Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, and moved to St. Petersburg, Fl in 1981. Upon arriving in Florida, Virginia secured a full-time position with the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children and attended St. Petersburg Junior College to pursue her degree in Physical/Recreational Therapy.
A year into her education Virginia realized working with handicapped children no longer held the appeal of a lifelong career, so she shifted gears and set her sights on the business world.
Virginia successfully changed her major mid-term and achieved an Associates’s Degree in Business from SPJC. She then transferred to The University of South Florida to continue her education where The USF College of Business awarded her a Bachelors’s Degree in Finance.
Virginia worked for a variety of companies holding entry-level through management positions. She found her calling when she took a job with Allstate. During her tenure at Allstate, she attended the Insurance Institute of America and studied for the Florida Property & Casualty Insurance License. Virginia passed her state exam in 1992 and received a 220 Property & Casualty license from the Florida Department of Insurance.
Armed with her license, Virginia took a position with IFA Insurance as an agent. In 1997, IFA Insurance changed its name to Florida West Insurance and Virginia became part owner of the Agency. In 1999 Virginia’s partner passed away and she took over as the owner of Florida West Insurance.
Virginia is a member of FAIA, IIABA, BNI, and the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce. Virginia believes in supporting local charities both personally and professionally.
Virginia firmly believes being an independent agent provides the best opportunities to provide and protect the assets of Florida West Insurance clients.
Dianna Rochelle has been Vice President of Florida West Insurance Inc. since 2002. She has been a licensed 2/20 property and Casualty Agent since 1999. She is a member of FAIA, IIABA, and a Past member of BNI. Her previous professions include teaching children with special needs, business management, and HR Management.
Dianna has a deep care for people and is involved in many charities. She feels that everyone has the opportunity and the responsibility to use their personal gifts to make the world a better place to live now and for our future generations.
Dianna feels that as an agent in Florida, she must be extra diligent in protecting her clients. Her main goal is to keep her clients informed and up to date on the latest information concerning Florida’s ever-changing insurance markets and does so by using Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and the Florida West Focus newsletter.
Currently, Dianna shares her time between her home and family in Tennessee and Florida. Dianna’s personal attention to her clients along with her caring attitude, and a true passion for protecting her clients has paid off for her company. Since becoming Vice President, Florida West Insurance Inc. has seen a growth of 350%.
