Kosse reminisces on a 33-year career with the company.

This time 33 years ago, Greg Kosse was settling into his new desk at Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) Mutual Insurance Company. He was 26 and had just been hired at the company’s regional claim office in Louisville.

With a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame, he had previously been working in sales at the nearby Hurstbourne Hotel and Conference Center where he’d often had the chance to host KFB events.

“Farm Bureau appealed to me because it was a local company that was going to remain that way,” he said. “It wasn’t going to get bought or sold, and I wanted that stability for my future.”

FROM CLAIMS ADJUSTER TO GENERAL COUNSEL

Kosse joined the company in 1989 as a claim adjuster. He had a passion for people and enjoyed working directly with KFB’s insureds.

“I loved being able to deliver somebody a check in their time of need,” he explained. “That was a really great feeling.”

But there was another aspect of the job that also appealed to him, and that was the investigative side of liability and auto accidents. He’d always had an interest in going back to school to pursue law, but the timing was never right. It was under the guidance of Kosse’s boss and mentor, David Spanyer, that he finally decided to take the leap.

“David is a very bright man, and he was a wonderful leader. He would inspire loyalty and hold you accountable,” Kosse said. “He was very supportive and was the one who really encouraged me to go to law school.”

Kosse applied to the University of Louisville law program, where he began taking classes in the evenings four nights a week. The other two nights, he’d study. That left one night a week for everything else.

“I always knew how to grind,” he said with a laugh. “Looking back, I wonder how I ever did it. But at the time, I just got in there and I did it.” 

Not only was Kosse balancing his full-time job with being a law student, but he also had a family life. He and his wife, Teresa, had their first son while he was still pursuing his degree.

“Teresa just blows me away,” he said. “I can’t imagine a more supportive wife or mother to have had during that time.”

In 1994, the same year his first son was born, Kosse transferred to KFB’s legal department as a law clerk. He would remain in that position until 1995, when he graduated with a law degree, and became Assistant Staff Counsel. 

In 1997, Kosse was promoted to Staff Counsel, and in 2003, Associate General Counsel. In 2006, he was promoted to General Counsel, the position he will officially retire from on Dec. 1, 2022.

In those 16 years, he has been a valuable teammate on the leadership team and has provided oversight on a large variety of strategic initiatives that have been implemented during his tenure. Kosse was also a registered legislative agent and lobbyist on behalf of the company, working with the legislature and the Kentucky Department of Insurance, and has served as spokesperson for the company.

Kosse has witnessed the company evolve over the past three decades.

“There have been remarkable challenges, yet this organization has overcome and persevered,” he said. “Whether it was a historic storm event or a pandemic, this organization has not only shined for its members but also for the people that work here. I’m really proud to be a part of the leadership team that has navigated through those hard times.”

LOOKING AHEAD

Kosse will soon hand his office keys to Paula Pabón-Smith, who will officially be named Vice President of Legal Services on Dec. 1. Since 2008, Pabón-Smith has worked for the company as the Senior Counsel of Governmental Affairs.

“Paula has so many abilities and talents, and she thinks so quickly on her feet,” he said. “She works well with others and is a great, natural leader. I have no doubt that Paula will do absolutely great things in this role.”

Although he looks forward to retirement, Kosse will miss working with KFB’s VP team day-in and day-out.

“The current VP team holds bright, invested minds with the best leadership qualities of any team I’ve worked with,” he said. “The people at KFB are remarkable people who really care about this organization, and I will miss them so much.”

In retirement, Kosse and his wife are looking forward to spending time with their sons, traveling, going to Notre Dame games, and spending time with family and friends. Additionally, he is looking forward to spending time at their farm near Bagdad, Ky., woodworking, researching ancestry, being outdoors, volunteering, and pursuing whatever other unique ideas might come his way.

Looking toward the next chapter, Kosse is filled with joy.

“It’s a little surreal,” he said. “Some days it’s melancholy, but most days, it’s with great anticipation. There are still so many things to do and see, so many opportunities, so many things still yet to accomplish. I’m so lucky that I have somebody that I really, truly love—Teresa—to enjoy these days with.”