Dale and Kathy Longfellow of Hobson Insurance attended the Independent Insurance Agents of Montana convention in Missoula this past weekend. At the awards ceremony on July 5, they were presented with the professional association's Public Service Award. Selected by their peers, this award is for distinguished public service and promoting the merits of the Independent Agency system.
Dale Longfellow has a favorite phrase- "Your insurance is only as good as your agent." He and the crew at Hobson Insurance set the bar high in the little town of Hobson. They have been featured as the Marketing Agency of the Month in Rough Notes Magazine and have been a Best Practices Agency since 2004. Recently, the agency bought and donated the American Legion building in Hobson so it could be restored and converted into a museum.
Dale is Mayor of the town and works diligently as a public servant to improve the infrastructure so as to encourage families and businesses to invest there. To try and list the boards he serves on is to risk forgetting one, but at the top of the list are the Central Montana Medical Center and Wells Fargo. Dale is also proud to be a Past President for IIAM. Dale also enjoyed many years as umpire of the local baseball and softball league.
Kathy Longfellow is a woman to call to get things done. She has been instrumental to the Utica Women's Club for many years, organizing the local Utica Day Fair. She leads a pack of Girl Scout Brownies and is actively involved in Eastern Star. Over the years she has volunteered her time to help with Sunday school, reading at the library, raising money for the local pool, and much more.
Kristy Longfellow Hodik, like her dad before her, became an EMT. She has become a valued member of the Lewistown Ambulance, and volunteer for Hobson as well. Kristy serves on the Lewistown Chamber of Commerce. She also made sure Hobson Insurance became a Trusted Choice agency and creates numerous ads and marketing campaigns using the logo. Kristy is proud to be a past Young Agents chair for the IIAM. Misty Longfellow Kriskovich was recently re-elected to the Hobson school board. Her volunteer activities have included helping with the Pool Fund, Girl Scouts, coaching tball, and running the Community Club's Easter Egg Hunt. She also holds the distinction of being a past recipient of the National CSR of the Year award and Maurice Herndon Scholarship winner.
All agency employees are encouraged to participate in the community and are supported as they do so. The agency closes for town parades so their employees can participate, and each year the office has an entry in the "What the Hay" contest. Over the years the agency has been involved with raising money and awareness for Relay for Life, breast cancer, and the American Heart Association.
Hobson Insurance is an agency that believes in giving back to the community. Donations are given to causes too numerous to mention. In a world slowly being dominated by the internet and decreasing emphasis on human interaction, this small town agency strives to emulate the value-laden relationship the local independent agent brings to the table. After all, your insurance is only as good as your agent.
