CAT adjuster, Luanne Nettles, loves helping others through her job. She empowers clients by providing policy information and explaining the restoration process thoroughly. Her 16 years of field experience demonstrate her ability to lead and willingness to assist adjusters in her role as a flood team lead.
For most of her career, Luanne worked for a large IA firm in the flood department before being referred to Crawford by a friend. Since she enjoyed her time at the IA firm, she was initially hesitant to accept Crawford’s offer. However, the company’s diversity and inclusion initiatives impressed Luanne and became an important factor in considering the role. She says that Crawford is following through with their D&I efforts and created a professional environment where all feel welcomed and appreciated. Luanne has been with Crawford’s flood department since 2019 and believes it was the best choice for her.
“I’m so glad I made the move,” Luanne said.
“At Crawford, I’ve been given more opportunities to work in leadership roles that I didn’t know I wanted or needed.”
At Crawford, Luanne believes that she not only matters as a person to the company but also has the ability to be recognized for the quality work she produces. After joining the company, she immediately felt welcomed by the team and is continuously impressed by the effectiveness of the team model. She is encouraged to grow at Crawford through leadership opportunities that she shied away from in the past.
“The culture at Crawford is a refreshing change from other places I’ve worked,” she said.
Luanne’s background spans various managerial roles in the restaurant and construction industries. Through these experiences, she developed a well-rounded skill set with an emphasis on the importance of communication, empathy and a desire to push oneself. Luanne prides herself on her ability to recognize people’s strengths and building a team that caters to everyone’s strong points.
“Flood can be a beast, but we’re all in it together,” she said.
Luanne believes that teamwork is everything in the industry. Along with catering to individual strengths, she also persuades adjusters to adopt the mindset that the policyholder is the main priority, and her team’s goal is to meet the policyholder’s needs and expectations. In her experience, Luanne has discovered that if the well-being of the policyholder is the focus, then smaller kinks will work themselves out.
“I remind adjusters to know their ‘why’,” she said. “We are nothing without the policyholder.”
Luanne’s advice to new adjusters is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes their way and to not become discouraged if things don’t initially make sense. There is a lot to learn in the field and it will come with hands-on experience. The unlimited possibilities of the job are considered positive to Luanne, and she asks herself daily what tool she can add to her toolbox or which skill she can improve.
When Luanne is not working, she is taking care of her 15-month old son with her wife, along with their five dogs and three chickens. She loves spending time outside. Whenever she is stressed, she finds mowing the lawn to be very calming. Through the pandemic, her family has spent most of their time outside camping and hiking. Luanne is happy to be a part of the CAT team and looks forward to the growth Crawford has in store for her.
