NYCM Stories: Employee Appreciation Day

A company’s success is a direct result of the steadfast hard
work and dedication of its employees. Without a strong foundation of people who
truly care about their work, their teammates, and their communities, it’s
impossible for a company to carry out its mission or accomplish its goals.

Every year on the first Friday in March, National Employee
Appreciation Day is observed, affording employers another opportunity to show
gratitude and appreciation to employees for all they do.  For the NYCM Strategic Planning Committee and Business
Planning Team, Employee Appreciation Day is a welcomed occasion to remind
employees that the commitment and zeal they bring every day is not only
appreciated, but that it makes up the bedrock of the company.

Cheryl Robinson,
President/CEO

“When I reflect on Employee Appreciation Day, it is evident
to me that the employees that have walked the halls of NYCM
past, present, and future are the heart and soul of this organization. Some may
say that our location is not an asset, but I feel that’s exactly what it is.
The individuals of upstate NY and the communities surrounding our office
locations are genuinely kind, caring, and supportive people. They bring these
principles, values, and characteristics to everything they do, so when they are
at work it’s not just about getting the tasks done; it becomes about being
there for each other: extending support when in need and celebrating each other
when we have joyous occasions or moments.
I have had the pleasure to work with some of the greatest
team members through stressful challenges and often crises like emergencies.
Even through some long sleepless nights trying to resolve the issue at hand, it
never ceases to amaze me when I take a moment and watch how everyone shows up,
despite what might be going on outside of work, and comes together to
collectively get us to the other side.  I
often say that is when we do our best work. None of that happens if we don’t
feel a high level of respect, care, and trust with our teammates.

Who our employees are at their core is what creates the
foundation for this organization that is built on relationships with each other
that we extend out to our customers. Our North Star simply elevates and
acknowledges the importance of always putting team and relationships at the
center of everything we do to lift others up.”

Jeremy Robinson, Senior Vice President of Customer Relationship
Management

“The aspects I value most about my team members is that they
are unique individuals that are passionate about what they do. They each bring
their own perspectives and lean on past experiences to shape new ideas that
will take NYCM into the future. I think the part that inspires me the most is
how caring they all are, from volunteering for their favorite charity to being there for each other in times
of need.
They all live our North Star in their own way, but all in
the name of hope for others. Whether together as a group or as individuals,
they give us their best each and every day to make NYCM and the world around
them a better place. Our team members open doors for NYCM to give, to serve,
and to be a community partner that we cannot do without everyone’s ideas and
collaboration. The stories being shared each month of employees helping each
other, going the extra mile for customers, and performing acts of kindness toward others is what
inspires me to be a better person each day.”

Tim Trueworthy,
Senior Vice President of Claims

“The aspect I value most about my team is their dedication
to each other and to our customers!
Every day our teams demonstrate purpose through the care,
hope and courage they provide to our customers. Whether we are directly
customer facing or work in another capacity, it all matters.Together, our teams are able to create an environment where
the close connections we share inside with each other
are translated to connections with customers. I believe our customers
appreciate that.
Without our teams we wouldn’t have achieved all the things
we have: Best Companies to Work For, AM Best A rating for 75 years, and the
list goes on.”

Julie Palmer, Senior
Vice President of Employee Experience

“Employees equal team to me. Without our team, NYCM wouldn’t
be able to provide the excellent service to our customers that we do internally
and externally, and we wouldn’t be as successful as we are now.Our team displays the nature and foundation of our North
Star through their caring behavior and dedication to be their very best. Not
only do we see this through the financial results, but more importantly through
the stories we hear from our customers and from each other.”

Kevin Plows, Senior Vice President of Technology

“NYCM’s Technology team rocks! Technology is just a tool and
achieving great things with that tool becomes a reality when there are highly
talented people who have a can-do attitude and work together as a team.

Pele said, ‘Success is no accident: It is hard work,
perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you
are doing.’ My heartiest thanks go to each and every one of our employees. 

Thank you for your contribution to the success of this company. You have made
us proud!”

John Holdorf, Senior
Vice President of Risk Management

“Our employees have always been dedicated individuals who go
above and beyond whenever necessary. It doesn’t matter what area they work in,
they take great pride in their work and they’re just good people, every one of
them. I can’t say enough good things about the divisions that I’m responsible
for.They care about each other. They care about not just NYCM
individuals, but they care about others in their own communities. From that
aspect, the North Star just comes natural to them.I’m always very proud of the members within the team. Most
of the team has been here a long time but when they have retired or left, we
always find more good people and it makes my job easier because of the high
quality of dedication and effort that they put in every day.”

At NYCM Insurance, employees are a big part of our
award-winning company culture. Read about NYCM Insurance winning Commerce
Chenango’s first ever Culture Creator award here!