A message from OUR PRESIDENT
Paul Ehlert President & Chief Executive Officer T
W
ith a record freeze and a very active hail season behind us, we move into summer. Temperatures are starting to soar, testing the capacity of the state’s power grid and providing the fuel needed to form tropical storms and hurricanes in the Gulf. The risks of wildfires are also heightened this time of year. This issue of Germania Today is focused on disaster preparedness, so you can be prepared to handle whatever comes your way – whether it’s a hurricane, flood, wildfire, or rolling power outages. Be sure to check out the helpful tips and information. Another successful Local Chapter and director election season has come and gone, concluding with nearly 17,500 members casting their votes for director candidates. On this year ’s slate were two new directors, Laura Deutscher (Dallas) and Victor Carrillo (Rockwall). We are pleased to welcome these new directors to the Board as well as the following directors who are returning to the board for a new three-year term: • Jeffrey “Jeff” Knippa (Walburg) • Bruce Germer (Lockhart) • Robert “Tony” Reeves (Midland)
For each vote cast, Germania committed to donate $1 to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in support of childhood cancer research. Thanks to your participation, Germania made a donation of $20,000 to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation! Despite the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic, the 87th Texas legislative session ended in May with nearly 10,000 bills filed and approximately one-third of those passed into law. Read about the positive changes impacting the insurance industry on Page 8. Germania will be celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. I believe our founding father and first president, Otto Rau, would be very pleased to see the company he started in Perry, Texas, in 1896 grow to be the largest farm mutual insurance company in the state of Texas. Germania’s 31 founding members saw the need for dependable mutual insurance and committed themselves to the principle that bearing one another ’s burdens made them all stronger to handle property losses together. Watch for more information to be shared in the next issue of Germania Today and through our website and social media channels about this milestone in our company’s rich history. I hope all of you have an opportunity this summer to enjoy quality time with family, friends, and neighbors. Have a blessed summer!
Summer 2021 | 3
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