NAWIC SD Holds 12th Annual Golf Tournament

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

It’s a birdie! It’s an eagle! It’s a bogey?! It’s the 12th annual National Association of Women in Construction golf tournament. On August 26, 2021, NAWIC San Diego hosted its golf tournament at the Twin Oaks Golf Course. The yearly event raised nearly $17,000 for Rady’s Children’s Hospital and the Future Construction Leaders Foundation.

It was a warm one but that didn’t stop participants from having a tee-rific time. Teams puttered around the course in friendly competition but in the end the golf-father was Team Kohler.

Thanks to all Rancho Mesa par-tees involved; Kevin Howard, Casey Craig, Andy Roberts, and Jeremy Hoolihan. We hope it was an event to never fore-get.

About National Association of Women in Construction San Diego Chapter
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) San Diego Chapter, chartered on April 30, 1959, is very active and involved in the construction industry and the community. Each year the chapter participates in a variety of events including educational seminars and conferences, Women in Construction Week (WIC Week), Block Kids (construction awareness program for children in grades 1 thru 6), CAD/Design/Drafting Contest (High School student activity), Camp NAWIC (a week long program designed to mentor high school girls planning to enter the construction industry), college scholarships, joint meetings with other San Diego professional organizations and various activities with local charities. For more information, visit www.nawicsd.org.

The Garcias Head East for NALP Landscaping Adventure

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

Rancho Mesa’s Dave, Drew, and Greg Garcia headed to Gaithersburg, Maryland to attend the 2021 Field Trip at Ruppert Landscape. The two-day landscaping event is held by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), in partnership with Marty Grunder, CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co. and The Grow Group, and Frank Mariani of Mariani Landscape.

“We were humbled to have the opportunity to sponsor and attend this event,” says Drew. “It’s a great opportunity for Rancho Mesa to learn from landscape industry leaders and surround ourselves with companies who are looking to improve.”

The event gave attendees a look at Ruppert Landscape’s headquarters and a chance to receive inside knowledge of how an industry leading company operates.

The Garcia’s attended the VIP dinner hosted by husband and wife Craig and Pat Ruppert, where they were kind enough to welcome guests into their home. Dinner was enjoyed by many including Rancho Mesa clients, Bill and Laurie Schnetz from Schentz Landscape, as well as Jessica Bird and Max from LaBahn’s Landscaping.

“It says a lot for one of the largest landscape companies in the country to welcome their industry competitors in to see a behind the scenes look at how they are able to be successful,” says Drew.

Events like these are constant reminders that Rancho Mesa is so fortunate to work alongside such a thriving professional industry. We encourage all landscape companies to attend this event in the future; you will certainly find us there!

South Bay Salt Works Achieves Double Safety Star Certificate

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Angie Jordan with South Bay Salt Works took it upon herself to go a step further than most. She decided to be the first RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ participant to complete both the Construction and Human Services Safety Star programs!

On top of completing both programs, she is extending her safety knowledge and continuing to take extra courses.

Since the inception of Rancho Mesa’s RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program in early 2019, over 70 certificate of completions have been issued. That’s more than 200 safety videos watched and quizzes taken. A Safety Star certificate can be earned in Construction Safety or Human Services Safety. Each program has different modules and quizzes based on relevant topics for each industry.

From all of us at Rancho Mesa, we want to congratulate Angie on her OneofOne® achievements!

The RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program is designed for construction and human services supervisors, foremen, safety coordinators, upper management, and administrators, directors of human resources, facilities/operations managers and safety committee members, respectively. To get your team on the path to becoming Safety Stars, please visit our RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program webpage and fill out the application form.

Employee Spotlight: Jack Marrs Joins Rancho Mesa

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack is Rancho Mesa’s newest pick.

The Human Services Group at Rancho Mesa welcomes Jack Marrs as its newest Associate Account Executive. 

Jack came to Rancho Mesa in early August and is a 4th generation insurance professional. He will be working alongside Sam Brown, Vice President of the Human Services Group.

Jack is a San Diego native and grew up near the coast. Besides enjoying the beach and catching a wave, here and there, you can find him cruising the streets or tinkering on his 2002 Harley-Davidson.

We are excited to have Jack and his enthusiasm for the industry.

IICF Hosts Family Fun Night

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

On Thursday, August 12, 2021 the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) hosted a Summer Family Fun Night. The event strikingly raised over 42 thousand dollars, directly benefiting nonprofits who support children’s education and well being in San Diego County through the IICF Community Grants Program.

ICCF is a non-profit made up of insurance professionals who help local communities by providing grants, volunteers, and leadership to nonprofits and charities.

Rancho Mesa’s Ashley Hunter, Brittani Davis, Emily Marasso, Kevin Howard, and Sam Brown had a blast with their kids while they played mini golf, swung at the batting cages, and rode go-karts at Family Fun Centers in San Diego, CA.

Rancho Mesa is a proud supporter of IICF and their mission! To learn more, visit www.iicf.org.

Landscape Magazine Publishes Drew Garcia’s Mobility & Stretch Routine

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

In this month’s NALP’s The Landscape Professional magazine, Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia shared his insights on how landscape companies can benefit from a mobility and stretch program.

“Starting the day off with a mobility and stretch routine can help employees prepare for the day ahead by activating their bodies for physical activity,” writes Drew Garcia.

Drew includes helpful tips on how to effectively implement a consistent program, as well as information on ways to integrate safety and participation.

To learn more about how your company may benefit from a mobility & stretch program, please contact Drew Garcia at (619) 937-0200 or drewgarcia@ranchomesa.com.

Rancho Mesa Team Celebrates Being Back Together

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

On Monday, August 2, 2021 Rancho Mesa welcomed back their team members to both its Santee and La Mesa offices.

After working from home for over a year, the team enjoyed being able to catch up with one another face-to-face during an ice cream social enjoyed outside, on a sunny Monday afternoon at the Santee office.

The team had primarily communicated with their co-workers using virtual platforms over that last year and a half, so there was a lot of catching up to do.

For employees hired during the pandemic, this was their first time meeting the entire Rancho Mesa team in person. It was nice to see the team back together, smiling and enjoying each other’s company.

Business Owners Learn How to Protect Against Cyber Threats

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Michael Armstrong, Production Underwriter for Evolve MGA, an award-winning managing general agent that specializes in cyber insurance, took to the web and broke down the importance of cyber insurance and how companies can avoid a cyber attack in a detailed webinar hosted on July 22nd, 2021 for Rancho Mesa’s clients.

Attendees learned that phishing is the action of sending fraudulent emails mimicking a reputable company or person for the sake of gaining access to sensitive information. Michael explained the simplest form of phishing is an email or web link that is similar to a legitimate one, often changing only one letter. 

Phishing works by tricking the email recipient into clicking on a link that triggers malware to be downloaded and installed on the system. From there, the hackers can encrypt the data and request a ransom or sell the data on the dark web. Michael shared that on average, a business doesn’t identify a breach for up to 197 days. Imagine the damage that could be done without a good cyber policy.

Companies large and small have experienced data breaches due to cybercrimes. With technology ever changing, it’s never been a better time to review your current cyber insurance policy or start looking for coverage. Thanks to Michael and Evolve MGA for providing such valuable information to our clients.

If you’re interested in getting a cyber insurance quote, contact Rancho Mesa at (619) 937-0164.

Sentry Achieves Impressive A+ Rating for 30 Years

Author, Megan Lockhart, Surety and Media Communications Assistant, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa congratulates Sentry Insurance in achieving an A+ rating by AM Best for the 30th year straight.

AM Best is the world-wide leading credit rating authority specializing in the insurance industry. Less than 15% of property and casualty insurance companies in the U.S. receive the A+ status. According to AM Best, this rating is assigned only to companies who have “a superior ability to meet their ongoing insurance obligations.”

“Being assigned this rating for 30 years running is a truly remarkable achievement,” Pete McPartland, Sentry chairman of the board, president, and CEO said.

Sentry and its subsidiaries offer property, casualty, and life insurance, as well as annuities and retirement programs for their business and individual clients throughout the nation. 

“It’s a testament to the dedication, industry experience, and high level of customer service our associates and retirees have brought to the table day in and day out,” McPartland said.

The achievement is especially exciting for the company considering the challenging year COVID-19 caused for businesses in the country.

“Despite the challenges of a nationwide pandemic, our sound business practices allowed us to achieve positive results this past year,” Todd Schroeder, Sentry chief financial officer and president of life and annuities, said.

Sentry maintains high standards for its broker partners, thus maintaining a limited number of appointments. Rancho Mesa is honored to work with a financially superior insurance company.

“We at Rancho Mesa are very proud to have been chosen to be a part of that exclusive group and represent one of the top rated insurance carriers in the nation,” David Garcia, president of Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, said.

Sentry plans to continue its impressive success as the company moves on from the pandemic and into a bright future.

“Through the development and use of industry-leading technology, we’ve provided our customers a better overall experience [which] has been invaluable to our success. We’re poised to exit the pandemic as an even stronger company and provide our customers the protection and services they rely on.”

Employee Spotlight: RMI’s Surety and Media Department Welcomes Megan

Author, Emily Marasso, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurances Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa would like to welcome, Megan Lockhart to the Surety department and Media Communications team. 

Megan recently graduated from Baylor University with a journalism degree as well as a background in public relations and social media.

One of her passions is connecting with people and the community making her a great fit to the team.  Besides being a people person, Megan also enjoys spending time writing, going to the beach and spending time with her very large lap dog, Alta. 

Rancho Mesa is excited to have Megan and add her experience and charisma to the family.