Q&A with Mike Thomas

Mike Thomas is principal of Lighthouse Insurance Services, a full-service independent agency in Gambrills, MD. He is also a member of the IA&B Mike Thomas is principal of Lighthouse Insurance Services, a full-service independent agency in Gambrills, Board of Directors. MD. He is also a member of the IA&B Board of Directors.

Q. We understand you hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting. How did you get your start in insurance? And how has your career progressed?

A. I have always loved numbers and accounting, so after graduation from The University of Maryland (Go, Terps!), I was a tax accountant at a Big 6 Accounting Firm. I was assigned to go on a cross-country, 18-month trip to 88 cities where a large client had offices to assist with state and local taxes. For a newly married guy, I figured it wasn’t the best way to start a marriage.

So I joined my father in selling life insurance for The Knights of Columbus. I did that for four years, and then my father in-law suggested I join his independent insurance agency and offered to teach me the property and casualty side of the business. In 2000 I had the opportunity to go out on my own and start a scratch agency in my hometown of Crofton, MD. I certainly owe a great deal of gratitude to both of my “dads” for putting me on a successful path in the exciting world of insurance and showing me the proper way to treat and help people.

Q. What have been the biggest changes (for better or worse) that you’ve seen in the insurance industry since you began?

A. Over the past 30 years, automation has made a big difference – both for the better and worse. It has enabled agents to help many more clients via email and electronic signatures. Unfortunately, I don’t think you get to truly know your clients like we did in the past when we saw everyone in person.

Q. You run a small shop – as do many IA&B members. What unique challenges do smaller agencies face? And what do they need to succeed?

A. As a smaller shop, Lighthouse Insurance really must set ourselves apart from other agencies. We try to do that by treating all our clients like family and giving them the service they deserve. We don’t have voicemail, so clients get to talk to a real person. We try to educate them from the beginning on their policies and what they cover. We try to earn their respect and become their trusted advisor rather than a Gecko, Elephant, Mayhem, Flo, or many other insurance “mascots” out there.

Q. What benefit(s) of your IA&B membership do you find most valuable?

A. I feel IA&B is a wealth of knowledge and a trusted sounding board. It gives agents a broad amount of education, guidance, procedures, and opportunities to run a successful agency as we navigate the many changes in the industry. I think IA&B really cares about their members.

Q. What advice would you give new producers just starting out?

A. Be true to yourself and your clients. You must treat insurance as a career, not a job. To your clients, an auto accident, fire, or any other claim can be overwhelming. That is your turn to shine and show that you truly care about helping them in their time of need.

Q. Tell us about the charity you co-founded, For The Kids Inc.

A. When I opened my agency in 2000, I shared office space with a childhood friend who was taking over a tax and accounting firm. We decided that we wanted to find a way to get involved and give back to our community. We are both golfers, so we started by inviting 30 of our friends to a round of golf. We raised about $500 and donated it to a local school that served students with special needs.

Kids are very special to us, so from there, we wanted to assist a local family with a sick child. For the last 22 years we have selected a local sick child whose family has financial needs because of the child’s illness. We have helped save a house from foreclosure, purchase a handicap accessorized van, provide money for lifesaving procedures not covered by insurance, and simply given some families hope and breathing room in their time of need.

Almost 70% of our golfers come back every year to support us. They really like that they get to meet and hear from the actual family that they are helping. We always invite the child and their family to attend our event and speak at the lunch. The personal touch goes a long way in everything you do.

We make it fun – we cook hotdogs on the course and have a frozen drink machine, pizza donated by the local Ledo’s franchise, and snacks from two of our favorite restoration companies. We have fun contests on the course where participants get to put on a dress to hit form the forward tees, wear handcuffs during a hole, see who can hit a marshmallow the longest, and even use an air cannon gun to shoot their golf ball over 300 yards. Our event has sold out for the past 10 years including during the pandemic. Our 23 rd annual golf tournament is coming up in August, and we have raised over $500,000 since we first started our charity.

Q. Every December, you visit schools and churches dressed as Santa. You must have some good stories. Please share a favorite or two!

A. I could write a book on the things that I have seen and heard while dressed as the big man himself. I started this when my now 24-year-old son was in kindergarten and the school was looking for anyone who knew Santa. I volunteered and have never stopped.

Santa has visited schools, churches, neighborhood bus stops, Jazzercise, adult Christmas parties, and even a local dairy farm. Santa has gotten to ride in a big red Jeep Wrangler, Lexus convertible, tricked-out golf cart, ‘65 Corvette, and even a fire truck.

iPhones and puppies are probably the most requested items. I typically tell the kids it is too cold on Christmas Eve for puppies to ride in the sleigh. Some of the more memorable requests have been an orange, a ukulele, a coat hanger, a baby sibling, and even a date for mom. The adults who choose to climb up on Santa’s lap usually request diamonds or a new car. I’m just glad to see that the Christmas spirit is alive and well. HO HO HO!

Mike Thomas (a.k.a. Santa), pictured with his wife Susan and at his office