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 Customer Service Representative, Matina Schmelz
Matina has been with us for 8 and 1/2 years and works in our Arizona office.
Let’s get to know Matina!
What made you want to work as a Customer Service Representative for California Casualty?
For me, family is always first – so the location, hours, and competitive pay and benefits matched the criteria I needed. Once I interviewed I knew this was where I wanted to be for a very long time!
What is your favorite part about your job?
I love talking with our customers! I love hearing their stories and servicing all of our audiences; the Educators who teach our children, the Police who keep my family and neighborhoods safe; the Firefighters who do so much more than fight fires, and our Nurses work long hard hours –all of our customers put others first before themselves in their work and, so I am happy to put them first. The best part of this job is knowing I’m protecting the people who protect me!
I can honestly say I love my job here. I’ve done customer service for over 30 years and here the difference is that the employees and customers that we work with daily are the best people on the planet!
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
I’ve learned that each of us truly do bring a set of tools and experience to the table, we can accomplish things we never knew possible. I can be very technologically challenged, but over the last 8 years, I’ve learned I can survive technology! Thanks to my coworkers, their patience, and the many tricks and tips they share, I have been able to get through so many new systems… I’ve learned to be patient with myself!
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I love staycations, getting pedicures with my daughter, BBQ’s and golfing.
Some of my other hobbies include doing home improvement projects, painting, and watching movies.
I also love moving furniture around, cleaning, and organizing!
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I am blessed with a wonderful family; my loving husband Joe and two amazing adult children. Our daughter is currently attending the University of Arizona and is focused on her future career as a Veterinarian. Our son is a Firefighter and is always busy with projects! He just completed making his own kitchen cabinets and is now rebuilding a truck. They are both incredibly talented and amaze me with their strengths and determination and talents. I am so proud of them both. And to complete our family, we enjoy our German Shepherd and two fun-spirited cats!
If you want to learn more about Matina 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
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 a member of our Partner Relations team, Christopher Renn
Chris has been with us for 12 years years and works remotely in the Field as a Field Marketing Manager in CA.
Let’s get to know Chris!
What made you want to work as a Field Marketing Manager for California Casualty?
Easy, I wanted to go out and meet the Heroes that we serve every single day.
What is your favorite part about your job?
The fact that I get to support and work with some of the strongest leaders from Teachers and Administrators (CTA & ACSA) to Police (PORAC), Fire (CSFA), and Nurse Practitioners (CANP), even Dental Hygienists (CDHA)!
I love my job! Definitely enjoy the autonomy that I get in working with my groups and the support I get from our team to help further those relationships.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
Throughout my year as a Field Marketing Manager, I have gotten a much better understanding of the intricacies of Unions and how to best support and uplift those involved.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I love spending time with my grandson (pictured above).
I love the Lakers, Dodgers, and Rams!
I enjoy making music and helping my son in his entertainment endeavors.
I love live music. Whether it is a local show or a world tour, I enjoy connecting with the music and the musicians on a visceral level.
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I jump off cliffs (into water) wherever I go. I have jumped as high as 70 feet, but at my age, I typically like to keep it closer to the 25-30 foot range.
Over a 20 year period (almost exactly 2000 games), I missed only 11 Lakers games (No I didn’t travel with the team, I am referring to watching, listening to, or attending).
My grandson is the apple of my eye.
Both my daughter and my Son’s fiancée are going to school to become PA’s (Physicians Assistants)!
My wife and I just enjoyed our 30th wedding anniversary in June.
If you want to learn more about Chris or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with him on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
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 a member of our Partner Relations team, Brian Goodman.
Brian has been with us for a whopping 25 years and works remotely in the Field as an AVP, Field Team Manager.
Let’s get to know Brian!
What made you want to work as a Field Team Manager for California Casualty?
I worked at the Oregon Education Association headquarters in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I always saw Dave Arnold, the original Oregon California Casualty Field Rep, come by our office for his account calls. I admired the way Dave went about his business. He clearly loved CalCas, and he was calm and kind to everyone which impressed me. So, when I heard he was retiring after 30 years, I put myself in the running as his replacement.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I get to work with a very talented field marketing team of 11 that is based in California, Oregon, and Washington.
Leading my team situationally in the way they find most helpful so they can do their best work.
I also have some great account relationships, many of which have progressed to a genuine friendship level. It’s a great thing to be able to work with staff and accounts!
I feel lucky to have spent my entire California Casualty career in the Partner Relations Department. I don’t think there is another insurance company out there that has an entire department devoted to the creation of meaningful relationships. The business model is a thing of beauty. When I explain my job description to people, oftentimes they say, “I want to do that, too!”
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
Being an account manager and a people manager, I’ve learned to listen carefully and ask questions so I can best understand what’s in front of me. It’s a skill that I 100% had to learn and isn’t as easy as it sounds. You can acquire a ton of knowledge simply from listening to your coworkers and account leaders. I’ve learned that we all need pretty much the same thing to be content. A member of my team, Angela Morgan, reminded me recently of the Maya Angelou quote, “Every storm runs out of rain.” I find simple things like this especially valuable.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
Easy! I’m a father, step-father, grand-father (known as Papa B), uncle, son, and husband. I’m surrounded by some pretty great people.
I’m also an official USA Softball umpire. I officiate youth softball from ages 10 to 18 and I really enjoy it. When I’m not traveling for work, you can usually find me on the softball field.
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I am married to a teacher (Teckla) and yes, I did meet her on the job. She’s a beauty in so many ways. I’m almost always impressed with the way she, along with her colleagues, go about their very complex job description at school.
If you want to learn more about Brian or are interested in a career at California Casualty, connect with him on LinkedIn! Or visit our careers page at https://www.calcas.com/careers
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 Field Marketing Manager, Stephanie Whitmore.
Stephanie has been with us for 4 years and works remotely in the Field for Santa Clara County in California.
Let’s get to know Steph!
What made you want to work as a Field Marketing Manager for California Casualty?
California Casualty’s commitment to America’s Heroes transforms words of appreciation into actions.
Many companies claim their dedication and service to customers, but CalCas shows it every day and makes it a practice to go above and beyond expectations.
What is your favorite part about your job?
My favorite part of my job is discovering new ways to serve our customers that supports CalCas’ dedication to excellence. I love that we prioritize our members’ needs about just providing outstanding products and customer service!
Not only do we serve incredible people, but we have an amazing team as well. I can say with no reservation that California Casualty’s leadership at every level embodies the mission of the company and dedication to our customers. Being a part of CalCas, rather it be employee or customer, means you are part of the California Casualty family and are treated as such.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
It has truly been a welcomed epiphany to learn about the challenges that our group members face that the general public may not be aware of. This knowledge has inspired new ideas on how I can be an asset to them professionally and personally. The term “American Heroes” is an understatement to our amazing customers.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I am dedicated to personal wellness, an avid athlete, and love to support others.
As a member of “United in Stride”, I am blessed to serve visually impaired athletes as a Guide Runner to allow those with disabilities to experience the same therapeutic joy that I have from a run on the trails or a local race. I also have partnered with organizations that support young athletes to teach trail running safety and etiquette.
It’s been an honor to be a podcast guest and motivational speaker on wellness, and personal goal achievement and perseverance and am driven to welcome more opportunities to support others, educate, and hopefully inspire.
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
My first degree was in Criminal Law as I had an initial interest in fulltime law enforcement. As my career took a different path, I was able to serve as Reserve Police Officer for a city department and was promoted to Sergeant prior to my retirement as RPO. The experiences and education from that time have been a true asset to my role in serving first responders.
I am currently writing a book on personal growth and experiences through ultrarunning and triathlon, specifically my Ironman completions.
I have broken 7 national records since I began my ultrarunner career in the Fall of 2013. The 100 mile and 100K distance continue to be a strength of mine. Ironically, I never ran track or cross country and hated running. My athletic focus while in school and college was always basketball. I didn’t start running (at any distance) until I was in my 30’s and have been a distance runner for less than 8 years.
I’m vegan and my passion for advocating for animal rights and protecting the environment continues to grow.
Dyslexia runs in my family and I struggle on occasion with this, especially numbers. As an adult, I went back to school for another degree and graduated with a 3.99 GPA (my only A was in Accounting…not surprisingly haha).
Most of my career up to this point was in nonprofit management and I was selected as a national presenter and leader for the National Alliance of Drug Endangered Children, after pioneering efforts in multiple counties in Iowa and chairing the state Steering Committee for the state of Iowa.
I was a certified Challenge Course instructor and leader for the only certified Challenge Course (ropes course, rock climbing wall, tower swing, etc) in Iowa and lead groups through team-building and trust obstacles as well as post-activity discussion and processing.
If you want to learn more about Stephanie 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
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 Field Marketing Manager, Tara Stoudt
Tara has been with us for 2 and a half years and works remotely in the Field for the Eastern Pennsylvania Region (Northeastern, Eastern, and Mideastern).
Let’s get to know Tara!
What made you want to work as a Field Marketer for California Casualty?
I’m a self-starter and liked that the Field Marketing Manager position was an opportunity to create and manage my success.
I also wanted to have a better work-life balance and CalCas provided that for me too!
What is your favorite part about your job?
Our members and leaders: everyone that I get to interact with daily keeps everyday fun and exciting. I love that my job is never boring!
CalCas cares about us as individuals and our overall well-being. It is nice to work for a company that values their employees and members.
I also enjoy the flexibility of planning my schedule and what we do for members like our Music and Arts Grant. Presenting multiple grants last school year was so rewarding and meaningful for me because I was involved in those programs when I was in school.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
I have learned how to read people and their needs, the amazing work that our members do, and more about myself.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I’m a self-proclaimed foodie and enjoy cooking and eating; a lot of eating! My favorite meal to make is Chicken Parmesan.
I’m also a music junkie so I love to go to concerts, play guitar & ukulele, and make custom playlists for my friends and family.
Top 3 Desert Island Albums:
“Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles” John Mayer
“Rumors” Fleetwood Mac
“Take Care” Drake
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I grew up in Pennsylvania but lived in South Carolina for four years while attending college at Coastal Carolina University. Go Chants!
I have a mild obsession with eyeglasses and own enough pairs to wear a different one every day for two weeks.
I LOVE dogs; I want to pet every dog I see!
I’m not a big movie fan and prefer TV shows.
Top 3 Desert Island TV Shows:
Parks and Recreation
Grimm
Bones
If you want to learn more about Tara 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
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 Senior Field Marketing Manager, Bonnie Harber
Bonnie has been with for over 5 years and works remotely in the Field for the Central New Jersey Region (Monmouth, Middlesex, Mercer, and Ocean County).
Let’s get to know Bonnie!
What made you want to work as a Field Marketer for California Casualty?
I’m motivated by people. This position was a perfect match because it is all about building relationships with people. Throughout my time here, I’ve been able to build many long-lasting relationships externally and internally.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I love working with our American Heroes. This is the most rewarding aspect of my job. I’m able to serve those who serve the community on a daily basis.
I absolutely love my job at California Casualty. The company really treats their employees like family. I always feel that my efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.
What have you learned in your position at California Casualty?
I’ve learned a lot about building relationships and how valuable it is to listen and use an outward mindset. This has helped me both personally and professionally.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I enjoy spending time with my husband, two kids, and dog outside of the office. We love to walk and ride bikes to the beach.
In addition, I enjoy doing house projects (interior design is one of my many passions).
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I married my brother’s best friend from childhood. We’ve been married since Nov. 2007
I have a daughter (Abbie, 11 years-old) and son (Jacob, 8 years-old)
I have a 4-month-old charcoal Labrador Retriever
We live in the same town we grew up in. My kids both went to the same elementary school as me.
I love running. I used to run track and cross country in high school and college. I occasionally participate in local road races with my daughter.
If you want to learn more about Bonnie 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
