Meet Our Team

CIC, CRM
President of IAAT
E: rodney@iaatx.com
P: 903-508-6265

Rodney Watkins joined Watkins Insurance Group in 1994 at the urging of his uncle, David Watkins. Rodney is active in the East Texas community currently serving as a board member for East Texas Medical Center hospital in Quitman. Past positions include Mayor of Mineola, a trustee on the Mineola Independent School Board, Mineola City Councilman, President Wood County Chamber of Commerce, President Mineola Chamber of Commerce, President Leadership Lake Country, President of Mineola Youth Foundation, President Mineola Optimist Club, President of Mineola Advocates for Safe Schools, Chairman of the Certified Retirement Community Designation program for the City Of Mineola, and board member for Main Street Mineola. Rodney was awarded the Honorary Chapter FFA degree by the Mineola FFA in 1998, Mineola Man of the Year by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce in 2001, and the Community Builder Award by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas in 2006.

Professional involvement includes serving on the IIAT Board of Directors for 2015 and 2016 and as Regional Vice President for IMPACT (the largest insurance-producer political action program in Texas). Past positions include serving on the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) Budget and Finance Committee, elected President of Independent Insurance Agents of Tyler, and serving on agent advisory committees for various insurance carriers. Rodney has earned the prestigious professional designations of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM).

Rodney spends his spare time being actively involved in political and community activities that benefit both the insurance industry as well as customers.

CIC
Accounting - Compliance - Operations
E: jon@iaatx.com
P: 903-508-6260

Jonathan Watkins joined Watkins Insurance Group in 2008 while attending Tyler Community College as a Business Management Major. He started working with IAAT in 2011 and in 2017 took over as manager of Compliance and Operations. In 2019 after shifting all operations of IAAT to the Mineola office, Jonathan took over as the Accounting Manager for IAAT as well as continuing his duties as manager of Compliance and Operations. He holds his Property & Casualty and Life & Health licenses and works as a producer for Watkins Insurance Group. He is a 2014 graduate of The Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Course and in 2019 earned the prestigious professional designation of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) through the National Alliance of Insurance Research and Education. He is currently in his 3rd year serving as the President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Tyler and serves as a board member on the Mineola Chamber of Commerce.

In his free time, you can find him spending time with his wife and children or on a golf course.

Access Plus Manager
E: melissa@iaatx.com
P 903-508-6262

Melissa has over a decade of experience in the insurance industry. Her insurance career started with a small independent agency in personal lines, she moved into commercial lines and then took on an administrative role. She left the independent world and went to work for a captive agency. Her career started with Watkins Insurance Group in 2004 and subsequently took a break from Watkins to open her own agency with Allstate. She sold the business after several years and came back to Watkins Insurance Group in the commercial lines department. Melissa took on the role of Marketing Coordinator for Commercial Lines in the East Texas Area and has continued to retain key commercial accounts for Watkins Insurance Group. Melissa has her Life & Health license and Property Casualty.

When not working, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, but she and her husband are most excited about their new role as Nona and Papa.