Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance appointed nine-year agent Trevor Crist to the newly created position of chief operating officer. This year, the 32-year-old Crist will serve as chairman of the board for the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross. A founding member of The Network, which comprises 250 young professionals under the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce umbrella, Crist served on the Next Cities Task Force that researched how to best attract and retain the next generation of business leaders.
Q: How did Nixon & Lindstrom determine it needed a chief operating officer? A: To this point, (Luke Nixon) has developed and managed our production or sales personnel. It was just one of those situations that it was the perfect storm for our agency and myself. I had specialized in the employee benefit products. With the political climate the way it is, regulation was a component, and then also with the company and its plans to add on additional production staff to focus on personal lines, property and casualty, and employee benefits, it just all came together. Luke approached me about the position to free up some of his time. It made sense with me already being part of the agency and having those relationships with our producers.
Q: What are your new responsibilities at this $37 million agency? A: The question I get most is, “Are you still going to sell?” And that will still be a component of my responsibilities. I will keep a client base. Within the agency, it’s easier if I’m doing what (agents are) doing. On top of that, I will be in charge of operations of the agency including the oversight of production and recruitment of new agents.
Q: What was your role in the Next Cities Task Force, which recently gave City Council its recommendations on how to retain young professionals? A: I was a member of a group that was responsible for information gathering. We were tasked with studying the After Hours portion of the report, and more specifically, we looked at stroll districts in our area and found that we were lacking in that regard compared to other areas.
Q: What keeps you in this community? A: What it always comes back to for me is opportunity. When it comes to young professionals, I think they want to see that a community has the opportunities they are looking for. For me, I graduated from Missouri State University and found myself in the position that a majority of people who did not have a specific vocation face. I didn’t have a large network of contacts, and so I built that. Currently, I am the chair-elect for the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross, which is time-consuming and limits my involvement with other groups, but I am still a member of The Network.
Q: Any advice for a young professional? A: The thing that has advanced me the most is that I always get the most out of every situation I’m in. Any opportunity, whether that is being a member of a board or other networking program, I am extremely focused on whatever I’m doing. I have had an entrepreneurial spirit for as long as I can remember. Because of that, it drives the opportunities in the industry that I’m in. [[In-content Ad]]
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