Growing up, Shaun Evans would find himself alongside his grandpa at 6 a.m., working cattle on their family’s ranch in Spanish Fork, Utah. Back then, he never imagined he’d be waking up at the same hour to administer anesthesia, spending 12-hour shifts in sterile operating rooms instead of wide-open pastures.
Shaun’s path to Redd Summit Advisors started in healthcare, where he built a successful career as a nurse anesthetist. He still holds his license and continues to work part-time in medicine. But as the long hours of his medical career began to take a toll during COVID, Shaun’s wife, who worked as a bookkeeper for Redd Summit in its early days, suggested he talk to founder Steve Redd.
His ranching background made the transition a natural fit. What started as a conversation soon became a mission: helping fellow ranchers protect their livelihoods through Pasture, Rangeland Forage, or PRF, insurance, a USDA-backed program that provides support during times of low rainfall. Shaun saw how powerful the tool could be — not only as an agent but as a producer himself.
“I’ve really enjoyed helping ranchers around the West to take advantage of this whole program that's offered through the USDA,” he says. “It's been really, really beneficial for a lot of people.”
That kind of outcome is what drives Shaun, especially when working with producers who are just discovering the program. He’s traveled across the West meeting ranchers, showing them historical rainfall data and what PRF can do for their operations.
“They take a leap of faith,” he says. “But then in the first year, for example, they get a $5,000 check because it’s dry, and they’re able to buy extra loads of hay to feed cows through the winter…that basically keeps the operation going and they didn’t have to sell off their herd.”
One of the most powerful stories he carries with him is from a ranching family in California — a mother and son operation barely scraping by after wildfires and drought.
“They took that leap of faith and signed up,” Shaun shares. “Their very first year was dry, and I flew out there to give them a check. They burst into tears. It saved their operation.”
Those moments are deeply personal for Shaun, who understands the pride and grit it takes to keep a ranch going.
“I think people are sometimes reluctant to ask for help outside of their own strength,” he said. “But this program isn’t about a handout. It’s about keeping the ranch alive to pass on to future generations.”
That’s also why Shaun believes in the tools that set Redd Summit apart, especially RanchPro, the company’s proprietary software. RanchPro uses GIS mapping and historical rainfall data to model hundreds of thousands of policy scenarios in minutes, identifying the best coverage strategy for each operation.
“We’ve been able to show ranchers what [PRF coverage] they could be doing for their area,” Shaun explains. “And it’s not just about ease. RanchPro has outperformed even the original software we used, which was really good, too.”
For Shaun, the personal connection is as important as the numbers.
“You can’t just sit in the office and make phone calls,” he says. “It’s about driving to those rural towns, shaking hands, sitting at the kitchen table. That’s how you build trust — and that’s how we keep ranchers ranching.
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