Jay Slatton, Director of Preneed Development for Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company.
For nearly two decades, Jay Slatton has been an active member of the Tennessee funeral home community. Since 2015 he has been Regional Preneed Director for Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company. Now, the funeral director and embalmer has been named as the company’s Director of Preneed Development.
“Since 1988 we have worked with and learned from our loyal funeral home clients, but as we look to grow our presence in our current markets as well as nationally, we believe the time is right to bring Jay into a management position,” said Harry Lee Waterfield II, Chief Executive Officer at Investors Heritage. “Jay’s experience and passion for the industry will benefit not only Investors Heritage, but also our funeral home clients.”
Slatton’s hands-on approach with local funeral homes and the Tennessee Funeral Directors Association (TFDA) helped grow Tennessee into Investors Heritage’s top preneed region in just three years. In that time, Jay helped secure the endorsement making Investors Heritage the exclusive funeral insurance provider for the TFDA.
Now, the company is confident that same spirit will spark similar growth in other states. In this position, he will work closely with Investors Heritage’s other field directors and senior management.
“We want to help all of our other managers,” Jay said. “Building relationships with associations, learning to assess the needs funeral directors have, figuring out where we plug in and where we can help them. We want to replicate the success we’ve had in Tennessee in as many states as possible.”
Since he began his work with Investors Heritage, it has been Slatton’s ability to connect and relate to funeral directors that has been a significant asset for his work in the area. Jay earned his mortuary science degree from John A. Gupton College in 2001. For 15 years, he worked as a funeral director in middle Tennessee and he is still licensed today. He is the first funeral director to be named a member of the Investors Heritage management team.
“You’ve just got to know your audience,” Slatton said. “Having been on both sides of the table is a huge asset. Having that common bond helps me figure out where we [at Investors Heritage] fit into that puzzle.”
Even though Jay’s role has expanded, he says he won’t be letting service to his Tennessee clients take a backseat. After spending years cultivating so many local relationships, he says he will be taking extra care to maintain them.
“That’s what we’re trying to do on a national level. If we can’t keep that going here locally, we can’t support it nationally,” Slatton said. He will continue to live in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.
“It’s very important we keep the ties we have here and make it one of our strongest states … We’re not just telling people what we’re going to do; we can actually show them how our partnership works within the state.”
Investors Heritage Life Insurance Company offers its policyholders a wide range of insurance solutions backed by a track record of exceptional service. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Frankfort, Kentucky, with a rich and growing tradition of providing tools to help people build and manage their legacies as a leader in preneed and final expense policies, and through its new retirement and wealth management offerings. For more information, please visit investorsheritage.com.
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