ALUMNI: Greg Phister

By Zach Bergevin,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–

Greg Phister once held the 1600-meter record at Davis High, and now spends his time assisting others in Davis as an insurance agent.

Phister attended DHS in the 1990s, and excelled in both cross-country and track. He put his name in the record books with his 4:15 1600-meter run at the 1995 Sacramento Meet of Champions, a time that was unmatched by future Blue Devils for for well over a decade, earning him a scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Phister also played basketball in high school for current teacher Dan Gonzalez, who remembers Phister well, and recalled his ability to overcome any challenges thrown at him.

“Greg was such a hard worker and an excellent team player who fit in with our squad quite well,” Gonzalez said.

After a dominant athletic career in high school and college, Phister faced an enormous obstacle when he was only 22-years-old: he was diagnosed with leukemia and his running career came to an end.

After a bone marrow transplant, Phister was back on his feet and healthy, but learned some lessons during his ordeal.

“It gave me a new perspective on where I wanted to be. I wanted to pursue pharmaceutical sales after I became healthy,” Phister said.

Phister jumped into the industry and enjoyed it, following in his father’s footsteps. He first worked with his father Tom in insurance sales before taking on the challenge of running the business himself, and said that both DHS and Cal Poly prepared him well for his sales career.

Phister has now been healthy for 16 years and continues to love his job for many reasons.

“It is a very rewarding career because you can help others when they are in a time of need,” Phister said, noting that everyday at the office is unique in terms of how he will help people return to their normal lives in a smooth and orderly manner.

Phister, now an Allstate Insurance agent, has been in the insurance business since 2003, and still loves what he does.  He likes being self-employed because it allows him to remain active in the community and spend time with his young children.