ARBELLA IN THE COMMUNITY Here. For Good. ®


Bill Trudeau, president and CEO of Insurance Center of New England (ICNE) in Agawam, MA, understood the value of community involvement at a young age. From serving as head of the philanthropy committee at his college fraternity to becoming a member of several nonprofit boards, Bill’s experiences over the years have shown him just how powerful a good deed can be.


As a board member of the Pioneer Valley Red Cross since 2004, Bill was tasked in 2007 with helping to raise money for a new response vehicle for the Red Cross’s disaster actions volunteers. As a long-standing partner of the Arbella Insurance Group, he reached out to Arbella’s Foundation for the first time to ask for its support. Soon after, Bill was able to personally deliver a check to the Red Cross. “The Foundation’s support was amazing,” Bill says. “It really was the beginning of a deep and long-lasting relationship with the Foundation, and it strengthened my relationship with the Red Cross.”


Bill now serves on the board of the Western Massachusetts Red Cross and is part of the executive committee. He says it’s the overarching mission of the organization that is so meaningful to him. “They do great things for people all over the world. The essentials—disaster recovery, blood services, assisting our veterans, first aid training—these are the things that keep our communities strong. Their operational capacity and their ability to complement other organizations makes the Red Cross a titan when it comes to giving back.”


ICNE is also a strong supporter of the YMCA in Springfield. When the agency moved to Agawam five years ago and the YMCA opened a new Agawam Family Center, the partnership


was natural. “The YMCA represents so much more than just exercise,” says Bill. “It provides many youth and teen programs, day care, and well-being initiatives for all members of the community.” Utilizing the Foundation’s Matching Gift Program, the agency has been able to maximize its donations to both the YMCA and the Red Cross for the past several years.


Bill’s community involvement over the years has taught him an important lesson. “Not everyone starts the race of life at the same starting line. I have learned to be much more understanding of others—everyone has a unique situation and unique challenges to overcome.” Bill and the ICNE also support the Jimmy Fund and participate in the Foundation’s Let’s Drive Out Hunger Program. “Over the years, Arbella’s Foundation has positioned itself as a leader in community involvement. The way they’ve helped us to multiply our efforts is incredible. The Foundation inspires us to do more every year and helps us stop and think about the positive impact we have on the community when we give back.”


To learn more about the Arbella Insurance Foundation, please contact Beverly Tangvik, president of the Foundation, at beverly.tangvik@arbella.com.


S I G NALS WI NTE R 2015 7


Bill Trudeau


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