Employee Spotlight: Welcome Client Manager Penelope Marquez

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

Rancho Mesa welcomes our newest Client Manager, Penelope Maquez.

Penelope brings over ten years of insurance experience, most recently working at an agency in Chula Vista, where she managed small business clients, including contractors, restaurants, and main street businesses. Her wide array of experience working across different industries will enhance the level of service that Rancho Mesa provides to its clients. 

Penelope was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She and her husband have one dog, Nox, and one cat, Noah. In her free time, she enjoys the company of family and friends, listening to audiobooks, and teaching Sunday school.

Rancho Mesa is excited to welcome Penelope to the team!

Employee Spotlight: Surety Group Welcomes Manuel Ovalle

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to welcome Manuel Ovalle as our new Surety Client Coordinator.

Manuel has 16 years of experience in various administrative roles, including the last nine years as a Records Control/Data Specialist. His extensive administrative background and skill set will transition nicely into his role with the Surety Group.

Manuel was born and raised in San Diego, CA. He enjoys spending time with his wife and their three boys, watching sports, movies, and going to the beach.

Rancho Mesa is thrilled to have Manuel as part of the team!

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Eileen Rojas

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to introduce our newest Client Coordinator, Eileen Rojas.

She brings valuable experience, having served as a Customer Service Representative and Claims Specialist at Geico for three years, and gained ten years of customer service experience at Cox Communications and Spectrum.

Eileen was born and raised in San Diego. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and exploring new restaurants and wineries, particularly those in Baja California.

Rancho Mesa is thrilled to have Eileen as part of the team!

Client Spotlight: Stay Green, Inc. Hosts Grow Summit 2024

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

Pictured Sentry Insurance Senior Safety Services Consultant Capreece Serna, Stay Green, Inc. Owner Chris Angelo, and Rancho Mesa Account Executive Rory Anderson at Grow Summit 2024.

Stay Green, Inc. recently hosted Grow Summit 2024, a training event focused on enhancing employee development within the landscape industry.

The summit featured Capreece Serna, a Senior Safety Services Consultant from Sentry Insurance. Serna delivered a talk on Safe Driver Training and the Effects of Distracted Driving, educating Stay Green’s employees on crucial safety practices.

The summit covered additional topics such as client relationships, operational best practices, and leadership. The event also included a vendor showcase and awards dinner.

Grow Summit 2024 is a testament to Stay Green’s commitment to building a culture of safety and quality. Rancho Mesa is honored to support its clients' success by sponsoring events like these.

For a detailed insight into the event, including advice for other companies wanting to host a similar internal training event, please visit the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) featured article, where they interview Stay Green’s director of people operations.

Highlights from the Artisans Insurance Ltd. Board Meeting

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

Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Construction Group Sam Clayton attended Artisans Insurance Ltd. Board of Directors Meeting in Nassau, The Bahamas, during March 10-12, 2024.

Meeting attendees enjoyed a round of golf at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Royal Blue golf course, followed by board meetings and the Presidents Dinner on Tuesday night.

Artisans Insurance Ltd. is a member-owned group captive based in the Cayman Islands, comprising California trade contractors. 

“This is one of my favorite events to attend, seeing a group of like-minded contractors join together to share ideas is amazing,” said Sam Clayton.

Sam was joined by multiple Rancho Mesa clients in the engineering, foundation and shoring, mechanical contracting, painting, landscaping, and flooring industries.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Welcomes Brittney Thompson

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to welcome the newest member of our team, Surety Client Coordinator Brittney Thompson.

As a licensed insurance professional with seven years of agency experience, Brittney brings a wealth of knowledge in customer service and claims handling to her new role.

Brittney, born and raised in California, graduated from San Diego State University in 2016 with a degree in sociology. She adores animals and shares her home with two chickens, a tortoise, and two dogs. On weekends, you'll often find her at the San Diego Zoo with her husband and son. She enjoys karaoke and live music, and she plans her travels around concerts she wants to see throughout the year.

Rancho Mesa is fortunate to have Brittney’s extensive insurance expertise as part of our team!

Rancho Mesa’s Rory Anderson Guest on Tree Industry Podcast

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

Rancho Mesa’s Rory Anderson, Account Executive of the Tree Care Group, was recently a guest on The IndusTREE Podcast.

Host, ArboRisk founder, Eric Petersen was joined by Mick Kelly of ArboRisk Insurance, and Rory to discuss insurance issues that tree care companies face. They did a deep dive into the current state of the industry and the rising costs, during a time when underwriting acceptability is decreasing.

They also discussed professional liability, employment practices liability, pollution coverages, and ways tree care companies can lower their auto premium.

Rory periodically appears on Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ Safety and Risk Management Podcast Network where he addresses risk management for the tree care industry. Listen to episodes on RanchoMesa.com or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.

About The IndusTREE Podcast
The IndusTREE Podcast is a podcast for tree care companies looking to grow their business by learning from industry professionals! Episodes include discussions on topics ranging from hiring & recruiting, business planning, sales & marketing, safety, driver, fleet, injury management, and much more.

Rancho Mesa Hosts PWI San Diego Kick-Off Night

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

On Thursday, February 15, 2024 PWI San Diego hosted their Membership Kick-Off Social and Game Night at the Rancho Mesa office. Rancho Mesa Senior Client Manager and PWI San Diego Secretary Christina Haake planned the event which yielded an exciting turnout with over 60 attendees.

The fun filled night consisted of a selection of sushi and Thai food cuisines, drinks, games, prizes, and the opportunity to foster relationships with insurance professionals.

Julie Brown, one of the founding members of PWI San Diego, shared the heartwarming story of the group's origins. Since its start in 1981, the organization has expanded to include 33 active members and attracts many more insurance professionals to their monthly networking events.

"It was exciting to see so many new faces and a lot of returning PWI attendees. Hopefully this will inspire people to get a membership with PWI and/or attend other events this year,” said Christina Haake, Client Manager, Rancho Mesa. “We raised $1,000 for OPT of Grossmont College Students and were able to get 12 brand new rolling backpacks for them as well." 

Rancho Mesa is very excited to have contributed to bringing together insurance professionals for an event aimed at nurturing connections.

About PWI San Diego
PWI provides people in the insurance industry (and those who support the insurance industry) opportunities for networking, business development, idea exchange, career enhancement, education and giving back to our community. They do so through general membership meetings and through special events like golfing, shopping events, happy hours, and more. To learn more, please visit pwisd.org.

Employee Spotlight: Whitney Chiriboga Attains MLIS Designation

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

Rancho Mesa is proud to announce that Assisant Client Manager Whitney Chiriboga has earned the Management Liability Insurance Specialist (MLIS) designation.

The MLIS program is designed to equip insurance professionals with a comprehensive understanding of management liability exposures and insurance coverage. The program provides Whitney with fundamental knowledge in areas such as professional liability insurance, directors and officers (D&O) liability, employment practices liability (EPL), and fiduciary liability exposures and insurance.

This accomplishment reflects Whitney's dedication to enhancing her expertise and better serving her clients, particularly in the human services and nonprofit sector.

Employee Spotlight: Rancho Mesa Grows with Newest Addition Brenda Khalil

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to announce the newest member of our team, Client Coordinator Brenda Khalil.

Brenda brings with her over 15 years of experience in various office administrative roles, more recently as an accounting/bookkeeping associate. She has also worked as the Education & Customer Relations Coordinator at an animal sanctuary.

As a San Diego native and the youngest of seven children, Brenda has a love for spending time with family and friends. She has a passion for the outdoors, enjoying activates such as hiking, camping, and exploring new towns. Additionally, Brenda has an enthusiasm for trying new restaurants and sharing her own culinary creations with others.

Rancho Mesa is fortunate to have Brenda’s diverse experiences and vibrant personality on the team. Welcome to the Rancho Mesa family, Brenda!