When Sarah Dinwiddie first learned she had been named NetVU’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year, her reaction was simple: shock.
“I just never expected that what I was doing was getting recognized by other people,” she shared. “It made me feel better about what I’ve been doing — that other people see the work that I’ve been putting in.”
Sarah, Director of Operations at Charles M. Moore Insurance Agency in Bowling Green, Kentucky, received the Volunteer Service Award in memory of James M. Gibson during Accelerate this past April in Las Vegas. The award recognizes a NetVU member who embodies the dedication, service, and commitment it takes to represent NetVU’s mission — someone who leads by example, supports fellow members, and makes a meaningful impact on the NetVU community.
For NetVU’s leadership, Sarah’s recognition reflects the kind of volunteerism that strengthens the organization from the inside out.
NetVU’s Executive Director, Jon Gorman, said volunteers like Sarah are what make the organization’s community so strong.
“She doesn’t just participate — she invests in people, in ideas, and in the future of NetVU,” Gorman said. “That kind of leadership is incredibly powerful.”
Shyla Lankford, Chairman of the NetVU Executive Board of Directors, said Sarah represents the heart of NetVU’s mission and member community.
“Sarah represents the very best of what NetVU stands for,” Lankford said. “Her energy, authenticity, and willingness to serve have already made a meaningful impact — and we know this is just the beginning.”
NetVU’s Volunteer Development Coordinator, Mackenzie Winn has high praise for Sarah.
“Sarah is a dedicated, kind, and a thoughtful leader. She uplifts others’ ideas while still moving forward with what is most important. Sarah is on a variety of committees while dedicating her time to be the Chairman of the First Time Attendee committee, helping to plan Accelerate. She is engaged in so many areas of NetVU and the industry and always raises her hand when someone needs help. She could not be more deserving of the Volunteer Service Award.”
For Sarah, volunteering began with something many members can relate to: wanting to meet people.
“The first time I came, I was by myself,” she said. “I didn’t really know anybody, and I was new in the industry. Getting to volunteer, I immediately had people that I could go and talk to.”
What started as a way to connect has grown into something much larger. Through volunteer roles, education opportunities, roundtables, and Accelerate planning, Sarah has built a supportive network. She describes the experience as something that “multiplies” over time: the more you get involved, the more familiar faces you see, and the more connected you feel.
“You don’t feel like a stranger,” Sarah said. “You have people to talk to, mentors, resources year round.”
Sarah has been especially involved in operational roundtables, where members come together to talk through shared challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. For her, those conversations are one of the clearest examples of NetVU’s value.
“Everyone’s facing the same struggles in their agency,” she said. “They may have a solution for you that you’ve never even thought of.”
That spirit of learning and sharing carries into Sarah’s everyday work. At Charles M. Moore Insurance Agency, NetVU serves as a trusted resource when she needs guidance, ideas, or reassurance that others have faced similar challenges.
If there’s something I’m struggling with, or something going on in our office that I’m not quite sure about, I know that with NetVU, I can find someone that’s dealing with the same issue, I can get that confidence of, ‘Okay, here’s how we can figure it out.'
Sarah’s commitment to growth has been a defining theme throughout her career. After graduating from Transylvania University with a business and hospitality degree, she began her career in event planning before eventually entering the insurance industry — despite once thinking she never would. With encouragement from her father, who owned an insurance agency, Sarah completed pre-licensing and quickly found herself in her first insurance role.
From there, she moved fast. She completed her CIC designation in a year and a half, a process that typically takes up to five years. That drive and ambition helped open the door to a leadership path within her agency. After starting as an agent in January 2020, Sarah’s agency owners recognized her potential and encouraged her toward management. She eventually became the agency’s first Director of Operations.
“I think the most rewarding thing for me so far in my career has been the potential that our agency owners saw in me,” she said.
Sarah’s dedication to service, education, and leadership reflects the heart of the Volunteer Service Award. Whether she is helping first-time attendees navigate Accelerate, joining roundtable conversations, or supporting peers across the NetVU community, she brings the same energy and openness that first led her to volunteer.
Her advice to anyone considering getting involved is simple: “Just do it.”
“There are tons of small roles to get started,” Sarah said. “I learned just as much as I get out of it.”
Sarah’s willingness to serve is something Amy Eichler has seen firsthand.
“Sarah shows up,” Eichler said. “Not just physically, but fully. She’s always willing to step in where there’s a need, often before anyone even has to ask.”
Outside of work and NetVU, Sarah is a high school golf coach, a lifelong piano player, and a self-proclaimed fan of ’90s country — especially Garth Brooks. She credits her small-town Kentucky upbringing with shaping her into a “people person,” someone who values community, connection, and coming home.
That same appreciation for community is what continues to guide her work with NetVU.
Congratulations to Sarah Dinwiddie, NetVU’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year, and thank you for your outstanding service to NetVU and our member community.