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“Abrimos esta oficina con personal bilingüe debido a que la comunidad hispana es la más creciente en Cleveland y la que menos servicios recibe. En esta oficina pueden recibir servicios que no hay en otras,” dijo Smith.
Lo que no existe en las otras oficinas de Nationwide es Sergio Díaz, un agente licenciado en seguros y la venta de valores. Este joven boricua extiende los servicios de la agencia al público inclusive poder invertir dinero en las bolsas de valores.
Dice Sergio, “Lo más importante para mi es educar a la comunidad sobre los servicios financiaros y ayudar la gente entender el uso de seguros.”
Sergio llegó a Cleveland después de obtener su bachillerato en negocios internacionales de la Universidad de Dayton. Original de Rió Piedras, Puerto Rico, Sergio se encontró en Ohio por primera vez en 1996 enviado por su escuela el Colegio San José para un retiro. Ambas instituciones son dirigidas por la misma orden religiosa católica, Los Marianistas. Cuando llego el tiempo para solicitar los estudios universitarios la Universidad de Dayton le ofreció el mejor trato.
Otra integrante de la agencia es Celina Morales-Martínez, Boricua nacida y criada en Cleveland de padres Puertorriqueños, su papá es de Ponce y su mamá original de Brooklyn, Nueva York. Celina tiene su licencia en seguros aunque primero obtuvo su bachillerato en Sociología del cercano Ursuline College.
“Fui convencida a trabajar por la agencia de Ron Smith cuando me contaron de los planes para abrir una oficina bilingüe,” dijo Celina. “Pienso que todo esto es tremendo y me animo más y más.”
Entre los oradores estaba Andrés González, Director de los servicios latinos de El Barrio/WSEM, agencia sin fines de lucro que sirve a la comunidad latina. Él estuvo presente para anunciar una colaboración entre su agencia y seguros Nationwide para educar padres hispanos sobre los riesgos de no tener sus bebés en sillas de seguridad cuando manejan sus autos.
New Nationwide office offers financial services in Cleveland
By Teodosio Feliciano, La Prensa Reporter
The newest Nationwide Insurance office in Cleveland will offer financial services including the sale of securities in addition to auto, home and life insurance. Offering these services from the same office to the Spanish speaking is unique according to Ron Smith, principal agent and owner of R.J. Smith & Associates. This branch of Nationwide Insurance held the grand opening of its third office this past Saturday, April 16th with speakers, balloons, gifts, music, and food.
“We opened this office with bilingual personnel because the Hispanic community is the largest growing and most underserved in Cleveland . They can receive services here that don’t exist in other offices,” said Smith.
Sergio Díaz is not available at other Nationwide offices. He’s an agent licensed to sell insurance and securities. This young Boricua extends the agency’s offerings to the public to being able to invest their money in the stock market.
Díaz says, “Most important to me is to educate the community about financial services and help people understand the uses of insurance.”
Díaz arrived in Cleveland from Puerto Rico after obtaining a bachelors degree in international business from the University of Dayton . Originally from Rió Piedras, Puerto Rico Sergio first found himself in Ohio in 1996. He was sent by his high school, Colegio San José, to a retreat at the University.
Both institutions are operated by the same Catholic religious order, the Marianists. When it came time to submit applications for college the University of Dayton made the best financial offer.
Another member of the agency is Celina Morales-Martínez, a Boricua born and raised in Cleveland of Puerto Rican parents, the father from Ponce y her mother originally from Brooklyn, New York. Celina has her insurance license although she earlier obtained a bachelors degree in Sociology from nearby Ursuline College.
“I was convinced to work for the Ron Smith agency when they told me about the plans for opening this bilingual office,” said Morales-Martínez. “I think this is all great and I get more and more excited.”
Among the day’s speakers was Andrés González, Director of Hispanic Services of El Barrio/WSEM, a nonprofit agency serving the Latino community. He was there to announce collaboration between his agency and Nationwide to educate Latino parents about the risks of not keeping their babies in child-safety seats while driving their cars.
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