Marble Falls insurance agent Mike Atkinson earns ‘Five Star’ honor

JARED FIELDS • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — Mike Atkinson remembers writing his first auto policy in 1981.

He had just joined State Farm after teaching and coaching in Marble Falls for five years.

Now, after 34 years in business, he was recognized for his work with a Five Star Professional Award in the June issue of Texas Monthly.

Less than 1 percent of professionals in the area receive the honor. The Five Star Professional Award is in its 11th year of identifying and recognizing service professionals in the wealth management, real estate, mortgage industry, dentists and home/auto insurance providers. Five Star Professional conducts market-specific research to determine who to honor.

When he started the Marble Falls branch, Atkinson said he went door to door all over the area.

“I wore out several shoes,” he said.

He came to Marble Falls in a roundabout way. He grew up in San Diego and went to Howard Payne University on a track scholarship. From there, he joined the Marines. When his service was done, he declared Texas as his home because it’s where his wife was from. He taught in Bandera with Charles Hundley, who later became superintendent at Marble Falls Independent School District. When Hundley arrived here, so did the Atkinsons.

“I didn’t want to leave (teaching). I had a chance to work at the oil fields and put in an application to be head coach in some of the small communities around,” he said.

Atkinson’s name surfaced in the insurance business from some recommendations.

“Through those recommendations, a manager came and talked to me,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about insurance other than my parents had State Farm for all those years.”

Now, he knows a thing or two about insurance. His agency base is spread just about all over the state. That, plus State Farm’s reputation are a couple of reasons he believes he was on this year’s awards list.

“Claims handling, those are the things that State Farm is famous for,” he said.

Atkinson’s office is located at 109 Main St.

jared@thepicayune.com