Q&A with DONNA ROPER

Donna Roper is Vice President of Operations/Principal at McConkey Insurance & Benefits in York, PA. She also serves on the IA&B Board of Directors.

Q. Tell us about how you got your start in the insurance industry! And how did your career path unfold?

A. Like most people in the insurance industry, it was not my original career choice (in fact, my degrees and certifications were in psychology), but I landed here by good fortune and a bit of a Cinderella story.

I was a stay-at-home mom with two young children and had decided to get back into the workforce. Having moved to the area from Texas, I didn’t know a lot of people here, so I took a job as a temporary employee with McConkey, hand-addressing invitations to their 100 th anniversary party. Several months later, the agency was looking for a receptionist to fill in while theirs was out on sick leave. The position became permanent, and I gladly took it.

McConkey took a leap of faith with me, as I did with them, and after about a year, I was promoted to Administrative Supervisor. Not only did that role include supervising the Admin team, but it also included serving as the IT person, HR resource, and manager of accounting. I did a lot of studying in the evenings for those roles, as I had never been exposed to any of them. It was an exhilarating challenge!

From there, my role continued to expand as the agency grew. I was given opportunities that I would have never dreamed of if I were designing my career. I lead the organization through the installation of a true network system and was instrumental in designing our current office space. When asked over the years about my ultimate career goal, even from my days as the receptionist, I would always answer that I wanted to be a partner in the organization. I was told that it was a lofty goal, as I was not a revenue generator. But I worked hard to prove my worth, and eventually McConkey took yet another chance on me. That dream came true, and I am now the VP of Operations.

I truly started at an entry level position, as a temporary employee addressing envelopes, and have worked my way up. I love to share this story with our new employees as a real example of how persistence and hard work can take them far in their career with our organization.

Q. As vice president of operations, what does your typical workday look like?

A. There is no such thing as a “typical workday” for me, and that is what I love about my job. I do start off each day by meeting with our CEO and HR Director. This gives us focus on what issues are pressing and how we can continue to advance the company. From there, I am in touch with all the divisions that I oversee.

We work hard to hire and develop strong managers, so they make my job easy. I have a direct line of oversight to HR, IT, Finance and Accounting, Administration, and Compliance. And, operationally, issues with the building and its maintenance. These days [interview occurred in late December 2021] our office is working on a remote schedule, where employees are given the flexibility to come into the office if they choose, but most are working from home. I have elected to work full-time in the office, to make sure that all is running smoothly in-house. I spend probably half my day in front of a camera these days, on Teams and Zoom meetings with my coworkers.

Q. One of your focuses is on team building. What tips can you share with other agency principals who want to build a more cohesive team?

A. I could talk about team building all day, as this is one of my passions. One key tip is communication, which is imperative in building and leading a team. At McConkey, we have found success in over-communicating, especially during the pandemic. With a hybrid workforce, we must work even harder at communicating, but it pays off with a strong, cohesive team moving in the same direction.

Communications should be positive and encouraging, recognizing the strengths of each team member. When you lead with optimism, it brings energy to your team. I always say, “See the challenges as opportunities,” and I truly believe that. Challenges give you the chance to grow and conquer obstacles that you never thought possible. My team has heard this line many times over the years!

Another key tip is setting up a mentoring program, whether it be formalized or informal. I promise the time you put into mentoring your team members comes back to you a thousand-fold.

Q. Industry perpetuation is top of mind these days. What have you found most successful for recruitment and retention?

A. At McConkey, we have found a lot of success with building our team from the ground up. We’ve invested in our future by putting together programs that effectively train smart, young professionals. Our well-established intern program has led to great hires. We were fortunate to offer three paid internships this past summer and always look forward to our interns returning during their college breaks. These interns are given meaningful projects and many opportunities to learn the insurance business.

We also have entry-level positions in each division, trainees or assistants, who start with the basics and work hard to get their insurance licenses. IA&B has been such a valued partner with us on this, providing excellent education and licensing courses for our employees. Once the assistants are licensed, they are given their own book of business to service and are well on their way to a rewarding career in insurance.

We are very fortunate at McConkey to have a great retention rate with our employees. I will credit that to our career path counseling, mentorships, and fantastic employee programs. We like to keep everyone engaged here, with creative and fun ways to get involved in the agency.

Q. Tell us about your charity of choice, Second Wind Dreams!

A. Giving back to the community is so important to McConkey. One charity that I am involved in is called Second Wind Dreams. This non-profit organization works to change the perception we have of the elderly. They have a stellar training program that teaches geriatric sensitivity to caregivers. In addition to that, they have programs that fulfill dreams of seniors, granting them the opportunity to do activities they have only dreamed of doing.

One dream fulfillment that I was involved with created the opportunity for an elderly gentleman that had sacrificed his career in music to provide for his family. His dream was to be an orchestra conductor, and Second Wind Dreams gave him the chance to just that during a dress rehearsal. The smile on his face and the tears in the orchestra’s eyes were a sight to behold.

Q. When you’re not working, where would we find you and what would you be up to?

A. When I’m not working, you can probably find me in the kitchen at home. I love to cook and am always experimenting with new recipes and techniques. I have three grandkids who are learning to love to cook too, and one of my favorite things to do is teach them family recipes. These are the same recipes that I taught my own children, and that my mom and grandma taught me. Family traditions and stories are important to me. I guess my mentoring carries over from the office into my home life!

Donna and her grandchildren