Lucia Espinoza, AU, CIC, CISR
Underwriting Services Supervisor
Texas Association of Counties
Fresh to the insurance industry at 20, Lucia Espinoza has defined her career with analytical discipline and deep dedication to the people she serves.
At 20 years old, Lucia Espinoza stepped into a small insurance agency with no industry background and a strong willingness to learn.
“At the time, I knew nothing about insurance,” she admits, and risk management was not top of mind.
But she began incrementally, answering phones, learning policies and immersing herself in the industry. Within months, she was pursuing professional designations, ultimately earning her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) credential. Over the course of her career, she also earned the CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative) and AU (Associate in Underwriting) designations, further strengthening her technical foundation in coverage and underwriting.
After 15 years in the traditional insurance market, Lucia longed for change and reassessed what she wanted most from her work. She had always taken pride in carefully analyzing coverage documents and helping clients secure meaningful protection. She realized she wanted to be more directly involved in supporting members across the full risk management lifecycle.
A job offer at Texas Association of Counties (TAC) marked this turning point, and Lucia reveled in her decision.
“I realized I’d finally found a home,” she says. “For the first time, when a claim came in, the question was, ‘How do we help this member?’”
She joined TAC in 2013.
“When I applied, they told me I would start from the bottom again. But I reached my peak. Here, there was room to grow.”
Her scope expanded beyond issuing policies to include prevention, mitigation, and collaboration with claims and field teams. Within five years, she moved into underwriting, a role she had long aspired to. More than a decade later, she says the position continues to align with her strengths.
“This is where my brain makes sense. I love the numbers. I love the data behind it. I love the stories it tells.”
Lucia Espinoza, Underwriting Services Supervisor, Texas Association of Counties
Deeply analytical and methodical in her approach, she appreciates how underwriting requires absorbing large amounts of information and interpreting what it reveals. At TAC, underwriting is also closely integrated with claims insights and risk mitigation efforts. This allows the team to examine not only what happened but also what can be prevented next time.
Trust, Confidence and Women in Risk
With over 13 years at TAC, Lucia has seen meaningful progress in representation.
“When I first started, certain roles were more male-dominated. Now it’s much more balanced.”
Even with that progress, earning trust, particularly early in a career, can still take time and persistence.
A customer once asked to speak to her supervisor instead of her.
“I didn’t argue. My goal was to earn that person’s trust, so next time they would ask for me.”
That mindset, steady confidence built through competence, continues to guide her advice to others: trust yourself, do the work, and let results speak.
Humanity in Risk Management
While risk management often means stepping in when members are facing difficult circumstances, Lucia does not separate the numbers from the people behind them.
“It’s not just business. These are people’s livelihoods we’re talking about here.”
“Playing even a small role in helping employees go home safely to their families each day is what motivates me.”
For Lucia Espinoza, the numbers and patterns continue to form the foundation of her work. But serving members and protecting people is what gives it a powerful purpose.