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 10th 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.”
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 28th, 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.
On July 25th, 2021, my sister located my biological father. We were reunited, along with my new brother and sister, on October 12th, 2021. A follow-up to this story will come soon!
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.”
Have you made life changes such as bought new furniture, built an addition to your home, bought a car, or even had your teen become a legal driver? Life is constantly changing. Make sure your insurance reflects those changes to take care of the people you love!
Tell your agent about home improvements. Have you expanded your home? New additions are great! Don’t forget to let your agent know so it can get included on your home policy!
Home possessions are something that also need to be accounted for. Whether it is new jewelry, furniture, or even clothing, should a catastrophe ever happen, it is important to have your belongings covered. Fires, floods, and tornadoes happen! Be prepared!
Reviewing policy limits with your agent is important! Every policy has an allocated limit when it comes to covering your possessions. As your valuables change, your policy may need to change. Check with your agent!
Chances are, you may own a car, a house, or even a farm. Make sure you work with your agent to combine these policies to save you money!
Routine maintenance on your home and car are not only important from a safety standpoint, but can make them last so much longer! Whether this is cleaning leaves out of gutters, trimming trees back from your house, or even changing the oil in your car consistently, keeping your house and car in tip-top shape can prevent a disaster from occurring!
Rich Cunningham, a Senior Claims Adjuster in north central Kansas, has worked at Farmers Alliance for close to 40 years. Starting on September 1st, 1982, Rich began his career working as a Claims Adjuster.
“A lot has changed over the years,” said Cunningham. “I started out with no cell phone or computer. We used Polaroid 320 cameras and recorders that required a record for recording. I made sure I kept a paper grocery sack in my company car as a trash can for all of the carbon paper! I can remember taking the film off of the polaroid pictures after it had developed and having to be really careful not to get it on myself, or it would take the color out of my clothes.”
Cunningham also mentioned, “During those days, we had to know where every pay phone was in those small towns, in case we ever needed to get ahold of someone quickly. Things were more laid back and your word was given by a handshake.”
During his time at Farmers Alliance, Rich has driven 21 company cars, logging almost 1.5 million miles, gone through five company presidents, and has had nine regional managers.
“I have also worked with five different Vice Presidents of Claims.” he said. “One thing that always stays the same at Farmers Alliance is the agency workforce and a dedicated group of employees taking care of our insureds.”
Rich had mentioned he wanted to leave a piece of advice for future Claims Adjusters. He commented, “Be compassionate. Be TIMELY. Have broad shoulders. Some people will lash out and it has nothing to do with you or FAMI. They are just stressed out. It’s our job to help ease that stress.”
“I can remember working long, hard days, only to get a phone call about a house fire that took the entire house and created a total loss. I was still in the area, so I drove there and was able to give that family a check to get clothes and a hotel for the evening. I made it before the firetrucks left. I can’t tell you what it meant to help that family. It’s how I built relationships with all of my insureds and agents throughout the years.”
When asked about what one thing he will take with him after his time working with Farmers Alliance, Rich made sure to mention his insureds and agents.
“There’s a lot of good people out there. The common belief when working with claims adjusters is that everyone is there to rip you off. I learned that that’s not at all true. Accidents happen and bad things happen to good people. Most people have had something unfortunate happen to them at some point in their lives. I’m glad to be of service.”
“Everyone I deal with has had something go wrong. I am always dealing with conflict. I had to learn to deal with it and try to stay calm in those situations. Let people show their frustrations and anger. I have learned how to help them and I find it a privilege to be there in times of crisis,” he said.
As the end of his career winds down, Rich had a very unique claim land on his desk. Richard “Dick” Foulke, former Vice President of Human Resources for Farmers Alliance, had a hail storm on May 26th, 2021 that damaged his house. Foulke had hired Rich at FAMI, over 40 years ago.
“I had a chance to thank Dick for hiring me many years before, and now I had a chance to work his claim. Dick and I had a chance to visit and talk about the old days. My job just came “full circle” from being hired on September 1, 1982 to retiring on September 3, 2021. What a GREAT CAREER, Farmers Alliance Mutual Insurance is the best!”
Giving back to our communities is something that is promoted here at Farmers Alliance. Doing just that was Shannon Blaes-Kniebel did by volunteering at her local fair.
Having grown up and participated in the Cherryvale Youth Fair, Kniebel understands the many lessons offered. It’s at this fair that beginner participants can learn the important aspects of education of various projects, similar to 4-H.
Projects such as showmanship, arts and crafts, food, etc. are often submitted with the idea of bringing families together. Each year a family is chosen for the “Fair Family of the Year” which is picked by the winner demonstrating working together and helping others.
“This is a great opportunity for people to teach and learn about different life skills through projects,” says Kniebel.
“Our family has been volunteering at this event for years. We donate our time in various ways to the fair, with one of my favorites being helping cook the donated meal, which is provided for participants as they bring their projects in to the fair.”
It’s exciting to watch these kids and people grow and learn,” she said.
Shannon also mentioned that this fair is the first of the season, providing an opportunity to grow and expand knowledge to utilize at future fairs. “This opportunity is a great start to build a foundation for these participants. We have seen such growth and teamwork skills come from this! I am very grateful to have helped with this event all of these years!”
As an Underwriter for North and South Dakota territories, Shannon has worked for Farmers Alliance two years. Farmers Alliance provides their employees with eight hours a year to volunteer within communities. It’s through this program that the organization is able to give back to the areas that they do business in.
“As a participant of this fair, I recognized the significant impact it has on its participants. As I had aged out, I no longer was able to participate. With FAMI’s volunteer day, I had the chance to give back.”
Tami Gossett and granddaughter volunteering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Hometown proud. That is what Farmers Alliance is. We are especially proud of one of our employees who gives many volunteer hours to make a difference in her community. Meet Tami Gossett.
Tami Gossett has volunteered most of her life. A 14- year employee who works in Underwriting, Tami began her service throughout McPherson by the volunteer initiative that Farmers Alliance provided. She is currently serving on the United Way Board of Directors for McPherson County and personally leads the Community Impact committee.
Through Farmers Alliance, she loves building care packages for people in need, coordinating food donations for the local food bank, and helping to lead the FAMI United Way annual campaign. Tami served three years on the AEI board of directors (Farmers Alliance employee organization), and eight years on the Customer Service social committee, which entailed many FAMI social events. She also served on the FAMI 125-year celebration float committee in 2013.
“United Way has given me such great opportunities to serve and meet people in our community. It’s through this organization that we have gotten the chance to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to McPherson County, allowing children up to age five the opportunity to have a new book once a month, free of charge,” Tami said.
She added, “I started young with volunteering at my own church and then every day at my kid’s school, eventually leading a group of women with co-dependency before moving to McPherson. I truly love being able to help and be needed. When more hands come together, it becomes so much easier. I love to fill a void and meet new people. It feels like I am there to make a difference. It’s a passion of mine.”
Making a difference in communities is about the people. It’s about serving a greater good; making the world a little brighter for the years to come. Farmers Alliance is proud to spotlight Tami for all of her service. She is definitely making a difference!
