Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Continues to Grow - Welcome Maria

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

Another rock star joins the Rancho Mesa Insurance team. Account Coordinator Maria Lotta has several years of customer service background and is excited to launch her career in the commercial insurance industry.

Working in insurance is a perfect fit for Maria as her mom was a claims rep at Zenith for many years. It was meant to be! 

She is a San Diego native, enjoys being outside with her German Shepard Nala and hiking local trails.

Maria will put down roots at our La Mesa location, so don’t forget to say hi if you get a chance to stop in.

Rancho Mesa welcomes Maria to the team.

Employee Spotlight: Beth James Joins Rancho Mesa as Account Coordinator

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

Beth James, a former educator of elementary through high school students and public speaking coach for a speech and debate league, has decided to take her career in a new direction with Rancho Mesa Insurance. She’s utilizing her superb interpersonal communication skills and administrative expertise in her new role as account coordinator.

 As a recent graduate of the Office Professional Training program at Grossmont College, Beth is ready to dive into the commercial insurance industry as a member of the Rancho Mesa team.

 Rancho Mesa welcomes Beth to the family!

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa’s Andy Roberts Joins Board of Directors for SASD

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

Surety Account Executive Andy Roberts took a new leadership position as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Surety Association of San Diego (SASD).

With over a decade of experience in the insurance and surety industries combined, Roberts is eager to lead within the organization and give back to the community. As treasurer, he will manage and oversee the finances of the organization.

“This position unexpectedly opened up and I jumped at the opportunity to fill it, and I am very excited to be a part of the Board,” Roberts said. “I’m going to try and learn as much as possible about the position and my next position so that I can do my best for the association over the next three and a half years.”  

The Surety Association of San Diego is a non-profit organization that promotes education, legislation, and community within suretyship.

“The Surety Association of San Diego does a great job of planning events that keep the local agents and underwriters all connected, which is important as we continually try to grow our industry,” Roberts said. 

Roberts has spent the past three years concentrating on his passion for surety as an Account Executive with Rancho Mesa. In that time, Roberts has authored 14 articles about various surety topics published in Rancho Mesa’s newsletter and website, and he is a frequent guest on the StudioOne podcast.

“My favorite thing [about working in surety] are the relationships that you develop with your clients and also the underwriters that you work with,” Roberts said.

The Rancho Mesa team is very proud of Roberts for his leadership achievement and the opportunity to impact and give back to the industry through his new position.

“To me, this position is a way to further my involvement in the surety community which is important to me because I’m very passionate about the industry and doing anything I can to help it,” Roberts said.

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.