“Every woman in our business should be thankful for the trail Debbie has pioneered,” said Debbie Flandro’s production assistant, Sherrie Wegner, when asked to comment on this article for Debbie’s retirement.

 

To appreciate what Sherrie is talking about – the trail that Debbie pioneered – it helps to know a little bit about what the United States looked like in 1977.

 

Back then, women made up about 40% of the US workforce compared with 48% in 2019. Women’s liberation was a still a new concept for most Americans, and employment opportunities for professional businesswomen were scarce.

 

And this was three years before the movie 9 to 5 was released, which dramatized just a few of the difficulties women faced once they entered the workforce.

 

In short, the disco era was not the best time for a woman to embark on a business career. But somebody forgot to mention this to Debbie.

 

1977 was also the year Debbie graduated from Idaho State University with a BA in sociology and a minor in business, and landed a job selling life insurance policies for Mutual of New York as their first-ever female agent in Idaho.

 

Four years later, in 1981, just one year after 9 to 5 was the second highest-grossing movie of the year (just behind The Empire Strikes Back), Debbie opened her own independent brokerage agency and sold group life and health plans to southeast Idaho businesses.

 

By 1983, Debbie was a Division Manager for Farm Bureau Insurance, recruiting and hiring new agents, while also running an all-female Farm Bureau Insurance agency out of the Pocatello Clark Street office.

 

In January of 1987, she moved to the Home Office as the Director of Training and Education. In this role she trained rookie agents, taught advanced classes to career agents, and taught insurance educations classes to all employees across the state. In 1995, she returned to being a Farm Bureau agent in the American Falls and Pocatello areas. She counted among her clients the largest farm in Idaho.

 

Along the way, Debbie earned several insurance education designations. These included the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation in 1985, General Insurance in 1988, Associate in Insurance Services in 1995. She also passed half of the test required for the Charter Life Underwriter, and Charter Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations. And she earned her Registered Representative, Series 6, and Series 63 Securities licenses.

 

Debbie also seized other opportunities to build her leadership skills and increase her presence in the community. She was active in the American Business Women’s Association, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and the Idaho State University Bengal Foundation. She is a past president of the ISU Alumni Association, and was awarded the 1993 “Business Associate of the Year” by the Edahow Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.

 

This career path – one that would be remarkable for any person, never mind a woman in 1970s southeast Idaho – is the trail Debbie pioneered.

 

Debbie is married to Ted Flandro, who retired after the sale of the Flandro Ford dealership that had been owned and operated by his family for 47 years. Debbie and Ted have seven grandchildren and ten great- grandchildren (including two sets of twins), and live on a five-acre ranch they call “El Rancho Got’cha” on the rim of the American Falls Reservoir. They enjoy boating, waterskiing, fishing, raising llamas, and collecting street rods and classic cars. They also have a Golden Doodle named Don Juan and a mama llama named Callie.

 

COMMENTS FROM DEBBIE'S COWORKERS

Debbie - I remember when you were the "Training Department" back in the day. You were great at training and it's no wonder you made such a good agent for Farm Bureau - you knew the business inside and out. You were always so personable and so caring of others. I can't thank you enough for all you did to help me during my time with the Bureau. I will never forget how you encouraged your group of agents to donate their bonus funds during a training period when my son was in the ICU. You are going to be missed. You are one-of-a-kind, and I wish you the best in your retirement. Make it great!

-Tami Ammon, Printing Services (Retired)

 

It has been a real pleasure working with Debbie the last nine years. She has always been willing to take time to answer any questions I have had and help me out. Thanks for everything, and congratulations on your retirement! Enjoy your retirement Debbie.

-Chad Cox, Agent, American Falls

 

Debbie is one of the most reliable and dependable people I’ve known. She has that quality of doing what she says she will do, and I’m sure she always responded promptly to requests from her clients. She accepted the positions she held with NAIFA seriously, and gave unselfishly of her time and efforts. Debbie has represented the “Farm Bureau Family” very well, and I’m sure she will be missed by her clients and co-workers. Debbie, congratulations on your retirement! I hope you enjoy many years of happiness; you deserve it.

-Lex Heyer, Vice President of Sales and Marketing (Retired)

 

I want to thank Debbie for representing Farm Bureau Insurance so well for so long. The positive image of Farm Bureau she’s built by her hard work in the communities she’s served will benefit the company for years to come.

-Chuck McDaniel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

 

Debbie and I have been good friends for a long time. I remember when she was a trainer for the company, how she went to battle for me over a problem I had with a claim. We got it paid. I am so proud to have had her as a friend, and I hope the best for her in the future.

-Grant Moses, Agent, Preston 

 

Debbie was one of the first people I met when I came to Farm Bureau. She was a Home Office trainer at the time, and all the new agents had the opportunity to work with her. She was a great trainer. She knew her stuff and was very detailed, knowledgeable, and passionate in her training, and that carried over to her being an agent. Very excited for Debbie to be able to retire. Congratulations Debbie! Thanks for always being a great role model and a great friend.”

-Darin Pfost, Agent, Middleton

 

Debbie hired me four years ago as a single mom with three busy kids and virtually no experience in insurance. I was lucky enough to have her support in attending every sporting event or school function, regardless of the schedule at the office. The support she gave me and my family during that time is something that I will always be grateful for. She continually proves that she is always willing to give people both an opportunity and a helping hand. Over the years she has treated each client with care and respect, regardless the size of the policy. Having started in this industry during a time when female agents were few and far between, she has pioneered a trail that every woman in our business should be thankful for. I wish you all the best, Debbie, as you enjoy a new chapter of your life with Ted!

-Sherrie Wegner-Mortimer, PA to Debbie Flandro, American Falls

 

Debbie's last day with the company is September 30. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, a retirement social is not planned.

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