Whitfield’s agency is not involved
Published 2:15 pm Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Regarding Julie Muhlstein’s Sunday column, “Gay marriage opponents not afraid to gather signatures”: We were stunned to find our company’s name in the column about Referendum 74. Whitfield’s Insurance did not authorize Chuck Whitfield to use our Monroe office to distribute petitions, and we did not authorize its inclusion on the map of locations where the petitions are available. At our insistence, Whitfield’s office in Monroe has been deleted from that map.
Chuck Whitfield is a minority shareholder in our company. He is not involved in management of the company, nor does he set company policy. He acted on his own, and he did so in violation of our company policy.
Whitfield’s Insurance always remains neutral when it comes to divisive social issues. We recognize that there are many points of view on this topic, and even among the 12 owners of Whitfield’s there are major differences of opinion. We would never knowingly lend our name, even by inference, to either side of this issue, or any other issue that drives a wedge between members of our communities.
It is our goal to be one of the most respected businesses in our communities. We want to be known as a “helping hand.” We are there for our clients when bad things happen. We partner with the many wonderful human services organizations who are part of our communities’ social safety net.
Many of our employees were disturbed that our name was included in the column. We have reassured them that we are an inclusive employer which values diversity and honest dialogue. We made it clear that everyone, including those whose sexual orientation is different from ours, deserves our respect.
Most importantly, we have many customers who, whatever their orientation, do not agree with Chuck Whitfield’s point of view. Please understand that he does not speak for us by any stretch of the imagination.
Donald P. Whitfield, Chairman
John W. Reynolds, CEO
Whitfield’s United Insurance Agencies, Inc.
