At Ascent, public sector work isn’t just part of what we do—it’s where we started, and it’s where our hearts are.
Our founder, Jodie Lyons, spent nearly a decade underwriting for Colorado’s governmental risk pools (CSDSIP and CIRSA), gaining deep expertise in serving schools, municipalities, fire districts, and other public entities.
In 2019, she moved into the private sector, joining a high-volume workers’ comp focused brokerage. But with a model focused more on “the close” than long-term client care, it didn’t align with the values she brought from the pooling world. She saw an opportunity to create something better—an agency that could combine relationship-driven support with the competitive strength of open markets.
That vision became Ascent Insurance Solutions, launched in March of 2021.
Since then, we’ve steadily grown by helping public entities and mission-driven organizations manage specialty risks with clarity, care, and confidence.
We understand the structure and nuance of public sector programs—and we know the value of existing pools. Our goal isn’t to pull anyone away from something that’s working, but to offer transparency, options, and impact where it matters most—starting with workers’ compensation.
We know CSDSIP offers a strong program backed by a dedicated team—and we respect that.
While we do work with carriers offering competing programs, we approach any CSDSIP conversation with honesty and care. There are important considerations before moving away from the pool, and transparency always comes first.
That said, we primarily focus on workers’ compensation for school districts—because that’s where we can make the most impact, both in cost savings and service quality.
Whether you're currently with Pinnacol or open to exploring other options, we have the markets, expertise, and passion to support you.
And for districts not in CSDSIP and already in the open market?
It’s gloves off—let’s talk.
We offer a full array of package and standalone options tailored to the unique needs of educational and mission-driven organizations.
All backed by personalized service, strategic support, and experienced advocacy.
Looking to compare the private market with your current pool option?
We offer competitive alternatives for both full packages and individual coverages.
We also maintain a friendly relationship with the Special Districts Pool, so if you're looking to blend pool participation with personalized agent representation, we can help you find the right balance.
We’re happy to explore alternative package options—or support you with standalone workers’ compensation if you want to peel it off separately.
Workers’ comp is often where the greatest cost and service improvements can be made, and we bring full support to help reduce expenditures and improve outcomes.
We maintain strong relationships with Pinnacol and other top carriers that compete in the public sector space—allowing us to bring both service excellence and cost savings to our workers’ compensation clients.
Every carrier in this space brings something different to the table. Part of our process is to evaluate your current program, then walk you through any available competing offers, highlighting strengths, trade-offs, and long-term value.
We also work with public entities exploring more advanced program structures, including:
Whether you’re looking for a better fit with your current carrier—or exploring a bigger shift—we’ll help you make the right decision for your entity’s risk profile and budget.
Whether you prefer carrier-developed programs, on-demand modules, or custom training built just for your team—we’re in your corner.
Our clients get access to our Safety & HR platform, offering a wide range of training content in multiple formats to support compliance, safety culture, and staff development.
With years of experience designing training for specialty insurance and the public sector, we’re well equipped to tailor content that’s actually relevant to your organization—not just generic filler.
And yes, we LOVE face time. We’re always happy to show up for in-person sessions when hands-on support makes the most impact.
Want to know what’s really driving your workers’ comp or commercial insurance premiums—and more importantly, what you can actually control?
We use real analytics to back up our programs—not just guesswork.
We’ll show you where the risks are, what’s impacting your pricing, and how to implement strategies that reduce exposures and lower your overall cost of risk.
Let’s turn your data into a plan that works.
Ask us how.
Some high-pressure, high-volume agencies will tell you that agents aren’t involved in claims… or that claims support just isn’t part of the deal.
Baaaaloney.
We’ve picked up more than a few clients who came to us because they had a claim—and couldn’t get their agent on the phone. That’s not how we work.
When an injury occurs, we’re notified immediately—and we can stay involved.
Ask us how you can also have access to specialized professionals for:
We work side by side with our clients and carriers to support swift, fair, and collaborative resolution—especially in the high-stakes world of public sector risk.
We also work with carriers that offer dedicated public entity claims divisions, so you’re never left navigating complex cases alone.
Need help with HR, safety and loss control, cost containment, audit prep, or smoother renewals?
We’ve got you.
This isn’t a high-pressure, turn-and-burn shop. You’ll always know who you’re working with—and yes, clients can reach the owner directly. That’s just how we do business.
Need onboarding training?
We offer both in-person sessions and video-based options your team can complete on their schedule.
Working outside the box is our favorite part.
No corporate red tape. No hoops to jump through.
Just real support, built around you.
Super easy.
If your current policy is with a carrier we already work with, all it takes is a simple Broker of Record (BOR) letter—and we can get right to work.
From there, we:
Just want to check the pulse of the market?
No problem—we can start with your declarations pages (or full policy for package business) for a preliminary review and benchmarking.
(We know—it’s a lot. But don’t worry: we have streamlined ways to help gather this info with your approval.)
You’re already juggling a lot. We’re here to make the process easier—but for full transparency, getting us the requested information is key. Without it, our hands are tied.
Copyright © 2021–2025 Ascent Insurance Solutions. All rights reserved.
3033 S. Parker Rd
Tower I - Suite 508
Aurora, CO 80014
(720) 672-9774
Based in Colorado, licensed in many western states
Any information collected in this site is used only for intended business purpose and is not shared with third parties. Exceptions are insurance carriers for the purpose of placement in insurance programs or for set-up with vendors we contract to provide AGREED services to clients.