Employee Spotlight: Melissa Agawa
Melissa Agawa (Charlevoix) is our newest addition to the CSS Title Examining Team.
How did you first learn about CSS?
The first time I heard of CSS was years ago when my mother worked for the company.
What do you like most about CSS?
I value CSS’s transparency not only in the numbers, but in clearly communicating the company’s values, vision, and mission. CSS seems progressive in an industry that is relatively slow to evolve, which is exciting to me as I am just beginning my career with CSS.What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far?
- Never stop learning,
- Success starts with setting honest intentions and manifests from the inside out
- Challenge yourself with new opportunities that expand your skillset.
Tell us three things most people do not know about you:
- In 2022, I have been a guest speaker for 8 different area civic clubs/non-profit organizations
- My favorite band is the Grateful Dead
- If a career in title insurance didn’t work out, I’d have loved to be an artist/sculptor.
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
I do not have a very diverse palate; however, I did try a slice of pickle pizza last week during our CSS Christmas Party.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Someone once told me that if a person likes a flower, they pick it, but if a person loves a flower, they’ll water it. I think that is such a testament to the importance of how we, collectively, as human beings navigate our lives and business. It is extremely important to me that we put our energy and love into the things which we are passionate about or those which sustain us (like our careers). This is also in our treatment of others; treating other people with kindness and love creates an environment that is open, intuitive, and inclusive to all, and by personally investing in those relationships, we show our determination to make sure that things work efficiently.If you were to choose a superpower, what would it be?
I’d choose the ability to be invisible.If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
Late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – I would have loved to have had a conversation with her. She, like me, loved the Constitution and held a deep respect for it; she seemed to love freedom of speech and, in effect, was one of the most outspoken women in the country. To me, her voice has always carried tremendous weight because of her persistence in the fight to ensure she was heard in her fight for equal justice for all.
What are three words that best describe you?
Altruistic, Fun, and Introspective.
What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery?
I would splurge on a new Martin D-45.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Caprese salad.
