OneAmerica Financial recognized 11 associates as ASPIRE honorees, celebrating their outstanding performance on behalf of the organization. The associates were honored at the organization’s 11th annual ASPIRE Awards gala at the Indiana History Center.

The ASPIRE values — Achievement, Stewardship, Partnership, Integrity, Responsiveness and Excellence — guide OneAmerica Financial associates in all work endeavors. Associates are nominated for the annual honor by peers, supervisors or project partners. The 11 associates honored were chosen from 210 associates who received a total of nearly 350 nominations. Over the duration of the program, 116 associates have been celebrated as honorees.

“Year after year I’m inspired by the way OneAmerica Financial associates fully embody our ASPIRE values,” said Scott Davison, chairman, president and CEO of OneAmerica Financial. “The ASPIRE Awards are a culture-driving event for us to celebrate greatness within our organization. This year’s honorees are representatives of what greatness looks like at OneAmerica Financial and exemplify our commitment to creating greater financial security.”

From the beginning of the ASPIRE Awards, the company has been doing what Davison envisioned: Catching associates in the act of doing something great.

One associate was presented with the ASPIRE Distinguished Achievement honor: Bill Kurtz, solution architecture, IT & data. This award recognizes his career of outstanding achievement and contributions to OneAmerica Financial and the organization’s culture.

• For 35 years, Kurtz has used IT solutions to solve business problems for the companies of OneAmerica Financial. He took the company successfully through everything from Y2K to SECURE Act 2.0, and dozens of IT projects in between. Simply put, his work has made the work of others at OneAmerica Financial easier.

The ASPIRE Excellence in Execution honorees were Dan Bleck, enterprise architecture director, IT & data; Stephanie Chaudhary, assistant general counsel, legal; and De'Niece Harrison-Hudson, community affairs director.

• Over a 40-year career at the companies of OneAmerica Financial, Bleck built the IT system into what it is today, helping the enterprise tackle big problems. His depth and breadth of knowledge of the IT systems was so unique that his colleagues developed the “Bleck Principles,” tidbits of sage advice to provide guidance and clarity in complex situations. Bleck retired from OneAmerica Financial in December 2024, but returned for the ASPIRE gala to be honored with his colleagues.
   

• Chaudhary serves on the OneAmerica Financial legal team, supporting human resources. Her job entails everything from vendor contract reviews and litigation to associate employee benefits. Chaudhary played an integral part in the transition of the OneAmerica Financial recordkeeping business.
  
  
• Harrison-Hudson began her career in the actuary department of OneAmerica Financial, but her skill and passion for creating relationships and connecting with people led her to community affairs. She serves as director of the OneAmerica Financial Pathways Program, which breaks down barriers and connects young adults to personal, business and community resources that will help them and their families thrive. To date, Harrison-Hudson has led the engagement of over 3,000 youth in the Indianapolis community.
  
  

The ASPIRE Excellence in Partnership honorees were Adam McGlothlin, senior director, new business, care solutions, and Ryan Pike, underwriting manager.

• A nine-year veteran of the companies of OneAmerica Financial, McGlothlin is responsible for individual policies from the time the application is submitted until a policy is in force in the Individual Life and Financial Services line of business. McGlothlin and his team created improvements that helped reach a sales increase of 400 percent in our annuity-based long-term care products in 2024, outpacing sales in 2022 and 2023 combined.
  
  
• Pike has been with the companies of OneAmerica Financial for three years. In 2023 and 2024, as underwriting manager for large cases in the Employee Benefits line of business, Pike ranked first in quoted premiums, first in sold premiums and first in close ratio for both case count and total premiums. This represented about $7.5 million in new business.
  
  

The ASPIRE Outstanding Leadership honorees were Denise Preece, senior director, field operations & services; Patti Hurdle, vice president, pricing & product development; and James Mann, vice president, financial and business performance.

• A 26-year veteran with the companies of OneAmerica Financial, Preece serves the Employee Benefits line of business, where she leads complex projects that bring process improvement not only to her team, but to distribution partners and policyholders.
  
  
• Hurdle has been with the companies of OneAmerica Financial for 23 years and is responsible for developing new insurance products that stand the test of time. Her job is to price products so that they both bring value to policy holders and make agents enthusiastic about selling them. The continuous escalation of her responsibilities over the years is a testament to her success.
  
  
• Mann has been with the companies of OneAmerica Financial for 11 years. He began his career at the company as a finance manager on the IT & data team. Mann now oversees financial planning and forecasting, financial reporting and analysis, and budgeting and expense management for the Employee Benefits line of business.
  
  

The ASPIRE Outstanding Team Impact honorees were Bhupesh Lala, enterprise architect principle, IT & data; and Judy Albertson, team lead, operations.

• Lala’s job ensures IT is aligned with business objectives. He creates IT solutions to optimize performance, ensure security and drive innovation. Lala has been with the companies of OneAmerica Financial for six years and during that time has worked on several large initiatives, including an upgrade to the policy application process, the company’s digital acceleration and the transition of more than 50 applications from on-the-premises physical hardware to the cloud.
  
  
• Albertson is a 35-year veteran with the companies of OneAmerica Financial, overseeing individual policies on the policy services financial team. She onboards new associates and is the go-to subject matter expert for complex policy questions.

The ASPIRE Awards program was created in 2014 to celebrate top-performing OneAmerica Financial associates who live the company’s ASPIRE values and have demonstrated a consistent track record of success serving our customers and financial professionals.

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About OneAmerica Financial^®

OneAmerica Financial^® is a national financial services organization helping people build greater certainty for better moments, every day. The companies of OneAmerica Financial have been advancing financial security for almost 150 years, supporting millions of customers with solutions across life insurance, retirement, employee benefits and long-term care. As a people-first mutual organization, OneAmerica Financial prioritizes customers’ interests and maintains a long-term focus on both value and financial stability. For more information visit OneAmerica.com.

OneAmerica Financial^® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica Financial.

OneAmerica Financial is a Good Wages Certified employer.

Contact:

Danielle Eagleson

Media and External Communications Manager

Danielle.eagleson@oneamerica.com