America’s Golden Agents … Long-time Agents Have no Regrets, Many Rewards

Not many independent insurance agents can claim the title of a Golden Agent, or those with close to 50 years experience under their belt. But those who can have a few secrets to their success. Golden Agents share a passion for insurance, a love for working with people and a gift for leadership. Here’s what Lamar McDonald of Meridian, Miss.; John Brimberry of Victoria, Texas; and Charles Vanoncini of San Francisco, Calif., had to say.

Lamar McDonald

Lamar McDonald, of the Meyer & Rosenbaum Independent Insurance Agency in Meridian, Miss., began his career in the insurance industry in 1949. Now 80 years old, McDonald took his first insurance job — one of just two jobs throughout his 59-year career — with the F.W. Williams State Agency, a USF&G general agency in Mississippi.

“It was a MGA for the state of Mississippi — here in Meridian. I was with them seven or eight years, handling primarily property insurance and underwriting,” McDonald said. His next and final career move took him into the independent agency world.

McDonald eventually became an owner, officer, and president of Meyer & Rosenbaum before selling his ownership back to the company at 65. “When I grew up about age 65, I started divesting my ownership to younger company people,” he said, but he has always remained a producer in the firm.

In 59 years, the insurance industry changed tremendously, McDonald says. “I can’t imagine doing business today like we did even 25 years ago.” McDonald says everything from agency accounting methods, management techniques, to the caliber of independent agency staff has changed. “Independent agency staff these days are so sophisticated and knowledgeable, and can handle so many more accounts than before,” he said.

Throughout his entire career, McDonald remained committed to community service and held positions on the Meridian City Council from 1965-1973. He served as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi in 1994, and in 1979, the association awarded him with the J.H. Johnson memorial award for his contributions to the insurance industry. He also served from 1980-1984 on the Mississippi Insurance Commission.

McDonald confessed that what he enjoys most about working in the insurance industry is the opportunity to become a true adviser to his clients. “I like the opportunity to go in to a client and really become their adviser of insurance and risk management, which covers so many fields these days,” he said.

McDonald admits that there’s not much he doesn’t enjoy about insurance. “It’s a very rewarding field and you’re limited only by your own ability, discipline and work ethic,” he said.

Working as an independent agent also provides a wonderful career path for today’s younger generation of workers, he said. “It’s a great opportunity for young people because you have an opportunity to help people and you also have an opportunity to make a good living for your family.”

He added that independent agents also have a chance to become leaders in their community. “If you are a leader and out in the community and involved with service clubs, you are going to have more sales opportunities and service opportunities,” he advised.

McDonald attributes his success as an independent agent to his ability to sell, but more importantly, to his ability to add value to the sale.

“You have to create a sense of adding value to the sale; not just writing a policy,” he said. “You’ve got to show your client or prospect that you are adding value. You are there to advise, especially when they have problems.” McDonald advises young agents to get involved with the insurance industry. Agents “should be active in the insurance associations — local, state, national — for education, relationships and for improving the industry,” he said.

When asked if he plans to retire anytime soon, McDonald laughed and said he gets asked that question almost every day. “I enjoy coming to the office and seeing people. As long as I enjoy it, I will continue.”

John Brimberry

John Brimberry, senior chairman for the Victoria, Texas, office of Frost Insurance, entered the insurance agency business in 1964 after working five and a half years in the loan brokerage business with Prudential Insurance. Brimberry, at just 75 years old, celebrated 45 years as an insurance agent on Feb. 1, 2008.

In 1997, Brimberry received the Drex Foreman Award given by the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas for his contributions to the insurance industry.

One of his contributions included the formation of Texas’ first agency cluster group.

“What we did was merge three local agencies and formed a service company and we all became owners of the service company and placed all our business through that service company,” Brimberry said, something now known in the industry as a cluster. He said the agency cluster operated under this structure until 1985 before it changed to a true corporate structure where the group experience much success. “We grew our business considerably through production,” Brimberry said.

Brimberry served as president and CEO of the group until May 1, 1999, when the agency was acquired by the largest independent bank in Texas — Frost Bank based in San Antonio. Since that time, Brimberry has played a pivotal role in assisting Frost Bank’s insurance expansion statewide.

“As a senior officer of the agency, my role became more of oversight management and to do acquisitions to help us grow,” he said.

Today, Brimberry says, Frost Insurance Agency, with six locations in Texas, is probably one of the more successful bank-owned insurance agencies in the state. “The agency’s success has come not only because of the experience level we had as a platform agency, but also the fact that many of us were very active in insurance associations around the state and as a consequence we knew who to acquire and who not to acquire.”

Brimberry says success in the insurance business comes from “hard work, getting to know people, doing the right thing, and treating people fairly.”

In the independent agency system, trust is very important, he said. When catastrophe strikes customers want to know that they are going to be taken care of. “It’s not only service at the time of sale, but it’s the service that follows catastrophe and we are in the forefront of that,” he noted.

The height of an independent agent’s success comes from helping people through difficult times, Brimberry said. “I know I’ve been out at 7:30 a.m. on Christmas day holding peoples’ hands in a major fire,” he recalled. “Those are very sad times but also very rewarding; that is your moment in time that becomes the payback.” It’s times like those that solidify the agent’s relationship with customers, he said.

If Brimberry had to name one thing he didn’t like about working as an independent agent for the past 45 years, it would be the rapid change in market cycles.

“When the swift market cycles turn, I don’t like the stress that comes with that because then you have to manage through (the cycle) and it takes the real fun out of managing the sales process.”

Even so, it’s a wonderful business, Brimberry says. “For young people it’s certainly an inviting business for those who want to live and breath based on their own merits.”

The independent agency business can be very rewarding financially but also from a humanitarian standpoint, he added. “Independent agents around the country invariably become leaders in their community … nonprofits, educational institutions and even government.”

Charles “Chuck” Vanoncini

Charles J. “Chuck” Vanoncini never intended to make insurance his life’s career. Yet on Sept. 20, Vanoncini will celebrate his 50th year in the insurance business.

He began his insurance career with Fireman’s Fund in San Francisco as a management trainee in 1958 while attending law school at night. “I started to enjoy insurance a lot more and after two years the Fireman’s Fund transferred me to Fresno, Calif., as a marketing agent and that swung me into my career,” he said.

Since that time, Vanoncini has held various sales and management positions for both insurers and a managing general agency. In 1987, he moved to the retail brokerage side of the business when he became vice president and account executive at Dealey, Renton and Associates in Oakland, Calif. He continues in that capacity today handling the firm’s architects and engineers and insurance agents and brokers errors and omissions programs.

The people have made working in the insurance industry the most enjoyable, Vanoncini admits. The industry has the “absolute best people,” he said.

Over the course of his 50 years in insurance, the industry has changed quite a bit, according to Vanoncini. In 1958, “the industry then was pretty much dominated by men — all underwriters were male,” he said. “Brokers were pretty much male dominated as well.” And of course, there were no computers, he added. “Everything was done literally the hard way.”

In the early days of his career, individuals often first worked for insurance companies and then moved into the agency world, Vanoncini said. “After four to five years, you would bolt and join an agency. Agencies were just waiting for these young sharp guys.”

Vanoncini says his days as a marketing representative helped him tremendously in his career.

“My career has been in sales and marketing,” and because of that “I’ve met numerous agents,” Vanoncini said. “I knew and called on various agents and brokers throughout the state.” Those relationships he built years ago continue to help him grow his business today.

“In the last 15 years, I’ve spent half of my time writing new business for other agents and brokers, writing their E&O,” Vanoncini explained. “The fact that I was well-known and liked by them, made it very easy for them to say ‘Sure Chuck, we’d be delighted to have you quote the E&O.'”

With few exceptions, Vanoncini says he has always enjoyed his work. And at a young 72 years old, Vanoncini has no plans to retire.

“I enjoy what I’m doing,” he said.

To Vanoncini life as an independent agent couldn’t get any better and is something he’d certainly recommend to young people as a possible career. “It’s one of the most dynamic businesses that people can be in today,” he said. Whether working as retail broker, a surplus lines broker, or elsewhere in the industry, Vanoncini says the insurance industry is a great place to be.