A commitment to community brings family together at Hank Ellis Insurance

A Buckhannon native has come home to help build the future of her family’s insurance agency.

While studying finance and marketing at West Virginia University, Olivia Ellis explored the different paths she could take with her degree. Her business fraternity brought in speakers from major accounting and financial management firms, and she gained experience through internships and projects in Morgantown.

But when it came time to take her next step, the personal connections she wanted to build brought her home to Buckhannon.

Olivia joined her parents, Hank and Traci, at Hank Ellis Insurance after graduating this year with a major in finance and a minor in marketing. Now she’s learning the business alongside them while building relationships of her own.

“Nothing felt more personal and more right than coming back home,” Olivia said.

For Hank, working together with his family is about being available for the people who depend on them, now and in the future.

“This is a personal business,” Hank said. “We try to make a difference when somebody has a problem. We help file their claim and make it as seamless as possible.”

The agency offers coverage through Erie Insurance, its primary carrier. Hank praised the company’s handling of claims, saying its support helps the local agency take care of customers when problems arise.

For Hank, having Olivia join the business is a way to keep the independent agency in the family and carry those relationships forward.

Olivia said she’s learning that part of the business alongside her parents.

“It’s about being that friendly face and that familiar person, being able to be there in tough times,” she said. “Here, people want to come in; they want you to sit down and go through it. They want to know you’re picking up the phone.”

Olivia grew up in Buckhannon with her parents and her older brother, Frankie. She watched her family’s work extend beyond the office. She remembers young athletes stopping by to ask for support or take a picture, and seeing Hank’s name throughout the community.

“It was definitely a pretty incredible feeling, growing up to see my dad’s business and his name on the front of jerseys at sporting events throughout the community,” she said.

Her grandfather, the late Hank Ellis Sr., was a West Virginia Wesleyan College athlete, educator and coach. The college’s baseball field bears his name.

Watching her parents and grandparents care for Buckhannon helped shape her appreciation for the community. But college gave her a more nuanced understanding of their role.

“Majoring in finance and marketing, I gained a different respect for the impact my dad has in our community, just being the person you can trust to talk to, maybe about uncomfortable situations, about protecting your family’s future and your future,” she said.

Her brother is connected to the business, as well. Frankie works in information technology and helps maintain the agency’s computers.

“He’s our head of IT over here too,” Olivia said.

Hank Ellis marked 20 years in business in June. He worked in finance before entering insurance and recalled commuting from Bridgeport when he first started the agency.

Building the business took time, he said. Family and close friends were among his early customers, and referrals helped bring others through the door.

Hank credits his wife, Traci, with helping shape the agency’s operations after they moved back to Buckhannon.

“Moving back to Buckhannon and having Traci join the agency was a huge game changer. Her strategy and commitment quickly became the backbone of our operations,” Hank said.

“With Traci’s background in finance and us living in town, we were able to provide a higher level of service and community involvement,” he added. “We are excited to see how Olivia builds on the foundation Traci and I have established here.”

During her first months at the agency, Olivia studied for her insurance licenses and helped existing customers while learning the nuts and bolts of taking payments and making policy changes. Working alongside her parents is a team effort, combining her fresh perspective with their years of experience.

“It’s really helping us all out,” she said. “I’m starting to get more into the marketing here, in terms of graphics and content creation.”

People she grew up with are starting families and striking out on their own, and she sees an opportunity to help them navigate those changes.

“Now I’m really in the position where I’m starting to get my feet under me and building my own clientele,” she said.

To reach Olivia, call Hank Ellis Insurance at 304-472-8103, visit the office at 4 Northridge Drive, Suite 112, in Buckhannon or go to hankellisinsurance.com.