Rancho Mesa and BHHC Attend SDSU Football Golf Tournament

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

Daniel Frazee, Greg Garcia, SDSU Head Coach Brady Hoke, Dave Garcia, and Rob Darby.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, Rancho Mesa’s President Dave Garcia, Executive Vice President Daniel Frazee, and Account Executive in the Landscape Group Greg Garcia were joined by President of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies Rob Darby at the SDSU Football Golf Tournament at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. 

“I’m a proud graduate of San Diego State and longtime supporter of their efforts to help shape future generations of young people both on the field and in the classroom,” commented Dave Garcia at the event. 

“Having Rob come down from San Francisco and join us was awesome, it just shows his and BHHC’s commitment to both Rancho Mesa and organizations that we value – can’t thank him enough for making the time and effort,” Dave added.

Rancho Mesa is excited to have a suite at SDSU’s new Snapdragon stadium where the agency plans to entertain clients, carriers, and other partners when the it opens in September 2022.

Dave concluded, “getting to talk with Aztec’s Head Coach Hoke and hearing the excitement in his voice about both the opening of SnapDragon Stadium and the upcoming season, really fired us all up for the September 3rd game vs. Arizona.”

Rancho Mesa Employees Expand Their Estate Planning Knowledge Through Personal Development Initiative

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

A group of eager Rancho Mesa employees gathered in the company’s Santee office on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 as part of the company’s effort to provide not only professional development, but also personal development education to its team members.

Dave Garcia, Rancho Mesa’s President and CEO, had invited attorney Stephanie Downer from Buchalter to educate Rancho Mesa’s team on estate planning.

Pictured Stephanie Downer and Dave Garcia.

“We strongly believe that we should provide a platform for our team members to grow in their personal development outside of their professional development at Rancho Mesa,” said Garcia. “We want them to know we care about them as individuals not just Rancho Mesa employees.”

The presentation focused on the importance of estate planning, who should consider estate planning, and the goals of an estate plan. 

Downer went into detail about revocable trusts, wills, durable power of attorney for financial management, advance health care directives, and HIPAA authorization.

By the end of the presentation, the audience had a better understanding of the purpose of each document and how they work together to create an estate plan.

“I’ve been meaning to learn more about trusts,” said Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager with Rancho Mesa. “So, I’m grateful that Rancho Mesa took the time to offer this class to us. I feel like we are now equipped to make informed financial decisions for our families.”   

“We want these trainings to become a part of our cultural fabric so we plan on holding them on a quarterly basis,” Garcia explained.

Rancho Mesa Hosts Cyber Insurance Webinar

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

On Thursday, July 28, Rancho Mesa hosted its Cyber Insurance: The Business of Hacking webinar, presented by Beau Bechelli from Evolve MGA.

Cyber attacks are prevalent among companies both small and large, costing them billions per year collectively in the United States. Attendees learned the most common strategies of hackers and ways owners can protect their businesses through mitigating exposures. 

Evolve MGA is a cyber insurance specialist company that provides cyber coverage and a team of specialists to businesses around the world. With 6.5 years of experience working in the cyber insurance industry, Bechelli presented valuable information regarding the benefits of a cyber policy and why it's important today.   

Webinars such as these are just one way Rancho Mesa keeps clients aware of the risks to their companies and informed on how to protect them.

Clients can access the recording of this webinar in the Risk Management Center.

New Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Aboard Lauren Koblischke

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to welcome Lauren Koblischke to the Surety Group as Surety Client Coordinator. With an impressive professional background in legal, licensing, and cause marketing, we are thrilled to have her on the team.

Lauren grew up in San Diego and after graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University, she acquired experience in the legal, marketing and administrative fields, working for organizations such as Simone & Associates and San Diego Wildlife Alliance.

“I'm most looking forward to starting new in the insurance world and being a part of the Rancho Mesa culture. My team is so supportive and I already enjoy so many people here,” Koblischke said.

Lauren has a love for animals, most particularly dogs. She resides in Alpine with her husband and dog. In her free time, Lauren enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.

With her diverse professional knowledge and an impressive career background, Rancho Mesa is proud to welcome Lauren as a valuable addition to the Surety team.

Rancho Mesa President Dave Garcia meets with State Fund Leadership Team

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

Last week Dave Garcia, president of Rancho Mesa, met with the leadership team of State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) to assist SCIF in their plans to introduce a workers’ compensation training curriculum for industry producers.

“I was honored to be included and to share my insights and thoughts as to what would be beneficial to producers in general, but in particular to new producers within our industry,” said Garcia. “It’s commendable that SCIF feels the need and understands the importance of educating producers on all facets of the workers’ compensation industry. It will only help our industry become stronger and more professional.”

SCIF is working diligently on refining content and testing the best delivery methods in hopes to roll out the training programs before the end of 2022.

Dave concluded, “We [at Rancho Mesa] do most of our coverage and sales training in-house. In fact, we recently formalized the training into a ‘Rancho Mesa New Producer Playbook,’ but welcome any outside sources such as SCIF’s workers’ compensation training to help round it out and provide additional content.”

Rancho Mesa Throws Summer Luau Party on Mission Bay

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

Rancho Mesa was finally able to bring together the entire family again for their annual summer party on Saturday, July 16, 2022. This year’s luau inspired gathering was bayside in the sand at the Bahia Resort Hotel with great food, lei making, luau dancers, music, and fun games for the youngest members of the Rancho Mesa family.

This is just one of multiple events that Rancho Mesa hosts each year for their employees to enjoy.

A special thanks to Lori Stone for always going above and beyond to make these events for the Rancho Mesa family so special!

Employee Spotlight: Greg Garcia is Guest on Baseball Radio Show 97.3 The Fan

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

Rancho Mesa’s Greg Garcia was recently interviewed on 97.3 The Fan Ben & Woods show. Before joining the Rancho Mesa team, Greg played 10 years of professional baseball, five of which came at the major league level playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres.

Host Steven Woods, along with producer Paul Reindl, interview Garcia about what life was like during and after professional baseball. Greg specifically speaks about his time with the San Diego Padres, the overwhelming support he felt from the community of fans, and the fortunate opportunity to join Rancho Mesa with his father President Dave Garcia and brother Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia.

Listen to Greg’s interview below (starting at 30:15). To learn more about the Ben & Woods show on 97.3 The Fan, please visit www.audacy.com/973thefansd/authors/ben-woods

Employee Spotlight: Sam Brown Coaches Team to Incredible Little League Championship Win

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

Sam Brown pictured with son Sammy Brown holding the Poway City Championship Trophy.

Earlier this month, the Poway Little League city baseball championships returned to the field after a three-year hiatus.

Yankees head coach and Vice President of the Human Services Group with Rancho Mesa Sam Brown led the Poway American Little League’s Majors team to the incredible win.

Twelve-year old Yankee’s pitcher Tristan Wolfe threw a perfect game with no runners reaching first base.

“The Yankees recorded nine hits, got six walks and took advantage of five errors by the Braves, who opened the regular season losing their first seven games before fighting their way into the finals,” Terry Monahan recounts the game in a San Diego Union Tribune article.

Evoking the mercy rule, the game was halted after five innings, leaving the 10-0 victory to the Yankees.

“I'm so proud of our players' hard work and strong camaraderie,” Coach Brown said. “Their improvement on the field and in the dugout still astonishes me. A team can achieve really great things when individuals support one another and work hard. Great life lessons learned on the field!"

Rancho Mesa is proud of Sam Brown’s volunteerism within the community and fortunate to have him on its leadership team.

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!