Avery Insurance joins our Board of Advisors 🎉
Spotlighting the visionary organizations on the Board of Advisors at the heart of our mission. Through innovation, thoughtful strategy, and winning workplace cultures, these employers are shaping the future of the 603.
Our Board of Advisors represents a dynamic group of organizations committed to driving workforce development, championing young Granite Staters, and who are invested in Stay Work Plays vision for a NH where young people want to—and can—stay, work and play.
We’re thrilled to have a conversation with Evan O’Dowd, a Business Development Manager at Avery Insurance—a trusted insurance agency with local roots for over 125 years (!) that’s kept business in the family for generations. Get to know them, and Evan, below!
SWP: Why is supporting young talent and organizations like Stay Work Play important to your company’s mission?
EO: Insurance is an industry with a rapidly aging talent pool. In order to continue on our mission of providing our clients with a "best-in-class" insurance experience through exceptional customer service and expertise it's mission critical that we cultivate the next generation of leaders and insurance agents.
SWP: In what ways does your company empower the next generation of leaders in New Hampshire?
EO: By investing in the right tools and processes to set them up for success. Rolling out the same playbook used 30 years ago is not a winning strategy. Prior to joining Avery Insurance I worked in industries with large shares of young talent like tech and some the focus of my role has been deploying "best practices" used in other industries to help make our company one of the best employers for young professionals in New Hampshire. Younger generations have different expectations around technology, training, leadership, etc. and it's important that we adopt to changing workforce preferences. To truly empower the next generation of leaders requires substantial investment in time, resources, and a will to change how things have "always been done". Avery Insurance is deeply committed to making this investment due to the return we know it will have for our company and the communities we support.
SWP: Tell us a fun fact or hidden gem about your company that people might not expect!
EO: That we've been around, based in New Hampshire and family owned since 1899! I'm actually the 5th generation at Avery Insurance which is fact that still blows my mind some days. We have employees that have been with us for 40+ years that will share anecdotes and lessons that my grandfather taught them when they were first joining the insurance industry which also always throws me for a loop.
SWP: Why do you love to stay, work, and play in New Hampshire?
EO: Too many reasons to adequately sum up in a few sentences. The people, the seasons, the history, architecture of our towns, access to nature. I'm very fortunate to have grown up here and making sure that New Hampshire remains the best place to stay, work, and play in for generations to come is a huge part of my personal mission.
SWP: What’s your hope for the future of our state?
EO: There's an old Greek proverb that a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. New Hampshire is great state, but faces challenges such as lack of affordable housing, rising cost of living, and an aging population. I hope that New Hampshire can continue to invest in the future of our state by working towards real solutions to the challenges we face today.
Huge shoutout to Evan+ Avery Insurance for giving us a sneak peek into this verified cool company in the 603! Welcome to the Stay Work Play Board of Advisors!
Interested in learning more about Avery’s team? Hit the links below!
