History of Celeste Insurance Agency
Established in the early 1900′s, Celeste Insurance Agency LLC has grown to be the premier insurance agency in Celeste and throughout the State of Texas. From our modest start, we now serve customers throughout the entire state of Texas. In 1978, Vicki Ellis Griffis became a part-time employee of Celeste Insurance, working her way up; she purchased the agency in 1992 when her husband, Samuel T Griffis, retired from Proctor and Gamble and became office manager. Vicki was awarded Agent of the Year for IIAT in 1995. In 2000, Stefani Griffis Dunn, her daughter, came on board and, in 2005, purchased Celeste Insurance Agency LLC. CIA is owned and operated by Stefani Griffis Dunn, a Certified Insurance Counselor, and Certified Insurance Service Representative. Misty Davis Dodson is the current office manager, Accredited Customer Service Representative, and Certified Insurance Service Representative. Our goal is to service all your insurance needs by providing excellent customer service, being available through traditional means but providing availability through social media and online forms while being very mindful of your cost and investments.
Stefani Griffis Dunn, CIC, CISR, is a graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce and has been part of the Celeste Insurance family full-time since 2000. She worked at the agency during high school and college, becoming owner of the company in 2004. Stefani takes pride in providing excellent customer service in the office while having an online presence through Facebook, Twitter, and online quoting. She is the proud mom of Austin, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Texas A&M University of Commerce and employed at Enterprise Rent A Car in Computer Engineering; Katelyn, a Cum Laude graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce in Criminal Justice, and Kylie, who is attending St Louis Community College majoring in Horticulture. In addition, Stefani is the proud grandmother of Abigail Young. In her spare time, Stefani enjoys watching professional sports (especially her beloved Dallas Cowboys), listening to podcasts, and giving back to her customers and the local communities through various volunteer opportunities & donations.
Misty Davis Dodson, ACSR, CISR, is a Celeste High School graduate Accredited Customer Service Representative and Certified Insurance Service Representative. She became a vital part of our agency in 2008 and has been the Office Manager since 2010. She listens to customers and provides multiple proposals that meet their needs. She is dedicated to attending education classes, webinars and advancing our agency with new technology to continue innovating our products and marketing to ensure every Texan knows how special they are to our agency. She is the proud mom of two boys that attend Celeste ISD. She enjoys spending time with her family, watching her children play sports, and decorating her new home.
Carri Johnson Minter, CSR, graduated from Celeste High School and joined our agency in 2014. She is a licensed agent for personal lines and has already made a mark on our agency. Carri is our billing specialist and outside sales, representative. She is married to Trevor Minter (a member of our local school board) and has 3 children: Katelynn, a Texas A&M-Commerce graduate working at L3, Mackenzie, attending Texas A&M-Commerce and majoring in Finance; and Toby, who is attending Celeste High School. She enjoys watching her kids play sports, attending Celeste ISD events, serving her community, and making mums for Homecoming season. In addition, she gardens, crochets, and spends time with family.
Katelyn Dunn, CSR is a Cum Laude graduate of Texas A&M University-Commerce with a degree in Criminal Justice. She joined our agency after high school and is our renewal specialist. She ensures your renewal premiums are competitive and schedules appointments with our agents to review coverage. In addition, she keeps up with the latest technology trends and provides training to the agency with her knowledge. She enjoys painting, video games, and trying new cuisines all over Texas. Her best buddy, Rolo, loves to go on car rides while barking at cats.
Our Pledge
Trusted Choice agencies are insurance and financial services firms whose access to multiple companies and commitment to quality service enable us to offer our clients competitive pricing, a broad choice of products, and unparalleled advocacy.
As a Trusted Choice agency, we are dedicated to you and are committed to treating you as a person, not a policy. This commitment means we shall:
- Work with you to identify the right insurance and financial services for you, your family or your business, and use our access to multiple companies to deliver those products.
- Guide you through the claims process for a prompt and fair resolution of your claim.
- Help solve problems related to your coverage or account.
- Explain the coverage and options available through our agency at your request.
- Return your phone calls and emails promptly and respond to your requests in a timely manner.
- Provide 24/7 services for our customers, offering any or all of the following: emergency phone numbers, Internet account access, email, and call center services.
- Use our experience and multiple company relationships to customize your coverage as needed.
- Commit our staff to continuing education so they may be more knowledgeable in serving you.
- Treat you with respect and courtesy.
- Ethically conduct our business.
We pledge this to you, our clients, and ask that you let us know if we fail to meet our commitment so that we may take corrective action.
Independent Agents
WHY AN INDEPENDENT AGENT?
There is a difference in where you buy your protection. Many people don’t realize there are three sources of insurance:
- Captive Agents, who can sell you the insurance of only one company.
- Telephone Representatives, who can offer you the insurance of one company, and only on the telephone.
- Independent Insurance Agents, who represent a number insurance companies, and research with these firms to find you the best combination of price, coverage and service.
Call us now or click here to Email us.
Your Independent Insurance Agent:
- Is a licensed professional with strong customer and community ties.
- It gives you excellent service and competitive prices because your agent can access insurance coverage from multiple companies.
- Unlike other agents, is not beholden to any one company; thus, you don’t need to change agencies as your insurance and service needs change.
- Assists you when you have a claim.
- Offers a choice of insurance plans and programs.
- Is a value hunter who looks after your pocketbook in finding the best combination of price, coverage and service.
- Offers one-stop shopping for a full range of products-home, renters, auto, business, life and health.
- Periodically review your coverage to keep up with your changing insurance needs.
- Treats you like a person, not just another number.
There is a difference!