Hg Magazine - Q4 2008

2008 vol. 01 Going Green at Work and Play After Hours Drink Guide Heffernan Giving Back

Years of Independence

Profiles: Scudder Roofing Rubicon Bakery Albertina Kerr Centers

Workers’ Compensation Is Not A Commodity A lthough workers’ comp is a statutory benefit, workers’ comp products are not all the same. Claims don’t cost the same to everybody. Claims handling and safety services affect premiums. And how injured workers are treated by their insurance company makes a big difference in an employer’s overall insurance costs. CompWest is proud to offer a different kind of product, Workers’ Compensation With Care℠, through Heffernan Insurance Brokers. What has your insurance company done for you lately? For more information, contact us at [email protected].

OneBeacon Proudly Helps Power

Heffernan Insurance Brokers in their Charitable Giving Efforts

Together, we are honored to give back to nonprofits in our community.

Contents:

p18 Profiles: 04

A Letter From Mike

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Feature Story: Heffernan: Twenty Years in the Making, by Linda Wagar

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The Numbers: Heffernan Timeline and Financials

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Scudder Roofing, On Top of It All by Gregg Hibbeler

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Giving Back, A Look at Heffernan’s Charitable Giving Program, by Gregg Hibbeler

Rubicon Bakery, Sweet Success, by Nancy Lewis and Scott Lewis

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Heffernan Giving Guide, researched by Mollie McWilliams

Albertina Kerr Centers, A Century of Care by Ann Mohler Basco

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Heffernan Gives: Garee Lee Smith Scholarship Fund, by Ann Mohler Basco

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Culture: 22

Heffernan Family Tree, by Gregg Hibbeler

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Fitness Guru, by Linda Wagar

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The Simple Steps to Green, by Linda Wagar

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After Hours Drink Guide, by Ann Mohler Basco

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From Dogs to Babies, and Being a Working Mom, by Ann Mohler Basco

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CONNECT! A Benefit for 13 Nonprofits, by Ann Mohler Basco

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The Heffernan Family, On Our Own Time, by Ann Mohler Basco

HG Magazine Staff

Carl Posey

Publisher Executive Editor Senior Editor/Senior Writer Design Firm/Creative Director Art Director/Graphic Designer Photographer

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Linda Wagar

Mike Heffernan Ann Mohler Basco Linda Wagar SaperPaper/Lisa Saper Luther Knox Carl Posey

By Heffernan Insurance Brokers 1350 Carlback Drive, Suite 200 • Walnut Creek, CA 94596 925.934.8500 • heffgroup.com • License: #0564249

Janna Thompson Walnut Creek Receptionist

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Letter From Mike

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elcome to our first annual HG Magazine, designed to be part feature magazine, part annual report. As President and CEO of the Heffernan Group, I am pleased to share this with you, our trusted clients, partners, and friends.

In this first issue, we’ve chosen to profile two incredible nonprofits, Rubicon Programs in Richmond, California, and the Albertina Kerr Centers in Portland, Oregon. We are proud to have worked with them over the years. It’s important to us as a business to find a balance between being profitable and giving back to the community. At Heffernan, we give a significant percentage of profits to charity every single year, and we hope to continue to do so, at an increased level, so we can help organizations like Rubicon and Albertina Kerr do great things in the communities where we do business. You’ll notice as you thumb through the pages of HG Magazine that we place a lot of emphasis on family at Heffernan. Early in 2007, we counted 52 relatives working among us, out of a total of just under 400 employees overall. We take that as a huge compliment, knowing that nobody would suggest their son or daughter work at a place unless it was a great place to work. Our family-based culture is the cornerstone of our success. We have found that giving our employees the latitude to put family first makes them better, more responsible, and ultimately happier employees.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are very proud of everything Heffernan has become. It’s a great place to work, a place that gives back, a place that supports education, a place that puts family first, and a place where people can have fun. Because of this, I believe it’s a place that attracts the best talent in the insurance industry. I hope reading through the pages of HG Magazine, you will see that Heffernan is so much more to us than just a business, it’s our extended family. We are honored to work here, and spend our days alongside some of the best, brightest, caring and fun-loving people in the industry.

F. Michael Heffernan This year Heffernan has added some great new components to our corporate office, namely our wellness program and our green initiative. We highlight both of these new directions in the magazine, and look forward to reducing not only our collective carbon footprints, but our cholesterol levels too!

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by Gregg Hibbeler

A HOUSE, A FAMILY, A BUSINESS In 1974, Pete Scudder finished high school in Walnut Creek and moved to the Monterey Peninsula with $500 and an entrepreneurial spirit he had yet to discover. Once in Monterey, he quickly found work with a high school friend’s family business, C.L. Frost Roofing, and worked there as a laborer during the day while he attended college at night.

While Pete established himself as a dedicated worker and

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accomplished roofer, he found the inconsistency of work a strain on his new position in life. He reflected, “I had a wife, a mortgage, a 6-month-old girl and another baby on the way, so sitting around waiting for work wasn’t an option. I decided to go back to school to get my contractor’s license”. Pete and his wife, Karen, started Scudder Roofing out of their home in Prunedale during early 1982. Karen handled the bookkeeping and children while Pete took care of the rest. Neither of them knew what would happen, but both of them believed in the business, their abilities and each other, and they put their heart and soul into building Scudder Roofing from the ground up. As the years passed, the company quickly grew from their small home office into its current headquarters and warehouse facility in Marina, including a state-of-the-art product showroom and more than 65 employees. “Pete has evolved over the years and has really taken his business to the next level through his forecasting and planning,” said Dan Mahoney, Heffernan’s agent to Scudder Roofing. “He’s a ‘big picture’ thinker that runs his business in an honest and fair manner.” Pete is a hands-on CEO who believes in showing kindness and concern for others as well as getting the job done right the first time. Well liked by colleagues and respected by his peers, Pete says, “I like to treat my employees like family members and always have an open-door policy.” Pete also takes great pride in watching his children grow within the business he and Karen started all those years ago. While Karen has since retired from day-to-day business activities, two of Pete’s three daughters now work alongside him in the business; Jennifer Balesteri is a Production Manager and Kelly Scudder is the company’s Human Resource Manager. With support from their father, these women look to take the Scudder Roofing tradition into the next generation.

A COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS AND THE COMMUNITY Pete Scudder and his team have created a business practice that is respected by both the industry and the clients they serve. “Team Scudder” can provide specialized residential custom re-roofing to larger commercial and industrial projects. They specialize in serving the Monterey Peninsula and beyond, including Salinas, Monterey, Marina, Seaside, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove, Carmel and Carmel Valley. Pete states, “Our unique location on the Central Coast brings us in contact with a diverse array of homes with different architectural designs and varied landscape terrain.” In recognition of the company’s accomplishments and ingenuity, Scudder Roofing has won Contractor of the Year honors from both the Monterey Builders Exchange (1989) and Salinas Valley Builders Exchange (2004). It’s a devotion to the job at hand and a total commitment to exceptional service, including a promise of 100% customer satisfaction, which sets Scudder Roofing apart from the rest. Pete pledges, “We need to take care of the people who take care of our customers, because our employees need to be happy before we can make our customers happy.” It sounds simple, but it all begins at the receptionist’s desk and follows through to all levels of the organization, including sales, administration, finance and everything in between. It goes back to a discussion that Mike Heffernan and Pete had years ago about running the business like a business, and is seen in Scudder Roofing’s commitment to full-time employees in production, safety and quality control, customer service, sales, human resources, accounts receivable and payable and warehouse management. This emphasis on people, and an annual investment of more than $50,000 in field, customer relations and application training, has enabled Scudder Roofing to boast an average employee turnover rate of nearly eight years, far above the roofing industry average of less than two years.

Yet, at Scudder Roofing, it’s not all about business. Pete and his family are generous supporters of many non-profit, charitable organizations, including Rancho Cielo ( Salinas Youth Center), YMCA Salinas, Miracle House Program, Hospice Foundation, Monterey Peninsula College Athletic Center, Common Ground, Marina Youth Soccer, and the Monterey Bay Area Boy Scouts chapter, of which Pete will become president in 2009. With respect to the scouts, Pete insists,“It’s better to get them in a ‘good gang’ when they’re young, rather than a ‘bad gang’ later on.” THE HEFFERNAN CONNECTION Knock, knock, who’s there? Mike Heffernan, that’s who. The relationship began more than 20 years ago when Mike walked to the front door of Pete Scudder’s home on Paradise Road. The two immediately hit it off and their business relationship was formed. When Mike started the Heffernan Insurance Group, Pete identified the same entrepreneurial business spirit he saw in himself and relied on Mike and his new agency for his future insurance needs. “Mike has been more than an agent to our business,” said Pete, “he’s become a close friend and valued advisor. It was Mike who first opened my eyes to the concept of running Scudder Roofing as a business entity, rather than a simple contract roofing company. Now, it’s obvious that we’re a contractor, but we have a comprehensive business strategy unlike many of our competitors.” Mike is a volunteer board member for Scudder Roofing and has been instrumental in its growth. Pete credits Mike with providing sound business advice throughout the years. Pete acknowledges, “For the past eight years, Dan Mahoney has been our Heffernan representative, and he’s consistently provided excellent service in a timely manner. When Dan’s not available, I know I’ll be able to speak with a knowledgeable Heffernan employee. They have a great team and have been very responsive to my workman’s compensation issues. It’s obvious that Dan and the Heffernan employees know their business, but I appreciate how they care about mine. It’s also comforting to know that they have the freedom to make decisions on their own.”

Dan Mahoney confides, “Scudder Roofing is one of my very best clients. Unlike some private business owners, Pete is very open to suggestions. In fact, his collaboration with the Scudder board of directors has resulted in development of an impressive safety program and reduction in liability costs.” “WE STAND UNDER OUR ROOFS.” Pete recalls, “Back in the early ‘80s, I saw the need for a roofing company based on a commitment to quality and excellence.” With their motto to support them, Pete, his family and his dedicated staff still hold true to this philosophy.

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Team Scudder’s philosophy is simple: Treat each customer as our ONLY customer. With over 25 years serving the Central Coast, Scudder’s reputation is second to none. From using the newest and safest equipment to offering the highest quality products at the best prices, Scudder Roofing brings a distinctive system unmatched by its competitors.

Scudder Roofing 3342 Paul Davis Drive Marina, California 93933 www.scudderroofing.com

It’s not all about chocolate cake, but it does keep coming up when you mention Rubicon Programs. Heffernan Senior Vice President Melani Conti remembers the first time she toured Rubicon’s facility. At the end of the tour, she says, those at Rubicon passed out samples of their mini chocolate cakes. “We couldn’t wait,” said Conti. “We ate them in the car on the way back, and had to call Rubicon to tell them how good they were.”

Those at Heffernan were sold on the chocolate cake.

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SWEET SUCCESS BY

NANCY LEWIS SCOTT LEWIS

Rubicon was sold on Heffernan. It’s been a winning partnership ever since. Rubicon Programs is a nonprofit that opened its doors in Richmond, California, in 1973, focusing on those with mental disabilities. “At the time, then—Governor Reagan was closing a lot of the state hospitals. Richmond was an affordable community, and drew those who were being released,” said Rubicon Executive Director Jane Fischberg. “The idea was to create a community of acceptance for them.” Today Rubicon has a broad reach, providing employment, housing, legal and mental health services for more than 4,000 people throughout the Bay Area. The goal is to remove as many barriers as possible to self-sufficiency. “We have two businesses that provide employment and training opportunities to people we serve,” said Fischberg. “We also connect people with employers in the regular open market. We place about 300 people a year in employment. When we work with an employer we are making a case to the employer that the person we’re preparing is as good or better than someone else they’ve hired. When they hire through us, they get a guarantee of employer satisfaction.” Jessica Wright is one of those who needed help finding a job. “I’d been couch surfing, staying with friends and families on their couches with no stable place to lay my head. It was very stressful for me and my daughter, Sydney,” Wright recalled. Wright had been out of work for more than a year. She was recently divorced, and had run into what she calls a stretch of bad luck. Someone suggested she call Rubicon Programs. Through the organization she was able to get a job with a local biotechnology firm packing boxes. After three months, she was offered an interview for permanent employment with the biotech firm. Instead she decided to make a career at Rubicon, helping those like herself. She accepted a job in Rubicon’s Career Center. She showed clients how to navigate the internet, set up email accounts, and job search. “It was wonderful. It was a great transition,” said Wright. In early 2008, Wright was promoted to Employment Specialist. She finds and develops jobs, meets with employers to make contacts for Rubicon, and provides job retention support and vocational assessment for those who are in the same position she was not long ago. “This is my dream job,” Wright said. “It’s a fulfilling opportunity for me because I get the chance to put them

back on the road to being who they desire to be.” Many of those Wright sees are fresh from Rubicon Bakery. The bakery offers training to those entering or re-entering the workforce. It’s a chance for them to get back into the routine of showing up for a job on time, taking direction, and working with a team. This, by the way, is where the chocolate cake comes in. For more than 15 years, Rubicon Bakery has been making all-natural bakery products from scratch. Workers blend small batches of fresh, select ingredients and finish each product by hand to create delectable desserts. “My favorite Rubicon cake is the turtle cake,” said Wright. “It’s a rich chocolate on chocolate experience. It’s complete ecstasy with surprise pockets of caramel.” The bakery, Rubicon’s landscape service, and tenant rents bring in about half of Rubicon’s revenues each year. Of the balance, the bulk comes from public funding. Almost all of the rest comes from from foundations and corporations. “For most nonprofits, the hardest money to raise is that which doesn’t have an earmark,” says Rubicon’s Executive Director Jane Fischberg. “Our government money has to be spent in a very specific way. When we get an unrestricted gift to make improvements in our management information

systems, or to do needed repairs on our facility, it’s critical.” For the past few years, Rubicon has received funds from Heffernan’s Charitable Giving Program. Last year, the Charitable Giving Program gave out $280,000 in grant money to charities throughout the Bay Area. Heffernan’s commitment to Rubicon doesn’t end there. Many Heffernan employees volunteer at Rubicon. Melani Conti is one of them. “A big party of Heffernan employees went over to the Rubicon Career Center and spent the day painting rooms,” said Conti. “It was so much fun. And again, they gave us chocolate cake at the end.” Conti said whether she’s volunteering or calling on Rubicon as a client, the attitude and atmosphere at Rubicon are always the same. “I have found in working with them, that the people are just different. You walk into their office and they always greet you with a smile,” said Conti. “I know this sounds sappy, but just say their name and I get a warm happy feeling. They’re really nice people.” Employee Jessica Wright says that comes from the top down. Those at Rubicon are happy, she said, because they know they’re making a difference. “I’m so excited to give somebody a ray of hope. If you use the resources correctly and listen to their guidance, the sky is the limit,” Wright said. Wright has gone from “couch surfing”

to renting a home. Her daughter is enrolled in a pre-school not far from Rubicon. “She’s thriving and growing and learning,” Wright said of her daughter. “Even little babies can sense when their parents are in distress. Her little shoulders are down and able to relax cause she knows Mommy’s happy now.” The company hopes to provide even more sweet endings this year, expanding workforce services in southern Alameda County and San Francisco. Those expansions will take more money. For individuals who want to help, there’s a tempting solution. Of course you can make a donation. You can also go online, and buy a little chocolate cake. If you’d like to join Heffernan in its support of Rubicon Programs, you can make a donation to support all of Rubicon’s programs by visiting their website at www.rubiconprograms.org or you can order Rubicon’s cakes online and have them delivered to your home, by going to www.rubiconbakery.com.

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Heffernan: Twenty Years in the Making by Linda Wagar

“Honesty, openness,

and success.” At 28 years old, Mike Heffernan was frustrated with his job at a large brokerage firm. His then-wife gave him some sound advice. “She said either deal with it or do something else.” So he bought a failing company and molded it after the ideals he believed in: You could be successful without being cutthroat. Honesty always sells. And if you treat everyone with respect, they’ll respect you in return. Breaking out on his own was a bold step for someone with less than five years of experience in the insurance business. But Heffernan said he wasn’t nervous, at least not at first. ”I had confidence that I could sell insurance,” said Heffernan. That confidence was slightly shaken once he realized the company he’d bought came saddled with $250,000 in bad debt.

“I was a little nervous then,” he acknowledged. But with a start-up staff of 10 employees, Heffernan soon transformed company finances and the world’s image of insurance brokerage firms. At a time when many of his competitors are stagnating, the Heffernan Group is growing. In 2008, it had 420 employees, 73 million in revenue and 11 offices in five states. Last year, it was named the 9th largest independent broker in the United States by Insurance Journal Magazine. To figure out the secret to Heffernan’s success, you have to start at the top. Mike Heffernan was a self-described “leftist hippie” in college. He never thought he’d go into insurance even though his father had made a successful career of it. “I never really knew what he did when I was growing up,” Heffernan admitted.

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Instead Heffernan studied African and Islamic history at the University of Santa Clara and toyed with becoming a history teacher. A free trip to London changed his mind and altered his life. He agreed to participate in a training program at Lloyds of London and found it surprisingly exciting. It was that excitement that won him over. “I enjoy life and I never understood why work is something you shouldn’t enjoy,” said Heffernan. He enjoyed selling insurance so much that he quickly became one of the top producers in every firm he joined, including his father’s. He said he was fortunate to learn from some of the best in the business, people who taught him the basic tenet of good sales: Never ignore the customer.

Advice he has never forgotten. “I’m successful because I responded to people,” said Heffernan. “Someone called me and I called right back.” He also enjoyed mentoring younger sales people but quickly realized that wasn’t a skill you could earn a living from at most large firms. “They did not compensate you to be a manager,” said Heffernan. Now at the helm of his own firm, Heffernan’s focus is on mentoring. He teaches people how to sell better and in the process how to live better. For starters, he doesn’t like arrogant sales people. He’ll fire them even if they are making him money. “Egos just can’t fit here,” said Heffernan. “We are all in it together.” Blame it on his socialist bent. Or blame it on his dad. “My dad taught me there is no need to be ruthless. He did well and he was unbelievably honest.” Heffernan is honest about everything except possibly his age. He’s 49. But he prefers to be thought of as 48. He said his grandfather always took a year off his real age and Heffernan, being superstitious, decided to do the same. Superstitious you say? He always keeps his dad’s wristwatch and his grandfather’s American Legion pin in his briefcase, along with a piece of the first wallet he ever owned. He said superstition served him well in the competitive world of high school baseball. He’d wear the same stirrups to every game and never used a new mitt until he’d replaced the leather string in it with the one from his lucky old mitt. Now that he’s in the über-competitive world of insurance, he’s not throwing his superstitions away. Heffernan’s honesty, openness and success (and quite possibly that wallet fragment in his briefcase) have helped him build a staff of dedicated employees. Melani Conti has been with the Heffernan Group for 20 years. She appreciates Heffernan’s philosophy of camaraderie and family. Conti said many of her coworkers are also her friends and some of them are even her own family.

“At one point in time, every single one of my kids worked at Heffernan,” said Conti, who at the end of a long work day was playing with her grandson in her office. Conti, who raised four children as a working mother, said she clicked with a company that appreciated her role as a parent as well as an employee. Heffernan, who has two children of his own, offers employees a flexible schedule with every other Friday off. Employees aren’t penalized if they occassionally have to come in late or leave early because of their children’s schedule. Children are welcome in the workplace. Conti said it’s not unusual to see dogs and kids running around the office. Conti is typical of many Heffernan employees in that as the company has grown so have her responsibilities. Conti still remembers the day Heffernan promoted her from account manager to sales. “He gave me a little brochure and sent me out,” said Conti. “I remember hyperventilating in the parking lot.” But by the end of the day, she had written her first account for $2,500 to Calco Fence Company. It’s a client she still has to this day. Now Conti oversees Heffernan’s nonprofit divison. Catering to nonprofits was one of Heffernan’s early secrets of success. Mike Heffernan realized that few insurance companies were aggressively going after that segment of the market. Heffernan assigned sales people to focus solely on nonprofits and become specialists. He wanted them to understand the strengths and weaknesses of nonprofits and talk to them as peers, not salespeople.

“We go to their functions and go to their conferences,” said Conti. “When they have a question, we know the answer.” A strategy that may sound obvious now, but was groundbreaking 20 years ago. Back then nonprofits had an image problem with insurance companies and Heffernan sought to change that. Many nonprofits were forced to buy their workers’ compensation insurance through a state fund because insurance companies weren’t interested in them. “They thought they were a bunch of mom and pops,” said Conti. Heffernan invested $4 million of its own capital to form a captive insurance group which markets exclusively to nonprofits. Now it’s a $30 million a year business. Over the years, Heffernan’s nonprofit client list has kept growing. Today it includes Goodwill, the YMCA, United Way, Rubicon Industries and Boys and Girls Clubs. Serving nonprofits has rubbed off on Conti. Like every Heffernan employee, she donates four days a year to volunteering at a charity. Plus she’s made room in her budget for regular contributions to a nonprofit she doesn’t even insure (at least not yet!), the Humane Society. Her passion for the Humane Society is no surprise to those who have visited her home with its four dogs and three cats. “It’s my kids who bring all the animals home,” said Conti. “I’m just a soft touch.” John Tallarida joined Heffernan in 1991 as a 26-year-old with four years of experience in the insurance business. He was looking for a new challenge. “I was looking for a firm where I could get equity and be part of the growth,” said Tallarida. “It’s exceeded all my wildest expectations.” Tallarida remembers his first company photo. It had 19 people. Now he oversees three times that many running Heffernan’s Palo Alto office and regional operating center in Southern California. Tallarida credits Heffernan’s growth to a single philosophy: “We are sales people whose product is insurance, rather than insurance people who are trying to sell,” said Tallarida. He said that philosophy encourages a more creative sales force, one that doesn’t stop selling once it’s sold all the products it has. It keeps looking for new markets. Tallarida said his favorite conversation is when a client presents him with a challenge by asking him for a type of coverage that doesn’t yet exist. “We don’t like the plain vanilla stuff,” said Tallarida. “We’ve always been attracted to the harder stuff.” One of Tallarida’s first challenges as

a Heffernan employee was helping find insurance for mid-sized law firms. “Eighteen years ago mid-sized law firms had very limited options. Because they were small, they were charged high rates for professional liability and malpractice,” said Tallardia. Heffernan solved the problem by convincing insurance companies to create an exclusive package for Heffernan’s clients. “It was less cost and broader coverage,” said Tallarida. “It had a lot of bells and whistles that nobody else back then was even offering.” Tallarida said that type of vision continues at Heffernan even as the company has grown. “Mike made a move nine years ago that a lot of people thought was crazy,” said Tallarida. Heffernan took two of his most successful sales people (Tallarida and Steve Williams) and put them into management. The goal was for them to teach others, not only about sales but about Heffernan’s culture. It was a strategy that worked. “All have the same value set,” said Tallarida. “We all drink the same Kool-Aid.” When Mike Heffernan convinced Robin Newman to join his then—fledgling company 18 years ago some may have thought she was crazy. Joining the Heffernan Group meant taking a cut in pay and instead of managing 50 people, she dropped to 10. So why did she do it? “I had the utmost respect for Mike and his abilities,” recalled Newman, who actually trained Mike at her former firm. “I just knew he would be successful. He was a good sales person. I was good at internal operations.” But Newman said her ultimate decision to follow Heffernan was because of how he treated people. “Say someone you work with is going through a bad time in their personal life,” Newman said. “Mike is not the type of person who will say knuckle down. He’ll say treat them better. It’s only human nature for people to have their ups and downs.” Newman, who retired from her position as chief operating officer in January, plans to spend more time with her husband, who is already retired. But she’s only leaving completely for six months. After that she’ll be returning on a part-time basis to work on special projects. “I don’t think I could have broken the tie completely,” she said. “I really do love what I’m doing.”

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Newman said if she had to pinpoint what makes Heffernan different than other brokerage firms, it’s the philosophy that’s captured in the firm’s motto: Answer the phone and have fun. “The worst thing you can do is not return a phone call,” Newman said. As for having fun? That’s what she’s been doing for the last 18 years.

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Joanne Larson was working for the company Mike Heffernan acquired 20 years ago. She just never left. “I am one of those forever people,” said Larson. “I always knew Mike was going to do something great. He’s not afraid to try anything.” Larson said she was immediately impressed with his open-door philosophy. “If I am concerned about something I go in and see him,” said Larson. It didn’t surprise her when Heffernan was named one of the top three best places to work in the Bay Area. “We work hard and we play hard,” said Larson. “There’s a lot of energy.” She said her co-workers have become part of her extended family. They often have lunch together and go on company outings on Heffernan’s boat or wine tasting in Napa Valley or relaxing at the company’s Healdsburg retreat. “It brings us all together in a different atmosphere,” said Larson. Like many Heffernan employees, Larson’s daughter Christina Fairchild also works for the company. Fairchild started working for Heffernan in high school then left to try opportunities at other companies. After a few years, she returned to Heffernan. “She really wanted to come back here,” said Larson. “She said the other agency was so behind the times in how it treated its employees.” Mike Heffernan recognized Yvette Prichard’s potential soon after she started working for the company 16 years ago as a receptionist. She was still in college and was planning to become a middle school teacher when Mike convinced her to consider a career in insurance. How did he change her mind? “It was somewhere in the realm of being able to make a lot more money than a teacher,” recalled Prichard. But it wasn’t the money that Prichard said convinced her to stay. It was Heffernan’s culture. She liked the way employees were treated and the way she was encouraged to undertake new challenges. “The sky is the limit and not the ceiling,” said Prichard, whose next goal is to reach the $2 million sales mark.

Now married to another Heffernan employee and with two young children, Prichard said her appreciation for Heffernan continues to grow. “We are all about everybody’s kids,” said Prichard. “It’s not about did you clock in at 8 am and clock out at 4 pm, as long as you are getting your work done,” said Prichard. She said working in the same business as her husband, John, has its perks. “I don’t think I could have been as successful as I am,” said Prichard, “if I was married to someone who didn’t understand what I do for a living.” Though she said they probably stay married because they don’t work directly together. “If I did, I would probably kill him,” said Prichard laughing. Prichard’s husband joined Heffernan 14 years ago. He said what immediately attracted him to Heffernan was its eagerness to seek out new markets and try new ideas, something he had rarely seen at a traditional brokerage firm. “At a large firm you are one of 30,000 employees,” said John Prichard, and it can be difficult to convince a large company (and its stockholders) to break from the mold. John Prichard now heads up Heffernan’s small accounts department, which is aggressively seeking out small and medium-sized businesses. Those are businesses most insurance companies ignore. “No one goes after small and medium businesses because they are less money for the same amount of work,” said John Prichard. But the Heffernan Group has discovered those accounts are perfect for training a fleet of bright new college graduates, plus providing small- and medium-sized businesses with the insurance they need. Heffernan Group is training 12 to 20 graduates a year (for the next five years) to handle these smaller commercial accounts. “We continue to restock the fire with younger aggressive sales people who have a lot of room to grow,” said Mike Heffernan. He said that constant source of young blood is a stimulus for everybody at the company because you can’t help but be inspired by the enthusiasm of new recruits. To help further prepare them for a career at Heffernan, those young graduates will attend classes at Heffernan Group University. John Prichard said the university was started a couple of months ago to provide training for new staff and to provide seasoned employees with continuing education. “By having our own programs we can control the quality,” said John Prichard.

“Plus it’s cost effective.” Looking back over 20 years, Mike Heffernan said he feels good that the same values that have helped the Heffernan Group grow are still an integral part of the company and its employees. At his 20th college reunion, Heffernan’s class gave him an award—“Biggest Pinko Commie Turned Capitalist Pig.” Heffernan just smiles at the memory. He said he’s the same guy he has always been. Still the die-hard liberal who believes that how you treat people is what really matters in the end. Heffernan’s goal for the next 20 years? “We want to keep having fun,” he said.

Jonathan Warlich, 17, son of HR Manager, Maria Warlich, works part time in the mailroom during spring break.

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by Ann Mohler Basco

Stephanie* was a young woman who could only communicate with a keyboard. But her feelings were completely clear as she smiled and hit the “yes” key, over and over again. Yes as the Heffernan volunteers constructed new planter boxes, Yes as they built a wheelchair-friendly picnic table and ramp, and yes as flowers were planted in the backyard of her Albertina Kerr Centers’ group home in Portland, Oregon.

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Albertina Kerr Centers C September 17, 2008 16th Annual Albertina Kerr Centers Foundation Classic at Langdon Farms Golf Club

2008 – 2009 Event Calendar

October 30, 2008 101st Board of Directors Annual Meeting & Community Awards

April 5, 2009 Portland’s Largest Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk

Heffernan Portland staff members Michal Mathews and Cindy Cromwell with Rhone Street residents.

Albertina Kerr Snapshot: • 1800 staff

• $32 million budget

• 900 volunteers

• 50,000+ plus volunteer hours each year

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Seeing Stephanie’s reaction is just one of the many experiences with Albertina Kerr Centers that keeps Heffernan Portland Vice President, Dawn St. Clair (and her entire family for that matter), hooked on volunteering. “I’ve got my grandchildren involved now,” she says, as she describes their annual 3 am pilgrimage to downtown Portland to volunteer for Kerr’s Race for the Roses 5K/half marathon. And that’s not all: Dawn has manned the phones for the public television telethon. She and Rick Allen, Heffernan Portland Branch Manager, volunteered together at Kerr’s Bones & Brew fundraiser and pitched in at the Kerr fall golf tournament. “When you see the looks of joy on these kids’ faces, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. “It’s hard not to raise your hand and say, ‘I’ll help!’ ” KERR’S HISTORY OF GIVING If Dawn sounds busy with “Kerr,” as it is known in Oregon, there’s a good reason. Kerr is one of the oldest and largest nonprofits in Oregon. It has been offering services to those in need for over 100 years, and has been a Heffernan client since 2003. It is the largest provider of services to people with developmental disabilities or mental health challenges in Oregon, with roughly 150 residents in group homes throughout the state. These are people who need help. They have either lost contact with family, have been institutionalized or have become wards of the state. Kerr’s programs offer a wide range of intensive treatment services for children with emotional or mental health challenges as well as support and skills training for youth and adults with developmental disabilities. From total 24-hour care to counseling and guidance, Kerr offers it. And its programs are

popular—it runs at 100% capacity, and always has a waiting list. A complex operation, Kerr boasts a complex fundraising and awareness arm to match. What started as a shelter for homeless men in 1907 has evolved into the largest provider for developmental disabilities in Oregon, with 1800 staff, 900 of whom are volunteers. Kerr operates four businesses, a restaurant, a gift shop, a thrift shop and an antique shop, staffed by 500 volunteers. With fundraising an ongoing goal, Kerr relies a lot on its volunteers. EVENTS OF ALL FLAVORS Says Annie Gannon, Kerr Communications Manager, “My job is great—I get to tell everyone what great work we do.” And she does it well through a packed calendar of well-publicized events, including the Race for the Roses 5K/half marathon, a spring gala and auction, a fall golf tournament, and more. Even with all these high-profile community events, Chris Krenk, Executive Director of Kerr, says Kerr’s biggest hurdle is still fundraising. “Resources are our biggest challenge,” he says. Part of the fundamental challenge for Kerr, he says, is that the people Kerr serves is an entirely different group than the people who help bring money into the organization. Therefore, an ongoing challenge is raising awareness of all of the good things Kerr does for a virtually voiceless group. “We try to broaden support with advocacy and awareness,” he says. Advocacy and awareness happens when Kerr partners with private businesses to adopt group homes. Private businesses like Heffernan Insurance Brokers. Two years ago, Heffernan’s

May 29, 2009 (Tentative) “Our annual gala, dinner and auction.

• 1,000 + plus people served each year

For more information call Albertina Kerr Centers’ Director of Annual Giving, Lee Carson Effmann at 503-239-8101.

• 100 years of service to Oregon

• 4 CEO/Presidents since 1907 21

Portland Branch adopted Kerr’s Rhone Street home, where staff members painted, gardened, cleaned up the yard, built outdoor furniture, and held picnics and BBQs to spend time and get to know the residents. PAYING IT FORWARD – ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS Heffernan staff member Judy Cluster refers to the experience as a really special time. To be able to see immediate rewards of one’s volunteer efforts is like no other experience. She says modestly, she “just likes to pay it forward.” And it’s not just Judy who enjoyed giving back. Her husband, Tim, not even a Heffernan employee, got in on the action. When Judy came home and told Tim that they needed to design a wheelchairfriendly picnic table, Tim simply pulled out a tablet and began sketching. The rest is history. Judy says, “We are just happy to contribute.” When asked which of the programs he is most proud, Krenk says, “It’s hard to choose.” He’s been in the nonprofit world for 36 years, and when he speaks about Kerr his passion and commitment are obvious. He’s particularly enthusiastic about a new direction Kerr is taking with one of its youth programs, an early intervention program for children, which is enjoying an impressive 85% success rate. It’s “a comprehensive approach to in-home therapy, called a Wraparound direction, affecting behavioral, parenting, school and mental health together.” With the spirit of giving alive and well in Portland, Kerr, with its talented team of caregivers, counselors, therapists and volunteers, is sure to continue on for another 100 years. If you are interested in helping, or wish to make a

donation, please call Annie Gannon, Kerr Communications Manager, at 503.408.4721, or visit Kerr on the web at albertinakerr.org. LIFE IN A GROUP HOME Candy*: A Melody of Coping and Growing Candy, a talented 48-year-old woman, lives in one of Albertina Kerr Centers’ group homes. She has an extremely severe seizure disorder and mental retardation. Earlier in her life, she lived in and out of institutions. She moved into a group home because she was unable to live on her own. The dedicated Kerr staff, who now care for Candy, nurture and support her to enjoy her interests and relationships outside of the home. Candy is a musician. She took piano lessons as a child and has always enjoyed playing music. Because of the generous donation of a beautiful piano by an Albertina Kerr Center board member, Candy began playing again—for her housemates—on her very own piano! *Stephanie and Candy’s names were changed to protect their identity.

A Family Affair by Gregg Hibbeler When you speak to a Heffernan employee, it’s not uncommon to hear, “My family comes first.” With Heffernan’s liberal employment policy, which encourages family members to work together, these family-first employees can have unlimited success in their careers while maintaining close familial ties in the workplace.

Jenni Beals and Jayme Beals

John Prichard Jr., Yvette Prichard and John Prichard Sr.

Cindy Batterson and Kayla Strang

Chris Watkins, LuAnn Watkins and Matt Johnson

Christina Fairchild and Joanne Larson

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Kelly Sprague and Amy Farr

Brian Dantzig and Kerry Dantzig

Julianna Race and Michelle Race

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Crystal Laliberte Micheal Hawkinson

The Sister Act (Palo Alto) This isn’t the first time sisters Crystal Laliberte and Micheal Hawkinson, account managers in the Palo Alto office, have worked together. In fact, both found a common workplace in a rest home as high school students. Crystal was the first to take a position at Heffernan. But Micheal joined her nearly two years ago when her agency, All West Insurance, was acquired by Heffernan. “Crystal was a great support to me after the acquisition,” says Micheal. “Everyone at the office was very helpful, but knowing that she was there for me was very beneficial. We joke about it now, but it was like having my own ‘personal trainer.’” For Micheal, it was a comfortable transition since she had met so many Palo Alto associates at Heffernan events as Crystal’s guest.

Although both sisters now have similar areas of responsibility, their work with different sales people and clients limit their daily interaction. Yet, with work stations nearly side by side, Crystal takes comfort in knowing she can ask her sister for advice, since Micheal has more account management experience under her belt.

members, was really special to us,” said Micheal.

“Because of our relationship, I think she’s much more tolerant of my questions. She’s been a great industry resource for me in my current role,” said Crystal.

Chips off the Old Block (Walnut Creek/San Francisco) Dan Mahoney, a producer in the Walnut Creek office, takes great pride in his daughters’ accomplishments. Jennifer Mahoney, executive assistant to Mike Heffernan, and Shannon Mahoney, business development manager for Socius, have both succeeded in finding their place within Heffernan.

Of special interest to the sisters is Heffernan’s volunteer program, offering paid time off for charitable work outside the office. “Crystal and I have both worked at the Second Harvest Food Bank, sorting canned goods for distribution to the less fortunate. Being able to share that time together, as co-workers and family

“It was Mike Heffernan who encouraged Jen to come on board,” said Dan. “With our families living so close, he’s known the girls since they were both children. I’m just proud to see them both doing so well in their positions, knowing that the opportunities now coming their way are based on the merits of their work.

Patrice E. Krems, appearing as Glenda the Good Witch in a production of The Wizard of Oz at a local community theater. Patrice made the dress, crown and wand herself.

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Shannon, Jen and Dan Mahoney

Plus, with Jen’s help, I can always track Mike down wherever he might be.” Jen said she and her sister have benefited from their father’s advice. “It’s especially satisfying knowing that we all work for the same company,” said Jen. “I enjoy hearing good things about each other’s business accomplishments that we might not hear otherwise.” It Runs In the Family (San Francisco) The insurance business and the Williams family go way back — nearly 150 years. It all started with Emil Garnsberger, who opened his first insurance agency back in the 1860s. Several generations later, Don Williams joined the family business in 1968 (which through a merger became Picetti and Williams) and eventually joined Heffernan in 1997. Steve Williams, Don’s nephew, worked part

time in the office while attending college, then accepted a position upon graduation. “Over the years, I’ve worked with my grandfather, father, brothers and just about everyone named Picetti or Williams in this city,” said Don. He’s continuing that tradition as Heffernan’s vice president in the San Francisco office, working alongside Steve, who is now the San Francisco branch manager and president of Heffernan Financial Services. As a descendant from such a lengthy family insurance tradition, Steve admits “It takes quite a bit of effort and determination to carry on the success of the family. With family members to guide you, it can be very helpful in the beginning when you’re just starting out, but it’s eventually up to you to build upon that and create your own successes.”

Don jokes that it can be confusing for people to have two Williams family members in the same office. “It’s true. I’m quite a bit older than Steve, but when people see the difference in our hairline they sometimes question who is the uncle and who is the nephew.” It’s All In the Family (Portland) Mark Herring, Laurie Kelley and Laurie’s sister Julie all knew each other in high school, but none had any idea how their lives would intertwine. Now, after 25 years of marriage to Julie, Mark is thankful to have his sister-in-law Laurie, helping him achieve success at work in the Portland office. “It was Mark who first brought me into the business, originally as a marketing assistant,” says Laurie. She didn’t hesitate to say yes. She had always gotten along well with her brother-in-law and was attracted to Heffernan’s flexible work schedule.

Mark says he wanted Laurie on his team because his business was growing quickly and he needed somebody to keep him on track. He says nobody can match Laurie when it comes to details.

Mark Herring

Laurie Kelley 26

“How many people do you know who alphabetize their spice racks? “ asks Mark. “Plus, she’s such a likable person and I knew she would work well with my clients.”

Their working relationship has continued for nearly seven years, with Laurie moving to an account manager position this past October, and receiving the honor of Portland’s 2007 Employee of the Year. “I took the job because I knew Mark would not let me fail,” says Laurie. “Mark is very direct and will make sure you understand and are comfortable with the situation, even if he needs to draw you a picture!” Laurie says it’s a running joke around the office that when Mark pulls out his trademark yellow notebook, you know he’s going to draw you a picture. “It’s true, he will literally draw you a picture on how we should approach a situation, but that’s why he’s such a great

trainer,” says Laurie. Laurie says she and Mark have made a conscious effort to define the line between family chatter at work and business talk outside the office. “We decided long ago that anything related to family stays with the family and anything about the office stays at the office,” says Laurie. “Mark respects my boundaries on family life, and I appreciate that.” Mark acknowledges that working with a family member has been a balancing act. “It’s just natural that our conversations outside of the office tend to gravitate towards business,” says Mark. “That’s when our spouses’ eyes roll. It’s important to be extra sensitive to the feelings of a family member, who is also a co-worker, since they tend to carry those feelings outside of the office environment.” There’s always a bit of the unexpected when working with family, like the time Mark’s 12-year-old son commented on his and Laurie’s twice annual business trips, “How come Auntie Laurie always goes on vacation with you?” It appears that Laurie isn’t the only one who pays attention to details. Familiarity Breeds Success In general, business experts agree that working with family members can be everything from pleasant, productive and rewarding to divisive, frustrating and decidedly unpleasant.

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Don Williams

Yet, these working family profiles show that trust is potentially the strongest element in a successful business relationship. It was Alex Haley, the famous Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the book Roots, who once said, “In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, a bridge to our future.”

Steve Williams

At Heffernan Insurance Brokers, the strength of the family bond is an integral part of the company’s past and the foundation of its future. There are many quotes regarding the importance of family, but to turn a phrase, it appears that at Heffernan Insurance the employees have mastered treating family as co-workers and clients like family.

A Look at Heffernan’s Charitable Giving Program by Gregg Hibbeler Since its formation in 1988, Heffernan Insurance Brokers has been giving back to the communities in which it does business. Heffernan believes in investing time, money and the unique talents of its employees in their nearby communities. By doing so, the company hopes to ensure the long-term viability of area nonprofits and better the quality of life for the residents they serve. Heffernan employees volunteer more than 900 hours a year outside the workplace, says Michelle Lonaker, Heffernan’s web and philanthropy manager. Employees participate in food drives with local food banks, home-building projects with Habitat for Humanity, and a variety of other local, school and community service activities. “What inspires us most are the hard-working, dedicated people we meet through these activities,” says Michelle.

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Community Volunteer Programs: Walnut Creek and We Care Services/Family Stress Center

Community Volunteer Programs: Orange and Habitat for Humanity

Heffernan first became involved with We Care Services for Children in 2006, after Melani Conti, Senior Vice President, attended a board meeting. “I was really touched by the many services they were providing for the children in our community, “Melani We Care Services for remembers. Barbara Langsdale, Children Vice President of Development for We Care is a private, We Care, says Heffernan’s employee nonprofit agency devoted volunteer program is a shining to serving children from birth to age five and example of what all communities their families. Its unique should do. approach emphasizes the development of the “No matter the job, their “whole child” by providing enthusiastic employees will be a variety of programs in Contra Costa County here to help,” says Barbara. “Over for special needs and the past few years, they’ve painted typically developing children. doors and hallways, stuffed Since 1960, We Care has envelopes, prepared gift baskets provided professional licensed therapists, and tended to our gardens and teachers and associates playgrounds. With nearly 10 acres that specialize in early childhood emotional and to maintain, and with buildings physical development, almost 40 years old, there’s always focusing on each child’s individual needs while something they can help us delivering therapeutic clean, repair or paint. What’s most intervention and early childhood education heartwarming about having the in a warm and caring Heffernan employees on site is that environment. they’re all so cheerful. They interact with each other more as friends, rather than co-workers.” Barbara says that aside from the center’s ongoing maintenance program, We Care will attempt to rebuild their outdoor playhouse and develop a tranquility garden this year, and she’s hopeful that Heffernan employees will support these efforts as they have in the past. “As I speak to other area businesses about our projects, I typically use Heffernan as an example of what can be accomplished,” says Barbara. “Just imagine, if every organization did what Heffernan and their employees do for their communities, what a wonderful world this would be.”

Elena Quiroz, Administrative Assistant in the Orange regional office, said, “I had no idea what I was in for.” But on a bright, warm day last May, Elena and her Heffernan co-workers arrived on the Habitat for Humanity job site in Fullerton. What waited was Habitat for Humanity six hours of hard labor, hauling scrap wood, pulling cable and Since its founding in 1976, Habitat for Humanity digging a three-foot-deep drainage and its domestic ditch for the new single-family and international affiliates have built home under construction. Elena and rehabilitated more says “I like to consider myself an than 200,000 homes for families in need, outdoorswoman, but I was not becoming a true world accustomed to this type of work. leader in addressing the issues of poverty housing. I’m not really even a gardener, so digging a drainage ditch really Through the work of Habitat in Southern gave me an appreciation for what is California, thousands all involved in home construction.” of low-income families have found new hope in Aside from a few blisters on her the form of affordable hands, Elena remembers a few odd housing. These homes allow families working in looks she received from her fellow service, manufacturing, ditch-digger, Ellen Schmid. “I was retail and other sectors to live in decent, safe, jumping up and down on the dirt permanent homes. pile to stamp the ground after Habitat provides these hard-working families filling the ditch with drainage pipe with an opportunity to and fill dirt. The heat was taking its break the cycle of poverty through an affordable toll on us and the shovels began to homeownership program, get a bit heavy, but I’ll do it again— enabling them to live in the cities where they work no problem! I was exhausted, but I and to create a better felt a lot of pride for my community future for their children. that day, especially knowing that I helped a young family start off in a nice home.” Community Volunteer Programs: Palo Alto and the Second Harvest Food Bank “When we were at our best, it was like an assembly line in a big factory,” says Laura Miller, Executive Administrator from Palo Alto. Sorting canned goods, packing boxes and loading pallets was the order of the day for Laura and her five Heffernan co-workers at the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose. For Art Adams, Vice President, volunteering didn’t go quite as smoothly. “We had to laugh,” says Laura, “Art was the only one of us sorting apples.

2008 Heffernan Community Volunteer Programs by Regional Office • • • •

Florida – Habitat for Humanity Orange – Habitat for Humanity Oregon – Portland Rescue Mission Palo Alto – San Jose Food Bank

And when the big apple crate started to get low, Art just had to jump right in to get the job done. It was kind of funny and kind of cute at the same time, seeing him inside that big crate while we were nice and comfortable on the assembly line. Of course, it could have been his hair net that got the most laughs.” Regardless of the tasks that day, Laura said helping the Food Bank made all of them feel good. “In fact, several people offered to volunteer at the Food Bank again on their weekend off,” says Laura. ”I think it’s great that Heffernan allows us this opportunity to help the nonprofits in our communities. I’ve never had this chance where I’ve worked before, so it’s something I’ll look forward to doing again and again.”

• Petaluma – Committee on the Shelterless (COTS) • San Francisco – San Francisco Food Bank • Walnut Creek – We Care Services for Children/ Family Stress Center

give a Christmas present. Now that I’ve volunteered, I will always make time to do it again.” Brian O’Callaghan, Vice President, works closely with Melani and reflects on his first-hand experience volunteering at the Fred Finch Youth Center annual golf tournament. “It was a great opportunity to work closely with one of my business clients in their annual fundraising event. I checked in golfers and assisted with fun activities, like the ‘closest to the pin’ contest. But what meant the most to me was working with the center’s staff and hearing them talk so enthusiastically about the youth and how this event would enable them to better serve the children. I really got to know the benefits of their services and was proud to contribute my time to help them raise these much-needed funds.”

Heffernan’s NonProfits Choice Niche Practice Heffernan’s Major Gift Program Heffernan’s interests in nonprofits are deeply rooted in its business practices. “Our involvement in serving nonprofits Second Harvest Food goes back as far as the founding of Bank the company,” says Melani Conti. Second Harvest Food “We’re a unique broker that has Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties is developed an expertise in working a private nonprofit that with nonprofits.” Heffernan’s collects and distributes more than 26 million NonProfits Choice program is pounds of food each year committed to securing the best to low-income children, adults and seniors. The insurance coverage at the most food bank currently serves competitive prices for nonprofits an average of 167,200 individuals each month, of all sizes. Melani says, “We 60% of which are families understand their needs, and we with dependent children. Volunteers can help the know what market to go to for the Food Bank sort, inspect best pricing and coverage.” Melani and repackage thousands of pounds of food, in just a estimates that nearly 40 Heffernan short, 2 hour shift! salespeople serve the agency’s The Food Bank, Inc., of Santa Clara County 4,000 nonprofit clients. was formed in 1974 “It’s our exclusive products, by Economic and Social Opportunities, additional coverage and widespread and incorporated as a carrier access that set us apart from non-profit agency in 1979. In 1988, the San the competition.” On a personal Mateo County Food Bank level, Melani feels rewarded by the merged with The Food Bank, Inc., of Santa Clara opportunity to work with these County to become Second socially conscious clients. “I love Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo working in this area of the insurance Counties. In 1992, Second business. I cannot express how Harvest Food Bank moved into a n 65,00quare foot good it makes me feel when I speak warehouse in San Jose to my clients about their community which serves as its main food distribution center. services, knowing that the money In June of 1995, the I might help them save is directly Peninsula Distribution Center began serving San benefiting those they serve.” Melani Mateo County in a newly also realizes that actions can pay renovated 22,000- square foot warehouse in San great dividends to her clients. “It’s Carlos. especially gratifying to me to take time off work and help these local nonprofits. The appreciation their employees show towards our volunteers is amazing. It makes me feel good about myself when I participate in these projects. It’s the same feeling as when you

As Heffernan Insurance Brokers has continued to grow and increase its annual contributions, it has taken a Founded in 1891, the center is one of more formal approach to charitable the East Bay’s largest giving and employee volunteerism. nonprofits, offering a residential program In 2001 Heffernan established for youth diagnosed its Charitable Giving Committee, with developmental disabilities and emotional which oversees the company’s impairment, as well as a donations and service projects. variety of communitybased programs for Working with Heffernan regional children, adolescents and offices, the committee identifies one young adults, ranging from age 4 to 24. At Fred nonprofit per office to support each Finch, they seek to provide year. Michelle says, “Through these high-quality programs for the care and treatment relationships with our community of children, youth, young nonprofits, Heffernan is proud to adults, and their families, whose changing needs give staff the time to enjoy the can best be met by a rewarding experience of hands-on variety of mental-health and social services. giving.” From a financial standpoint, Heffernan has long been recognized as one of the top corporate philanthropists in the Bay Area. Milly Hanley, charitable giving committee member, points out that Heffernan distributed more than $280,000 in charitable contributions to 60 charities in 2007. Donations typically range from $1,000-$10,000 and are available to any designated 501-(c)(3) charitable organization. Fred Finch Youth Center

“These efforts are one of my biggest passions in life,” says Michelle. “My position allows me to use my brain, as well as my heart, and makes it very enjoyable to come to work each and every day.” With the multiple-level success of the Heffernan charitable giving program, it’s clear Michelle is in good company.

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Heffernan Giving Guide Researched by Mollie McWilliams

Interested in giving or volunteering your time? Check out any of the following nonprofits – and maybe you’ll be inspired to make a donation or get involved.

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation 6255 W. Sunset Blvd., 21st Floor Los Angeles, CA 90028 www.aidshealth.org Donation Contact: Julia Miele, Director of Fundraising, (323) 860-5240, Fundraising Development Department 6255 W. Sunset Blvd., 21st Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90028 Phone: (323) 860-5200 Main Executive: Michael Weinstein, President AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the largest provider of HIV and AIDS medications, to more than 27,000 people in the US, Africa, Asia, and Central America. They are dedicated to offering “cutting-edge” medicine and advocacy, regardless of a person’s financial situation. AIDS Healthcare Network is currently operating 14 healthcare centers, 7 pharmacies, a disease management program in Florida, while also supporting the 22 Out of the Closet Thrift Stores in California. Internationally, they are bringing anti-retroviral therapy that can be lifesaving to developing and resource-poor countries like South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, India, Swaziland, China and Ukraine. California Human Development 2945 Ramco Street, Suite 195 West Sacramento, CA 95691 www.chdcorp.org Donations & phone: Call offices for more information: Executive Office: 916-371-8220 Main Executive: Michael J. Micciche, CEO Founded in 1967, CHD’s purpose is to help low-income people secure the education, training, job opportunities and improved social conditions they need to live with independence. CHD’s programs include job

training and employment, affordable housing community services, court-ordered treatment services, and job training for individuals with disabilities. These programs serve diverse clients including farm workers, recent immigrants, youth, seniors, and other low-income persons. Casa Teresa P.O. Box 429 Orange, CA 92856 www. casateresa.com Donations can be made online through their website. Phone: (714) 538- 4860 Main Executive: Keith Eyrich, President Founded in 1976, Casa Teresa provides programs for homeless, pregnant women, regardless of background, race, religion, nationality, or any other factors, for women age 18 and older that are alone. Casa Teresa is home to more than 60 mothers and their babies each year, and also offers referrals or one-time counseling to over 400 women annually. Casa Teresa also offers three separate residential programs: The Parenting Program, the Adoption Program “Hannah’s House,” and the Transition Program for Single Mothers. And Casa Teresa offers prenatal healthcare, individual and group counseling, case management and life-skills education. Community Action Marin 29 Mary Street San Rafael, CA 94901 www. camarin.org Donations: contact Russell Hamel at: [email protected] Phone: (415) 485-1489 Main Executive: Irving Golden, President Community Action Marin, founded in 1966, is Marin’s largest private social service orginization that is dedicated to the betterment of communities in Marin County. Today Community Action Marin serves 1,500 meals to children in Marin, provides legal activism for the mentally ill, and is the first source for emergency and day-to-day financial and professional help for many Marin County residents. They also operate 15 social services programs and serve as a fiscal agent for other agencies that do not have adequate administration or support. These programs include childcare and early childhood development, HIV/AIDS services, emergency family needs, energy assistance, mental health issues, employment and training, and senior citizen programs.

Children’s Council of San Francisco 445 Church Street San Francisco, CA 94114 www. childrenscouncil.org Donations: (Check or money order) Children’s Council of San Francisco, 445 Church Street San Francisco, CA 94114, Attn: Phyllis Mason Phone: (415) 276-2900 Main Executive: Christine Cleary, President For over 30 years, the Children’s Council of San Francisco has been working to improve the well-being of children, parents, families, and child care providers. They strive to make affordable, high-quality child care a reality for all working families. The services the Children’s Council offers include, free, multilingual resources and referrals for San Francisco families seeking child care, help in paying for child care for low-income working families, training and professional support to child care providers. They also provide nutritional services and food subsidies to providers who care for children from low-income families and child mental health and development consultation to childcare centers and family childcare homes. And they also help with childcare support to families of children with special needs, and childcare support to families that are homeless, in transition or crisis, or whose children are in foster care. And they are also dedicated to public policy making for childcare, advocacy for children and families, and information to strengthen the child care community. EMQ Children and Family Services EMQ Children and Family Services 251 Llewellyn Avenue Campbell, CA 95008-1940 www.emq.org Donations can be made online through their website, or by phone: (408) 364-4044, or check by mail: Donor Services Team, EMQ Children and Family Services, 251 Llewellyn Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008 Phone: (408) 379-3790 Main Executive: F. Jerome (Jerry) Doyle, CEO EMQ Children and Family Services provides programs that help children recover from issues such as severe depression, thoughts of suicide, or drug abuse, and aims at helping keep families together. EMQ annually helps almost 7,000 children and their family members every year

through programs like Family Finding, Wraparound, support and educational services such as art classes and tutoring. They currently offer over 17 services to children and their families, from their nine offices located in Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County, San Bernardino County, and Sacramento County. Goodwill (of San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach) Goodwill Industries International 15810 Indianola Drive Rockville, MD 20855 On the web @ goodwill.org Donations: Donations can be made online through their website. Phone: (800) 741-0186 Main Executive: Jim Gibbons, President and CEO North America’s leading nonprofit provider of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities. Last year, local Goodwills collectively provided employment and training services to more than 930,775 individuals. Hope Services Administrative Office 30 Las Colinas Lane San Jose, CA 95119 www. hopeservices.org Donations: By check can be mailed to: HOPE Services 30 Las Colinas Lane San Jose, CA 95119. Credit card donations can be made by phone at (408) 748-2850. Phone: (408) 748-2850 Main Executive: Jerry Bellotti, Chair In operation since 1952, HOPE was founded to help people with development disabilities be able to live and participate in their communities. Today HOPE’s services include a range of employment and job training programs, developmental activities, professional counseling, infant services, senior services, supported and independent living services, and mobility training for approximately 3,000 children, adults and seniors. Many of HOPE’s clients work in the community at both large and small Silicon Valley companies, as well as government facilities throughout Santa Clara, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

Human Options P.O. Box 53745 Irvine, CA 92619 www.humanoptions.org Donations can be made online through their website. Phone: (949) 737-5242 Main Executive: Steve Churm, President Human Options has been in operation for over 25 years, and its mission is to help battered women, their families and our community break the cycle of domestic violence. They focus on providing safety for women and their children, long-term support to rebuild lives, and education to create a safe community. The services Human Options provides are emergency shelter for battered women and children, low-cost transitional housing and services for women for the duration of one year, community education for high school and college students, and specified counseling services for different members of the community. Institute on Aging 3330 Geary Blvd, 2nd Floor West San Francisco, CA 94118 www.ioaging.org Donations can be made online through their website, by phone: (415) 750-4180, ext. 141, or check by mail: Development Department, Institute on Aging, 3330 Geary Blvd., 2nd Floor West, San Francisco, CA 94118 Phone: (415) 750-4111 Main Executive: Robert L. Sockolov, Chair IOA’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for adults as they age by enabling them to maintain their health, well-being, independence, and participation in the community. They provide diverse programs in health, social service, creative arts, spiritual support, education, and research. IOA provides information on care in the home or in the community, counseling for caregivers and seniors, financial planning, resources for professionals and students in the field of aging.

Lincoln Child Center 4368 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602 www. lincolncc.org For information on donating, call the Development Department at 510-531-3111 Phone: (510) 531-3111 Main Executive: Chris Stoner-Mertz, President and CEO Lincoln Child Center is focused on enabling vulnerable and emotionally troubled children and their families to lead independent and fulfilling lives. LCC’s Kinship Support Services Program (KSSP) provides services to relatives who are raising another family member’s children when the parents are absent and/or unable to raise them. Their integrated school and day treatment program provides special education and intensive mental health services to students in grades K-8. LCC’s school-based services are designed to address behaviors that are interfering with a child’s school, home or community functioning. They also run the Residential Program, which is a home for 26 children, providing 24-hour support and guidance from counselors. The multidisciplinary program offers a range of treatment services including rehabilitative therapy, individual group and family counseling, crisis intervention and medical and psychiatric treatment. It also provides Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS), a short-term supplemental service offered in coordination with other mental health services, and also runs a “wrap service,” which is aimed at helping a child ease into life in a permanent home after being in foster care. Mexican American Opportunity Foundation 401 N. Garfield Avenue Montebello, CA 90640 www. maof.org Main Executive: Martin Castro, President Donation Contact: donations can be made through their website. Phone: (323) 890-9600 The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation was established in 1963, and is aimed at providing better socioeconomic conditions for the Latino community of California, while maintaining the heritage of the Mexican American culture. From 40 different service locations MAOF is currently serving over 100,000 Californians, of which 95% are low–to moderate-income persons. MAOF provides 20 different free or low-cost programs and services to individuals and families who

are socially and economically disadvantaged. Some of MAOF’s programs include childcare and development programs, resource and referral services, senior and disabled services, welfare to work employment services, youth programs, a food bank, financial education, and computer literacy education. SF MOMA 151 Third Street San Francisco, CA 94103 www.sfmoma.org Donations: Please visit the website for more information. Phone: (415) 357-4000 Main Executive: Neal Benezra, Director San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art hosts an array of different works and organizes a wide range of programs for audiences of all ages. They offer special exhibition-related events, such as artist talks and lectures, tours for students, adult groups, and walk-in visitors, as well as family days and monthly hands-on family studios. Sunny Hills Children’s Center 300 Sunny Hills Drive San Anselmo, CA 94960 www.sunnyhillsservices.org Donations can be made online through their website, or by mail: Sunny Hills Services 300 Sunny Hills Drive, San Anselmo, CA 94960-1995. Phone: (415) 457-3200 Main Executive: Joseph M. Costa, Chief Executive Officer Since 1895 Sunny Hills Services has treated emotionally and behaviorally disturbed, abused, and neglected children from the Bay Area and beyond with tailored residential, educational, mental health and community-based services. Their residential, educational and community based programs are specifically designed to fit the needs of children with a variety of disorders and to provide consistent treatment over time to a diversity of clients and families. Each program uses a combination of services to provide directed, individualized treatment, promote healing, and help clients overcome their limitations. Every program is headed by an experienced mental health clinician and staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals.

YFES Youth and family Enrichment Services 610 Elm Street, Suite 212 San Carlos, CA 94070 www.yfes.org Donations by check can be mailed to 610 Elm Street, Suite 212 San Carlos, CA. 94070, donations by credit card can be made through a phone call to the Development Department: 650-591-9623 ext. 117, and fax donations can be completed by filling out a PDF form found on the website and sent to: 650-591-9750. The Development Department: 650-591-9623 can address all other donations. Phone: (650) 591-9623 Main Executive: Linda Mann, Chairperson YFES provides a wide array of free and low-cost services to help children, teens and adults who are dealing with substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, relationship and communication issues. Their services include prevention programs and hotlines, early intervention services for first offenders and for children to help address psychological issues before they develop into chronic mental health problems, educational programs to community members such as law enforcement, teachers and parents. YFES also offers counseling and residential programs, with special programs geared towards adults, teens and children.

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Income:

$1,024,594 Mike Heffernan purchases Petersen Associates and changes the name to Heffernan Petersen Insurance Brokers • Employees: 19

1993 Employees: 40 Income: $3,943,949 Growth: 9.5%

1999

2000

2001

Employees: 107 Income: $12,975,561 Growth: 17.4%

Employees: 130 Income: $15,345,969 Growth: 18.3% • Heffernan Petersen changes name to Heffernan Insurance Brokers • ECM becomes a member of the Heffernan Group

Employees: 200 Income: $27,148,124 Growth: 76.9% • Menlo Park office established

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2002

2003

2004

2005

Employees: 225 Income: $38,676,247 Growth: 42.5%

Employees: 225 Income: $44,208,987 Growth: 14.8% Charitable Giving: $133,000 • Tangram established • Florida office established • Heffernan Named Rough Notes Marketing Agency of the Year by Rough Notes Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 48th of the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business by Business Insurance Magazine • Heffernan Named One of the Best Places To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 1st Property/Casualty Broker in the East Bay, by East Bay Business Times

Employees: 233 Income: $50,352,000 Growth: 13.4% Charitable Giving: $197,000 • Sonoma office moved to Petaluma • Heffernan Ranked 45th of the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business by Business Insurance Magazine • Heffernan Ranked the 9th Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 1st Property/Casualty Broker in the East Bay, by East Bay Business Times

Employees: 287 Income: $53,873,187 Growth: 7% Charitable Giving: $237,000 • Los Angeles office established • Heffernan Ranked 43rd of the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business by Business Insurance Magazine • Heffernan Ranked the 5th Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 20th Largest Independant Broker in the U.S. Business by Insurance Journal Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 58th of the Top 60 Corporate Philanthropists in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 8th of the Largest Insurance Brokers in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times

1989

1990

1991

1992

Employees: 22 Income: $1,264,785 Growth: 23.4%

Employees: 24 Income: $1,655,750 Growth: 31.7% • Oregon office established

Employees: 29 Income: $2,628,518 Growth: 57.8% • Sonoma and San Francisco offices established

Employees: 36 Income: $3,600,927 Growth: 37%

1994

1995

1996

Employees: 48 Income: $5,050,501 Growth: 28.1%

Employees: 56 Income: $5,404,191 Growth: 7%

Employees: 60 Income: $6,772,772 Growth: 25.3%

Income:

$8,835,987 1997 Employees: Income: Growth:

90 $8,835,987 30.5%

• ECM Insurance established, Heffernan Petersen is an investor

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2006

2007

2008

Employees: 327 Income: $63,281,774 Growth: 17.5% Charitable Giving: $284,000 • Orange office established • ECM becomes Socius Insurance Services, Inc. • Heffernan Ranked 41st of the 100 Largest Brokers of U.S. Business by Business Insurance Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 3rd Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 11th Largest Independent Broker in the U.S. by Insurance Journal Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 56th of the Top Corporate Philanthropists in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 6th Largest Insurance Broker in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times

Employees: 389 Income: $70,025,000 Growth: 10.7% Charitable Giving: $337,000 • Heffernan Ranked 37th Largest Broker of U.S. Business by Business Insurance Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 3rd Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 9th Largest Independent Broker in the U.S. by Insurance Journal Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 58th of the Top Corporate Philanthropists by San Francisco Business Times • Heffernan Named Best Place to Work by North Bay Business Journal

Employees: 416 Income: TBD Growth: TBD Charitable Giving: TBD • 20th Year Anniversary • Missouri and Illinois offices established • 2nd Best Place To Work in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Business Times, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and East Bay Business Times • Heffernan Ranked 9th Largest Independent Broker in the U.S. by Insurance Journal Magazine • Heffernan Ranked 56th of the Top Corporate Philanthropists by San Francisco Business Times • Heffernan Named Top 50 Companies to Work For by Oregon Business Magazine • Heffernan Named Best Place to Work by North Bay Business Journal

Heffernan Revenue by Division as of 2007

Heffernan Revenue By Division

Volunteer time from employees last year averaged out to about 900 hours.

)* Heffernan DWfS[^

We adopted 14 Families During the Holidays.

Corporate Giving Quick Facts

We donated clothes and toys from employees once per quarter to Hawthorne Elementary School in Oakland, California. We gave $219,500 in large grants and employee matching.

)

Average Annual Giving amount per employee: $897.

MGA

6 Garee Lee Smith Scholarships for $5,000 each.

#' IZa^WeS^W

How We Give Back

Annual Organic Growth

$300,000.00

32%

$250,000.00

28%

•

Heffernan

•

Public US Broker Average

•

Independent US Broker Average

24%

$200,000.00

20%

$150,000.00

16%

$100,000.00

12%

$50,000.00

8% 4% $""&$""'$""($"") $""$$""%$""&$""'$""($"")$""* 2002 2003

• • • •

Employee Matching Program Large Grant Committee Active Local Involvement in our Communities Garee Lee Smith Foundation

Comparing Annual Organic Growth: Heffernan Compared to Industry (Independent Brokers and Public Brokers) Data courtesy of CIAB.

A t Christmastime, she wallpapered her entire cube with wrapping paper and then added angels, Santa Clauses, twinkling lights, tinsel, reindeer and ornaments. Her Christmas decorations were as sparkling as her personality. Both took your breath away. Garee Lee Smith passed away four years ago at the age of 62. She left us too soon, but she will never be forgotten. The Oakland, California, native got her start in the insurance industry working as a secretary for Meyer and Lightner Company in 1959 and moved her way up through the ranks to become a successful insurance agent. She eventually found herself at Heffernan where she was a producer, an account manager, a mentor, a friend, and even a surrogate mother to many. Brant Watson, a producer in Heffernan’s Walnut Creek office, remembers when he first met Garee. “My first impression of her was that there was no way a lady could be so nice, so larger than life, with that big bouffant hair and so many compliments for everyone. I thought she must be putting on a show. I soon found it was no show,” he said. Garee took Brant under her wing. He recalls one of his first business trips with her to Palm Springs for a skilled nursing conference. “People would just gravitate to the booth to talk to her,” he said. “She had a way of making every person she talked to feel like the most important person in the world.” After she passed away, Heffernan founded the Garee Lee Scholarship Fund to benefit children and schoolaged relatives of Heffernan employees for tuition for grammar school, high school, college or vocational school.

Six scholarships of $5000 are awarded annually, as determined by essays and committee interviews. The award recipients celebrate in true Garee style, at a big banquet dinner together with family and friends. Jennifer Christensen, a senior account manager in the Walnut Creek office, was a 2008 scholarship winner, and is using her grant to help with her tuition at Cal State University East Bay, Concord. She says, “I was thrilled to receive the Garee Lee Smith Scholarship Award. With a son in his junior year in college and a teenage daughter, I feel guilty spending money on myself. It was quite a relief to receive the scholarship. It enabled me to enroll without feeling like I was taking away from the rest of the family.”

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Garee ‘s many friends at Heffernan realized that the only proper way to honor a woman who was always thinking of others before herself was to give to others in her name. Brant said he’ll never forget Garee’s giving spirit. “I remember she would do little things for me all the time. Once, when I was just starting out, she gave me $40 and told me to take my wife to dinner.” No one had ever done that for him before. Garee’s daughter, Kristal Smith, said if her Mom knew Heffernan had founded a scholarship in her name she would have loved it. “It would have just touched her so deeply,” said Kristal. Garee Lee Smith was a powerful lady and her power was in what she gave away.

Garee Gar ee Lee Sm Smith it ith

“The rule around our house is if you don’t have long sleeves on, don’t turn up the heat,” says John.

by Linda Wagar

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Heffernan is headquartered in one of the most scenic regions of California and we want to keep it that way. Over the coming months, we’re launching a major green initiative. We’ve already begun taking small steps, recycling cans, bottles and paper and buying locally grown food for Heffernan gatherings. We know it’s just a start. Jen Mahoney, who’s heading up our effort, says that on the top of the green to-do list is retrofitting Heffernan’s Walnut Creek headquarters with solar heat. Eventually, we would like to see every one of our offices off the power grid.

Much of our green inspiration comes from our employees. Their commitment to the environment has inspired us. We thought you might like to meet them. The building blocks of green Account Executive Stephanie Reilly and her husband, Steve, were living green back when green was still just a color. Their home is surrounded with native California plants, which thrive in the warm climate and don’t tax the water supply. They air-dry their laundry on a retractable clothes line to reduce energy consumption. Plus they are trying to teach their two children, 5 and 7, to choose toys without batteries. “They just end up in a landfill,” said Stephanie. “Landfills depress me.”

Stephanie credits Steve with teaching her much of what she knows about the environment. He’s a home builder with a degree in renewable resources. He brings that knowledge to every job site. “The last job he had, the countertops were made from recycled glass,” says Stephanie. “They are just beautiful.” Stephanie says she always tries to tell people that becoming more green doesn’t have to require major changes in your life. Some steps are simple, such as installing natural fiber carpets, using flourescent bulbs or even having your kids use both sides of the paper when they color. “People forget that it’s not just one thing that makes you green,” says Stephanie. “It’s lots of little tiny steps.”

Plus for every unit of fossil energy it takes to make biodiesel, three and a half units of energy are gained. The fuel can sometimes cost John 10 or 20 cents more a gallon, but it’s money he feels good about spending. He knows he’s helping the environment and decreasing the demand for fossil fuel. But John’s efforts to conserve extend beyond his car. “The rule around our house is if you don’t have long sleeves on, don’t turn up the heat,” says John. John said caring about the environment is something he learned from his parents. “I was raised in a home where we were taught to respect what God created,” says John. “In the 1970s, we were recycling.” Now the father of two teenagers, John says he tries to set a good example and hope his kids pay attention. The taste of green Sheila Taylor knows how good helping the enviroment can taste. “Have you ever had a homegrown potato?” she asks. “The flavor is more intense.” An avid gardener for 10 years, Sheila’s onethird an acre lot at her Concord home can produce bushels of lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, pumpkins, corn and herbs. Taylor said she got hooked on gardening after taking a class with a friend and discovered what she once thought of as work was a lot of fun.

The green commuter John Vipiana has figured out how to beat Bay Area traffic. He bicycles the 45 miles from his home in San Anselmo to his office in San Francisco. Okay, maybe not every day. But when John isn’t on his bike, he’s driving his biodiesel car. It runs on vegetable or soybean oil instead of gasoline. John said he bought the car because, as a senior vice president and real estate practice leader at Heffernan, he spends a fair amount of time on the road. His biodiesel VW Golf gets 40 miles to the gallon and emits 78 percent less carbon.

Because she eats everything she grows, Sheila won’t use pesticides or chemicals. A compost bin in her backyard provides her with all the fertilizer she needs and provides her with a recycling source for her table scraps and yard waste. She now plans her menus exclusively around food she knows is in season. That way, even when it’s not out of her own garden, she’s still getting something fresh. When she does have to go to the grocery store, Sheila either grabs her big straw basket or a used paper bag. “I just reuse them and reuse them and reuse them, the stores don’t seem to mind,” said Sheila. The California native said she didn’t grow up thinking green. It’s something she’s learned along the way. But it’s been a delicious trip for everybody, including coworkers. She regularly shares her garden’s bounty. “The avocados are always a big hit,” she says.

Salvaging green Some might call it clutter, but Kelly Sprague knows all those spare parts around her Sonoma home are doing a world of good. “It’s ridiculous to buy something brand new,” says Kelly. That’s a philosophy Kelly says she learned from her husband, Eric, whose favorite hangout is the salvage yard. “He has a natural thriftiness,” she says. “Plus he hates to see waste.” An abandoned engine ended up in a golf cart. Old tools are lovingly restored. Windows and doors left over from a remodeling job are saved for the future. “You never know when you are going to need it,” Kelly says. If Kelly’s’ husband must part with something, he first strips it of any aluminum and copper, which he recycles. Even what he drives is on its second life. He restored a ‘56 Chevy truck and fills it up with (you guessed it ) biodiesel. Kelly acknowledges that her husband’s admiration of used parts can make him a pack rat, but she says after 15 years of living together he’s now an organized pack rat. When it comes to telling you what Heffernan employees are doing to help the environment, we could go on and on. There’s Lauri Benefiel, who heats her pool with solar panels, Josh Fagin, who switched from driving an SUV to a Prius and Dave Hoffmire, Patrick Joyce and Nick Dealtry, who carpool from San Francisco to Walnut Creek every day. They are just some of the many here who have begun taking small steps to improve the world we live in. As Stephanie Reilly pointed out, if we can all just start taking more small steps, collectively we might make a difference.

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Ann Mohler Basco with her son Zander Basco and their dog Abby.

From Dogs to Babies, and Being a Working Mom By Ann Mohler Basco

38

I took almost five months off for maternity leave, and like many new working moms, I had anxiety about that first day back. Would I be in tears on my way to work? Would my baby be okay all day in the hands of strangers at daycare? What had piled up on my desk while I was gone? Was I missed, or is it true that everybody’s replaceable? Not to mention, how in the world do you go about using a breast pump in the office discreetly? (Answer: You put a photo of a dairy cow on your door when pumping.) Despite the inevitable tears, I survived that first day for two reasons. The first was that I had a ton of work to do; and the second was because I knew if I really needed to, I could bring my little guy into the office with me, thanks to a family— and pet-friendly culture at Heffernan. Hanging onto that thought is solely what comforted me as I was abruptly jolted from my idyllic summer at home back into the fast-paced world of emails, meetings, contracts and deadlines. That first Friday back Zander and I had a pediatrician’s appointment, so I brought his Pack and Play and set it up in my office so we would just finish out the afternoon together. It went where my dog used to sleep when she used to join me at work. (Another adjustment for our family: our dog Abby used to be #1, now she’s last in the pecking order.)

Zander and I had the expected stream of visitors, and the afternoon flew by. But my emails piled up, and it didn’t take long to realize that it’s hard to get your work done when you are showing off your baby. This concept is better in theory than in practice, I thought. The following Monday, back to daycare he went. I missed him terribly, but slowly but surely, I got my groove back. Prior to the baby, I had a routine of bringing in my dog on Friday afternoons. I thought maybe I’d do the same with the baby, but it just never happened. I got busy, began to feel productive and needed again, and regained my professional ego more and more with each project I completed. Friday afternoons became more of a time when I could jam out work, so I could get to daycare that evening, pick up my sweet baby, smell him and cuddle him and forget about work for the

weekend, knowing I had left my desk in good shape. Since that first week back, I’ve brought Zander into the office with me a few times, but mostly just for social visits, or en route to or from a pediatrician’s appointment. He’s made the rounds at our Walnut Creek headquarters, and our biggest social event of the fall was our annual Halloween Party in Walnut Creek, which we attended along with other Heffernan families and their children. I’m new at this working mom thing. It’s wonderful, challenging, rewarding and exhausting. Thanks to Heffernan, just knowing it’s okay if Zander joins me in the office every once in a while is such a relief. It reduces my stress and allows me to focus, guilt-free, on my job. My day job, that is.

ON OUR OWN TIME

Stephanie Reilly Account Executive, Walnut Creek

Earl VanBuskirk Jr. Assistant Vice President, Walnut Creek

Debra Costa Vice President, Petaluma

Stephanie is seen here with her husband, Steve, son Jackson and daughter Lia in their 24-foot 1964 Lapworth Gladiator, a sailboat they’ve enjoyed together for four years. Berthed in Point Richmond, their regular course is over to the San Francisco waterfront, around Angel Island and through Raccoon Straits then back into Point Richmond. Stephanie has always loved sailing, and learned how at the OCSC in Berkeley. “It’s such a wonderful thing to do with family. Both of our kids are very boat savvy, and Jackson is better at handling the tiller than I am, ”she says. Stephanie is especially fond of this picture, taken by her sister-inlaw Dianne, an artist, who was along for the ride that day. Dianne did an oil painting of this photograph, “which hangs over our fireplace,” says Stephanie.

Earl, AKA “Choze,” is seen here in 2007 at The Mix, a youth concert he puts on for a nonprofit benefiting the remodel of the Pittsburg High School Creative Arts Building in Earl’s hometown of Pittsburg, California. An all ages concert, The Mix promotes a fun and positive way for youth in troubled areas to have a great time, while helping to raise money for a positive cause. “Choze” was the event’s headliner, and is seen giving away CDs, autographed posters and apparel.

Deb is seen here snorkeling in the open ocean on a family vacation in Tulum, Mexico. Proving to her son Antonio that there was nothing to be afraid of, Deb (though scared herself), jumped in the water for a photo. “It was an incredible snorkeling experience, but I don’t think I’d ever do it again. We saw sting rays that were huge! I’d rather snorkel where there were pretty, little fish.“ After Mom set the example, brave Antonio, age 8, jumped in.

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Lisa Wright Special Accounts Producer, Walnut Creek Lisa is seen here celebrating her Bear River High School graduation by jumping out of a plane above Ogden, Utah. “I was really nervous. It was really spontaneous - I went with a random friend from high school; it was totally fun. We did back flips - it was totally a rush! We talked the guy into 50% off a second jump,” she said. The second jump, however was in the dark. “We could see the lights of the city!” On the second jump, Lisa pulled the chute herself, a skill she learned on the plane, a few minutes before she jumped. Lisa, ever the insurance professional, later questioned that decision, but only for a second. She says:“Game on! My next project is base jumping!”

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Meet Adam Cox. He’s Heffernan’s new Wellness Director. We also like to think of him as our fitness guru. Adam graduated with a degree in athletic training from Washington State University and spent the last 10 years as a professional trainer before joining Heffernan. Since joining our team last year, he’s already convinced many of us to give up the fried food, strap on the sneakers and start leading healthier lives.

What is it about your background that got you hooked on fitness? Tell the truth, were you a chubby kid?

If you could create a worldwide ban on one food, what would it be?

Who’s more likely to seek out your advice, men or women?

No I was a really small, skinny kid. I didn’t break 100 pounds until I was 14 and was one of the three shortest boys in junior high school. There are many factors of why I got hooked on fitness. I’m from a big family, and sports and physical activity are the only way to keep everyone from killing each other. But my mom is the foremost reason. She got hit by a drunk driver when she was 19 and the accident blew out her ankle. She has had over a dozen surgeries. I always thought there should have been a better way to help her and others like her.

It would actually be corn additives: High fructose corn syrup, modified and unmodified starch, glucose syrup and maltodextrin, crystalline fructose, asorbic acid, and others. They are the building blocks of processed foods. Processed foods have stopped being real food a long time ago and are now just different ways to package the manipulated corn molecule. Those corn molecules are creating a world with an insatiable sweet tooth and an ever-increasing battle with obesity.

Definitely women. They are more open about getting advice. The old bit about men not asking for directions is true with exercise as well. There is also a large number of women who have children and want to get their bodies back. Men never experience that radical of a change, so there is a different motivation, attitude and process behind it for women.

What’s the biggest mistake many people make when they decide they want to start getting in shape? Matching expectations with reality. When you start, keep it as simple as possible and set yourself up for success. The more complicated it is, the easier it is to fall off again. Start with the simple goals first to gain momentum. I tell people to approach getting into shape like a business. Set up a schedule and goals. Schedule your workouts like you would a meeting. And set goals: Daily, weekly, and monthly. To lose 15 pounds (the magic amount of weight loss for many women) you have to lose one pound, then two, and down the line before you get to 15. So 15 pounds isn’t your first goal, one pound is.

You can’t eat healthy all the time. What is your secret junk food indulgence? Not at all, nobody can. I recommend to people 80/20. Eighty percent of the food you eat should be healthy. The other 20 percent of the time you can be human and have fun. My indulgences, and they are not secret, are beer and potato chips and red wine and dark chocolate. For some reason, it’s the combos that get me.

What do you say to inspire people when they just want to buy a bigger pair of pants and give up? Actually, I don’t know a single person who wants to really do that. And that has been the start of many of my one-on-one meetings. “I’m getting close to the next size up, what do I do?” The answer is easy: Nutrition and exercise. We set up a plan together with goals, a schedule, exercise routine and nutrition plan. I encourage participation by offering support, follow through, and accountability and that gets results. It feels good to feel good. Once you get the ball rolling, motivation takes care of itself.

So how do you get men to listen? Reveal that secret and women will admire you the world over. For most guys motivation to exercise comes from one (or a combination) of three things: 1) vanity, 2) humility or 3) performance. With men most of my conversations start with “I can’t do this like I used to,” or “that hurts too much to do anymore.” Take JT (John Tallarida) for example. I trained his wife for eight months before he got on board. The whole time he was thinking he was already in good shape. He didn’t need help. Then he saw the progress that Louisa was making. He only started training because she was going to be stronger than him, if he didn’t start. Now they are both in great shape, another win-win. How often do you workout?

Have people started living healthier since you joined the staff? A good example of the change is my first day there was a box of doughnuts on my desk with a note “Good luck, this is Heffernan!” There were also weekly announcements about doughnuts in the kitchens. Now we order shipments of fruit and it disappears in an hour! Not bad for a doughnut crowd. I’ve met with about 150 people for one-onone sessions in the first four months since I’ve been here and have had 100 attend one of my seminars. Of course there is some overlap, but that’s good participation. From a team standpoint, there are two basketball teams of 10 guys each and two softball teams with 35 people on them. For the Avon Breast Cancer Walk there were more than 20 women from the different branches. Those are the best turnouts we’ve ever had. We are also starting a Heff Group cycling team to participate in charity events. But the real differences are the little conversations I have. People checking in before workouts. Friends sharing their workout programs with each other and asking me questions, or talking about nutrition and sharing recipes. I also get a lot of emails asking about different products, methods or activities to try.

I separate my year into cycles to keep it fun and prevent over-training. Right now it’s ski season, so I am working out five days a week and trying to ski as much as possible on the weekends. But it’s not as easy as it used to be with a one-year-old to look after! What’s a typical workout for you? It varies on the day and time of year, but there are themes to it. I do dynamic warm up and stretching/recovery at every workout. Right now I do cardio three times a week. One day I’ll spin, one day jump rope and go running another day. Yoga 2-3 times a week and two days of strength training.

What do you hope to accomplish over the next year as Wellness Director for Heffernan? I hope to integrate wellness into the business philosophy and culture at Heffernan. We all want to do well and feel well. If I can provide an environment that encourages and motivates people within Heffernan to thrive, it’s a win-win.

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While the good old days of the three martini lunch have been replaced by a lunchtime yoga session, the insurance industry is still no stranger to the occasional adult beverage after work. We’ve compiled a list of Heffernan’s top picks for each of our offices.

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Walnut Creek Maria Maria mariamariarestaurants. com Walnut Creek, CA 925.946.1010

Palo Alto Palo Alto has happy hour right in the office. Contact John Tallarida, Branch Manager, for more info and drink specials at [email protected]

Petaluma Graffiti graffitipetaluma.com Petaluma, CA 707.765.4567

San Francisco Cosmopolitan thecosmopolitancafe.com San Francisco, CA 415.543.4001

Los Angeles The Standard standardhotels.com Los Angeles, CA 213.892.8080

Orange JT Schmid’s jtschmids.com Anaheim, CA 714.634.9200

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Chicago, Illinois The Tasting Room tlcwine.com Chicago, IL 312.942.1212

Chesterfield, Missouri Harpo’s Chesterfield harposchesterfield.com Chesterfield, MO 636.537.1970

Portland, Oregon Macadam’s Bar and Grill macadamsbarandgrill.com Portland, OR 503.246.MACS

West Palm Beach, Florida Blue Martini bluemartinilounge.com West Palm Beach, FL 561.835.8601

Plantation, Florida Smokey Bones BBQ & Grill smokeybones.com Plantation, FL 954.474.3833

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CONNECT! A Benefit for 13 Nonprofits It was all in the name of charity for the 1,800 guests at CONNECT!, a benefit for 13 nonprofits, held at San Francisco City Hall on Friday, May 2, 2008. Heffernan celebrated its 20th anniversary as the signature sponsor for CONNECT! The event’s sponsorships, silent and live auctions, and, raffle for a Toyota Prius generated over $130,000, shared by the nonprofits. Guests enjoyed fine food served by Paula LeDuc and danced to music provided by Dunlap and Wilson—Dueling Pianos from Las Vegas and a Bay Area favorite,

Dave Martin’s House Party. Theme rooms and a swanky casino lounge highlighted live and silent auctions ranging from great wines to vacation getaways. For that “only in San Francisco” flavor, CONNECT! offered a “green” raffle prize, a Toyota Prius. Heffernan Insurance Brokers teamed with Friends of Infant-Parent Program in San Francisco to organize this huge event. Sponsors at the $25,000 level included CompWest Insurance, The Hartford Financial Services Group, and OneBeacon Insurance, with over 30 additional firms providing additional sponsorship funds.

Committee members from Heffernan Insurance Brokers selected the nonprofits to be supported by the event, including: Bay Area Youth Centers, Christian Church Homes, Collective Impact (Opportunity Impact and Cultivating Impact), Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose—Vision of Hope, EMQ Children and Family Services, Goodwill of Silicon Valley, Jewish Family and Children Services, Lincoln Child Center, Presbyterian Churches of California, St. Anthony Foundation, St. Mary’s College of California, and Teen Challenge of Southern California.

Photography on pages 44 and 45 by Brad Shirakawa, Copyright 2008

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Answer the phone and have fun.

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