by California Casualty | Calcas Connection |
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.
Our very first Employee Spotlight will feature our Talent Aquisition Specialist, Cal Turner.
Cal has been with us for 17 years now and is based in our Colorado Springs office.
Let’s get to learn Cal!
What made you want to work in Human Resources at California Casualty?
I wanted to work in this position because it makes such an impact on the company. Finding and selecting the right employees for all of our different positions is very challenging yet very rewarding. When you work hard with a candidate, build relationships, get them engaged in our organization and then watch them grow into their role and become a success, it is very rewarding.
What is your favorite part about your job?
I have many favorite things about my company. I am a proud employee- in staffing, you have to be. A HUGE part of your job is selling the company to candidates who have never had any contact with us what-so-ever, and you have to truly love the organization you represent. Luckily, I work for the BEST business and it is very easy for me to do.
One thing I love about my company is all the different levels of management and how there is no division within the rest of the company. Everyone from the CEO to Executives to Upper Management are all warm and approachable people. We are all on the same playing field and it becomes obvious as we get to know each other. It is great to be in a company where everyone is connected that way.
I love the people I work with and the audience we represent. All of them. These are some of the best people in the business, and I love to see all the positive attitudes and appreciative people that I interact with each and every day.
What are your favorite activities to do outside of the office?
I like to run, do yoga, watch movies and cook!
Anything else you would like the audience to know about you?
I have two awesome daughters who are also brilliant. One was passionate about becoming a lawyer and has recently passed the bar. She is now a Public Defender for the State of Colorado. She also has a heart to help those less fortunate and this has been her passion for many years.
My oldest daughter is a CPA for a respectable firm in Downtown Denver. She has grown and developed into a senior role and she is beyond successful. I am very proud of both of them. They are the best thing I have ever done in my life.
If you want to learn more about Cal 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
by California Casualty | Calcas Connection, In Your Community |
Celebrating the great work that you do and giving to others are important aspects of the California Casualty culture. We believe in giving back through important community impact initiatives and charity that makes a real difference.
Garage Makeover winner Kyle A.
We’ve been thanking first responders over the years for the hard work they do protecting our communities, with the Work Hard/Play Hard Sweepstakes.
In December, Pennsylvania firefighter Kyle A. was the recipient of a $7,500 Garage Makeover from California Casualty. Kyle, who is also a full-time 911 dispatcher, was thrilled. “My wife and I bought our forever home last year and we just purchased a storage shed so that we could clean out the garage to make it more useful,” he said.
He added that while he doesn’t seek recognition for what he does, he is grateful that California Casualty recognizes the hard work done by first responders.
While we are talking about firefighters, California Casualty wants to congratulate San Bernardino County, California, Fire EMT Kyle A. (a different K.A.). He is the grand prize winner of the California State Firefighters’ Association’s photo contest, sponsored by California Casualty.
Kyle receiving his award from Field Marketing Manager, Charlene Rowens
The contest invited first responders to submit images highlighting the bravery and camaraderie of the men and women in the fire service and the explosive situations they encounter in their daily shifts. Kyle’s photo of Los Angeles firefighters battling a commercial auto parts blaze was a quarterly winner in the contest and will be featured on an upcoming cover of The California Fire Service magazine. Quarterly winners received cash prizes from California Casualty for their efforts.
You can see some of the amazing and outstanding pictures submitted to the CSFA/California Casualty photo contest here.
Knowing the challenges and expenses new teachers face when setting up their classrooms as full-time educators, California Casualty introduced a $500 New Teacher Shopping Spree for student members of the NEA.
Shopping Spree Winner Katherine (center) with California Casualty’s Gabby Sole (left) and KNEA representatives.
Ms. Kirchhoff, a KNEA member, applied for the award while she was a student teacher in Olathe. She was hired this year to teach 4th grade at Piper East Elementary School in Kansas City.
“I am so thankful for this giveaway from California Casualty,” she said. “Being a first-year teacher, I didn’t realize all of the things I would need, and this money is going to help me get supplies that I planned to purchase for my classroom and students.”
Ms. Kirchhoff will use the funds for essentials, such as Expo markers, pens, paper, and other materials that will benefit her students.
Kansas Service Center’s Salvation Army Family Donations
To brighten the holidays for others, employees at our Kansas and Colorado Springs service centers chose to make a difference for families in need.
The Kansas Service Center Employee Activities Committee (EAC) adopted a family of four through the local Salvation Army. They bought dozens of toys, piles of clothing and hundreds of dollars in grocery gift cards to provide a joyous holiday for the three children and one adult.
Colorado Service Center’s Silver Key Donations filling the bed of a truck.
The EAC in Colorado Springs asked employees to purchase high-protein, nonperishable foods and personal care items for Silver Key Senior Services, which gives assistance to the elderly, many of whom are shut-ins or have very little family support.
The donations helped stock the emergency food pantry, which gets depleted during the holidays. Our employees brought in enough food and care items to fill the bed and cab of an EAC member’s pickup truck.
TAKEAWAY: See the many ways that we say thanks to the men and women who make our communities better, by visiting the Community Impact page of our blog, https://mycalcas.com/community.
by California Casualty | Behind the Scenes, Calcas Connection |
Super Bowl LIV: the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs was a very special game for us here at California Casualty. Not only was it the biggest football game of the year, but it was also the most important to our offices
As you might know, our headquarters are in San Mateo (SMO), California, 30 minutes outside of San Francisco; however, we also have a service center located in Kansas City (KSC).
So, in honor of both of our favorite teams facing off against each other, we decided to come together and do the same. As a company, we created our own in-office Super Bowl named, “Super Bowl LIV: Battle of the Offices.”
The Battle of the Offices may not have been as aggressive as the big game, but it was every bit as intense, as the offices battled against each other to raise money for local charities. CalCas employees in each office put money down on their Super Bowl favorite, knowing all proceeds would go to a charity in the hometown of the winner.
To encourage participation, a CalCas executive in each office agreed to match each donation up to the first $100, but thanks to our amazing employees ‒ and the raffle of a Patrick Mahomes jersey ‒ donations started pouring in and those numbers were quickly bypassed!
To keep track of who was in the lead, daily emails were sent to employees, along with some “friendly” trash-talking, of course. As the week went on and anticipation for the Super Bowl grew larger, so did the Battle of the Offices. Remote employees and field marketing managers living in different states even started sending in their donations to join in on the fun.
The offices were neck and neck all the way up until the end, much like the last half of the Super Bowl, but in this battle, California ultimately came out ahead.
The final tally was SMO: $640 – KSC: $623. Making the grand total = $1,263.
However, bragging rights is the only thing SMO will have to show for their victory, because the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in a come-from-behind victory against the San Francisco 49ers! Meaning all proceeds raised from the Battle of the Offices will go to the Sunflower House, a non-profit children’s advocacy and abuse prevention center in the Kansas City metro area.
Thank you to both offices for all of the hard work you put in to make the Battle of the Offices a success, and congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs ‒ your Super Bowl LIV Champions!
TAKEAWAY: To see what other fun activities California Casualty’s employees enjoy, follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest and visit our blog at MyCalCas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators |
Want to have cute Valentines to pass out to your class, but don’t want to pay out-of-pocket? Download our free Valentine’s Day Educator Printables!
California Casualty has been insuring educators for over half a century, so we know the amount of stress you are under to find creative ways to teach on a tight budget. That is why we created Educator Printables- a library of printables that teachers can download to use in their lesson plans completely free of charge! You can view our Valentine’s Day Printable collection below or click here to view the whole library.
Just right click and save or drag to your desktop, Happy Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day Treat Tags
Valentine’s Day Student Cards
Customizable Valentine’s Candy Hearts
If you have an idea for a printable or would like a custom printable with a special theme, your classroom motto, favorite quote, etc. send us a message on our Facebook page @CaliforniaCasualty and we will design your own personal Educator Printable for 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.
by California Casualty | Auto Insurance Info, Safety |
Snowy and icy roads are the cause over a hundred thousand accidents every year, according to the US Department of Transportation. One of the most common, and arguably the most dangerous, parts about driving in the winter is hitting a hidden patch of ice called black...
