News

A State Farm agent in national commercials has area ties

By Scott Wagar

12/27/2011

For those individuals in Bottineau who have seen the recent State Farm Insurance’s commercials on national television with Jessica DeClercq, they might not know that DeClercq has close ties to Bottineau, Souris and Lake Metigoshe.

“My parents grew up in the Bottineau area,” said DeClercq, who is a State Farm Insurance agent in Mayville, N.D. “My mom is from Bottineau, while my dad is from Souris.”

DeClercq’s parents are Donald and Kim Kornkven. Her grandparents are Arvid and Pete Anderson of Bottineau and the late Nels and Ruth Kornkven of Souris.

After DeClercq’s parents married, they moved to Canada where DeClercq was raised.

“I grew up in southeast Saskatchewan where my parents farmed,” she said. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the Bottineau area with family. We also spent the summers at our cabin at Lake Metigoshe.”

DeClercq eventually made her way to Mayville where she accepted her position with State Farm. This year, she was nominated by a management team in Minneapolis which felt she would make a great candidate for a State Farm commercial, which would run during prime time on national television.

“When you’re nominated, of course, you kind of wonder what your chances are of being chosen, because there were quite of few of us who were nominated,” DeClercq said. “Obviously, I wondered what my chances were of being chosen.”

DeClercq had to go to two auditions, and in the end the producer of the commercial chose her for the part.  
In April, she flew out to Los Angeles where she filmed the commercial, which first aired in June. The commercial was such a success, DeClercq was called back for a second commercial, which started airing in October.

DeClercq stated that she enjoyed herself in Los Angeles while filming the commercials.

“I loved it,” DeClercq expressed. “It was a phenomenal experience.”

Through the commercials, DeClercq has received quite a media following in the state through television, radio and newspaper coverage, not to mention a fan base of her own.

From phone calls, emails and Facebook requests and posts, DeClercq has seen a variety of positive comments, and, in one incident, even a marriage proposal by a fan.  

“For me personally, my life really hasn’t changed,” she said. “If anything, it has just created more awareness of our office and State Farm in general.”

At the present moment, DeClercq is busy with her job at State Farm. She also has every intention of staying in Mayville, which is a community she enjoys living in.

However, with the success of the past two commercials, she just might be making another trip to L.A. for a third commercial spot for the insurance agency.

For now, she is just enjoying life; and she and her parents still make their way home to the Bottineau area.

“We normally come up there for the holidays and my parents spend their summers at Lake Metigoshe,” she said.

To see DeClercq’s State Farm commercials, search for Jessica Declerq on www.YouTube.com.