We have amazing employees at California Casualty. The Employee Spotlight is a new series aiming to highlight those talented individuals that make up our successful company culture and community. From human resource recruiters and learning and development trainers to claims adjusters, marketers, customer support specialists, partner relations, sales representatives, and beyond; each week, we’ll highlight a new team member, so you can get to know us better and see how our employees make us who we are as a company.
This edition of the Employee Spotlight will feature our Customer Care Specialist, Sarena Means
Sarena has been with us for almost 4 years now and is based in our Colorado office.
Let’s get to learn Sarena!
What made you want to work in Customer Service at California Casualty?
I heard it was a wonderful company that’s proven its place in the industry by being family-owned for 4 generations and in business for more than 100 years, and it definitely is!
People love working here and stay a really long time. I was so impressed with the tenure here. I’ve never seen another company with higher employee retention. It makes for a great family-like environment and culture.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I love my co-workers, I’ve never worked with better people, and we also have great customers. They love us and we love helping them!
Also, in my position here at CalCas, I feel like I have a lot of opportunities to be heard. I may not always get what I want, but I don’t ever feel belittled by my managers, or that I don’t have anything of value to contribute. The management is always willing to listen to me and my concerns. I feel like I’m important at California Casualty, and they give me the opportunity to do what I do best.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
Looking back, I actually didn’t really know much about our affinity groups. We offer a lot of service to our community heroes and I’ve learned more than I ever thought I would about Teachers, and Police Officers, Firefighters, and Nurses.
You get to really know these people and what matters most to them, and it gives you a deeper level of respect for them and what they do every day to help us.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I love my family and really enjoy all things with them. Movies, games, Sunday dinners, outside in the sunshine, any and all of it.
Life is changing for us right now. Our oldest moved out in November after buying her first house, and our youngest is going through the Air Force Basic Military Training. That means my husband and I are very new empty nesters and haven’t figured out what that means for us. We’re adjusting to a new normal, but it’s an exciting time!
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
My name is Sarena and I’m often teased by customers on the phone about having the same name as the famous tennis player; coincidentally, I actually played tennis in high school. Obviously didn’t go pro, but it was definitely a love of mine for a few years.
I was in an American Furniture Warehouse commercial circa 1999.
I love the Marvel movies, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. I could watch any of the movies from any of the collections at any time and be completely entertained.
If you want to learn more about Sarena or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with her on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” -Plato
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” -Joseph Addison
“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” -Walt Disney
Books have been used for centuries to teach, to excite, to calm, to humor, to escape reality, and so much more. Although we may not be able to go enjoy our favorite books at school or in libraries, during these trying times, we are fortunate enough to still be able to celebrate the transformative power of reading with our families by enjoying ebooks for free online.
Here are 5 websites that offer free ebooks for kids, so they can discover their love for reading:
Open Library– A non-profit internet archive of more than one million books that are available to read for free online, 20,000 of those are children’s books
Oxford Owl– Is a website designed for parents to help kids learn. It has 200+ free ebooks along with activity guides separated by age and reading level to help kids learn.
Barnes & Noble Free eBooks – Offers a large selection of free picture books, chapter books, and read-along eBooks for toddlers, as well as free fiction, non-fiction, and educational eBooks for young readers. You can download them with their free Nook app.
Amazon’s Free Kids eBooks – Has children’s books for free download on their website by visiting the “Kindle” tab and opening up “Children’s eBooks”, you can then select any genre you would like and at the top of each genre’s page, there is a “100 Free” tab.
International Children’s Digital Library – Is a non-profit website that offers thousands of books for children separated by age group and genre. Create a free account to save books and start reading.
If your child prefers audiobooks you could visit the World Book Day’s World of Stories, which is currently offering free audiobooks in the genres: Picture Books, Young Fiction, Fiction, & Teen.
*Please note that not all books on audiobook apps are free
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
Head over to our Pinterest board, “Earth Day Crafts for Kids” for more fun Earth Day activities you can do with your kids at home. Don’t forget to give us a follow at California Casualty to stay up to date on every new recipe idea we discover! Scan our Pincode with your Pinterest camera to follow:
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. California Casualty does not own any of the photos in this post, all are sourced to their original owners. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
We have amazing employees at California Casualty. The Employee Spotlight is a new series aiming to highlight those talented individuals that make up our successful company culture and community. From human resource recruiters and learning and development trainers to claims adjusters, marketers, customer support specialists, partner relations, sales representatives, and beyond; each week, we’ll highlight a new team member, so you can get to know us better and see how our employees make us who we are as a company.
This edition of the Employee Spotlight will feature our Customer Care Specialist, Amber Ferrell
Amber has been with us for almost 4 years now and is based in our Colorado office.
Let’s get to learn Amber!
What made you want to work in Customer Service at California Casualty?
I love helping people!
With California Casualty insuring those that make the biggest difference in our communities (teachers, first responders, and nurses), there is an immense amount of satisfaction you receive knowing that you have made a positive impact on one of those customers. 🙂
What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part about working at California Casualty is that you are given the resources and support to accomplish your goals and to be successful in any role.
California Casualty is definitely a company that you want to work for until you retire. You have so many opportunities for internal growth, that anything is possible!
I love working here. Being a part of this organization makes me feel as though I am not only part of a team, but a family. Not just with my fellow colleagues, but with our customers as well.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
Working in customer service I have discovered that every day is a learning experience, giving you the opportunity with each customer interaction to expand your knowledge and confidence.
I can honestly say, I learn something new every single day.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I enjoy cooking and baking, gardening, DIY projects, camping and just getting away to the mountains whenever possible
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I was born and raised in Colorado. I lived in South Florida for 11 years before returning home to Colorado. While in Florida I worked at a florist for 10 years, which is where I developed my love for plants and flowers. I will always appreciate how much a bouquet of flowers can brighten someone’s day
My husband and I have a serious passionfor cooking. We enjoy taking cooking classes together and putting our skills to the test at home with our kiddos.
We also have a love for classic cars and we hope to one day buy a project car that we can restore.
If you want to learn more about Amber or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with her on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
