Danielle Wade, CPCU, CIC

Danielle graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a minor in Spanish. Naturally, she gravitated to the family business, Jackson Sumner & Associates (JSA), Excess & Surplus Lines Brokers located in her hometown of Boone, NC, and realized “it just so happens that insurance is fun!”

Danielle’s passion for the business of Insurance blossomed while working as a P&C Underwriter for nearly a decade. However, as JSA experienced exponential growth during the 2000s, her responsibilities grew, eventually pulling her away from underwriting and elevating her to a leadership role in the company. After serving as JSA’s Chief Operating Officer for 5 years, she was named President & CEO in January 2019.

A driven individual by nature, Danielle finished her CPCU designation in 2 years and at the time was one of the youngest in the country. During that time, she also earned her CIC designation. Her achievements are not limited solely to her work in the family business but radiate throughout the industry. She is a Past UFO (Under Forty Organization) President and a Past President of the NC Surplus Lines Association. Currently, she is the Chair of the NC Stamping Office and the Chair of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Program at Appalachian State University. She is also presently serving on the WSIA Education Foundation Board as well as various carrier advisory boards. Danielle has also been recognized by Insurance Business of America as one of the Top Young Guns for 2016 and won the 4 Under 40 Award by the Boone Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

As a child growing up around insurance, Danielle recognized that relationships are and always will be the true currency of the industry. And through her evolution as an Insurance professional, she has experienced the multiple dimensions of insurance relationships, from relationships with Carriers to those with Agents. Her strength comes from her genuine passion for the industry. “I love how Insurance, especially what we do, is never black and white. Things are always changing and there is always something new to learn.”