Cascade Summit brings insurance options

Rob Sumner is the first to acknowledge that Sisters has its share of insurance agents. However, he believes there's room for options - and that is exactly what Cascade Summit Insurance aims to provide.

Sumner, who works with a business partner in Portland, has experience in the property/casualty lines of insurance such as home, auto, business and workers comp. 

"We have access to all major insurance companies that utilize independent agents such as ourselves to market and service their products," Sumner said. "We also have a relationship with another major agency located here in Central Oregon, so even though I am a 'one-man shop' here in Sisters, I have extensive resources at my disposal to meet any insurance need."

Cascade Summit is also the exclusive Central Oregon representative for Vigilant Counsel for Employers. The 60-year-old company started its run in the timber industry and has since branched out to work with companies that do virtually any kind of product manufacturing.

Sumner has long and deep experience in his chosen field.

"I've kind of lost track," he said, reflecting on his career. "I was adding it up the other day and it's close to 37-38 years, mostly in health insurance."

Sumner is as close to being an Oregon native as you can be without actually being born here.

"I was born in Denver, but I moved here with my parents when I was one month old," he said.

He has always had a deep appreciation for Sisters Country, vacationing here while working in Portland. In 2007/08, he made the move over the Cascades to take up a position as director of sales and account management for BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. After leaving that position, Sumner and his wife, Deb, who works at Sisters Christian Academy, had no intention of heading back to the wet side.

"We love the people here and the clientele and everything else so much that we determined to find a way to stay and make it work," he said.

He appreciates the welcome the Sisters community has given to Cascade Summit Insurance.

The Central Oregon lifestyle is a natural fit for Sumner. He loves to ride his horse.

"I love spending time with him," Sumner said. "I play a little golf - poorly - and I also do leather work. "I make chaps and chinks. I've made a couple of hatbands for (Sisters custom hatmaker Gene Baldwin)."

And he's an avid rodeo fan. His office is adorned with Sisters Rodeo posters, and he's secured scarce tickets for the legendary Pendleton Roundup.

Cascade Summit Insurance is located at 220 S. Pine St. Ste. 105. For more information call 503-789-8328.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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