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2020 Men of the Year: Casey Chastain

Connell Insurance Inc.

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Though insurance and risk management may seem monotonous on the surface, Casey Chastain is quick to point out his work is anything but that.

As a partner with Branson-based Connell Insurance Inc., Chastain tells stories of turning around struggling municipal governments, emergency service departments and nonprofit organizations.

That’s where his consulting work comes in.

“Budgets are usually tight and these organizations are diligently using every dollar to provide care and support,” he says. “I’ve helped police and fire departments avoid staff reduction and reduction of basic employee benefits because of our specialized programs.”

Chastain estimates his work last year had a fiscal impact of $342,000 through reduced costs and refunds for his nonprofit and public entity clients.

“It is much more than business,” he says. “When you see a struggling police department, nonprofit or county at risk for loss and then you help restore their budget practices and their reach and vision, it’s gratifying.”

One recent case reversed $172,000 in unanticipated invoices for a local unnamed nonprofit, he says.

“The additional unexpected bills would result in staff layoffs and/or employee benefit reductions that would hurt families significantly,” Chastain recalls.

“In addition, the reduced staff would mean the vulnerable population they serve would also be negatively impacted. Through a detailed and sustained effort, we led the carrier to overturn their decision.”

At Connell Insurance, Chastain is a three-time Producer of the Year, most recently in 2018.

During his nine-year tenure, he’s observed the firm more than double its employee count to 51 and triple its office locations.

As the firm expanded, Chastain seized the opportunity to grow his professional repertoire. In 2016, he became a senior professional in human resources through the HR Certification Institute.

“This training provided preparation and tools to help those I lead to navigate the complicated areas of recruitment, retention, mentoring and the interaction of multiple generations in the workplace,” Chastain says.

It also helped him earn the partner title. He works with new Connell Insurance consultants to provide training for their own career advancements.

Additionally, Chastain regularly has spoken to business college classrooms at Missouri State University, his alma mater, and Drury University. He’s done this for 14 years at MSU and for three years now at Drury. It’s paid dividends.

“We’ve actually hired some of these individuals years later, after an initial meeting and lecture at the university,” Chastain says. “These individuals excel, and it’s an honor to be a small part of it.”

Prior to joining Connell Insurance, he worked a combined nine years at Sentry Insurance and Federated Insurance.

Civically, Chastain has volunteered for 10 years with the Missouri Child Identification and Protection Program, and he’s also worked with the 417 Homeless Outreach, passing out food and resources.

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