Making a Difference: Rancho Mesa’s Amber Webb and Anne Wright Volunteer at Camp NAWIC

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Wednesday, June 22, Rancho Mesa team members, Amber Webb and Anne Wright volunteered at Camp NAWIC, at AGC’s Apprenticeship Training Facility in Lakeside, CA. 

Camp NAWIC is a week-long summer camp for girls in grades 9 through 12 that teaches them basic construction skills while promoting an interest in a career path in the construction industry.

Campers learn construction skills through hands-on activities in disciplines such as electrical, plumbing, sheet metal, surveying, and heavy equipment operation. Returners complete a construction project as a team and mentor first year campers.

“This year, I volunteered with NECA for the electrical trade day and we were able to show the girls how to wire up a circuit with a switch and light bulb, bend pipe, install solar panels, learn about careers in the electrical industry and do some ladder safety,” Webb said.

Camp NAWIC is put on by the Future Construction Leaders Foundation of San Diego, an organization set up by NAWIC San Diego to run its outreach programs. NAWIC Chapters all over the country host these camps which facilitate friendship and teamwork while encouraging construction careers for women.

“I have been volunteering for Camp NAWIC since 2015 and it is such an amazing week,” Webb said. “The girls show up for camp on their first day and are scared and timid, but by the last day of camp, they have new friends and the confidence to take on new projects with the trade skills they learned.”

Many Rancho Mesa clients are also involved in this event, namely Melinda Dicharry, the former President of the foundation and the owner of Paradigm Mechanical Corp. Victoria Friar of Chula Vista Electric Co. and Sunrise Bobcat’s Tiffany Carapella and Tosha Carapella were also involved this year.

Rancho Mesa is a proud contributor to the NAWIC mission and its support of women’s careers in the construction industry, and we value our team aiding this cause through their volunteer work.

“Witnessing the exposure that these young ladies had to the creative process that is construction was so enjoyable,” Wright said. “Not many summer camps can actually lead you to a productive career path. NAWIC does an amazing job with this, year after year.”

About Future Construction Leaders Foundation of San Diego
The Future Construction Leaders Foundation of San Diego is dedicated to the advancement of programs focused on educating youth about career opportunities in the construction industry and encouraging them to pursue careers in this field. We work to influence our educational systems, students, and parents to place more emphasis on, and resources toward, vocational education that connects directly to construction industry jobs.

About NAWIC San Diego
NAWIC has over 115 chapters throughout the United States that provide its members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more. NAWIC continues the vision of its founding members by advocating for the value and impact of women builders, professionals and tradeswomen in all aspects of the construction industry.

Employee Spotlight: Alyssa Burley Joins NAWIC Board of Directors

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, Alyssa Burley was elected to one of six director positions on the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Diego chapter Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 term.

Since joining NAWIC in 2017, Alyssa has been a dedicated member, spending countless hours serving as the Newsletter Editor, Golf Committee Member, WIC Week Committee Member, and Professional Development & Education Committee Chair. Last year, she was proudly presented with the NAWIC Member of the Year Award for her ability to take on multiple leadership roles within the organization, all while being a leader for her department within Rancho Mesa.

"I am so excited to be on the NAWIC San Diego Board of Directors and look forward to supporting the chapter this coming year," says Alyssa.

Alyssa is not the only Rancho Mesa employee that is part of the NAWIC San Diego Chapter. Account Executive Amber Webb is heavily involved in NAWIC, serving on the board of directors for the past four years and chapter President from 2020-2021. Rancho Mesa’s Surety Relationship Executive Anne Wright has also been a long-time NAWIC San Diego Chapter member.

Rancho Mesa is proud to support its leaders within the community and women in construction!

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Amy Johnston as Senior Client Manager

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services is proud to announce the newest addition to its flourishing client management team, Amy Johnston.

Amy is originally from Kansas City, MO. Throughout her career, Amy has maintained a large book of business across industries such as hospitality, real estate and construction.  

With her CISR Designation and over 25 years of experience working in the insurance industry, Rancho Mesa feels honored to welcome her to the team.

“I’m excited to be working at Rancho Mesa,” Amy said. “The environment is so relaxed, [and] everyone is so happy.”

Amy has a love of traveling both within the United States and abroad. Her favorite destination so far has been Iceland. In her free time, she also enjoys baking desserts such as pies and cakes, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Rancho Mesa Honored at NAWIC Anniversary Celebration

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa’s Amber Webb and Alyssa Burley pictured holding their NAWIC award plaques.

Information provided by NAWIC.

Rancho Mesa and its employees were honored to be presented three awards at the NAWIC San Diego 64th Annual Anniversary and Executive Night, on Tuesday, April 12.

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Diego Chapter held its annual anniversary night celebration. Rancho Mesa was named the Company of the Year for “contributions to advancing the education and careers of women in construction.”

“We are so honored to be recognized as the Company of the Year by NAWIC, it’s an outstanding organization that’s dedicated to the career growth and development for women in construction. We are very proud to be a part of their efforts,” Rancho Mesa President, Dave Garcia said.

Account Executive Amber Webb was presented with the President’s Award for her strong leadership and dedication to the organization.

“I feel honored to be given the 1st NAWIC San Diego Chapter President’s Award. When I went to my first NAWIC meeting back in 2015, I knew this group of women was special and that I wanted to be part of it,” Webb said. “I want to thank Madam President, Shelby Ballow, for this recognition, her friendship, and all her hard work getting our chapter back up and running after all that we have been through.”

Media Communications and Client Services Manager Alyssa Burley also took home the 5-year membership award during the award ceremony. Attendees enjoyed dinner, scholarship winner announcements, and a presentation regarding the Terminal 1 redesign of the San Diego Airport by keynote speaker, Robert Bolton.

Rancho Mesa and its employees are passionate about supporting the career opportunities for women in construction, and we are proud that our employees can make a difference through this organization.

“I want to help encourage as many women as possible to see their potential in this male dominated industry,” Webb said. “Over the years, I have learned so much from all the people I have had the pleasure of meeting through NAWIC and feel so fortunate to be able to give back to the community.

About NAWIC
NAWIC has over 115 chapters throughout the United States that provide its members with opportunities for professional development, education, networking, leadership training, public service and more. NAWIC continues the vision of its founding members by advocating for the value and impact of women builders, professionals and tradeswomen in all aspects of the construction industry. To learn more, visit www.nawic.org.

Garcia Brothers Give Professional Safety Guidance on NALP Podcast

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Image provided by NALP.

In a most recent podcast episode of Growing in the Green Industry, Rancho Mesa’s Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, and Account Executive Greg Garcia discusses the importance of effectively communicating with your team and building awareness around safety. The episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke with R.M. Landscape, Inc. and Macey Robinson with LandCare LLC.

The episode shares tips of starting your own company, implementing a safety plan and different strategies on how to be proactive when it comes to safety in the workplace. Listen to Season 2, Ep. 40 Being Proactive with Safety with Drew Garcia and Greg Garcia below, or on your favorite podcast platform: anchor.fm/nalp-young-professionals

About Growing in the Green Industry Podcast
Growing in the Green Industry is a podcast for the specifically centered around the landscape industry. Each week their hosts and guests discuss topics that matter most for landscape professionals, including career advancement, hiring, professional development, retention, sales, operations, and more. Growing in the Green Industry is produced by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), Young Professionals Network. Growing in the Green Industry is produced by NALP's Young Professionals Network. To learn more, please visit www.landscapeprofessionals.org/youngprofessionals.

Garcia Brothers Featured in Landscape Management Magazine

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In the December issue of the Landscape Management magazine, Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia and Account Executive Greg Garcia shared their insights on how landscape companies benefit from insurance checkups.

Drew and Greg explain how not having the correct coverage can be detrimental to a business in the occurrence of a catastrophic event. The Garcias also go over the importance of a company reviewing their insurance policies with their insurance broker, and the best time to do this to ensure the company is properly covered.

“You hear a lot of landscape professionals who are frustrated with last-minute insurance renewals and decisions,” Drew Garcia says. “Having a ‘pre-renewal’ meeting 90 to 120 days in advance of your policy effective date can just about eliminate this pain” (LM Staff 23).

To learn more, please contact Drew Garcia at (619) 937-0200 or drewgarcia@ranchomesa.com.

Rancho Mesa Celebrates Surety Superstar Anne Wright Joining the Team

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Wednesday, December 1, the Rancho Mesa family excitedly welcomed Anne Wright, a veteran of the San Diego surety industry, to the team.   

Anne will serve as Surety Relationship Executive in the Surety Group, continuing to manage her current accounts as well as new opportunities.

Throughout her 30+ tenure as a surety professional, Anne has worked as a surety underwriter and served multiple executive roles, and even owned her own insurance agency. She is proud of the relationships she has created over the years through these positions and feels joining Rancho Mesa is the perfect next step for her career.

Anne is an impressive contributor to both the surety community and the construction industry. She is continually active in local trade associations including serving as chairperson, and ultimately president of the American Subcontractors Association of San Diego, and was a founding board member of the Women’s Construction Coalition.

She has also held board positions with the Surety Association of San Diego and served as their president for a term. She continues to be active with the ASA of California in the ABC San Diego chapter, and is also well known for working with local public agencies and general contractors in their outreach efforts to emerging businesses.

“Anne has an extensive career in Surety and is highly admired for her expertise and professionalism. We are so fortunate not only to gain her industry expertise and clients but someone who shares the same values as all of us here. She will be a great addition to an already strong family feeling that we all share,” Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa, said.

In her free time, Anne enjoys spending time with her retired husband Jim, their Beagle Gracie, and their grandkids, neighbors, and friends. She enjoys gardening and began a Monarch butterfly habitat this last year. In addition, Anne enjoys playing the piano, bike riding and has recently taken up painting.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Celebrates Two More Safety Stars

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa employees continue to go above and beyond by gaining knowledge of their clients’ risk exposures with the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program.

Account Manager Kelsey McPherson and Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator Megan Lockhart recently became Safety Star certified in construction safety. The safety program required them to study incident investigation, along with at least two additional safety topics based on industry-specific risks such as fall protection, fleet safety, ladder safety, mobility & stretch, and heat illness prevention.

Rancho Mesa is proud of their employees stepping up to understand the potential risks their clients are facing in the field. Ultimately, this will help our employees better serve the needs of their clients.

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program is designed for construction and human services industries. If you, or a member of your team, is interested in becoming a Safety Star, please visit the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program webpage and complete the online application.

Employee Spotlight: Sierra Stone Promoted to Account Manager

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa is excited to share the official promotion of Sierra Stone to Account Manager.

Sierra started with Rancho Mesa in May 2016 as a receptionist and Certician®. She has since worked her way up to an Account Coordinator, and then to an Assistant Account Manager position where she diligently showed the grit necessary to take on her new role and responsibilities as Account Manager.

“Her attention to detail, desire to learn and willingness to accept new challenges will make her an exceptional Account Manager within our construction unit,” says Kim Vasquez, Vice President of Account Services with Rancho Mesa.

Please help us congratulate Sierra on her promotion!

Listen to Ep. 120 Getting to Know Your Rancho Mesa Family with Sierra Stone to learn more about Sierra!

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Daniel Bondesson to the Team

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services is excited to announce the newest addition to our ever growing team, Surety Account Coordinator, Daniel Bondesson.

Daniel grew up in San Diego. After graduating from UC Davis with his bachelor’s degree in international relations, Daniel worked in the hospitality industry. He then decided to switch paths to pursue a career in surety.

In his free time, Daniel enjoys outdoor activities such as surfing, rock climbing, and camping, as well as playing music.  

Daniel is excited to be joining the Rancho Mesa team and we are proud to have his intelligence and perspective in the surety department.