Agent Spotlight: BXS Insurance - Arkansas
Dustin “Dusty” Jolley, vice president of BXS Insurance, at his office in Little Rock, Arkansas
DUSTY JOLLEY SHARES HIS JOURNEY FROM MEDICAL DEVICE SALES TO INSURANCE
Growing up in Greenbrier, Arkansas, a small town with a population of just over 4,000, young Dustin “Dusty” Jolley was raised by parents who both worked in insurance. As a child, Dusty watched his dad, Larry Jolley, develop programs for the Mississippi-based BancorpSouth, now BXS Insurance. BXS Insurance started in the back of a hardware store in Verona, Mississippi, as a bank and grew on the principle that neighbors should help neighbors.
Now, 142 years later, BXS Insurance still believes that to better serve customers one must understand what is right for them and their particular needs. Today, the insurance subsidiary is licensed in all 50 states and employs over 600 insurance professionals who provide local expertise to businesses.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Dusty works as a producer at BXS Insurance, working hand-in-hand with carriers like LUBA Workers’ Comp, to ensure his clients have the best coverage possible. The world of insurance is a pretty small one and “back in the day” Larry Jolley worked with David Bondy, founder and chief executive officer at LUBA Workers’ Comp, to discuss LUBA’s entrance into the Arkansas market. “My dad worked with Mr. Bondy, and now I’m working with the next generation of LUBA Workers’ Comp team members,” Dusty said.
Dusty attended the University of Central Arkansas (UCA), which is located about 20 miles south from where he grew up. During his time at UCA, Dusty was active in student government, and a member of the Phi Upsilon Omicron national honor society. After graduating from college with a master’s degree in science, he worked in medical device sales for eight years prior to entering the insurance field. “I sold spinal implants to surgeons.” Dusty said. “It was rewarding to know you were making a difference in injured people’s lives.”
The course of Dusty’s life changed forever when the topic of insurance came up one night over dinner with his family. At the time, his father was still working for BXS Insurance on the management side. Dusty decided to join his father at the company and become a producer. “The opportunity to work for BXS Insurance, and the vision and principles the company embodied, appealed to both me and my
dad,” Dusty said. Equally important was the extensive educational onboarding the company provided that allowed Dusty to make a smooth transition into his new career. “Going from selling spinal implants for eight years to insurance was a big leap. I went from selling a very tangible item to selling a promise,” he said.
Dustin “Dusty” Jolley works with BXS Insurance employee, Airen Polite, in their Arkansas office
Dusty quickly adapted and created value for his clients by actively listening to their needs. Prior to his father retiring, they worked in the same office, and almost six years later, Dusty continues to work as a producer for BXS Insurance. “Dusty and the BXS Insurance team’s reputation for going the extra mile to provide excellent customer service aligns well with LUBA’s business practices,” said Tiffany Leffke, assistant vice president at LUBA Workers’ Comp. BXS Insurance only works with A-rated carriers who have demonstrated historical and financial strength.
“Arkansas’s competitive workers’ compensation market and my first interaction with Tiffany from LUBA Workers’ Comp yielded not only competitive rates, but a collaborative approach that our team found refreshing since so many carriers have now moved strictly online with no human interaction. We’re in a people business and being able to pick up the phone to tell a human on the other side what I’m looking at is, for me, a game-changer,” Dusty said. “LUBA has proven to be a great relationship for me and my clients. They have a deep understanding of not only workers’ compensation, but also the marketplace.”
“My first interaction with Tiffany from LUBA Workers’ Comp yielded not only competitive rates, but a collaborative approach that our team found refreshing.”
Dusty resides in Conway, Arkansas, with his wife and two children. “We enjoy spending time at our family’s lake house where my kids have a chance to catch the insurance bug from their grandfather.”
