Agency History
Roush Insurance Services, Inc. was founded in 1990 by Jerry and Nyla K. Roush in Noblesville, Indiana. The business is now operated by their daughter, Melanie, and her husband, Gabriel Derzhavets, who proudly share its ownership. The catchphrase “A Managing General Agency” and taglines “Special Risk Professionals” and “Excellence in Underwriting” were originally used to convey the agency’s identity and mission. As the insurance industry and business evolved, the slogan “Special Risk Professionals” took precedence. The mission of Roush Insurance Services, Inc. remains unchanged: “To provide retail agents access to the specialty market by developing strong partnerships with top-rated insurance companies and delivering superior customer service.”
Jerry and Nyla K. Roush combined their talents to form Roush Insurance Services, Inc. Jerry served in the US Navy and was an Electronics Supervisor at the RCA Magnetic Tape Plant prior to entering the insurance industry in 1971. After five years as a retail agent, he became part owner of a managing general agency that grew to nearly seven times its original size. He authored a bill that became law correcting problem areas in the Indiana Surplus Lines Statute and penned the “Measure of Recovery Endorsement” that was filed in all fifty states. Nyla was a Technical Secretary at Firestone Industrial Products and gained extensive accounting, legal and office management experience in various sectors, including three years in retail insurance. She was part owner of a dance school and a top Avon sales representative.
Melanie Roush and Gabriel Derzhavets both left successful careers at The Quaker Oats Company to join the agency in 1996. Melanie obtained her Accounting and Finance degrees from Indiana University and gained accounting, information technology, and operations experience in US Grocery Products before being promoted to Manager of Transportation Services. She earned the ASLI designation in 2004 and served as Chair of the Indiana Young Agents Committee when it was voted best in the Nation for the third year in a row at IIABA. Melanie was IIAI Chairperson of the Year in 2002 and Young Agent of the Year in 2003. Gabriel graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with an Accounting degree and began his career with Affiliated Bank Group. He also developed his accounting, information technology, and operations skills in US Grocery Products at The Quaker Oats Company and was promoted to Supervisor of Purchasing Accounting before leaving Chicago. He earned his ASLI designation in 2004 and was also a member of the Indiana Young Agents Committee.
The Rausch Coat of Arms of Bavarian origin was selected as the agency logo because it signifies the family’s rich heritage and embodies the principles upon which the business was founded. The Roush (Rausch) and Allied Families Association of America, Inc. provides the following description of the armorial coat as recorded in Rietstap’s Armorial General:
ARMS:
Quarterly, first and fourth are grape with fruit ppr. On Mound Vert. Second and third gules an armoured Knight argent in the dexter hand a sword point up in sinister hand a fire-ball ppr. In center an escutcheon sable charged with a bend wavy argent.
CREST:
Between two wings sable in Knight argent plumed argent and gules, in dexter hand a sword.
EXPLANATION OF THE ARMORIAL COAT:
Quarterly – the shield being divided into four equal quarters.
Or – gold denotes Generosity and Elevation of Mind.
Ppr – proper or natural color.
Vert – green, denotes Hope, Joy and Loyalty in love.
Gules – red, denotes Military Fortitude and Magnanimity.
Dexter – right.
Sinister – left.
Argent – silver, denotes Peace and Sincerity.
Escutcheon – small shield.
Please visit www.roush.org for additional information if genealogy interests you.