Debra Coleman highlights 37 years in insurance as she returns to private sector

Debra Coleman, a Tacoma-based property and casualty insurance professional, is returning to the private sector after more than 37 years in underwriting, flood insurance, disaster relief and customer service. Her background includes FEMA disaster-response work and NFIP certifications, and she is positioning herself as a mentor and advocate for clients navigating complex coverage needs.

Why it matters: - Debra Coleman’s career spans more than 37 years in property and casualty insurance, including work that becomes especially important when clients face disasters, claims, and coverage disputes. - Her background combines underwriting, NFIP expertise, disaster relief, and client service, giving her a rare mix of technical and frontline experience. - Coleman is returning to the private sector with a focus on advocacy, mentorship, and straightforward guidance for clients and coworkers.

What happened: - Coleman, based in Tacoma, Washington, is being spotlighted by Influential Women for her insurance career and professional philosophy. - She is a licensed property and casualty producer in Washington State. - She holds specialized National Flood Insurance Program certifications, including FEMA-certified site inspection training. - Her career began in the early 1990s at California Casualty Insurance after she left the food industry for insurance. - Coleman spent six years as an Insurance Specialist with FEMA’s Department of Homeland Security in disaster relief operations.

The details: - Coleman’s early insurance work covered policy servicing, sales, billing support, underwriting, and customer relations. - She later moved into NFIP underwriting, where she developed technical expertise in flood insurance requirements. - At FEMA, Coleman managed thousands of policies and supported large-scale disaster response efforts. - She became recognized inside the organization as a subject matter expert in NFIP. - Coleman says her career has been shaped by a commitment to honesty, reliability, and follow-through. - She credits her grandmother with urging her to stay with an organization, build a reputation, and avoid treating every challenge as a reason to leave. - Coleman remained at California Casualty for 10 years. - Her father, a retired Lieutenant Colonel, Vietnam-era pilot, and longtime Weyerhaeuser accountant, influenced her discipline and work ethic. - Her adoptive mother worked as a real estate agent and helped shape Coleman’s client-focused approach. - Coleman has trained and mentored employees, worked on process improvements, and helped improve database and tracking systems. - She emphasizes listening to frustrated customers without interrupting and focusing on how to resolve the problem. - Coleman encourages young women entering insurance to be patient, keep learning, and earn credibility through consistent action. - She has applied for jobs since January and says age may have affected some employers’ responses. - A revised resume has led to better responses, but she remains concerned about requests for graduation years in hiring, which can reveal age. - Coleman says she would not pursue roles for which she was not qualified. - Her stated goal is to use her experience to help clients secure coverage that is appropriate, fairly priced, and suited to their needs. - More information is available through Debra Coleman’s Influential Women profile.

Between the lines: - Coleman’s story is as much about longevity and credibility as it is about technical insurance skill. - Her FEMA and NFIP background positions her for work where accuracy and disaster-response knowledge can directly affect families and businesses. - Her comments on age bias suggest the job search can be harder for experienced workers even when they bring specialized credentials.

What's next: - Coleman is continuing to pursue opportunities in the private insurance sector. - She plans to keep mentoring others and applying the lessons from her career to client advocacy and team leadership. - Her next role will likely center on the same mix of technical insurance knowledge and customer support that has defined her career.