Declaration of Independents: Dallas Ross

• By: Olivia Overman
• November 1, 2025

Dallas Ross

Agent

Timmco Insurance

Portland, Oregon

Coming from a family of insurance people, Ross always knew that she wanted to be in insurance. Straight out of college, she secured an insurance sales job. However, after two years in this position, she realized that sales was not her forte—it was servicing clients, helping them, and building long-term relationships after the initial sale that fulfilled her passion for the industry.

After transitioning to an account manager position, Ross continued to gain experience, develop skills and relationships before joining Timmco Insurance in 2021.

“The thing that is most satisfying about my role as an agent is leaving work every day knowing that I made a difference,” she says.

Ross was elected director of Big I Oregon in March 2018 and also held the role of Big I Oregon Next Gen chair from 2018 to 2019. She was elected Big I Oregon president in January 2025.

Finding the right work-life balance?

Sometimes, certain periods of the year are easier than others. Other times, the year is busier and harder to balance. Overall, we’re balancing our time as a family, doing our family things, and also getting our work done.

Managing stress and avoiding burnout?

I schedule things that I look forward to, which can help me get through those busy periods—whether it’s a dinner with friends or maybe a vacation. Making time for things I look forward to helps me avoid burnout.

Role as President of Big I Oregon?

I am an agent. I am not a principal. I don’t manage a team of people or anything like that. I’m not at a large agency. I think it’s been really important for me to highlight that anybody in the industry can bring value to that role and lead in a way that’s different from how other people would lead, but still be valuable to the association.

Agency leaders supporting their employees’ well-being and mental health?

With larger agencies, I think it can be easier to have different programs and build in volunteer time. But for smaller agencies like ours, things like Allow Timmco are great and allow us to be involved with things like the Big “I” and to serve in roles where you can have that camaraderie with other agents, other account managers and other agencies.

Big “I” involvement as a young agent?  

I can remember going to our Big I Oregon state conventions in Sun River or Eagle Crest when I was younger. So, being part of Big “I” has always been just part of the gig. You just do that. Once I was in the industry, I still went to the events, but there wasn’t a young agents committee at the time. Four or five others and I restarted the Young Agent group, planning events—whether it was for continuing education, a social event or a give back event.  

We call ourselves Next Gen now and we encapsulate more than just a producer or a sales role. We want people who are in all roles at an agency to be involved because they are the next generation of the industry and the next generation isn’t just salespeople.

Biggest challenges facing insurance agents today?

Everything is changing so much, and it’s hard to keep up. At the same time, by trying to keep up with it and educate ourselves, we feel like we understand it and can explain what’s changed to the client in a way that they understand and aren’t angry about.

Insurance in general gets a bad rap a lot of times and our biggest challenge is to show our value. When you sell a policy, you’re hoping that nobody ever has to use it, but you have to sell it so that if they do need to use it, they have what they need. It’s always been a challenge, but I think as time goes on and the market changes, just being able to continue to prove our value from the point of the sale, to a claim and afterwards is important.

What advice would you give to an inexperienced insurance professional?

This industry is one of the only places where you will always have something to do. You’re never going to be bored. If you love solving problems or helping create solutions, then this is a perfect job for you. You can be in the industry in so many different aspects, as a marketing representative building relationships with agents, in sales selling insurance or if you’re servicing and are focused on building those relationships, providing the best customer service possible, whatever it is, there really is a role that could fit any personality. I really think it is an industry that provides the most variety.

Olivia Overman is IA content editor.