West Des Moines, Iowa — Homesteaders Life Company, a national leader in preneed funeral funding, recently announced the winners of its annual Homesteaders Heroes program. The peer-nominated awards recognize employees who demonstrate Homesteaders’ mission and make an impact on the success of the company and its customers.
“This year, we were excited to have nearly 70 nominations submitted by employees in recognition of their colleagues’ contributions to Homesteaders,” said Tonja Clark, Homesteaders SVP-Human Resources. “Homesteaders Heroes is an opportunity for employees to nominate team members for living our core values. It is a reflection of our culture that encourages teamwork and respect for what each of us bring to the table every day.”
Homesteaders Heroes award winners were named in six categories:
Rising Star Award – Ryan Goins, Senior VP-Finance & Accounting
This award recognizes an employee who demonstrates eagerness to learn, commitment to Homesteaders and engagement with the company and peers early in his or her career.
“We had high expectations for Ryan in his new role at Homesteaders, and I’m happy to say he has not only met those expectations, but so far has exceeded them,” noted one of his nominators. “What I admire most is his broad skill set and base of knowledge that have direct application to the many new things we’re encountering here at Homesteaders.”
Innovation Award – Kyle Wiener, Manager, Application Delivery
This award recognizes an employee for the successful implementation of a new or updated product, service or program that results in a measurable improvement in the company’s performance, processes or brand strength.
“The thing I admire most about Kyle is his determination,” remarked one of his nominators. “He is more than willing to go out of his way to help a coworker or a client. And once he has his mind set on something, no amount of hours or distractions will get in the way of him accomplishing his goals.”
Outstanding Teamwork Award – Aimee Rodgers, Actuarial Associate
This award recognizes an outstanding team member who has demonstrated enthusiasm, cooperation, problem solving skills, commitment to success and a consistently positive attitude.
“Aimee is always willing to help out and is conscientious when involved with time-sensitive tasks,” shared one of her nominators. “She treats internal and external customers with respect and is dedicated to addressing questions and issues in a timely manner. Teammates know that Aimee can be counted on to provide honest and helpful feedback.”
Inspiring Leadership Award – Tom Doruska, Senior VP-Chief Actuary
This award recognizes an employee who has shown incredible leadership skills and can be described as inspiring, decisive and visionary, yet humble and willing to give credit to others.
“I appreciate Tom’s insights and continue to learn from him as he shares ideas and feedback,” explained one of his nominators. “The success of our newer team members is very important to him, and he seeks projects that will help them develop and grow.”
Enduring Impact Award – Scott Zumbach, Director-Marketing Organizations
This award recognizes an employee for a significant, long-term contribution or body of accomplishments to Homesteaders that make a lasting impact on the company’s success.
“Scott’s unwavering commitment to Homesteaders and our funeral home and marketing partners is nothing short of extraordinary,” described one of his nominators. “Over the years, he has consistently gone above and beyond, dedicating countless hours and boundless energy to these important relationships that have not only achieved success in the short term, but have also laid the foundation for where we are today.”
Unsung Hero Award – John Hale, Facilities Manager
Making its debut for the 2024 Homesteaders Heroes awards, the new Unsung Hero award honors employees who go above and beyond their job responsibilities, contributing significantly and often working behind the scenes.
“What I most admire about John is his patience and his honesty,” one of his nominators said. “His job does change every day, and he just seems to take it in stride.”
The Homesteaders Heroes program is one of the ways the company recognizes employees for teamwork, outstanding job performance and demonstrating their core values: be your best, serve boldly, be humble and care. Homesteaders was recently named a 2024 Top Iowa Workplace, marking the tenth consecutive year it has earned this distinction.
To learn more about Homesteaders’ workplace and career opportunities, visit homesteaderslife.com/careers.
Homesteaders Life Company, a mutual company owned by its policy holders, is a national leader providing products and services to help people design a better farewell. Visit homesteaderslife.com to learn more.
