Marking Rites of Passage, Much has been Achieved
President's Message
Just as spring weather begins to turn warm and the corn and soybeans start to emerge from the ground, I know that many important rites of passage lie just around the corner. For most adults, it’s a time to proudly watch children or grandchildren achieve graduation milestones. For young adults, it’s a time to realize their potential through new career opportunities using skills learned in college, or for some, to take that first summer job during high school. And for those of us at Grinnell Mutual, late spring means that June’s Annual Meeting will be here before we know it.
This year’s Annual Meeting marks a rite of passage for our company. After 100 years of providing quality reinsurance and insurance products and services to farm mutual members and their agents, Grinnell Mutual enters the next century prepared for ongoing opportunities. We will do that by remaining true to our founders’ original mission, to support our mutuals and provide them with the tools they need to protect their policyholders. The way we do that in 2009 looks much different than it did in 1909. While we may not recognize the way business is done in 2109, we will still recognize the mutual system if we adhere to the same guiding principles.
I want to congratulate our Road to Success scholarship winners, 50 young men and women who have already achieved success both in high school and as drivers. We wish them continued success as they enter college, and we know that the scholarships awarded to them by their agents on behalf of Grinnell Mutual will help put them closer to their educational goals.
Congratulations to the members of the 2009 President’s Club for being named as Grinnell Mutual’s top 50 agents. This prestigious group provides Grinnell Mutual with valuable insight into current market conditions and input regarding new products and services. One of our latest commercial products is the House of Worship program. This comprehensive program comes at an optimal time for many of our agents and small communities and has been very successful in the short time it has been available.
On a personal note, I was extremely humbled and touched by the honor of being elected to the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame. I would like to say “thank you” to the people I have worked with throughout the years who made this nomination possible – employees, mutual managers, and agents. At the end of a long career, it is gratifying to look back and appreciate everything everyone has done. As I worked in different positions within the company I always believed that this was one of the best jobs in the world – working with outstanding men and women on behalf of the farm mutual insurance industry. I believe that still today.
I am looking forward to a milestone of my own – my final Annual Meeting as Grinnell Mutual’s President and CEO. It will be an emotional occasion as I see dear friends who have become like family over the years. As I prepare to step away from the Harris Center podium for the final time, I will leave with a wonderful feeling, knowing that thanks to the synergy of our FarMutual network, after 100 years we are well-prepared for the next century. Thank you for allowing me to have the experience of a lifetime as the president of this great company.
Dan Agnew
President and CEO