April 7, 2020
As Meemic finds itself at a milestone celebration on April 7, we wanted to reflect on the road taken to lead us here, 70 years strong.
From humble beginnings in the heart of Detroit, a small group of teachers established The Detroit Teachers Group, which grew into the company we know as Meemic today.
We could go on to lay out a comprehensive company history, pave the way from then to now and detail the journey there and back from Detroit to Auburn Hills. The scenic route includes several must-see attractions: adding homeowners and other lines of insurance, our expansion into several states. 1992 was a big year, too, as it saw the establishment of The Meemic Foundation for the Future of Education.
But numbers and statistics are merely mile markers at the end of the day. To paint a picture of what 70 years looks like at Meemic, we should start at the beginning and share an aspect you won’t find on the bullet point lists or a company timeline.
Recently, we ran into an old email exchange between two former employees. Within was a statement that we imagine still resonates with our employees and agents today. It was something from Rita Mace, then a 36-year company veteran from the early days in the Hammond Building.
“It felt like family.”
This is a sentiment that many of us can attest to in 2020. A new age, new faces, new century, new opportunities – and still that feeling remains intact.
We reached out to our current longest-tenured employee, Felicia Gurka. Back in the days of posting machines, ledger cards and long green ledger papers, Felicia joined the Meemic team in 1978. In an “unplugged” world, she started her career as an Accounts Receivable Clerk.
Jumping ahead to 2020, she oversees multiple teams as the Supervisor of Sales and Service, Meemic Billing and Processing.
When we asked her what was so special about Meemic that kept her at the company for more than four decades, her response was a familiar one.
“There is something special about my work family,” she said. “The years march on, things change, but the positive spirit of the people that made a difference in my work life still echoes in my ears and continues to inspire me to want to make them proud.”
Of all the technology and progress Meemic has seen over the course of 70 years, our unchanged “spirit” may be the greatest accomplishment of all.
Those we serve in the educational community and our team of employees and agents have always been the vehicle that has moved us along, through challenges and milestones alike. We are a company that started solely with teachers, a tradition Meemic has carried on.
Many of our current agents are still teachers, some were teachers, and others come from families with educators. It’s easy to see how a group rooted in education created a bon that has remained universal.
Let’s first and foremost celebrate the people and those connections that continue to make our workplace feel like family: our team, both employees and agents.
And, of course, we couldn’t have done it without our valued Members.
Thirty years from now, Meemic will celebrate 100 years of insuring educators. We can’t be sure what the ratings, percentages or policy count will look like, but we hope the sense of community we have built from within continues to remain the greatest cause for celebration in all the years and anniversaries to come. Seven decades in the rearview mirror and the scenic route up ahead – this ride is a journey and this team, our team, continues to pave the way.