Pat Peslen came to came to E.L. Sanders Insurance Agency more than 10 years ago, and she was a welcome addition. She brought with her decades of experience, and she has thrived with us as an account manager focusing on commercial lines of insurance.
She’s an East Coast native but had spent most her adult life living in the Southwest. Pat is a second-generation insurance professional, following in her parents’ footsteps. She takes amazing care of our commercial clients, and she is an absolute pleasure to have around the office.
We are grateful to have Pat on the team. Check out this Q&A to get to know her better!
You started your career in Personal Lines and now focus on Commercial Lines. What are the biggest differences and what do you find most rewarding about Commercial Lines?
One hundred years ago, when I worked a personal lines desk, it was very different than it is now. It has become quite a challenging field to manage, and I have a great deal of respect for my PL colleagues.
I find commercial lines much more diverse in the types of coverages that are available as it responds to the ever-evolving myriad of exposures that confront businessowners. As such, it tests my analytical nature and I enjoy that.
Where are you from originally and what brought you to Southern Maryland?
I was born and raised in the New York City/Long Island area. We lived out west for 30+ years while my husband worked in the semiconductor industry. When he retired from that field, we decided to come back east to be near family.
What makes E.L. Sanders a great place to work?
Having come from a very high-stress position in New Mexico, I have welcomed the laid-back family atmosphere here. Everyone genuinely cares about each other and there’s no hesitation to jump in to lend a hand when it’s needed. Generosity, humor and food … a lot of food … fills the building each day and I look forward to coming to work in the morning … and I haven’t felt like that in a while.
What do you enjoy most outside of work?
I enjoy gardening, now that I have a different selection of plants and flowers to work with than I did out west. Jim and I are having fun exploring the sites in the DC area and getting re-acquainted with our sisters and their families after being so far away for so long.