How a Scholarship—and One Well-Timed Question—Launched a Career Close to Home
Frank Mercurio came to Gompers, Cornish & Barr to collect a scholarship check. He left having opened the door to his first insurance job…and the career he had been preparing for throughout college.
While studying insurance and risk management at Olivet College (now The University of Olivet), Frank received a scholarship through the Macomb County Independent Insurance Agents Association. Agency Vice President Jim Barr was the association’s treasurer, and our President, John Cornish, was the association’s vice president.
Frank’s adviser urged him to pick up the check in person and ask about opportunities that Jim and John may know of close to home. So Frank visited the GCB office and asked whether they knew of any Macomb County agencies that were hiring.
Their response was simple: “We’re hiring.”
From Personal Lines to a Commercial Focus
During a subsequent Christmas break, Frank spent a week at GCB getting to know the team and seeing how the agency operated.
“I wanted to see if I liked the setup and get to know the people a little better,” he recalls. “And I loved it.”
Frank graduated in 2020 and planned to begin work immediately afterward. COVID-19 delayed his start by about a month, but in June 2020, he officially joined GCB.
He began in Personal Lines alongside Personal Lines Manager Lauren Dallas before gradually pursuing small commercial opportunities. Today, his primary focus as an Account Executive is helping business owners understand and manage their risks.
“I just love working with small, family-owned businesses,” Frank says. “My family owns a small business. In many ways, GCB feels like a small, family-owned business. It all just fits.”
A Commitment to Lifelong Learning
Frank earned his insurance license when he was approximately 20 years old—before, as he points out, he was even old enough to order a drink. That license was only the beginning.
“Every couple of years, I’ve tried to earn a new insurance designation,” he says. “It shows my commitment to learning more about the industry.”
In 2022, Frank earned his Personal Lines Coverage Specialist designation. Two years later, he became a Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation through Accident Fund. He is now working toward the Certified Insurance Counselor designation. So, technically, we should refer to him as “Frank Mercurio, PLCS, CAWC”...with “CIC” soon to be appended!
The progression reflects both his expanding commercial focus and his belief that becoming a trusted adviser requires continual learning.
Finding Coverage When It Matters Most
One of Frank’s most memorable successes began with a brief online inquiry from the chief financial officer of a funeral home business.
Frank followed up the next day and discovered that the organization faced a serious problem. Following a significant claim, its existing carrier planned to nonrenew the entire account. The client needed to replace a broad insurance program that included property, general liability, professional liability, directors and officers liability, cyber coverage, and workers’ compensation.
Finding dependable coverage was Frank’s immediate priority. By drawing on GCB’s carrier relationships and working with a strong regional insurer, Frank secured the coverage the organization needed despite its challenging claim history.
Then came an unexpected second victory: the new program cost approximately $100,000 less than what the organization had been paying, even before the claim!
“The owner’s biggest concern was simply securing coverage and knowing they would be insured,” Frank says. “The cherry on top was that we came in about $100,000 less.”
Frank is quick to acknowledge that not every placement produces such a dramatic result. Still, the experience shows what an independent agency can accomplish when a difficult account requires persistence, creativity, and access to the right carrier network.
Cut from the Same Cloth
Ask Frank why he has stayed at GCB since graduating, and he starts with his coworkers.
“We have a great team here and a great supporting cast,” he says, crediting the Commercial Lines professionals who manage accounts and maintain GCB’s standard of service.
Just as important are the clients. Particularly local business owners.
Frank grew up in a small family business and still helps there in his spare time. He watched his parents go to work each day knowing the business would not operate unless they showed up and made it happen. That experience helps him understand the commitment and pressure carried by his commercial clients.
“I like working with local business owners who are actively operating their companies,” he says. “Their businesses don’t run unless they show up.”
In those clients, Frank recognizes something familiar: “They’re cut from the same cloth I am.”
Personal Lines
Outside the office, Frank’s life remains centered on family, hard work, and community. He and his wife DeAnn enjoy spending time with family and friends, and Frank continues helping with his family’s business because he values being with, and supporting, the people closest to him.
“My favorite thing to do is hang out with my family and friends,” he says. “I’m a family guy.”
Another major part of Frank’s life is wrestling. After competing for Cousino High School in Warren, he wrestled at Olivet, whose program was consistently among the nation’s top-15 during his time there.
Following college, he returned to Cousino as an assistant wrestling coach. Today, he is the school’s head coach, helping young athletes develop the discipline, confidence, and resilience the sport helped instill in him.
Frank’s insurance career began with someone encouraging a young student to collect a scholarship check in person and ask a question. Six years later, he continues making the most of that opportunity: helping local businesses, supporting his family, and giving back to the community where his career began.
The career he hoped to build close to home has given him plenty of ways to give back to it. Once again, the power of positivity is alive and well here at Team GCB!