Employee Spotlight: Maria Lotta Promoted to Assistant Client Manager

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa would like to congratulate team member, Maria Lotta, on her promotion from Client Coordinator to Assistant Client Manager.

Maria joined Rancho Mesa in 2021. As a Client Coordinator she showed impressive initiative and commitment to her team, taking on extra work to support client managers and training many new employees.

Throughout her time here, Maria has excelled working in a variety of industries and has gained the essential experience for her new role. Her hard work and dedication has earned her this promotion to Assistant Client Manager, where she will give more hands-on assistants to client managers.

Rancho Mesa commends Maria for her accomplishments, and we look forward to her continued growth on the team.

Employee Spotlight: Rachel Bristol Promoted to Client Manager

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

We are pleased to congratulate Rachel Bristol on her recent promotion from Assistant Client Manager to Client Manager.

Rachel recently celebrated her 5th anniversary with Rancho Mesa. Since her start in 2019 as a receptionist and Certician©, Rachel has made impressive career strides, moving up to Client Coordinator the following year.

Through her excellent dedication to her team, supporting client managers, she was then promoted to the Assistant Client Manager role in 2022, where she continued to excel and expand her responsibilities.
Throughout her career, Rachel has become our most accomplished client coordinator trainer, dedicating much of her time to training her new team members. In the past two years especially, Rachel has gained valuable experience assisting client managers while also maintaining her own book of clients, to prepare for her new role.

“I am thrilled about my promotion to the position of Client Manager. I look forward to being more hands-on with our clients and taking on new challenges,” Bristol said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to grow and learn.”

We are thankful for Rachel’s contributions to Rancho Mesa, and we are proud of her impressive career achievements.

Employee Spotlight: Ashley Hunter Earns CRIS Designation

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa Assistant Client Manager, Ashley Hunter, took a commendable step in her career recently by earning her CRIS designation.

The Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS®) certification is an educational program for insurance professionals that focuses on the insurance and risk management needs of construction projects and contractors. Those who complete the program prove a dedication to the industry and an expertise in construction insurance and risk management.

“I am glad I have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow within the insurance industry,” Hunter said. “Gaining my CRIS was a big accomplishment for me to complete through one of our busiest times.”

Ashley began her insurance career issuing certificates. She then gained bonding experience working in the Surety department, and has now moved to the Landscape Group managing her own accounts and providing support to the Client Manager.

Rancho Mesa is proud of Ashley’s career achievement and commitment to our team.

Employee Spotlight: Megan Lockhart Promoted to Marketing and Media Communications Specialist

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

Rancho Mesa is excited to announce Megan Lockhart has been promoted to Marketing and Media Communications Specialist.

Megan joined Rancho Mesa in July 2021 as a Surety & Media Communications Assistant where she split her time between the Surety Group and the Media Communications and Client Services Group. After only a few months, she transitioned to the Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator role where she, most notably, assisted clients with the transition from the Risk Management Center to the SafetyOne™ mobile app and website. In September 2023, her role’s focus and title changed to Client Communications Coordinator where she has ultimately honed her strategic communications skills and stepped up to learn new skills when needed in a marketing and media communications capacity.

“I am honored and excited to step into this new role as Marketing and Media Communications Specialist,” Megan said. “I'm looking forward to taking on new responsibilities and initiative within our team!”

Rancho Mesa appreciates the dedication of its team members and is proud to watch them grow in their careers.

Employee Spotlight: Brenda Khalil Named Client Technology Coordinator

Author, Alyssa Burley, Partner, Media Communications & Client Services Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa is excited to announce Brenda Khalil is now a Client Technology Coordinator in the Media Communications and Client Services Group.

After joining Rancho Mesa in November 2023 as a Client Coordinator, Brenda has shown her drive to learn new skills and expand her knowledge of the industry.

As a Client Technology Coordinator, she is now working with clients to implement Rancho Mesa’s RM365 HRAdvantage™ Portal and SafetyOne™ mobile app and website, along with administering the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program.

“I am excited to embark on this new adventure in Client Services, as my desire to help others and be creative, backed by prior experience, will allow me to be a true contributing member of an already amazing team of people. I look forward to assisting our clients,” said Brenda.

Rancho Mesa is delighted to see Brenda growing her career within the Media Communications and Client Services Group.

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. Honored with Best Practices Agency Designation for Eighteenth Consecutive Year

Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc., has been awarded by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) as a Best Practices Agency for the eighteenth consecutive year.

This prestigious recognition is given to an elite group of agencies that undergo a comprehensive analysis of their methods, practices, and financials to determine who is the best in the industry. Out of approximately 35,000 independent insurance agencies in the U.S., 2,600 were nominated and only 235 were selected this year for this distinction. In California, Rancho Mesa stands out as one of a select few agencies to earn the Best Practices status.

To qualify, an agency must first be nominated. Following the nomination, it must submit detailed financial and operational information, which is then analyzed, scored, and ranked objectively based on operational excellence, including outstanding customer service, growth, stability, and financial management. Each agency must be among the 35-45 top-performing agencies in its revenue category to be awarded Best Practices status.

The data collected from these Best Practices independent insurance agencies is studied and used to establish benchmarks, enabling other agencies to measure their performance and adapt their businesses based on the best practices guidelines established through the study.

“This award is incredibly challenging to achieve, and I am immensely proud of our team's sustained efforts. Congratulations to everyone at Rancho Mesa for your dedication and hard work,” said Dave Garcia, President of Rancho Mesa.

Each year, the Big “I” publishes its "Best Practices Study," which includes financial and operational data collected from agencies across the United States. The 2024 Best Practices Study will be available later this year and will feature a list of all the Best Practices Agencies by state, as well as the study's results.

To learn more about what it takes to be a "Best Practices Agency," visit www.independentagent.com/best-practices.

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!

SafetyOne Updates Online Driver Training Courses

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

In an effort to provide the most current content in our SafetyOne™ platform, Rancho Mesa has updated the most popular driver training courses in the online training library. These trainings now have the most up-to-date videos and quizzes.

SafetyOne users now have access to the following updated courses:

• CDL Defensive Driver Training

• Driver Safety: The Basics

• Driving Safety: The Complete Program

• Distracted Driving

• Driving Defensively

Rancho Mesa continues to provide new content to ensure clients’ employees are equipped with the most current safety information. For questions regarding accessing online training in the SafetyOne platform, reach out to your client technology coordinator.

Rancho Mesa’s Fleet Safety Workshop Recap: Teaching Safety and Compliance

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

On Friday, May 17, 2024, Rancho Mesa welcomed attendees at the Mission Valley Library for Fleet Safety: Above and Beyond Compliance, a workshop presented by Jose Pineda from Travelers Insurance.

Clients enjoyed refreshments while Pineda highlighted important vehicle safety strategies and ways organizations can control their risk for fleet-related accidents.

The presentation proved to be both educational and entertaining as the presenter kept the audience engaged with frequent questions and anecdotes. After covering topics relating to insurance claims for commercial drivers and the many ways to prevent them, Pineda concluded by emphasizing the dangers of distracted driving and its threat to people’s lives on the road. 

“There is no claim amount that will replace a human life or the damage that will happen to a generation of people if it's removed because someone did something behind the wheel that they shouldn't have done. It's just not worth it. Let's make sure that you know that, and let's tell our folks that they need to know it too,” Pineda said. 

The presentation was recorded and will be available to clients at the end of the week.

Rancho Mesa is proud to host workshops on important topics such as these to assist clients in keeping their employees safe and their businesses secure.