Featured New York Life Insurance Agent: Kathy Davenport

Featured Agent:
Kathy Davenport

• New York Life Agent for: 20 years
• Earned CLU, ChFC, and AEP certifications
• First Female President of New York Life’s Agents Advisory Council

It’s Women’s History Month and New Orleans life insurance agent Kathy Davenport now knows what it feels like to be part of New York Life Insurance Company’s rich history. She has recently become the first female president of New York Life’s Agents Advisory Council (AAC), a place where agents can present their viewpoints and issues to the company’s executive management.

New York Life Insurance Company has always been a leader in the insurance industry, being one of the first companies to insure women and being the first to hire women as agents in the 1880s.

"New York Life gave me the edge to become successful and to have a family and keep my pledge to make a difference in people’s lives," says Davenport.

A Rich Tradition of Independence
Davenport knew she wanted independence in her career. Her parents operated their own seafood business and were their own bosses, as were her grandfather and great-grandfather. “Our family has a rich tradition of being self-employed. Because they worked from home, Mom and Dad were always available to me. That was something I wanted with my own children,” says Davenport.

She began her sales career in real estate, but meeting a New York Life agent made an impact that forever changed her life. “He had flexible hours and a nice lifestyle,” she said. Exploring the agent career that New York Life offered, she concluded, “It was a great growth opportunity, and a chance to further my education and really make an impact in others’ lives.”

“New York Life gave me the edge to become successful and to have a family and keep my pledge to make a difference in people’s lives.”

Learn and Grow
Davenport jumped in, starting as an agent in her hometown of New Orleans and has turned her practice into a thriving one. Over the span of her 20-year career, she has served over 600 families in her community. Taking advantage of the Company’s life long emphasis on training programs through NYLIC University and other education programs has allowed Ms. Davenport to earn her Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), and AEP (Accredited Estate Planner) certifications, which has increased her knowledge as well as her marketability.

“New York Life is incredibly supportive of agents expanding their practice through education,” she says.

Consistently ranking among the Company’s highest achieving agents, Davenport has attained Lifetime membership in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT)*.

Touch Lives and Find a Balance
The best part of her work, however, is the being available to her clients, her colleagues and her family. It’s also being able to touch lives and make a difference.

“I see myself almost as a caregiver to my clients. I take a very holistic approach in my practice,” she says. “My clients and their families have trust in me.” All of those skills and trust were desperately needed when Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf area in 2005. "As a Financial Adviser**, I was proud that, after the storm, only two of my clients needed to go to their portfolios for major money. That means I positioned my clients correctly so that they had access to emergency cash."

Raising two girls, ages 12 and 18, Davenport’s home serves as both her office and the center of her family’s life. “My career has allowed me to have the best of both worlds because I work from my home, I am available to my girls at a moment’s notice. Now my husband has joined me in my practice.”

“I think it’s very important for successful, independent women to serve as role models for future generations,” Davenport says. “Through that, they realize they can take care of themselves: set goals and have a career and a family if you want, while helping others at the same time.”

Why New York Life?
“New York Life is a top pick among women in the insurance services business,” states Davenport. Over 32% of new hires in 2008 were women. The Company also has more women MDRT members than any other U.S. company.

For over 160 years, New York Life has provided financial security to families and businesses, and supports the success of its employees. New York Life is recognized for being an innovative workplace for women and was recently named one of the 2008 Working Mother 100 Best Companies . Among its numerous awards include Fortune's list of America's Most Admired Companies in 2008.”

To learn more about what New York Life can do for your career, go to www.nylcareersforwomen.com, or call our Recruiter Response number at 1-800-497-0849.

*MDRT is recognized throughout the industry as the standard of excellence in life insurance sales performance.
**Kathy is also a Financial Adviser of Eagle Strategies LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser.

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