ROCKFORD MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY NAMES MICHELLE SPATES, FARM LINES UNDERWRITER, ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR FOR 2019

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company looks to recognize an exceptional associate every year with our Associate of the Year Award. This year, a hard working associate was nominated by her peers to be recognized as our 2019 recipient. Please join us in congratulating Farm Lines Underwriter, Michelle Spates, for this outstanding achievement!

Our Associate of the Year Program

RMIC began selecting and naming outstanding associates in 2018 with our Associate of the Month recognition. Associates of Rockford Mutual vote for one individual who truly goes above and beyond in their position on a monthly basis. The nominees are judged based on how their efforts align with our company’s core values of service, relationships, teamwork, integrity, prudence and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Ironically, Michelle Spates was one of our very first Associates of the Month! She earned her recognition for January of 2019.

This program was such a hit with our associates that we decided to take it one step further with our Associate of the Year Award! The best part? Several associates who have previously been recognized as an Associate of the Month make up our voting committee! Collectively, they decide which nominees are most worthy of the recognition based on the comments received.

The decision was a tough one, as there are multiple Rockford Mutual associates who put their best foot forward every day - but Michelle Spates took the cake! Michelle started her career at Rockford Mutual in 2014 as an Underwriting Assistant. Michelle quickly progressed into a Personal Lines Underwriting position in 2016, and challenged herself two years later by becoming the company’s sole Farm Lines Underwriter. Spates was raised on a local farm, giving her an excellent background to be the farm underwriter for Rockford Mutual.

Working With Powerful Values


Michelle has always challenged herself to learn more about our industry in addition to how different risks apply to different farming operations. She earned her Associate in General Insurance Designation (AINS) in June of 2018 and is working on obtaining her Agribusiness and Farm Insurance Specialist designation (AIFS). Additionally, Spates attends the NAMIC Agricultural Risk Inspection School and AgriCon’s IRMI Agribusiness Conference annually. In her nominations, Michelle was highlighted for her focus on our core values of service, relationships and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

“Since Michelle took over Farm underwriting responsibilities, we have experienced a significant increase in the amount of new business issued with Farm and Farm Umbrella policies.”, says Michael Wall, AVP of Underwriting at RMIC, “Michelle prides herself in doing a good job not only for her agents, but for RMIC too.”

Michelle’s ability to work with our agents, and in turn, build and create great relationships with them, is having a favorable and direct impact on the amount of new Farm business being submitted.

Associate of the Year, Michelle Spates, said, “When our CEO called my name for the award, I couldn’t believe I had won! There are so many fantastic associates in our company, so I was extremely humbled to receive this recognition. I come to work every day and give it my all, and in the end, that’s the best that we all can do."

We are delighted to have such a hard working, friendly and productive individual on our Underwriting team. It’s associates like Michelle that help to set Rockford Mutual up for success - Thank you for all that you do Michelle, and
CONGRATULATIONS!