For Jess Bass Bolander, life is about building relationships—whether personally or professionally—to create something bigger. Prior to joining Lockton, Jess worked as a group representative at a healthcare carrier. Despite working with several larger brokers in the region, she always loved the energy, culture, and people at Lockton. She felt that no one fought harder for clients than Lockton, and unlike the revolving door of brokers at other firms, Lockton had great tenure within its teams. One day, Steve Idoux reached out to Jess and told her that many people already thought of her as their broker, not just a relationship builder for the carrier. This was a turning point for Jess. "He helped me realize that I can build a career at Lockton," Jess recounts. She decided she wanted to join a place that takes care of people, values culture, and fights for clients. That’s why she chose Lockton. Jess started her journey at Lockton in a Producer Resource Group. She spent five years learning from others, understanding the business and how Lockton operates before moving into a Producer role. During this time, she developed her niche and realized that she could expand her network through her involvement in local organizations throughout the Dallas community. Jess has consistently been an active member within the City of Dallas. Her passions revolve around lifting others in the workforce—particularly focusing on women, the Latino community, and children. Jess is currently a board member of multiple organizations in the Dallas area, including the Dallas CFO Leadership Council, The Family Place, and Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos en EE UU. She is an advocate for Lockton partnering with Cristo Rey College Prep in Dallas, TX, to help be an intern source for the students’ coursework during their high school studies. She guest teaches at local colleges, educating students on insurance and employee benefits, and sharing tips for entering the workforce in a corporate environment. "As the granddaughter of immigrants on both sides, community is very important to me. I feel so lucky that Lockton encourages Producers and Associates to give back to their communities," said Jess. "I’ve also seen how it can strengthen internal relationships. Some of my favorite memories and personal connections have been made at Lockton Cares community events with my colleagues." In April 2025, Jess was named the recipient of the Producer Community Impact Award. Each year, the Lockton family honors a Producer who goes above and beyond serving the community with a $50,000 donation to the organization of their choice. "I was so completely humbled that I won. It was an honor to be nominated amongst such an impressive group of producers, and I’m so grateful that Lockton values the work we do in Dallas," said Jess. She chose The Family Place, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence, as the recipient of the $50,000 donation. "I joined the board of The Family Place a little over two years ago, and it’s been amazing," said Jess. "I had a tumultuous childhood, and I’m passionate about breaking the cycle of emotional and physical abuse. The Family Place offers critical housing, educational programming, and mental health services that help to build an emotionally healed community." For Jess, this recognition is about more than her—it’s a testament to Lockton as a whole. "This award is an example of our caring culture and dedication to positively impacting the communities where we do business. I serve on multiple boards and have chaired many events benefiting the Dallas community. However, I am not alone. When you look at the Associates and Producers around the country at Lockton, so many of us are making contributions to our communities. We don’t do anything small at Lockton." "The energy is different at Lockton—our Associates deeply care about making a difference and lifting each other up." Jess continues to make an impact – on her clients, coworkers and community – one relationship at a time. Click here to learn more about The Family Place.