Q&A with Chris Gebhard

Chris Gebhard is President of Hoaster Gebhard & Co., an independent insurance agency and risk management firm based in Lebanon, PA. He also is a Pennsylvania State Senator, representing the 48th District.

Q. Your father was an independent agent (and former chairman of IA&B). Was it always your plan to follow in his footsteps? If so, what intrigued you about the industry? And if not, what changed your career path?

A. Despite my father owning an agency, I certainly did not grow up thinking I would be in the insurance industry. In fact, I had little interest when I returned home after graduating from Vanderbilt University. However, that summer, as I was reviewing job opportunities and helping my father with some projects in his office, I met our field representative from the Cincinnati Insurance Company. He asked about my future plans, and when I indicated I didn’t have anything concrete, he encouraged me to apply to be a Commercial Underwriter with them. After a couple interviews, I was hired and packed my bags for Cincinnati, Ohio.

I ended up learning the business from the carrier side and worked for Cincinnati for 3.5 years. At that point my father was working on his perpetuation plan and indicated it was now or never if I wanted to return to the agency. So on Jan. 1, 2000, I packed up and drove home and started with the agency the next day.

Q. What’s the best piece of advice that your father gave you when you took over the agency?

A. He told me to always put the clients’ interests first. Our industry is absolutely based on relationships and trust, and we must never take either one for granted.

Q. You first entered the political arena in May 2021, when you won a special election to fill a vacated Pennsylvania Senate seat. What prompted you to run for office? And what did you think of the campaigning process?

A. If you had asked me on Jan. 1, 2021 if I’d ever hold political office, I surely would have laughed and said no way. I had never been involved in politics, never run for any office, and was not even very active in the local party. However, when my friend Sen. Dave Arnold passed away in early January 2021, something stirred inside of me. It was the height of the pandemic, and I was frustrated with the way the Commonwealth was heading, so I thought it was time to stop complaining and do something to make it better. My wife and I have always held a belief that it’s incumbent on all of us to make our communities a better place, and to me this was a chance to really take that concept to a higher level.

As far as campaigning, it actually feels a lot like the sales business, so I took to it naturally. I’m a small-town agent, so a lot of what we do to campaign is what I was doing to promote our business. Attending events, speaking with various community groups, and at times going door to door was all part of our campaign plan last spring.

Q. Reflecting on your first months in public office, what surprised you the most? And what are you most proud of?

A. When I was sworn in in June, I had zero government experience. Honestly, I knew nothing about how anything worked. I have made the joke that my only experience with the government before this job was that I paid my taxes. What surprised me was how little in terms of onboarding they have in the Legislature. I was asking hundreds of questions about how everything works and basically where the onboarding manual was. The answer was always the same … “We will just swear you in, and you’ll figure it out.”

To complicate matters, starting in June – by far the most hectic time in Harrisburg – made that no easy task. In my first three weeks, we battled over ending the governor’s emergency declaration powers, passed comprehensive election reform (the governor vetoed it), and passed the 2021-22 fiscal budget.

I think I’m most proud that we accomplished all of that despite being completely new to the whole system. I am forever indebted to our team, as we averaged over 55 hours a week those first few weeks, and it was all handson deck without a single complaint.

Q. You have a unique perspective as an independent agent and an elected official. What would you want other IA&B members to understand about the political process?

A. I think we all underestimate just how much impact the legislative and regulatory process has on our lives. It’s easy to become engulfed in our world – running our agency and living our lives – and be naïve to the goings on in Harrisburg. However, I think it is also important to know that our legislators are making decisions on a wide breadth of topics and industries. Input from experts in those fields is vital to shaping the policy that comes from both Washington and Harrisburg. Be open and available to your legislator if an insurance piece of legislation is moving through the system. I believe I am the only independent agent in the [Pennsylvania] legislature, so insurancerelated knowledge and opinion is certainly needed among my 252 colleagues.

Lastly the roll that IA&B’s AgentPAC plays in the process cannot be understated. It has become more and more expensive to run campaigns in the Commonwealth, and AgentPAC has been a great supporter of mine this past year. It’s through financial support that we can set up likeminded individuals to succeed, which only strengthens our influence under the dome.

Q. Your Senate term ends in November 2022. Do you intend to run for re-election? Why or why not?

A. We just recently announced our plan to run for reelection. The 2022 election cycle is well underway, and the first hurdle will come in the May primary election as we look to win the Republican nomination. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to learn the process and the inner workings of the state government. But, most importantly, I’ve found some real satisfaction in serving the constituents in the 48 th district. I think we’ve done some great things in just a short period of time but see much more progress ahead.

Q. On a personal note … when you’re not at the state Capitol building or the agency, where will we find you and who will you be with?

A. I have two young boys (Davis age 13 and Drew age 10), so my wife Sarah and I spend plenty of time chasing them around at their various sports and school-related activities. I also enjoy reading and playing a little golf when I’m able to find the time. However, with all I have going on these days, spare time is certainly at a premium.