At TPG, we put intention behind everything we do, including having fun. If you can’t plan out the good times along with the day-to-day operations and business goals, what’s the point, right?

The TPG Fun Committee was established during our post-COVID return-to-work initiative as a way to bring back some levity along with our workforce. There’s even an established mission statement:

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The Fun Committee creates fun activities and social events, which are a core value of TPG! Some of the events we plan are Waffle Day, cookie exchanges, in-office escape rooms, holiday decorating, contests, games, and other fun social events. We plan the events, put them together, and clean them up!

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When a mission includes the words “waffle” and “cookie,” you know it will be good. “Our best events are probably those that are food-related,” says TPG Southport office Fun Committee lead Michelle Mendoza. “Our mimosa brunch was a big hit this spring. But we also collaborate on educational events with the We Belong committee, which moves our DEI learning forward. For example, we celebrated Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with trivia, regional treats, and other games.”

Another extremely successful event was the company-wide Bring A Kid to Work Day, spearheaded by Janelle Austen, executive assistant to our leadership team. The entire day was carefully planned, with a movie room, scavenger hunt, origami station, and lots and lots of snacks. But the highlight was a board meeting led by Craig Pankow, our market president and executive vice president of property and casualty, who successfully explained insurance to a group of kids by using The Three Little Pigs as an example (left).

Not surprisingly, volunteers for the Fun Committee aren’t hard to come by – the group currently has over 20 TPGers who have committed to meeting a few times a year for an hour or two, along with event execution.

“The committee’s inherent value,” says Mendoza, “is that it builds community and employee engagement. It’s nice to take a moment to relax with your co-workers. It helps us all align with our TPG core values.”

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