Pub. 62 2021-2022 Issue 1

26 What is your family background? I was born and raised in Central Texas, and I’ve been married for 32 years. We have four children, ages 16 to 29, and I’ve worked for American Fidelity and these amazing Texas Dealers for over 24 years. Your LinkedIn page says you earned your bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University in the Rawls College of Business. What was the most helpful thing you learned there? My focus at Texas Tech was Personnel Management with an emphasis in Marketing. Being a Red Raider helped me understand the huge economic impact that West Texas has, not only in our great state but across the nation and worldwide. You are a licensed insurance agent with the Texas Department of Insurance. What does that credential give you? Texas requires licensing certification for everyone in the insurance industry. We provide an array of insurance products and services to our dealers by utilizing a fully trained and licensed account management staff. What is American Fidelity’s origin story, how has the company differentiated itself in the health insurance market, and what makes it a good business partner for dealerships? C.W. Cameron’s father became disabled when C.W. was 14, and he had to drop out of school to support his family. As a result, he knew from experience how important products like disability insurance could be. C.W. and his son, C.B. Cameron, founded the American Fidelity Assurance Company in 1960. They had a fundamental belief that the most important asset anyone has is their ability to work and earn a living, and they built a strong foundation for the company’s growth. C.B. Cameron died in a tragic airplane accident as the Cameron family returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Colorado. The company continued to grow despite the accident, and in 1984, C.B.’s son, Bill Cameron, joined the team and eventually became the CEO. Bill ’s daughters are Caroline Ikard, Liza Cameron and Claire Cameron. They are the fourth generation to join the company. C.W. became an early leader in reaching people at their workplaces and offering payroll deductions to purchase products to help them prepare for the unexpected. Today, the company’s key customer markets are schoolteachers, state agency employees and trade associations like TADA. Please tell TADA members about your job. What does it involve? I work directly with our Dealer partners to provide benefits and American Fidelity is a good business partner for dealerships because its account managers are salaried, not commissioned. As a result, their service isn’t driven by earning a commission. Our plans and services are tailored specifically to the Texas dealers. American Fidelity has been chosen exclusively to partner with the TADA for over 50 years. TADA Q&A with John Hammonds Endorsed Partner Focus: