A Silver Lining

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Day 92 in quarantine: you’re starting to forget what day of the week it is, wondering if your jeans remember who you are, and thinking about when this pandemic might be behind us for good. It’s hard to think of a silver lining through all of this, but there are glimmers of hope. 

Many are working from home and some are only beginning to return to work. At Rancho Mesa, we are lucky to have continued business as usual - well, as usual as it can be given most of us have not been in the office for months. Christina Haake, Account Manager, says she misses her friends and family in Santa Barbara most, but misses being spontaneous. “Now everything has to be planned and timed: going to the store, video calls, etc.” When asked what she has learned from the stay-at-home order, she said it has made her realize how important it is to show affection as much as possible because you never know the next time you will have the chance. Christina is a Disneyland annual pass holder and is counting down the days until she can sport her favorite pair of ears, once again.

Pictured: Christina Haake.

Pictured: Kimmie Parker and John Parker.

Then, there are the anxious sports fans. Quiet nights on the diamond, the void of fantasy league notifications and reruns on Monday nights take the place of watching the ol’ pigskin fly live on TV. John Parker, Account Manager, from our La Mesa office, is currently sheltered-in-place with his family and has been collecting baseball cards to occupy his free time over that last few months. His wife, on the other hand, has been enjoying virtual baby showers for their first child, who is due this Summer! Their babymoon to Palm Springs may be on hold, but John says it gives them something to look forward to when life gets back to normal. Both of them love music and going to local concerts, so they can’t wait to be outside again enjoying their favorites with friends.

Daniel Frazee, Executive Vice President, is occupying his time by watching all the Avengers movies with his four children. As much as he loves having them home, Daniel is the office social butterfly and admits he misses the interaction with his co-workers. Through this ordeal, Daniel has continued to work from the La Mesa office, along with Account Executive Jeremy Hoolihan. “I’ve worked with Jeremy for years and this situation has actually brought us much closer.” 

Pictured: Emily Marasso and husband.

Personally, I can’t wait to hear the words, “may I take your plate for you?” Or, “would you like another refill?” But, in all seriousness, almost everyone I have spoken with about the temporary shutdown has said – don’t take the little things for granted like going to Costco without feeling like you’re standing in an amusement park line,  leaving the house without a facial covering, hugging your loved ones, or sitting at a restaurant to eat. Our daily routines are far from normal, but we are getting there as more and more businesses and services begin to open up. The silver lining in all of this is that we’ve learned to appreciate each other and the things around us. I am happy to say I know most of my neighbors now, thanks to this!

In a world where everything is becoming automated, digital and rushed, this pandemic is reminding us of a simpler time. What are you looking forward to when this has passed? "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light," Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Safety Spotlight: Klausing Group Celebrates 3 Years of Outstanding Safety

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Landscape Group and Chairperson for the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Safety Committee Drew Garcia had the opportunity to congratulate Klausing Group for three years without a lost time accident.

For 12 seasons, 156 weeks, 1,095 days or 6,245 hours, Klausing Group was accident free.  That level of commitment to safety is hard to achieve in the landscape industry.

Klausing Group is a commercial landscape company located in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky.  With over 20 years in business, they aren’t just focused on creating and maintaining landscapes, the group certifies and trains employees in the landscape industry and has become a leader in doing so.

Drew Garcia has been a Chairperson for the NALP Safety Committee for 4 years and champions companies to who take safety seriously.

“Nothing substitutes a strong safety culture.  You have to be about safety and talk about safety on a daily basis and obviously at Klausing Group, the safety culture is incredibly strong,” said Drew Garcia.

Rancho Mesa congratulates Klausing Group for their excellence in workplace safety.

StudioOne™ Podcast Downloads Increase 745% in One Month

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

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services’ StudioOne™ Safety and Risk Management Podcast network broke 500 listens and continues to increase rapidly! The podcast surpassed a massive 745% increase in downloads and streams from April to May.

The podcast series not only addresses safety and risk management issues that can affect a business's bottom line, but covers topics such as the effects of COVID-19 on the insurance marketplace, new executive orders, industry specific best practices, and more!

Subscribe to the StudioOne™ Safety and Risk Management Network podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, or Spotify to never miss an episode!

To find the StudioOne™ podcast in any of the above apps on your mobile device, type in “StudioOne Safety and Risk” in the search box. You can also listen from your computer by visiting www.RanchoMesa.com/StudioOne or anchor.fm/ranchomesa.

RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ Adds New Ladder Safety Module

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

Rancho Mesa is pleased to announce the addition of the Ladder Safety module to its RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ for construction safety.

ICW Group’s Tom Jolliff, Sr. Risk Management Consultant and Rick Fineman, Vice President of Risk Management Services provide 50 minutes of practical ladder safety information in the training module.

Ladder safety has been in the top 10 OSHA-cited violations for the past 5 years. As a business owner, supervisor or safety manager, you must find a way to get ahead of this problem and improve your safety program starting with ladder safety. In this module, you will learn:

• Alarming trends with ladder safety.

• Ways to reduce the frequency of injuries from ladder falls.

• Ways to ensure you are using the proper equipment for the job at hand.

• Components of a proper ladder safety program for your company.

To complete the RM365 Safety Star Program™, all participants will take the Accident Investigation and Analysis module while choosing two remaining modules from Mobility & Stretch/ABLE Lift Protocol, Fall Protection, Heat Illness Prevention, Ladder Safety, and Fleet Safety. 

The construction program can be completed 100% online or through a combination of online and in-person workshop modules.

To enroll in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ today, visit www.ranchomesa.com/rm365-advantage-safety-star-program and fill out the application.

Homemade Heroes to the Rescue! – At Rancho Mesa Insurance

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Masks have become one of the most popular accessories in 2020, due to COVID-19, and are in short supply because of it. Rancho Mesa Certician Vicki Painter and retired Rancho Mesa employee Merry Rosseau knew they had to help.

Vicki and Merry worked diligently to make masks with whatever they had accessible to them. When there was a shortage of elastic, they resorted to using elastic headbands as an alternative. From lemons, to buffalo check and even Mickey Mouse, these two incredible women managed to make enough masks not only to provide for our Santee and La Mesa offices and families, but they even made enough to hand out masks to clients and delivery workers!

We would like to take a minute to send a huge virtual hug and thank you to Vicki and Merry for their hard work and generosity. They truly represent OneofOne®. From all of us at Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, we hope you are staying safe and healthy.

Client Spotlight: Veterans Village of SD Receives Public Health Award

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Image provided by the San Diego County News Center.

On April 16th, 2020,  Veterans Village of San Diego was awarded the Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion North Central Region Award by the National Public Health Week (NPHW), sponsored by the American Public Health Association. Veterans Village of San Diego is a non-profit organization focused on assisting homeless veterans; servicing more than 3,000 vets across San Diego County. Their motto is “Leave No One Behind” and they have been doing just that for almost 40 years.

The NPHW runs from April 6 - April 12, 2020 and is observed across the United States. It is intended to highlight issues and contributions to public health in order to improve the health of the nation. Each year, NPHW chooses a theme that carries throughout the week with each day focusing on a different topic relating to the Live Well San Diego initiative. Appropriately for this year’s theme, they have chosen COVID-19.

Alongside daily focus topics, the county holds an award ceremony recognizing people and organizations that have helped to improve the well-being and health of San Diegans. Due to social distancing, the ceremony was held virtually, but the recipients were announced by the county during their daily COVID-19 briefing. 

About Veterans Village of San Diego
Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) has served all veterans since 1981 and is dedicated to “Leave No One Behind.” VVSD is the only program of its kind in the United States and is nationally recognized as the leader in serving homeless military veterans. Each year VVSD provides services to more than 3,000 military veterans throughout San Diego County. For more information about Veterans Village of San Diego and how you can help support their efforts, visit www.vvsd.net.

Welcome Desmond - The Newest Rancho Mesa Family Member!

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. would like to congratulate Brittani Davis and family on welcoming their newest family member, Desmond Myles Davis. Mom and baby are doing great and big brother DJ said it was “the best day of his life!”

We could all use some more joy in our days right now and this squishy baby face will definitely do it for you. We would also like to take a minute to say a big congrats to Kim Vasquez as well, for being promoted to Gigi, again.

From all of us at Rancho Mesa, we want to wish your family health, happiness and prosperity.

RMI Sends Youngest Team Members Cookie Decorating Kits for Easter

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

Rancho Mesa sent their youngest team members cookie decorating kits to help spread some joy this Easter!

A smile was brought to faces of Rancho Mesa staff and kids as they had fun decorating their cookies with family.

This Spring, Rancho Mesa hopes you are able to connect with family and loved ones via video chatting, phone calls, and social distancing.

Utilize Down Time to Become a Safety Star™

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

If you are facing a slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, now is an excellent time to train your management team to become Safety Stars™. The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ offers modules specific to the construction industry as well as organizations in the human services.

These online programs are ideal for your supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators, upper management, administrators, directors of human resources, facilities/operations managers, and safety committee members. All participants take the Accident Investigation and Analysis module while choosing several electives like Fall Protection, Heat Illness Prevention or Patient & Resident Handling, Bloodborne Pathogens, and 15-Passenger Van Safety, to name a few.

Sending management through the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program™ can give a company a competitive advantage in the insurance marketplace, reduce the probability of claims, and lower its overall insurance costs.

To enroll in the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program, visit www.ranchomesa.com/rm365-advantage-safety-star-program and fill out the application.

Rancho Mesa’s 7th Inning Stretch Goes Virtual

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa’s staff is accustomed to their twice daily “7th Inning Stretch,” a walk around the neighborhood designed to get people moving and away from their desks. It’s a time to take a break from busy schedules, talk to coworkers, build strong relationships and get outdoors.

Since Rancho Mesa’s staff members are now working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some have found a fun way to continue their daily “7th Inning Stretch” as a group, while still practicing social distancing.

Using video group chats on their smart phones, coworkers are able to take their “7th Inning Stretch” walks with their peers.

As they each walk around their respective neighborhoods, coworkers chat and exercise while keeping a little sense of normalcy in this unprecedented time.

If you are working remotely and miss the face-to-face contact you used to have with your coworkers, consider incorporating your own virtual “7th Inning Stretch” at your company.

Stay healthy and safe!