations.

Rikki Fairweather – Commercial Lines Account Manager
Rikki was born and raised in Grass Valley and attended Union Hill Elementary School and Nevada Union High School. She started her career working for Grass Valley School District in after school programs, then worked for the Center for The Arts until 2010.

After leaving Grass Valley in 2010, she spent several years working a facilitating educational and outdoor recreational programs for YMCA Camp Campbell in Boulder Creek, CA. In 2017 she relocated to Imperial Beach CA to be closer to family and continued her career in education as a before & after school programs director for multiple schools in the San Diego area.

Rikki moved back to Grass Valley in 2021 and decided to change career paths and started as a receptionist for an insurance brokerage in Truckee, CA. She then acquired her California Property and Casualty Insurance Producer license and has been with Maven Risk Management since February 2025.

In her spare time Rikki enjoys international travel, paddle boarding, canoeing, camping, and hiking. She cares deeply about our small-town community and enjoys working for a brokerage with similar values.

Samantha Nelson – Commercial Lines Account Manager
Samantha started her insurance career in 2016 with her most recent job being a Commercial Lines Account Manager specializing in Contractors and Manufacturers. Before that she was in Personal Lines for 5 years in both sales and service. She has found a love for the commercial side of insurance with the many different types of risks and the constant learning opportunities it has given her to expand. Samantha attended school in Rocklin, California with a focus on Business Management. Samantha has two daughters that she spends all her free time with.