“I am going to run the family insurance agency when I grow up.” Such was the prophetic announcement by 5-year-old Amy Harrington Bible.

The Harrington and Bible names are recognized for a long, continuous, and significant presence, rooted in the history of North Knox County.

Charles Harrington grew up on Fulton Drive in Fountain City, and his wife, Kathleen Hill, grew up in Halls, descended from the Hill family, aka Hill Road.

Central High School had the novelty of Amy, a 3rd-generation Bobcat; her daughter, a 4th-generation Bobcat; and her grandmother, Chloe Harrington, the oldest living Central graduate.

The family business, Harrington Insurance Agency, was created in 1942 by Charles’ father, TR Harrington, Jr. Charles was one of three sons who entered the family business.  Sons Charles and Tom (KTT’s Hiking with Harrington) ended up taking over the business here in Knoxville, while Jim started his own agency in Georgia.  The youngest son, Rick, made his mark with a rescue/firefighter/paramedic career.

Charles’ daughter, Amy, fulfilled her childhood promise after she graduated from Central High School by obtaining her insurance license and working at the family business, Harrington Insurance Agency. However, she left the business after graduating from the University of TN with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation.  Her degree led her to work for a time in an assisted living facility, where she supported Alzheimer’s patients in enhancing their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being by adapting activities to match their level of participation.

After a couple of years away, Amy returned to work at the agency and began learning the family business in earnest.  Feeling at a disadvantage without a business degree, she worried about the skills needed to maintain a business: bookkeeping, filing Annual Reports, preparing insurance audits, filing business taxes, completing payroll, and managing advertising.

What Amy did know: relationship-building and empathic understanding, which translate into selling individuals on what is necessary.  “While I did not learn about running a business, I did learn how to meet people where they are.  Insurance is largely about rules and guidelines… Each client has a unique situation – it is my challenge to tailor insurance policies to match their level of need and risk by overlaying company guidelines and rules.”  Amy exemplifies one of her favorite quotes: “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” – Ephesians 6:7

Another challenge Amy has overcome: Being a young female in a male-dominated industry. “For years, I felt the sting of being too young to be taken seriously as an insurance agent.  This did not dissuade me; it only made my resolve stronger to know my business and to represent not only myself as an educated professional but also to continue the tradition of providing insurance knowledge even when it ran contrary to what a client might like to hear.” Another favorite quote belies her resolve: “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Amy met her future husband, Allan Bible, in the middle school age youth group. They attended Central and graduated together in 1989.  It wasn’t until after college that they began dating and subsequently got married, and they recently celebrated their 30th anniversary.

This is where the Bible name comes in. Fountain Citians and Knoxvillians remember the Bible family.  Allan’s father, Alvah Bible, was a health teacher at Central and taught Amy as well. Allan’s mother, Cheryl Bible, was also a Central High School teacher, arriving the year after Allan and Amy graduated.

Allan and Amy have two girls: Charley Rose, a senior at UT in the Haslam College of Business, and Della, who is finishing her freshman year at Carson-Newman in the College of Business. “We have raised two independent, well-spoken, God-loving daughters.  We have enjoyed watching our oldest march with the Pride of the Southland the last four years and continue our band parent journey as our youngest marches with the Carson-Newman Eagles band.”

Having Charley Rose and Della while continuing to work was another challenge Amy overcame. She says, “I had the privilege of having a stay-at-home mom until I was well into high school.  When I decided to go back to the family business after college, one of the important conversations I had was about what would happen when I had children.  Once my oldest was born, at six weeks of age, she came to the office with me several days a week.  As she got older, there were times when the bell on the front door would open, and Charley Rose would be leaning over the baby gate looking out the doorway, greeting whoever was entering the office with a cheery “Hellooooo”.    When Della was born, she, too, came to the office with Amy.

Every legacy defines your family’s identity, core values, and lasting impact on a community or area. On January 1, 2012, Amy Harrington Bible became the official 3rd generation owner of Harrington Insurance Agency.  Her father, Charles, continued to work for several years.

To maintain the Harrington Insurance legacy, Amy decided to not only purchase the firm from her father but also to relocate it to a permanent Harrington Insurance Agency building. “I looked at multiple options in the Fountain City area.  It was not until I checked into a property on Garden Drive that things began falling into place.  The agency purchased a small piece of property –one that I found out later had been owned by my great uncle and aunt, John and Zena Harrington.  This location is the current home of Harrington Insurance Agency.”

Amy has fortified her expertise by being licensed in:

  • Property & Casualty Insurance
  • Life & Health Insurance
  • RamseyTrusted Insurance Pro (Endorsed Local Providers to take care of insurance needs for Dave Ramsey followers.)

She is also certified as a Ramsey Financial Coach to help identify goals, educate, and help create the path to reach those goals –coaching and supporting all along the way.

A business connecting with families since 1942, “Harrington Insurance Agency still has clients going back to when my grandfather, uncle, and father ran the agency.  It is special to talk with those clients and hear stories about my grandfather, and to hear their appreciation for how Harrington Insurance Agency has taken care of them and their families for so many years.”

Business is not all there is to life for Amy. She enjoys gardening and learning about herbs and their medicinal properties.  Following in her grandmother, Chloe’s, footsteps, she has at least 4–5 knitting or crocheting projects going on at any given time.  She credits her mother with being a role model: “My mother was always trying new recipes, educating herself, and always learning… I hope to follow her example and never quit learning, always be ready for adventure, and see problems as opportunities to come up with creative solutions.”

Connect with Amy Harrington Bible at Amy@harringtonagency.com and get more information about Harrington Insurance Company here.

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