Category: Public

Farmers Alliance is proud to announce that Randy Kemper is the new Marketing Representative for Nebraska. Randy trained with us at the Home Office
for a short time, and is now hard at work in Nebraska!

Randy has many years of experience in the insurance industry. He has been an agency partner & producer, as well as a marketing representative. As a native of Nebraska, Randy has tremendous knowledge of the insurance markets in Nebraska, as well as many Nebraska agents.

Randy is married to Barb and they have three grown daughters. Randy keeps busy with work, but in his spare time, he enjoys exercising.

We know you will enjoy working with Randy. His insurance knowledge and marketing
background will certainly be a benefit to you.

Article Provided by IIASD

“Our 2015 Company Rep of the Year has been working in the independent insurance agency system since 1972 when he took his first job as a claims adjuster with Tri-State Insurance Company in Luverne, MN.  He grew up in the Luverne community and went on to Southwest State in Marshall, MN.

In 1982, he married Jan – the love of his life and they were blessed with two sons, Ryan and Andy.

They moved to Spencer, Iowa, where he managed Clay County Mutual for several years before going to work for Heritage Insurance Company. It was here that he met fellow Heritage employee, Jerry Diamond, who – by the way claims he taught him everything he knows.

He worked for Milwaukee Insurance before settling down in his 17-year career with Farmers Alliance Insurance Company. A great promoter of the independent insurance agency system, you know he loved his job, as you never saw him without a smile on his face. Now the smile has even grown bigger as he is enjoying retirement. He won’t completely lose touch with the insurance industry as his son, Andy was hired to take his place with Farmers Alliance.

Better known to most of us here as the “Ice Cream Man”, join us in congratulating our 2016 Company Representative of the Year, Al Schmuck.”

Congratulations Al Schmuck! What a way to go out!

by Mark Wash, Farmers Alliance Claims Adjuster and proud son

 

I recently had the chance to join my father for his  Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Here’s a little bit about our experience.

The Honor Flight program is done all over the United States. Each program is a little different but the basic premise is that they honor the military veterans for their service by taking them, free of charge, to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C. They also visit a variety of other sites, depending on the length of the trip.

Of the applications submitted, the veterans chosen for the Honor Flight are based on seniority. The oldest will go first unless there is a younger veteran who has a terminal illness, then they would get to go ahead of an older veteran. Due to the advanced age of most veterans, each veteran is required to have a guardian go along with them. The program does not pay for the guardian’s trip but it is arranged by the organization and is a very reasonable amount for all that is provided. My father, Roy Wash, is a navy veteran who served in the Korean War and I was fortunate enough to accompany him on this trip this past June.

There were 28 veterans on our 3 day trip; three World War II veterans and twenty five Korean veterans. Mike VanCampen, his wife and a few others served as the group leaders for the Kansas Honor Flight program.

The first day is for travel, getting settled in to the hotel and going over the trips itinerary. We flew from Wichita to Chicago and then on to Washington D.C. We were greeted at a couple airports with Fire trucks showering our plane with a water salute as we taxied to the gate. It was very emotional walking through airports with this group of veterans and watching the people stop what they are doing and applaud the heroes as they pass by.

The second day is when all the activities happen and it was packed full from before sunrise to after sunset. Some veterans are more mobile than others but even for the healthier ones, there is a lot of ground to cover and wheelchairs made it easier to get around in a timelier manner to be able to see more things. To encourage the more stubborn veterans that thought they could walk, Mr. VanCampen advised that if a pretty girl sees a veteran walking she will often stop to shake his hand, but if she sees a veteran in a wheelchair, she will most likely give them a hug. By the way, it takes a quite a while to unload and reload a bus with 28 veterans and 28 wheelchairs at each stop.

Our first stop included the WW II memorial, the Reflecting pool, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean Memorial and the Vietnam memorial which are all within walking distance of each other. We then loaded back up on the bus and went to Arlington National Cemetery and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That was a very moving experience that I would recommend for anyone to see. We then went to the Iwa Jima memorial (soldiers raising the American Flag on the beach), which used to be the WWII memorial but many felt that only reflected the Pacific war and not the entirety of WWII. That is why they built a new WWII memorial by the Reflecting Pool that honors the veterans of European war as well and changed the name of this to the Iwa Jima memorial. Between stops we drove past the Whitehouse, Pentagon and various other significant places but didn’t have time to stop. We ended the day by touring Fort McHenry which is famous for our battle with the British in the war of 1812. It was that battle where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner.

It was an amazing trip and an honor to travel with that group of war heroes. If you know of a veteran here in Kansas that would like to go on this trip, you can contact Mike VanCampen at 620-960-6733 for details.

Brian Lee, Farmers Alliance’s Montana Marketing Representative, was recently named Company Person of the Year by the Professional Insurance Agents Western Alliance at their Montana Producer Seminar in Helena. The award was a surprise to Brian, whose acceptance remarks — in true Brian Lee fashion — included the story of the proverbial “turtle sitting on the top of a post. You can be assured that he did not get there by himself — he needed help from others!”

According to Jack Rader, Chief Marketing Officer, “We were notified of this a few weeks ago, so it’s been hard to keep the secret! Brian is very deserving of this recognition, as he works very hard for Farmers Alliance, and for our agents in Montana.”

Brian, we are all proud of you! Congratulations!

Remember, as a Farmers Alliance policyholder, you can receive identity theft resolution services from IDT911 at no charge to you! IDT911 is the country’s leader in identity theft resolution, and provides testimonials on their website of those who have been victims of identity theft — just another reminder of how important it is to protect your identity.

Mark’s Testimonial:
An Ohio schoolteacher learned about identity fraud the hard way, after he was arrested and jailed for crimes committed by an identity thief. His family turned to IDT911 for help. Find out how we restored his good name.

 

For more information on how to protect your identity, visit our IDT911 FAMI site.

Not all severe weather is alike, which is why your reactions to different storms also shouldn’t be alike. Both hailstorms and tornadoes are damaging in their own way. In order to reduce your risks during each kind of storm, you should react to whether hail or a tornado is present. Use the following information from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to find out how you should react during a hailstorm and tornado. For additional guidance, please use IBHS hail and tornado resources available at DisasterSafety.org.

During a Tornado

Outside (No Shelter):

• Tune in to your radio to stay informed of approaching storms.
• Immediately try to drive to the closest sturdy shelter. However, never try to outrun a tornado. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.
• If your vehicle is hit by flying debris while you are driving, pull over and park. Stay in the car with the seat belt on. Put your head down below the windows; cover your head with your hands and a blanket, coat or other cushion if possible.
• If you can safely get noticeably lower than the level of the roadway, leave your car and lie in that area, covering your head with your hands.
• Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
• Approach intersections with caution. Treat traffic lights at intersections as stop signs both during and after a storm.

Inside:

• Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck.
• In a high-rise building, go to a small interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible.
• Do not open windows.

During a Hailstorm

• Tune in to your radio to stay informed of approaching storms.
• Do not drive unless necessary.
• Pull safely onto the shoulder of the road away from any trees that could fall on the vehicle.
• If at all possible, pull into a sturdy garage, parking garage, or under a shelter to minimize hail damage.
• Stay in the car and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.
• Avoid downed power lines.
• Approach intersections with caution. Treat traffic lights at intersections as stop signs both during and after a storm.
• After the storm, thoroughly evaluate your vehicle for damage.
• If you find glass damage, carefully remove any glass from the interior of your vehicle, and cover the damaged area to prevent further water damage to your interior.

Article Provided by Disaster Safety.  Find more information here.

Umbrella Liability

Just because you don’t have a million dollars in assets doesn’t mean someone won’t try to sue you for a million dollars.

Protect yourself against the unexpected

Umbrella liability policies offer coverage beyond your Homeowners and Auto insurance. Coverage is available up to $1 million or $2 million or even more. Even better … it’s very affordable. Actually, you can’t afford NOT to purchase this great coverage.

Don’t get caught unprotected — higher limits of coverage are available for:

• Personal injury or damage if you are legally liable
• Protection against libel, slander and defamation of character
• Defense and attorney costs
• Interest on unpaid judgments and premiums on appeal bonds
• Loss of earnings

There are LOTS of situations where an Umbrella policy might help; here are a few …

… a MULTI-CAR ACCIDENT, it doesn’t take very many fancy SUVs to exhaust your regular auto limits
… PETS, your dog bites someone
… POOLS, you have a pool and a visitor is hurt
… LAWSUITS, many times the litigation fees cost more than the actual event

 

This coverage is very important. Talk with your Farmers Alliance agent today to learn how you can protect your most important assets.  Don’t wait!

IMPORTANT: Refer to the policy for coverages provided and pricing. If there is any conflict between the policy and this information, the provisions of the policy shall prevail.

Farmers Alliance offers B.A.S.I.C. Training at Camp FAMI twice each year at the company’s home office in McPherson, Kansas. New agency staff, producers and owners, or agents new to Farmers Alliance, review each of the company’s products, discuss marketing sales strategies, and network with company staff. Our most recent group of “graduates” are pictured here — we’re expecting great things from this group!

Farmers Alliance’s Amy Timson and Jason Hageman Awarded the President’s CPCU Scholarship by The Institutes

MCPHERSON, KANSAS –Congratulations to Amy Timson and Jason Hageman for  being chosen to receive the President’s Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Scholarship by The Institutes. The CPCU designation is respected as the premier property casualty insurance credential.

Timson is a Regional Underwriting Manager and Hageman is a Senior Field Claims Adjuster at Farmers Alliance. Both are pursuing the CPCU designation. According to Joe Brossard, President and CEO at Farmers Alliance, “I couldn’t be happier to have Amy and Jason recognized in this way. They are great examples of the commitment to ongoing education at Farmers Alliance, and it is rewarding to see them receive this well-deserved recognition.” The President’s CPCU Scholarship recognizes high performing individuals within the property-casualty industry. The Scholarship covers the cost of CPCU textbooks, course guides, SMART Study Aids and exam registration fees.

The property-casualty insurance industry is constantly changing, and so are the education and skill requirements needed to succeed in today’s challenging economy. That’s why Farmers Alliance continues to place a high value on continuing professional development. Lifelong professional development provides employees with the insurance knowledge and competencies needed to reach career goals.

The Institutes are independent, not-for-profit organizations offering knowledge solutions and professional development services to the risk management and property-casualty insurance community. The Institutes offer the CPCU designation program; associate designation programs in claims, risk management, underwriting and reinsurance; introductory and foundation programs; and online courses, all of which help drive better decision making to propel business success. To learn more about these programs, visit The Institutes’ web site.

 

MCPHERSON, KANSAS  — In early March, 2015, Farmers Alliance CEO Keith Birkhead retired from Farmers Alliance after a 38-year career. He will continue as Chairman of the Board for the Farmers Alliance Companies.

Moving to Kansas from Texas, L. Keith Birkhead joined Farmers Alliance in 1976 in the Accounting Department.  He was promoted to Assistant Vice President, and then Vice President of Accounting in 1979. Continuing to accept additional responsibilities, he served as Treasurer from June 1985 to June 1997, and as Secretary from March 1989 to June 1997. In June 1997 he was named President and CEO of the Farmers Alliance Companies.

During his tenure as President & CEO, Birkhead also provided leadership to several industry organizations, including the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, the Alliance of American Insurers, and American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters.

Birkhead has made significant contributions to the McPherson community. In addition to supporting church and school activities as his children grew up, he also served on the boards of Peoples Bank and Trust, McPherson Health Care Foundation, McPherson Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Multi-Community Diversified Services (MCDS), Disability Supports of the Great Plains and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). With his family, he also developed a large area in downtown McPherson, including multiple retail spaces.

In 2007 Birkhead received the “President’s Award” from the McPherson Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of his contributions to the business community of McPherson. Birkhead was heralded as “someone who has unselfishly given their time for the betterment of McPherson.”

Birkhead was recognized by a special resolution at the Farmers Alliance Companies’ 127th Policyholders’ Meeting in February, 2015. The resolution formally thanked him for his exemplary, loyal, and dedicated service to the Companies.

According to Joe Brossard, President and CEO at Farmers Alliance, “Keith leaves a legacy of service and professionalism, carried out each day through the staff at Farmers Alliance. We will work hard to maintain the standards that he has set, and to build on the strong foundation he helped to create.”

Birkhead was honored at a reception at the Farmers Alliance Home Office in early March, where hundreds of coworkers, agents, policyholders, community members, family and friends gathered to celebrate his career.