Tim Killeen
Faith and Focus
by John P. Ribner

Relying on his faith to get him through a life filled with ups and downs, Tim Killeen’s friendly and easygoing demeanor remains his most notable trait.

It’s been said that life is a journey, not a destination, and sometimes the place one might think they’re headed is not where they end up. Tim Killeen’s destiny was not what he initially thought it would be, and only through experiencing the trials and tribulations of life was he able to find it. As a young man, Tim was exposed to two things that became strong influences in his life – baseball and faith. Both served him well; he ended up playing professional ball, and his faith has kept him centered. And while his baseball career wasn’t as long as he’d hoped, Tim’s part-time work at GLS Underwriters became his ultimate destination, and one that he’s quite proud of. Today, Tim lives the American Dream as a happily married, family man with three children and a successful business.

Tim’s trip to the top of GLS Underwriters is in interesting one, particularly because he started working there merely for something to do. The company was founded in 1995 by his late father-in-law Larry Albaugh, who saw an emerging market offering insurance to indoor tanning salons. During this time, Tim was busy pursuing his dreams playing pro baseball, and helped Larry at the business during his off seasons. As his athletic career began to wane, Tim became more interested in running the family business. These days, he does that as Director of Operations at GLS. In that role, Tim does everything from managing the company’s 11-person staff and handling new and existing clients, to marketing and promoting the business. It keeps him busy, but Tim says he loves his career at GLS.

A Childhood Divided
Tim was born on July 26, 1970 in Phoenix, AZ to Louis and Sharon Killeen. After serving a tour in Vietnam as a Marine Corps medic, Louis returned home to focus on his marriage and family – sons Tim and Kevin. While his father worked at the VA hospital in Phoenix, his mother stayed home to raise the boys and tend to the house. “By all accounts it was a typical childhood,” commented Tim. “I was a jock ever since I can remember, and I loved to be outside doing anything sports-related. We were a very big and close family, and I remember growing up in Phoenix, spending a lot of time with my brother, cousins, aunts and uncles.” Tim’s idyllic world would soon be shattered by his parents’ divorce when he was just six years old. “Because of my dad’s alcoholism, my mom decided to move out of the house and file for divorce in 1977, and she went back to college to become a respiratory therapist,” he explained. “After getting custody of my brother and me, we moved into an apartment with her and saw our dad on the weekends when he was sober. All in all, it was very traumatic, but we learned from it.”

Tim describes the time during his parents’ divorce as the “worst time of his life.” Fortunately, his father gave him some good advice to help deal with the pain. He told his son, “You can always talk to God,” and young Tim took the message to heart. Of course, he prayed that his family would get back together, but learned that sometimes not getting what you wish for is better in the long run. “Through her job as a respiratory therapist, my mother met a doctor named Ian Miller whom she married,” he explained. “My brother and I went with her to live at his house in Arcadia, AZ, which is an affluent area of Phoenix, and we benefited from that environment. During that time, my dad got sober and put his life back together and remarried, and he was happy. It was good to see both of our parents doing well, so my prayers were answered, just in a different way.” It would be later that prayer – and faith – would be come a bigger part of Tim’s life.

Coming Into Focus
During high school, Tim was exposed to two elements that became the most influential to his future. The first of which was the sport of baseball. From watching his dad play on various softball leagues to hitting and catching balls in the backyard, Tim developed a love for the game at a very early age. He became involved in junior high sports, which carried over into high school, when his athletic prowess fully came into focus. “My high school was known for having a great baseball program, and I was being scouted at that time, but I was immature and didn’t know how to handle having them watch me play,” Tim confessed. “I always wished someone could’ve better advised me on how to deal with that pressure. In the end, I was lucky to earn a full-ride baseball scholarship to Yavapai Community College in Prescott, AZ.”

Tim’s senior year in high school was especially important because it was then that he met Suzie Albaugh. “She moved to Arizona from Iowa and I met her in school, but we ran in different crowds and we didn’t have any classes together,” he explained. “I guess she noticed me, because one day, she asked a friend of mine about me and he introduced us. We talked a couple of times, but it was nothing serious, and we went to prom with other people. At the prom, she dragged her date to come and see me, and that told me that this girl was special, and we started dating seriously right after graduation.” Meeting Suzie Albaugh would prove to be pivotal in Tim’s life not just because they eventually married, but also because of whom she is. Her name represents the “S” in GLS Underwriters, the company founded by her father. And it would be Suzie’s father who would teach Tim everything he knows about providing insurance coverage to tanning salons.

Major Leaguer
Before Tim became Director of Operations at GLS, he enjoyed a baseball career with a certain amount of distinction. It started at Yavapai Community College, where he played for two years while earning his associate’s degree. After graduating from Yavapai, there were many offers on the table, the best of which, he felt, came from the University of Iowa. “Iowa’s offer really was the best for me at the time, but what made up my mind to go there was Suzie,” he commented. “She was originally from Iowa, so I figured if I went to college there she’d be willing to join me.” The two relocated to Iowa and Tim embarked upon the second phase of his collegiate sports career while earning his bachelor’s degree in economics. “While it was always my goal to play pro ball, I knew the importance of having an education to fall back on,” he added.

Given his athletic talent, there was never any doubt that Tim would play professional baseball. He was drafted by the Oakland As in 1992 and played a short season in 1993 while finishing his bachelor’s degree in economics at Arizona State University. The business and politics of pro baseball can be competitive, a fact that Tim experienced firsthand. “A player is typically drafted by a team, and plays through the club’s various A, AA and AAA leagues, with the eventual goal of playing in the major leagues,” he explained. “While that might be the goal, it doesn’t happen for everyone. I played for six years in Oakland’s and the San Diego Padre’s A, AA and AAA leagues, but my career was affected by injuries, strikes and other players chosen to take the starting spots that initially were promised to me. Since Suzie and I were married with our first child on the way, I knew I’d need a promotion to the majors if I ever hoped to support a family playing ball, and the chances of that happening were pretty much behind me.”

Big Changes
Tim’s dream was to play pro baseball, but fate never brought him the big break he needed. Fortunately, he had a good backup plan that allowed him to provide for his family while doing something he loved. Tim joined GLS full time in 1998 after his release from final spring training with the Montreal Expos, and at that time, the company was small and family-owned, just getting its feet wet in the tanning industry. “Suzie’s father, Larry, started GLS Underwriters and I had worked with him during my off-seasons,” he recalled. “Larry was a great guy and a huge supporter of both my baseball career and my career as an insurance salesman. He took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew, and I learned so much from him. He saw indoor tanning as a growing industry, and always told me to have faith that it would be bigger someday, and he was right.”

Sadly, Larry Albaugh passed away in 1998 after a brave fight with cancer. “It was a sad loss for all of us,” Tim commented. “Larry was a wonderful person whom I admired.” After the loss of his father-in-law and mentor, Tim decided to step up and take the reigns at GLS. While a part of him misses pro baseball, that part of him gets smaller each day, as Tim has embraced his role as Director of Operations at GLS.
Faith and Family

As far as business at GLS Underwriters is concerned, Tim has much to be excited about. The company is now working in conjunction with Thomco, formerly Insurance Marketing Center, and he welcomes the possibilities this will provide tanning pros. “Tanning salon insurance is our bread and butter; it’s what we do best,” he said. “As the tanning industry continues to evolve to include add-ons such as spa services and LED-light skincare treatments, we will continue to upgrade and adjust our programs to include these services and continue offering the most complete coverage for the best possible rates.”

As for personal goals, Tim’s family and faith come first. He, his wife and their children – Jacob, 10; Josh, 7; and Emma, 6 – are committed Christians. He still indulges his passion for baseball, but these days, it’s focused on his sons’ enjoyment of America’s favorite pastime. “I play a lot of baseball with my two boys and coach their baseball teams. It’s great to see them enjoy the game the way I did when I was their age,” he said. “My wife and I plan to get more involved with that, as well as spending more time together as a family. I also would like to pursue a master’s in business administration, which will be difficult, but I know I’ll find the time.”

And so, life’s journey has brought Tim Killeen to a good place – the former pro baseball player is a devoted husband, father and insurance provider to tanning salons across the country. It’s the kind of quiet, steady life that the good-natured guy from Arizona has come to know and love.