Our Story7 min read

Coming Home: Why We’re Back in Iuka

By Tamara Pharr|April 7, 2026

A warm sunset view of a brick storefront on a quiet Southern main street with an American flag

Key Takeaways

Our Iuka office is back with dedicated, full-time leadership under Savannah Arnold
The agency’s roots in Iuka trace back to First American Bank’s acquisition of McAnally Insurance and Robinson Insurance after the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999
Our partnership with Gene Schrock and Eagle Finance kept clients well cared for during the transition
Visit us at 203 South Fulton Street, Iuka, MS — inside the same building as Train Station Fitness

A Law Most People Have Never Heard Of

There’s a law most people have never heard of that quietly shaped the way insurance was bought and sold in small towns all across America for over sixty years. It was called the Glass-Steagall Act, signed into law back in 1933 during the Great Depression. Among its many provisions was one that essentially built a wall between banks and insurance companies — they couldn’t be under the same roof, couldn’t be affiliated, couldn’t operate as one. For decades, that wall held. Then, in November of 1999, Congress passed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and just like that — the wall came down. Banks and insurance companies could now work together, affiliate, even merge. It was called the Financial Services Modernization Act, and it opened a door that hadn’t existed before. Dr. Kelly Segars, Sr. walked right through it.

A Bold Move by a Community Banker

The way I’ve always heard the story told, it was less a calculated business decision and more of a “because I can — watch me” kind of moment. That’s very Dr. Segars. When the law changed and the opportunity appeared, he looked around and said, essentially: let’s go buy an insurance agency. And so they did. First American Bank acquired McAnally Insurance in Belmont, Mississippi, and Robinson Insurance right here in Iuka. Two agencies. Two communities. One bold move by a man who saw an opportunity to deepen what a community bank could offer the people it served. That was the beginning of what would eventually become what we are today.

The Hard Call — and a Good Find

When I took over the agency in 2022, I inherited two offices and a responsibility to make them both work. The Iuka location was a meaningful part of that history, but the honest truth is — I ran the numbers, and at that moment, with no leader in place, it made more sense to scale it back to a payment office rather than try to staff it the way it deserved. I didn’t love that decision. But I made it, and then I got to work trying to make it as good as it could be. That’s when we connected with Gene Schrock and the team at Eagle Finance. And I’ll tell you — sometimes the right fit just is what it is. Our clients have loved going in there. The Eagle Finance team loves to see them coming. It’s been one of those partnerships that makes you feel like you stumbled into something better than you planned. Gene has run a tight, warm, welcoming operation, and our clients have been well taken care of.

Then Savannah Found Us

I believe sometimes the Lord puts people on your heart for a reason. This spring, Savannah Arnold reached out about coming to work with us. I’ve known Savannah for a long time — we actually met weekly for years in a small, intimate discipleship group. That’s the kind of knowing that goes deeper than a resume. Savannah brings a wealth of experience with people and team building. She’s passionate about helping others and educating them — not just selling to them. She’s new to insurance, yes. But she is absolutely not new to speaking up for what she believes is right. And in this business, that matters more than almost anything else. It reminded me of something I read recently in a book by Pete Covill, From Legacy to Leadership, about building an independent insurance agency that lasts. He tells a story about his first sale — a home insurance policy to an elderly woman on a fixed income. When he reviewed her existing policy, he found he could save her hundreds of dollars. She lit up with relief. That’s what we believe to our core. We don’t hire people and then hope we can convince them to think this way. We look for people who already carry it — who have that same moral drive, that same genuine care. Savannah is that kind of person.

We’re Glad to Be Back

From a law passed in the Depression to a visionary banker who seized a moment in 1999, to a payment office held together by a great partnership, to a new chapter with new leadership — the Iuka story has never really stopped. It’s just been building. We are so glad to be back in Iuka in a real way. You can find us inside the same building as Train Station Fitness at 203 South Fulton Street, Iuka, MS. Come see us. We’d love to sit down with you, review your coverage, and maybe save you a little money — or a lot. Either way, you’ll leave knowing someone in your corner actually cares. That’s always been the point.