COMMENTS FROM SAM'S COWORKERS

Sam is another member of that elite group of long serving agents who are responsible for making Farm Bureau into a great company. The service he provided to his clients and the relationships he built have contributed to the reputation the company enjoys today.

 

Sam, thanks for your dedicated service, and congratulations on a job well done. I hope you have a long retirement filled with happiness. 

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

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I appreciate Sam's tremendous contributions to Farm Bureau Insurance throughout his 43 years of service. Sam has played an integral role in shaping Farm Bureau Insurance into the company it is today, and has positioned us well for future growth. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

-Chuck McDaniel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing

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After 43 years, old number 273 is hanging it up! Sam Rogers started as an Agent for Farm Bureau on November 9th, 1977. On that day, we were both celebrating. He was celebrating the beginning of a life-long career. I was celebrating my 17th birthday. Sam is officially handing over the reins as the current longest seniority agent to Walt Dinning on January 1st. Congratulations Sammy!

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Anyone who has ever talked to Sam can testify to the fact that Texas accents are hard to shake! Not only can you hear his drawl when you walk into his office, you can see evidence of his roots there. His walls are adorned with western art. Sitting on his desk is a small cast iron trivet in the shape of the state of Texas... if it’s possible for anything small to come from Texas. Sam also has a “southern knack” for turning a two-minute conversation into one of five minutes or more.

 

Sam and I have worked in the same office off and on for over 15 years. Many of those years, we had seven or more agents in the office. Sam is and was the “go-to guy” for background and history as to “why is this done this way” or “what is the rule for this”. He had an uncanny ability for saving and recovering significant training bulletins from 1989 or earlier which helped us answer the question of the day.
  
Not only does Sam know where to find the answers, he also has a wealth of insurance knowledge that he is always willing to share when asked. He is like a walking encyclopedia on topics such as how to rate risks, explain concepts or handle objections. I have used many of Sam’s examples over the years. My explanations just seem to be delivered a little more quickly than Sam’s, however.

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While locating training bulletins and significant documents has become a little easier since emails and FB Connect, computers and technology have sometimes been a challenge for Sam. About five years ago, I managed to teach him how to use the search function for his emails. That freed up a lot of the time he had previously spent printing and saving noteworthy emails... and then deleting them... and then deleting them from his deleted items folder. It seems that he’s no longer worried about running out of memory on his computer.

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It goes without saying that over the years, Sam has seen a lot of changes. He started the business under the old “green shield” logo. Hand rating policies and financing premiums (12% interest on the unpaid balance) on policies was the way he learned the business. He may have even used an abacus to add premium. He once told me that annual Farm Bureau dues were more than the premium on a six-month Wescom policy when he started.

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Sam and I live in the same neck of the woods. If history is any example, I’m certain that there will be a couple of cold ones hoisted between us on Sunday afternoons. I’m happy that he’s going to be able to retire comfortably and wish both he and Tina the best! Cheers!

-Ben Rae, District Manager, Northern Idaho

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