About Pierce Insurance

Lonnie & Wanda Pierce
Founders

Our original founders in 1955, Lonnie and Wanda Pierce were pioneers in the employee benefits arena. Their legacy and vision guide us today.

Empower our client employers by:

Structuring benefits that attract and retain a talented, skilled workforce
Reducing administration time and costs

Strengthen our clients’ employees by:

Providing highly competitive supplemental benefits designed to promote their emotional, physical, and financial well-being.
Advocating for employees as they navigate their benefits

2nd Generation Leadership

Lonnie T. Pierce, III
President & CEO

Lonnie earned his BA in Economics at East Carolina University. His entire career of 35 years has been dedicated to employee benefits. Lonnie has 29 years of experience in designing proprietary plans and implementing products for large employer groups. He is responsible for our strategic business activities and our operations encompassing business development, negotiating contracts, and designing and implementing products and services. Licenses: Life, Health and Long-term Care/Medicare Supplement.

Patricia Pierce Combs
Vice President & CFO

Patricia attended East Carolina University and Atlantic Christian College majoring in Business Administration and Human Service. She has devoted over 40 years of her career to customer advocacy in employee benefits. She sets the standard for the agency. Under her direction, the administrative staff exudes commitment to our clients. Patricia is responsible for corporate finance, administration, asset management, strategic planning, network infrastructure, as well as customer advocacy. Licenses: Life, Health and Long-term Care/Medicare Supplement.

3rd Generation - Continuing our Legacy

Carson Pierce
Business Development

Carson graduated Omicron Delta Epsilon as a member of the International Honor Society in Economics. She obtained her BS in Applied Economics with a special interest in Quantitative Economics and Econometrics from East Carolina University. Over the past 8 years, Carson’s contributions and leadership have paved the way for:

Innovative virtual enrollment protocols easing the process for employees
Employee education through efficient virtual Information Sessions
Effective organizational strategies
Improved training processes
And most recently, streamlining the RFP process

Licenses: Property and Casualty, Life, Health, and Long-term Care/Medicare Supplement

Sarah Combs
Account Manager, NC Retirement Systems &
Executive Assistant

Sarah’s career with Pierce Insurance began in 2012 providing high-quality assistance and essential administrative support to senior management. Her role expanded into overseeing the complexities of managing Pierce Insurance’s designated Call Center for the NC Retirement Systems. She excels in the art of communication offering superior customer service and resolution. Sarah’s team leadership, training abilities, and technical know-how position her as a key member of the Pierce Insurance legacy. Sarah’s responsibilities include:

Call center management
Technology support and training
Assisting senior management
Coordinating meetings

Licenses: Life, Health, and Long-term Care/Medicare Supplement

Milestones

1956 Implemented 1st supplemental benefits in N.C. State Government: John Umstead Hospital – Cancer, Life and Disability
1960’s Designed and implemented programs that wrapped around the State Disability Program
1980’s Our founders, Lonnie and Wanda Pierce, were responsible for initiating GS_58_31_60, allowing competitive selection of voluntary payroll deductions
1984 Introduced the 1st Voluntary Dental Plan to the State of North Carolina
- UNC-Chapel Hill
- NC State University
- UNC Wilmington and others
1999 Awarded the 1st statewide Vision program through NC Flex
2001 1st to implement Section 125 programs in NC Community Colleges. One of the 1st to participate was Lenoir Community College.
2005 Awarded the 1st statewide Life Insurance and Cancer programs through NC Flex. The same plans are still in effect.
2006 Awarded by Diversity Business Top 50 Privately Held Businesses
2011 Awarded Broker/Consultant Contract with NC Retirement Systems
2018 Top 100 Woman-Owned Business in North Carolina
2019 Pierce Insurance with NC State Treasurer Folwell renegotiated the NC Retirement Systems dental, vision, and ID theft contracts resulting in nearly $3 million in premium savings for NC retirees over two years.
2019 Granted a Cooperative Procurement Contract via the Virginia Public Procurement Act §2.2-4304 (VPPA)
2019 Pierce Insurance was selected by National Benefit Partners to represent Benefits That Benefit Children’s voluntary products and services and with our clients at the forefront, has donated over $122,000 for Children’s Hospital Foundations.
2020 In response to COVID-19, Pierce Insurance with NC State Treasurer Folwell negotiated a one-time dental premium refund for NC retirees.
2022 Pierce Insurance has grown to serve over 800,000 policies in force.
2023 Awarded Top 20 Employee Benefits Services Providers by HR Tech Outlook
2025 Awarded ‘Business of the Year’ by the East Carolina Council of Scouting America
2025 Strategic partnership with Foundation Risk Partners to expand our capabilities, offering a broader range of services and benefits to better meet the needs of our clients
2025 Celebrating 70 years