Claims/Underwriting

Name E. Scott
Education Juris Doctorate, University of Arizona
Department/Concise Job Description/Years Spent at State Farm
Fire Claims Central/ Claims Team Manager over a Homeowners Team/23 years
Location Great Western Zone
Career Path Majority of my career has been in Auto Claims, working in Field claim service centers.  In 2004 began a stint with Auto Claims Central.
In 2007 entered a Leadership Development program with Human Resources, helping to develop the Recruitment portion of HR in the GWZ.
In 2008 began present position in FCC.
Previous education BA in Political Science and JD from the University of Arizona

I first started at State Farm years ago when I heard about a program where State Farm was hiring Law School graduates to enter into the claims department. I had an interview in Tempe, Arizona and before I got home, there was a message on my home answering machine with a job offer!  It’s been awesome since!

Currently, as a claims team manager, my day starts off with usually reviewing e-mail. Though file reviews is “what we do”, our priority as managers is “our people”…being there for them, working with them and helping in any way we can.  In Claims, Much of the day cannot be planned, so we must be available to handle those things that come up unexpectedly.

A few years ago, I was asked to leave my position and work full-time on a campaign supporting a proposition to address the issue of some language in the Arizona Constitution.  For 3 months I learned about grassroots campaigning, spoke in front of groups asking for their “yes” vote on the proposition.  We travelled around the state of Arizona in an RV the last week of the campaign, stopping at as many cities as we could to talk about the proposition.  Unfortunately, the proposition did not pass but the experience was fun and quite valuable.

I have been very lucky throughout my career, and have also been rewarded with a number of once-in-a- lifetime experiences. I represented State Farm at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Seminar in Washington, DC.  This event culminated in a black tie affair with President Clinton as guest speaker.  I then stood at the velvet ropes and shook his hand!  And I have a picture to prove it!  I’ve also been asked to lobby Washington on certain issues and bills affecting our Industry.  I travelled to “The Hill” and met with three Congressmen who I personally knew to discuss certain bills that year.  

Some employees at State Farm would have to say that we are such a conservative company we don’t take enough risks. But, that conservative approach has served us well all these years, and it is this “proceed with caution and care” approach that has kept us strong in these trying times.  Where other companies have folded, had reductions in force, made employees take furloughs, froze salaries and raises, State Farm has continued to keep our employees first.   Many of us have friends and family members who have recently lost their jobs.    The stability the Company provides and the fact that our Company has always put the employees first in all decisions made are the greatest things about working for State Farm.