2023 has been a busy and exciting year at Farm Bureau Tech.

Austin Channell joined the Southern Farm Bureau Tech team May 1^st with an exceptional background of knowledge, certifications and expertise. He graduated from William Carey University in 1999 with a B.S. in Business. He then obtained his M.B.A. from William Carey in 2001. He currently holds his CPCU, INS, AIC and ICA designations. Austin is the Vice President of Board of Directors for Copiah Education Foundation. His latest accomplishment includes earning the highest-level certification for Xactimate, Xactimate Affiliate Trainer (XAT), in Salt Lake City, Utah. Prior to accepting this position, he was Senior Claims Representative for Mississippi Farm Bureau. He is married to wife Mayda Channell where they have a daughter, Alayna Channell, who graduates high school this year and will attend Ole Miss in the Fall. Austin’s hobbies include retriever training, sports and any outdoor activities.

Three of our instructors, Patrick Coen, Mark Poteat and Austin Channell, were able to obtain the highest level of certification for Xactimate, the XAT designation. Prefacing XAT designation, candidates must pass Xactimate level 1, 2 and 3 certifications. Regarding level 3, only .04% of Xactimate users have obtained this certification. XAT confirms the trainer has completed a prestigious Xactware training program and is prepared to train their staff.  Trainers provide the highest quality of Xactimate certified product, endorsed, or promoted by Verisk. Following completion of the 4-day Train-the-Trainer class and passing the trainer exam, participants receive documentation indicating they have completed Verisk’s Train-the-Trainer program. Xactimate Affiliate Trainers receive instruction on the tips and tricks of building estimates with Xactimate and fully harnessing the software and sharing that information with their students. We are very proud of these instructors for pushing themselves and earning this exceptional certification!

This summer is SFB Tech’s first internship program to take place. Our 2023 Summer Intern, Julianna Ladner, will be joining us in late May to begin her 9-week venture learning a wide assortment of insurance knowledge, visual and design basics, and our Learning Management System, Moodle.

Julianna is an upcoming Senior at the University of Mississippi where she is enrolled in the School of Journalism as an Integrated Marketing Communications Major. She is a Delta Gamma Sorority Member, University of Mississippi Diamond Member, American Advertising Federation Member, American Cancer Society at Ole Miss Member, National Society of Collegiate Scholars Member and The Society for Collegiate Leadership and Achievement Member.

Class Schedule

On this site, you’ll find a full roster of our classes through the remainder of this year. Most of the classes will be delivered in-person with the exception of a couple remaining in the online format. Please check the schedule link for future updates on our 2023 schedule.