Greetings everyone – welcome to the Michigan Young Agent community! I am so excited to introduce myself to you as Chair of the Big “I” Michigan Young Agent Committee! This is my fourth year with the committee, and I am excited to be in a leadership role where I can have an impact on Michigan’s insurance industry.
Here is a real quick synopsis of my path into insurance and the Young Agent Committee:
- I started studying insurance courses during my senior year of high school (fall 2012) through the Eaton RESA program
- I continued to Olivet College where I majored in Insurance & Risk Management and Financial Planning
- While attending Olivet College I was awarded a scholarship form the Michigan YAs, which was the first domino in the chain of getting involved with the committee
- After graduating college I moved to Indiana and worked at an independent agency for almost two years
- Early 2018 I moved back to Michigan to be closer to family and started at My Member Insurance Agency in Saginaw, MI
- Summer 2018 I attended the YA Conference in Traverse City, MI. Shortly after I received a call from Lisa Lemanski asking if I’d be interested in becoming a committee member
- I joined the committee September 1, 2018
I have written a few previous blogs in this community that go into a more detailed explanation of how I ended up in the insurance industry. My blog from January 2021 can be found here: http://www.miyac.org/blogs/leah-robinson1/2021/01/11/michigan-young-agent-leah-robinson
I have a few (hopefully big) plans for my year as Chair! First, our committee is lucky enough to be able to support a cause close to my heart. This year I have chosen Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. Growing up, my father was a firefighter and worked for the local ambulance service. There were many holidays when I was younger where my dad’s pager would go off and he’d have to leave the family gathering we were at. As a child it is not easy to understand why your parent would leave during those types of events so one year I finally asked him why he left. His answer was amazing and I will never forget. Tragic events that require emergency services don’t take a break for holidays or family gatherings. He would leave to go help another family in need, whether it be for a fire or someone needing medical attention, to make sure they were safe and able to enjoy many more holidays in the future.
Our first responders are more than deserving of support and partnering with Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation is a way we can all help them. Our goal is to raise $10,000 through our fundraising link that the Foundation will hold in a restricted fund for ONLY Michigan first responders! Our committee plans on reaching out and challenging agencies the week before Giving Tuesday in November. We could easily reach our goal if every Big “I” Michigan member agency gave a $100 donation! Keep an eye on your inbox the week of November 22nd for our challenge!
Another big goal we have is to make an impact on the younger generation with hopes of persuading them to consider the insurance industry as a career path. Last year we were lucky enough to speak to 10 high school and college level classes, which was over 200 students. We are looking to grow our presence this year. If you know a teacher or professor that would like to have a guest speaker, please pass their information along to any committee member!
Finally, we plan on making this year a great time to network, learn, and get involved in community service with peers! We plan on hosting a mix of virtual and in-person events, powered by Young Agents, but attendees of all ages are always welcome. Please save the date for our annual Conference at Shanty Creek in Bellaire, MI June 15th and 16th! Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram accounts for events that will be planned from month-to-month.
Our next event is a partnership with Ovid Middlebury Fire Department and 1800BoardUp of Michigan. If you’re local to the Ovid community, bring your kids to the fire station between 1-3pm on Halloween for a fun Trunk or Treat event!
I’m looking forward to a great year ahead! If there is anything I can do to help a young or new agent in your agency, please let me know! My email address is lrobinson@mymemberinsurance.com. Hope to see you all at a YA event soon!
Leah Robinson AINS, CAWC, CIC, CRM
My Member Insurance Agency