Tennessee Young Agents '22 Future Leaders Spotlight

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We are pleased to spotlight CJ Hutsenpiller. CJ is the owner and principal of Hutsenpiller Insurance Agency located in Mt. Juliet, just outside of Nashville. He is a secondgeneration owner having just completed the purchase of the agency from his mother, Tina Hutsenpiller. (see photo of CJ and Tina)

First, some history about the origins of the agency is in order. Over the years, Tina Hutsenpiller worked at multiple insurance agencies in the Nashville market before landing at The Kneeland Agency in the Berry Hill area of Nashville. In 1992, Tina decided she wanted to spend more time with her kids and less time commuting and started Hutsenpiller Insurance out of the family garage. It should be recognized that in 1992, CJ’s mom was a bit of a trailblazer in the insurance industry opening her own independent agency. There simply were not many women owned independent agencies. Since then, Tina Hutsenpiller, her son CJ and the staff have grown the agency to serve thousands of clients across the Nashville area and the state. Today, the agency employs fifteen insurance professionals.

CJ Hutsenspiller started working for the agency as a receptionist around 14 years ago. He is proud to say that he has held every position in the agency over his career and has a firm understanding of the role of each position. This experience clearly has proven invaluable to him as he leads the agency forward and invests in the development and success of his colleagues.

From early on, CJ was intrigued by technology and how it can be used in the service of agency operations and the delivery of an exceptional customer experience. From those first days in the agency, CJ had an inquisitive mind wondering why things were done the way they were, and could they be done better. He suggests he inherited this trait from his mother who embraced technology and agency automation early in the life of the agency. In fact, the agency was paperless before the end of 2006, at a time when many peer agencies were not there yet. CJ’s interest in technology within the context of the agency and in general has been instrumental in the success of the agency.

CJ mentions two inflection points in his career closely related to major natural events here in Nashville. The first involved the May 2010 floods when Nashville experienced a one thousand year flood event that devastated much of the area. It was then he had to inform thirteen of his personal insurance clients they had no coverage for the homes they had just lost in the flood. None of the thirteen clients had flood insurance like many across the region. It should be noted this was a story that was repeated many times by many agencies across Middle Tennessee relative to the lack of flood insurance. The memory of those thirteen moments seared into CJ’s brain. It moved him to rededicate himself to thoroughly learn insurance coverages and to commit to communicating with prospective clients and current clients about potential areas of risk and the coverages available to mitigate their exposure to loss. To this day, one of the mantras of the agency is to “over communicate” to clients to make certain they have a better understanding of insurance and coverages.

John Brock is the incoming Director of the Young Agents group of the Insurors of Tennessee in 2023. John is a Partner and Producer with Brock Insurance with offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Rossville, Georgia. He is a graduate of Ole Miss where he earned a degree in Risk Management. Her is very active in his community and will be a great leader for Young Agent initiatives in 2023.

What are you most looking forward to as YA Director?

I’m looking forward to building on all the work done by the committee and past YA Director Matt Felgendreher. We’re all passionate about what we do and look forward to putting that energy into our plans for the industry in 2023.

Have you held any other leadership positions?

I’ve been involved with a few locally in Chattanooga, including Associated General Contractors, BLOC, Chattanooga Rotaract, and now alumni council member at The McCallie School.

What opportunities do you see for Young Agents in 2023? Charitable and social events, statewide networking with insurance professionals, YA focused annual conference, tools and resources to build on or continue a prosperous career, and continuing education opportunities. We also can gain a better understanding what the Insurors does for agencies and learn about legislative topics that affect our industry.

What is the importance of YA involved in the Association?

It is crucial for the perpetuation of the industry itself. Without YA involvement, our neighbors/community leaders will be at an extreme disadvantage in relation to what our peers have done for 130 years. Being involved in YA will help you gain skills to be a better associate in your agency. It’s our duty to keep the momentum going and elevate each other.

What have you gotten from participating in YA events?

I enjoy the high-quality, in-person education during the meetings. I consistently come out of these events with new friends, a deeper understanding of resources, skills to better serve my clients, and ways to be a great team player to the associates in our agency. I look forward to the new events we are planning for 2023.

Your attorney clients know their firm inside and out. You know your markets and your competitors. At Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, we have the capabilities and the financial strength to meet the risk needs of insureds for Lawyer’s Professional Liability. Whether the risk is basic or complex, we believe there’s only one way to arrive at the right solution. And that’s to work together and combine your experience with our expertise and your strengths with our skills. Long-term relationships bring long-term benefits. We’re smarter together.

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