Accidents Happen, But Poweshiek Insurance Agency Has You Covered

Before Nicolle Donnelly stepped into the insurance industry, she wasn’t too sure about its “good side.” In the last few years, the headlines around the industry kept getting wilder and wilder: high-end rates, less coverage, and zip codes being dropped.

But Donnelly didn’t let that prevent her from becoming an agent at the local Poweshiek Insurance Agency. “I basically studied for a month straight,” laughs Donnelly. “Eight hours a day for an exam with over 100 questions.” Now, she is licensed to sell property and casualty insurance.

Her team includes agent Jordan Spencer, agent DeAnn Clark, and Gabe Baughman, agency manager and interim manager of operations across four insurance agency branches. Together, the team helps customers navigate the challenges of the insurance world.

“We are not an insurance carrier,” emphasizes Donnelly. “Instead, we are an agency, and we work daily with multiple companies to find customers the best price for the best coverage.”

Poweshiek Insurance Agency offers a variety of options for home, auto, farm, and business insurance. Typically, customers visit the agency to review policies and assess the right insurance for a variety of situations — removing vehicles from insurance plans, buying a house, creating a business, and even buying farming equipment.

Despite some of the less-than-optimal insurance rates, Donnelly and her team are, at their core, advocates. One story Donnelly likes to tell is about a customer who moved from Des Moines to Grinnell.

“She moved here, and then the hail storm struck,” recounts Donnelly. “So I went down to her house, took pictures for inspection purposes, and had people over to repair her property pretty quickly. She kept telling me how much of a blessing it was to have insurance. Without it, she wouldn’t have had the money to take care of the hailstorm aftermath.”

With this in mind, the team at Poweshiek Insurance Agency is looking ahead for their clientele. “We already work with United Mutual, Nationwide, Grinnell Mutual, IMT, GEICO, Progressive, and more,” says Donnelly. “But we are always working on securing more carriers so our customers have the most options available.”

Donnelly, who graduated from Grinnell High School in 2022, didn’t “have a clue” what the insurance agency world would hold post-grad. But now, she is your local connoisseur who will be in your corner when lightning (or hail) strikes.

“Despite all the restrictions from carriers, we are on the customer’s side as agents,” she shares. “Again, we are not the company — we are the agent — so we are the ones helping the customer find the best place to be,”

The agency’s main piece of advice? To plan ahead when you can — whether you are buying a new car or simply reviewing an annual policy renewal — Poweshiek Agency Insurance agents can help you find the perfect policy for you.

“We especially want to ensure that our policyholders understand their policy,” says Donnelly. “Like where their rates are coming from and knowing what their coverages are — especially because of the new changes that come out post-storms and other natural events.” Sometimes, this means that the lower premium isn’t always the better coverage, so make sure to talk with your agent and protect yourself adequately.

To schedule an appointment, call (641) 236-6544, visit https://www.grinnellchamber.org/.../poweshiek_insurance.../, or follow their Facebook page, Poweshiek Insurance Agency, for more information. Although accidents happen and nature sometimes strikes, Poweshiek Agency Insurance will make sure to have you covered!

Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:

• Nikki Armstead — Grinnell Chamber
• Donnette Ellis — Grinnell College & Grinnell Grinnell College Community Connections
• Trent Arment — MCG - Mahaska Communication Group
• Jordan Spencer — Poweshiek Insurance Agency
• Libby Eggert — Grinnell College & Grinnell Grinnell College Community Connections
• Charlie Isaacs — Theisen's
• Gabe Baughman — Poweshiek Insurance Agency
• Dan McCue — McCue & Associates LLC - American Family Insurance
• Nicolle Donnelly — Poweshiek Insurance Agency
• Jennifer McAlexander — JM Consulting & Hawkeye Lock & Security
• Monica St. Angelo — Grinnell Area Arts Council
• Lori Vos — Loralei's Giftshoppe
• Shivam Sharma — Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
• Evan Petig — The Grinnellian
• Yesenia Mozo — Grinnell Chamber