|
|
||
|
|
||
|
Sierra Specialty Quarterly Newsletter (Vol. #1, Num. 1) July 25, 2005 |
||
|
In This Issue Introductory Letter Change
p.2 Meet the Family p.2 July 4th Celebration p.3 Moving Mountains p.3 |
SIERRA SPECIALTY
INSURANCE SERVICES: THE LARGEST
INDEPENDENT INSURANCE WHOLESALE AGENCY IN THE “We are INDEPENDENT at last, just in time for “Independence
Day!” Kathy Schroeder, President of Sierra Specialty Insurance Services,,
Inc. which was officially opened for business June 1, 2005. Sierra
Specialty was formed by several local wholesale underwriters and brokers from
4 different national wholesale brokerage firms. This new independent
and locally owned agency has chosen to separate themselves from the ranks of
the big national agencies. “Lightening fast!” is the best description for how quickly the
office and employees were setup and underwriting and brokerage contacts have
been established. “How’d they do that?” you might ask. The answer according to Mark Schroeder, Executive Vice
President; “We’re utilizing all new technology, which is cheaper, faster and
more versatile than equipment was even just a few months prior.” Kathy Schroeder insists the reason is, “We have key underwriters
and brokers with an average of 20 years experience, and long standing
relationships with producers and insurance carriers.” Kathy also reflects on the question, “Why’d you do that”; “We
are proud of the fact that we no longer are owned by the many national
wholesale companies who in turn have been owned by either large retail
agencies or large insurance companies. It gets to a point where large
companies lose sight of their real reason for being in business. They
stop providing for their customers and stop taking care of their employee’s,
and begin to care only about their stockholders. Those of us at Sierra
Specialty have come together to refocus on both our customers and our
employees. They will remain our two biggest priorities.” Sierra Specialty is committed to serving the Retail Insurance
professionals by providing the best possible service, price and products. A total of twenty-one (21) wholesale brokers, underwriters and
administrative assistants have joined together from a number of different
national brokerages to form the largest independent wholesale insurance
agency in the In just a few short weeks Sierra Specialty has secured Four (4)
AM BEST “A” rated insurance company underwriting contracts and many wholesale
contracts. Sierra Specialty underwrites small, not so typical
commercial accounts, including Property, General Liability, Commercial Auto, Garage & Trucking. Brokerage includes all lines
of business including Professional Liability, Oil and Gas & Products
Liability. Specialty niche insurance programs will be the next wave of
products developed by Sierra Specialty. “We look forward to operating with the “right” priorities and
working with all our old and new relationships in the western states,”
Kathy. Change “Change is good.” “The only constant thing is change.” ‘You have to change with the times.” These are just a few of the anecdotes we have all heard people
say regarding the subject of change. But change is too big of a topic
to sum up in just one word, or phrase. Change is something as small as
trying a new “usual” at your favorite restaurant or something as big your
job. All 21 of our skilled employees embraced change out of a “gut
feeling.” We all felt incredibly excited, but nervous at the same time
for the decision we were each about to make. The fear dissipated almost
instantly as we were forced to learn new skills, come out of our
“shells.” Change, now has brought a renewed excitement in coming to
work everyday. You walk in the door, and you feel the energy. We
look forward to the future opportunities that change brings. I guess
the old saying couldn’t be truer, “CHANGE IS GOOD.”
MEET THE FAMILY
Meet
our family is a section of our newsletter where we take a little time to open
up our personal lives to you, our client, customer, and extended family
member. This quarter we are featuring a handful of very talented
insurance women. They range from a production assistant, to brokers,
and finally underwriters. BB-Betty Brooks (production asst.) CL-Cathy Lee ( senior broker) CT-Carrie Tienken (VP, underwriting manager) CJ-Cindy James (VP, brokerage) Q: Tell us a little
basic info about yourself. BB: I have worked in the insurance business for 17yrs. Now
I am a production asst. CL: I am a senior broker at Sierra Specialty and my lovely
husband is an amazing insurance agent. (Talk about a perfect fit) CT: I have been in this business for over 20yrs; I am the
underwriting manager. CaT: I am an underwriter
here at Sierra Specialty. I absolutely can say that I love my job!! CJ: I am the Vice President and head of the Brokerage
department. Q: Tell us something we
wouldn’t know about you? CT: I have 7 children & 12 grandchildren, and I am married
to the “World’s Most BB: I have one animal, the sweetest dog you will ever
meet. His name is Tyson. CaT: I have 3 daughters
and a bundle of joy in my grandson, Jacob. He is 2yrs. old. CL: My little son, John Henry (don’t you dare call him John,
ha-ha), is 18 months old and is the biggest blessing. CJ: I have 2 children, one daughter 27yrs. old, and one son
24yrs. old. I also have the “Cutest Grandchild Ever,” (again a title
possibly up for discussion, ha-ha), named Ayden, and he is 2yrs. old. Q: What are some of
your likes/dislikes? CaT: My favorite things
to do are cook, listen to music, and be a grandma. You can’t take your
eyes off of them for one second, or they grow right up. CJ: I love Japanese food, as well as my beautiful horse. BB: I love to do all outdoor sports. Water skiing, biking,
and playing volleyball are some of my favorites (if I don’t break a nail,
ha-ha). CL: I absolutely love sushi. I have been told I am not too
bad of a golfer (yeah, that is the understatement of the year). CT: Hiking. I love hiking. My husband and I hiked
Half Dome for our anniversary 2 years ago. My other hobby is reading,
while I am recovering from hiking. J Next quarter look
forward to five more wonderful employees to be profiled.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION
This year
started a trend we hope to continue for many years to come, our first annual
4th of July BBQ!!! All of our staff, and their entire
family, whether it be Grandma & Grandpa, or a few friends came out to
celebrate. It was an incredible event (and I am not just saying that,
ha-ha). Everyone swam, played volleyball, and most importantly had a
great time. We got to meet all our new extended family members.
We capped the evening off with a spectacular fireworks show. It was
quite a sight with the lights, and all the kids running around. It
couldn’t have been better. As the night came to a close, everyone
helped Mark & Kathy clean-up the mess, and then was on their way.
The overall consensus on the evening was anticipation for the next excuse to
have a party. Good times at Sierra Specialty!!!
1st
Picture: Sierra Specialty staff & families enjoying a volleyball
game. 2nd Picture:
Family members anticipating the sun to go down, for the fireworks to start. J “MOVING MOUNTAINS”
That
is a daunting task, when you think about it. We take this statement
very seriously. We look at it as an overview of what we are trying to
do. Conventional thinking might say the feats we aim to accomplish
would not be possible without that corporate safety net, but we are not
conventional. Not only are they possible, but attainable. How we
see it is, we are “independently independent to
serve you.” The buck stops here, there is no “corporate ladder” to
climb. All of the sudden that task of moving mountains doesn’t seem so
tough. With faith, and a lot of hard work, all is possible!!!
|
|
