Public Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance

Employee Spotlight – Josh Paine

Wellness is a big deal at Farmers Alliance, and we frequently encourage our employees to stay active and make healthy choices for both the mind and body. One way we encourage healthy choices is by rewarding wellness points for completing certain activities throughout the year and by exercising, which then can be redeemed for wellness-related items. Josh Paine has been with Farmers Alliance for over five years and is a Data Liaison in the IT department. He is an avid, long-distance runner, completing over 20 half marathons and five marathons in the last five years, so it’s easy for him to rack up points. At the end of last year, he decided to cash in his wellness points for two pairs of trail-running shoes so that he could start training for America’s most challenging marathon at Pikes Peak in Colorado. He had completed the Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita, Kansas in the Fall of 2021, which qualified him for the race, so he decided to go for it and sign up for the Pikes Peak Marathon in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

“Pikes Peak is a very memorable place for my wife, Carri, and me,” said Josh. “We honeymooned in Manitou Springs, and hiked Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak.” The marathon route takes the same trail up the mountain and Josh thought this would be a great way to remember their trip and make some new memories as he pushed himself physically to the limit.

The day before the big race they took the cog railway to the top of Pikes Peak so they could watch the half-marathon runners ascend the mountain. The route for the half-marathon starts in Manitou Springs where riders can board the train and ends at the peak. “As I watched the half-marathon runners, I was motivated and inspired”, said Josh. “There were over 2,000 ascent runners and it was incredible to see so many people coming up the mountain. Especially once we hit 11,000 feet, just above the tree line and you could see for miles.”

Josh’s journey to the summit and back

The next day he started on his journey. This marathon was much different from others he had done in the past because it required him to power-hike which he had not had to do on the traditional marathons he had run before. It was a “slow-go” up the mountain, and as he approached the tree line the brain fog started to settle in. He just kept going, and he finally reached the top where he immediately turned around to head back down. The initial descent was mass chaos as the 750 other runners behind him were still trying to pass as they finished their ascent up the narrow trail. He was surprised at how much more difficult the descent was than the climb. The downhill grade put more pressure on his muscles and joints, and he had to control his speed. “I fell twice on the way down because my muscles were tired from the climb. I thought the climb would be more difficult, but the way down hurt much worse,” said Josh.

Josh finished the race in about six and a half hours which was about three hours longer than his typical flat land run time. “It was such a relief when I finally crossed the finish line. I was shocked by how much longer it took me to run this race compared to previous ones,” he said. “The climb itself took me as long as a typical marathon.” While this was the most challenging marathon Josh had ever done, he is already planning to do it again. Now he has a better understanding of what he needs to do to train, and he thinks he’ll be able to do even better next time.

Pursuing Opportunities for Higher Education

As members of the Farmers Alliance FAMI-ly, employees have a unique opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree without incurring significant costs. Farmers Alliance’s educational reimbursement program allows team members to have up to $5,250 in expenses reimbursed annually if their major is mutually beneficial for both the employee and the company.

Kaela Moore is an Advanced Underwriter with Farmers Alliance and has been with the company for nearly 10 years. She has experienced much growth professionally in her tenure but has also experienced significant setbacks personally that have altered her initial plans for pursuing an advanced degree. Recently, however, plans changed, and she is nearly finished earning her MBA. Keep reading and learn more about her experience and how she has benefited from FAMI’s educational reimbursement program.

What are you studying and why?

I’ve wanted to pursue a master’s degree since I graduated with my undergraduate degree. When I began my career with FAMI after graduating, I was particularly intrigued by the opportunity to make this dream come true and have the company help me pay for it. Unfortunately, life had different plans for me, and I was in a life-changing car accident that pushed my dreams out further than I had originally planned. After a period of healing and readjustment, I was ready to pursue my dream and when the pandemic hit in 2020, I had even more time at home to make that dream happen, so I enrolled at Emporia State University with the hopes of earning my MBA.

Are you taking classes in-person or online?

My classes are completely online and do not have scheduled lectures. The program is flexible and allows me to listen to lectures and complete assignments when I can make time for them throughout the week.

How long have you been with Farmers Alliance?

I’ve been with Farmers Alliance since May of 2013. I started my career as an intern while I was finishing up college and was hired full-time after I graduated in January of 2014 after graduating from McPherson College.

What do you like most about working here?

My favorite thing about working for FAMI is the atmosphere. It’s a professional environment with lots of opportunities for advancement, but it’s small enough that you still feel like you are part of a family. The corporate leadership knows me by name, understands the importance of my role in the company, and takes time to know me on a more personal level.

What do you hope to do with your degree once completed?

While I’m pursuing an MBA, I’ve specifically chosen to take electives in analytics and data. I’d like to earn my CPCU designation after graduating and be more involved with strategic planning at Farmers Alliance. After almost 10 years in the insurance industry, I feel like I have a good understanding of what we do and how we do it, but I’d like to understand more about how we plan for the future.

What would you tell a FAMI team member who is considering furthering their education?

Getting my master’s degree has expanded my knowledge and grown my critical thinking skills significantly, and it was much easier than I had anticipated. I have been able to complete my assignments and lectures in about 10-15 hours per week, leaving me time to do my full-time job and do fun things in the evenings and on weekends. My total out-of-pocket expense will be just a little over $1,000 after FAMI’s contributions. If you have the time and desire to do it, go for it!

Employee Spotlight – Dan Schrick

Every five years of service, Farmers Alliance provides a financial gift to employees, and when Dan Schrick celebrated 30 years with the company earlier this year, he knew exactly how he would spend his reward. He purchased a new bike that he would ride for Bike Across Kansas (BAK).

Bike Across Kansas

BAK is an eight-day bicycle tour across Kansas that starts along the Colorado border west of Coolidge and finishes east of Louisburg along the Missouri border. Dan heard about BAK several years ago, but he did not feel that he was physically prepared for the 512-mile ride. “I ride 10 to 15 miles in the evenings a few times a week, and I have done several long-distance rides before but never more than 50 miles. I was attracted to the idea of traveling through the state and experiencing the sights on a bicycle,” Dan said.

BAK was canceled the last couple of years, so Dan decided to use that time to train for the big tour. Earlier this year, he signed up, along with his 26-year-old daughter. His wife and four-year-old grandson traveled by car along with them from town to town.

Stories from the Road

Dan said, “the mornings were always the best. We would start out at about 6:00 AM each day when the air was cool and there was no traffic. As the sun was coming up, we would travel for miles and see nothing but beautiful Kansas landscapes with the occasional tractor or combine.” While the mornings were pleasant, on many days the heat indexes reached 100+ degrees. Many communities offered cold drinks, and some even put out sprinklers to help riders beat the heat. “The last 10 miles of our second day as we were traveling through Western Kansas the temperature and the heat came up, and I was not sure if I could make it. We powered through and each day after the rides seemed to get easier.”

As Dan and his daughter rode through Emporia, they accidentally missed a detour and rode through a construction zone, leaving some tire tracks in freshly poured concrete. “The construction workers were taking a lunch break under a nearby shade tree and just smiled as we rode by. We plan to revisit the area someday and see our permanent tire tracks,” said Dan.

At the end of each day, they had the option of camping or sleeping in a high school gymnasium. “I opted to camp. With over 500 riders, there were many tents and plenty of company.” Dan said “the evening meals were often prepared by a local church or school as a fundraiser. The food was always good!

Renewed Goal

When he started training, Dan had a goal in mind to finish the ride as quickly and uneventfully as possible. As the days went by, his goal changed. “I wanted to ride at my own pace, enjoying the scenery, and taking time to interact with people in the small towns who were waiting to greet us as we came through.” Dan happily reports that he achieved his new goal, with the bonus of some great time together as a family along the way, and a renewed appreciation for the peaceful scenery and great people of Kansas.

FAMI Serves!

Giving back to our communities is nothing new at Farmers Alliance. There is a strong history of philanthropy and community support, and that spirit continues to grow. Recently, the company gathered all employees for the 2022 FAMI-ly REUNION – an event focused on celebrating company successes over the past two years, and the first in-person all-employee event since late 2019.

As evidence of Farmers Alliance’s commitment to giving back, a key activity during the Reunion event was an all-employee service project. Working in two teams, company staff assembled 100 Welcome Backpacks, full of supplies for refugees, and 144 Clean-up Buckets, packed with disaster relief supplies.

The Welcome Backpacks were coordinated through Church World Service and will go to refugees who flee their homes for a safer location without many of the necessities. Backpacks include a blanket, pens, paper, crayons and a coloring book, healthy snacks, and personal hygiene items like a toothbrush and toothpaste, a hairbrush, deodorant, hand sanitizer, masks, and more. All is packed into a new 17” backpack. Church World Service distributes these to various locations, as the needs are identified.

Clean-Up Kits (buckets) are distributed through Convoy of Hope, based in Springfield, Missouri. The Clean-Up Kits are part of their Disaster Services response, helping victims of floods, fires, earthquakes, tornados, or other natural disasters, throughout the world. Each of the five-gallon buckets (with a secure lid) includes cleaning and sanitizing supplies, along with gloves, masks, trash bags, paper towels, and sponges.

The packing list for these service projects was quite lengthy and costly. Farmers Alliance purchased many of the items for the project but received assistance from several of our vendor partners. Special thanks to Premier Food Service, Brady Industries, and Cintas for generously donating many of the items needed, and for helping us to acquire other items at a reduced cost. Through this project, our Farmers Alliance “FAMI-ly” expanded to include these key vendors, and we are all very grateful!

At the 2022 FAMI-ly REUNION, the 100 backpacks and 144 buckets were packed in record time, in sweltering temperatures, all with great attitudes and teamwork. The Farmers Alliance “FAMI-ly” cares about our communities and those we serve, and that caring spirit was definitely on display during the Reunion.

Learn more about Church World Service or Convoy of Hope, and see how you can help!

2022 FAMI-ly Reunion

The last few years have been tough throughout the world, for so many reasons. Farmers Alliance has faced those challenges, and come out on the other side a stronger, more resilient company. To reinforce all the successes of the recent past, and enjoy the opportunity to safely gather in person, we celebrated our 2022 FAMI-ly REUNION in early May.

On May 10^th we closed our office and gathered our entire team together from across the country for an in-person event to celebrate our accomplishments at our corporate headquarters in McPherson, Kansas. Employees were also joined by members of the Board of Directors, a few key agents, and recent retirees.

Implementation of new technologies, combined with a fierce desire to provide flexibility to our staff, has aligned us for continued growth while allowing us to better serve our agents and policyholders. With a more geographically diverse workforce, it is important to bring our team together periodically to re-charge, and to ensure that we all stay focused on our vision: to provide peace of mind for the people we serve.

Our President and CEO, Brian Lopata, kicked off the event at the McPherson Opera House, highlighting our accomplishments since the launch of our 2025 Strategic Plan, the last time our entire staff was physically together, in late 2019. Brian’s presentation was supported by a series of videos featuring more than 40 Farmers Alliance employees and Directors sharing our progress from their own perspectives. There is much to celebrate, and hearing it from employees was especially powerful.

Following the presentation, the celebration continued at our corporate office with an afternoon of food and fun. A variety of food trucks were on site for lunch, plus an obstacle course, corn hole games, and a photo booth. It was a hot day, but the delicious food and fun atmosphere made for a great time!

A key activity during the afternoon was an all-employee service project. Thanks to donations from some vendor partners and a significant financial contribution by the company, the employees assembled 100 Welcome Backpacks, full of supplies for refugees, and 144 Clean-up Buckets, packed with disaster relief supplies. The backpacks and buckets were packed in record time, in sweltering temperatures, all with great attitudes and teamwork. The Farmers Alliance “FAMI-ly” cares about our communities and those we serve, and that caring spirit was definitely on display during the Reunion. You can read more about our service projects here.

The 2022 FAMI-ly REUNION was a celebration of our recent accomplishments, and now is a catalyst for continuing the strong performance and service to our customers and communities. It was important to reconnect with fellow employees, and those connections will continue to carry us forward. The future is very bright at Farmers Alliance.

Here’s a short glimpse of the Reunion – enjoy! Watch the video and view the gallery below.

Farmers Alliance Promotes Natalie Collins

NATALIE COLLINS NAMED VICE PRESIDENT, ENTERPRISE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE (EPMO) AND INNOVATION FOR FARMERS ALLIANCE COMPANIES

MCPHERSON, KANSAS — Natalie Collins has been promoted to Vice President, Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) & Innovation, effective immediately. As Vice President, and a member of the Corporate Leadership Team, Natalie will continue to work closely with leadership to move strategy to execution, providing effective response to current and future company needs. Natalie joined Farmers Alliance in 2000, and worked directly on numerous projects as an Application Programmer until 2008 when she moved to Project Management. In 2019 she was instrumental in creating and leading the new Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO), centralizing the project management practice for the entire company, in support of the newly-developed strategic plan. She was promoted to Director of EPMO and Innovation in 2020, and continues these responsibilities with her recent promotion.

A native of Concordia, Kansas, Natalie is a graduate of Fort Hays State University with a degree in Computer Information Systems. She worked for several years as a technical programmer before joining Farmers Alliance.

She and her husband, Jeff, have six children and reside in Galva, where they are active supporters of local sports and youth organizations.

2021 Annual report

The 2021 Annual Report is now available. 2021 was a challenging but exciting year at Farmers Alliance and our Annual Report tells the story of how we navigated unexpected change, exceeded expectations, and delivered on our promises. Click the image below to read the report.

KAIA Honors Industry Professionals

Farmers Alliance representatives recently attended and exhibited at the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents’ (KAIA) Annual Convention in Wichita, Kansas. The KAIA Convention attracts agency owners and executives from independent agencies all over Kansas to network with other insurance professionals and learn about the latest industry trends.

Our Kansas Marketing Reps, Carol Niemeyer and Kyle Young represented Farmers Alliance at the event where they hosted a booth in the exhibition hall at Century II convention center. Hundreds of Farmers Alliance agents stopped by the booth along with several prospective agents interested in learning more about what products and services we offer.

Kyle Young and Carol Neimeyer networking with insurance industry professionals — *Kyle Young and Carol Niemeyer network with other industry professionals at the KAIA Annual Convention*

On the last day of the Convention, KAIA hosts an award ceremony to acknowledge outstanding independent insurance professionals from across the state. Members can nominate their colleagues for several different awards. This year, our very own, Carol Niemeyer was the recipient of the “Company Rep of the Year” award for her outstanding service to Farmers Alliance independent agencies and her contributions to enhancing the reputation of the industry.

Carol began her career with Farmers Alliance in 1998 as an Underwriter trainee and was quickly promoted to Underwriter. As an Underwriter, she worked with agents across many states and became proficient in many product lines. Just prior to joining the Marketing Team, she was the lead underwriter for Eastern Kansas. She transitioned to her role as a Marketing Rep for Eastern Kansas in 2018. She quickly began to show her drive and abilities and was promoted to Senior Marketing Rep in 2020.

Carol Niemeyer accepts insurance award for "Company Rep of the Year" — *Doug Smart, KAIA President presents the “Company Rep of the Year” Award to Carol Niemeyer*

Carol has great relationships with the agents in her region, and not only supports them with sales and marketing initiatives, but also through web training and ongoing support. The agents she works with appreciate her vast knowledge of the company and her skills in assisting them to grow their business.

“Farmers Alliance appreciates all that Carol does to help our FAMI agents be successful”, said Jack Rader, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Reinsurance. “She is extremely deserving of this great recognition, and we are honored to have her on our team.”

Click here to read the news release from KAIA.

The Importance of Timing

By Celeste Gawanda, Farmers Alliance Underwriter Associate

In March of 1981, there were several lives changed forever. This is a story of a woman’s struggle to become a mother and her love for the little girl that would make her one. A story about my adoption. In 1981 after eight years of struggling to conceive due to a birth defect, my adoptive parent’s prayers were answered. Debra knew that if she had the opportunity to have a baby, “it would truly be a gift from God,” and for her, I was that special gift. Even though I was already given the name Alba Lucia Ibañez when I was born, she renamed me “Celeste”, which meant “heavenly” because she knew God had given her the most precious gift from heaven.

My Homecoming

My biological mother was Alba Lucia Ibañez. She was an unwed mother, unable to support a child, and made the difficult decision to put me up for adoption. She named me after herself, which may seem odd, but she had specific reasons. My adoptive parents, Edward and Debra (Ed and Deb) had friends in McPherson, Kansas who adopted a little boy from Bogotá, Colombia. They inspired them to move forward with the adoption process and connected them with attorneys in Kansas and Colombia. In March of 1981, the Colombian lawyer contacted Ed and Deb telling them a baby girl had been born and was available for adoption. There were weeks of paperwork to follow, but in May of 1981, Ed boarded a plane to Bogotá to pick me up. He stayed in Bogotá for 10 days with the host family that had been caring for me since birth. “I remember the first time I saw you”, my dad said, “oh little girl, you are going to make your mom cry, you’re so beautiful, and then I imagined how hard your biological mother must have cried when she gave you away.” My mom remembered picking me and my dad up from the airport and said, “All of a sudden, I see it. Your dad’s cowboy hat and a little bundle on his chest, and I just ran as fast as I could to him. I just cried and cried.” They immediately took me to Sears for a baby photo. I was officially home on May 28^th, 1981, and I was two and a half months old.

*The first photo Celeste ever saw of her biological mother.*

My parents were always very open with me about where I came from and helped me to understand my heritage. They told me that my birth mom loved me so much that she gave me up for adoption so that I could have a better life. They said, “all mommies love their babies, but you had a special love from yours”. I have known I was adopted since I was five, and since then I’ve always been so proud to share about my Colombian heritage.

The Search Begins

In 1999 I was a senior in high school and one of my teachers gave me the assignment to post on a thread on a website. I chose to post on adoption.com on a thread for adoptive children looking for their birth parents. Years later, I received a call regarding my post on adoption.com from Sue, who offered to help me find my biological mother. At the time I had two children and was going through a difficult separation from my husband, so I wasn’t in a place to pursue her offer. However, I did mention to her that I had a copy of my birth certificate, a hand-written letter from my birth mother, as well as several other documents that I would share with her when I was ready. Sue respected my decision and we connected on Facebook so we could stay in touch.

*Celeste with her biological family meeting in Bogotá, Colombia for the first time.*

On August 31, 2017, I woke up and decided I was ready to begin the daunting search for my birth mother. I sent Sue a photo of my birth certificate on Facebook and asked if she could still help me find her. She responded right away and said she would start searching and be in touch with more information. Luckily my birth certificate was more complete than most Colombian birth certificates and had my birth mother’s name and address on it. Nothing could prepare me for what would happen next.

I was shocked when I received another message from Sue asking me to connect with a woman named Angeles just four hours later. I did, and on that same day, on my way home from work, I received a phone call from Angeles who said she had spoken to a woman named Raquel who had located my birth mother, spoke to her on the phone, and had a photo of her that she wanted me to have. I had never seen a photo of my birth mom before, and I had cried so many times because I did not know her face. It took me almost 30 minutes to look at the photo.

Reuniting in Colombia

On June 28, 2018, my dad accompanied me to Bogotá to visit my birth mother. In the months leading up to the trip, I learned as much Spanish as I could and bought special gifts for my family members. I learned that I had another sister, a niece, and nephew, and a herd of cousins, aunts, and uncles. On that trip, my mom was very emotional about the fact that my father had brought me and shared a story. She remembered the lawyer telling her “Alba, your baby is going to be fine. They are a good couple. He is a good man. They will teach her about her Colombian family and someday he will bring her back.” She carried on “I held onto those words for 37 years ‘He’ll bring her back.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, including my dad’s who I hadn’t seen cry since 1986 when his father passed away. “And here you are with my baby.” My uncle said, “And that makes you a man of your word.” All five of my uncles then stood up, embraced my dad, and kissed him on the cheek. I remember wondering at that moment why I didn’t do this sooner. Why did I wait 37 years? My answer has always been: Because God’s timing is perfect.

*Celeste celebrated Mother’s Day with her biological mother for the first time in 2018 by giving her 37 carnations. One for every year they were apart.*

Watch a video of their reunion here.

The Story Continues

On July 25^th, 2021, my sister located my biological father. We were reunited, along with my new brother and sister, on October 12^th, 2021. A follow-up to this story will come soon!

Ernie Weeks Joins Farmers Alliance Board of Directors

Ernest W. “Ernie” Weeks has been elected as a Director for the Farmers Alliance Companies, effective August 14, 2021. Weeks joins the Farmers Alliance team, providing guidance, direction and oversight for the Companies’ property and casualty insurance operations. According to Brian Lopata, President and Chief Executive Officer, “I am extremely pleased that Ernie has joined our Board of Directors. Having concluded a stellar career in our industry in another region of the country, he brings additional perspective along with a strong commitment to our companies’ mission and vision.” He added, “Ernie’s focus on serving customers throughout his career will ultimately benefit our customers, as our Directors work to support the company’s strategic plan. He certainly understands the importance of delivering on the promises we make to our policyholders with each policy we write.”

Weeks, a native of rural, upstate New York, is retired from more than 40 years of management experience with mutual insurance companies, having led Underwriting, Sales and Customer Service departments for many years. He is a graduate of St John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. As evidence of his strong commitment to the community, he has provided leadership to numerous community foundations, associations and organizations, including leadership positions on the local township governing board.

Chairman of the Board, Keith Birkhead also commented, “We are extremely pleased to have Ernie join our Board of Directors, and look forward to his contributions. He has already created connections with our current Board, and I can see that his experience will benefit us all right away. Most of all, he understands and appreciates the culture we’ve developed at Farmers Alliance, and is commited to supporting and growing our company in the future.”

« 1 2 3 4 … 9 »