PIA CONNECTION · pia brings main street to capitol hillfls 2016 pia connection national association of professional insurance agents may 2016 pia thanks our fls platinum sponsor

PIA Brings Main Street to Capitol Hill

FLS 2016

PIA CONNECTIONNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

MAY 2016

PIA THANKS OUR FLS PLATINUM SPONSOR THE PIA PARTNERSHIP;

GOLD SPONSOR ADM CROP RISK SERVICES;

SILVER SPONSORS LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE, NATIONWIDE

INDEPENDENT, STATE AUTO GROUP, THE HARTFORD;

AND BRONZE SPONSORS THE MOTORISTS INSURANCE GROUP,

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON COMPENSATION INSURANCE (NCCI) AND WRIGHT FLOOD.

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Congratulations, Jane E. Crispen, on your recognition for outstanding customer service. As a proud sponsor of this award, The Hartford supports great CSRs in every way we can.

Jane E. Crispen, CIC, CISR, from Knight Insurance of Findlay, Knight Insurance Group, is the recipient of the 2016 PIA National Customer Service Representative (CSR) of the Year Award.

THEHARTFORD.COM

The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.16-0356© April 2016 The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Hartford, CT 06155. All Rights Reserved.

Business InsuranceEmployee BenefitsAutoHome

CONGRATULATIONS ON PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. WE STRIVE TO DO THE SAME.

PIA CONNECTION | www.pianet.com May 2016 | 3

Congratulations, Jane E. Crispen, on your recognition for outstanding customer service. As a proud sponsor of this award, The Hartford supports great CSRs in every way we can.

Jane E. Crispen, CIC, CISR, from Knight Insurance of Findlay, Knight Insurance Group, is the recipient of the 2016 PIA National Customer Service Representative (CSR) of the Year Award.

THEHARTFORD.COM

The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.16-0356© April 2016 The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Hartford, CT 06155. All Rights Reserved.

Business InsuranceEmployee BenefitsAutoHome

CONGRATULATIONS ON PROVIDING EXCEPTIONALCUSTOMER SERVICE. WE STRIVE TO DO THE SAME.

PresidentRobert W. Hansen, Jr., LUTCF, CPIA (NE/IA)[email protected]

President-ElectGareth W. Blackwell, Jr., CPCU (ME)[email protected]

Vice President/TreasurerTimothy G. Russell, CPCU (CT)[email protected]

Secretary/Assistant TreasurerKeith A. Savino, CPIA (NJ)[email protected]

Immediate Past PresidentRichard A. Clements, CIC, CPIA (LA)[email protected]

Executive Vice President/CEOMike Becker (PIA National)[email protected]

Publisher/Editor-in-ChiefTed [email protected]

Managing EditorSade [email protected]

Advertising DirectorAlexi Papandon, [email protected]

Government/Regulatory Affairs Executive EditorPatricia A. Borowski, [email protected]

Contributing EditorsJon [email protected]

Production EditorLaurel Prucha [email protected]

PIA Connection is published ten times yearly by the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents.

400 North Washington Street,Alexandria, Virginia 22314©2016 All rights reserved.

The information in this publication is general in nature and is not intended to serve as legal, accounting, financial, insurance, investment advisory or other professional advice as to any reader’s particular situation. Users are encouraged to consult with compe-tent legal, financial, insurance, investment advisory and or other professional advisors concerning specific matters before making any decisions and we disclaim any responsibility for any decisions or actions by readers.

All PIA members receive PIA Connection at the member subscription rate of $12.00 per year.

Non-member subscriptions available at $24.00 per year ppd.

For additional information on any of the subjects addressed in thispublication, please access the PIA National website at www.pianet.com.

PIA CONNECTIONNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE AGENTS

MAY 2016

CONTENTSNEWS BRIEF 6-7ACA Premiums to Rise Sharply…UnitedHealth to Exit ACA in 22 States…100 Year Floods…Texting and Driving Is Like Drunk Driving…Private Flood Bill Advances…Hurricane Forecaster William Gray Dies

PIA TESTIFIES ON CYBER, FLOOD 8 PIA National’s Counsel & Director of Regulatory Affairs Testifies Before the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)

THE 2016 PIA FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT 9-11PIA members from around the country converged on Capitol Hill for another successful FLS

THE PIA NATIONAL AWARDS 12-13Honoring the Agent of the Year, YIP of the Year and CSR of the Year

INDEPENDENT AGENT MARKETING – AS UNIQUE AS THE AGENCIES THEMSELVES 14-15Laura Mazzuca Toops profiles two agencies and their truly unique approaches to marketing

DEPARTMENTSFrom the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5From the CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5PIA Product Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19PIA Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19PIA Affiliate Listings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Member Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21The Last Word. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Cover image: © uschools, iStockphoto.com

CYBERSECURITY PAGE 16

PIA PARTNERSHIP TOOLSDesigned for agency success.Created by agents for agents.

How can you make the most of your opportunities with Gen Y customers? We can help you answer that question!

Our national survey listens to “the voice of the customer.” You may be surprised by what they have to say.

Use the calculators to examine your agency,decide what you’d like to change and the approach that’s right for you.

Our unique research examines business owners’ preference for agents vs. online insurance.

Perpetuation Central helps you determine your needs, create a working plan and find the resources you need.

Successful Planning can help you make decisions to create and implement plans tailored to your agency.

PIA volunteer leaders work alongside our company partners to conduct research and develop tools PIA member agencies can use to help them be more successful.

PIA members have access to Partnership research and tools on the PIA National Website at: pianet.com/partnership.

PIA Partnership Companies

Central EncompassErieHanoverLiberty MutualMetLife Auto & Home

MotoristsNationwide IndependentProgressiveSelectiveState AutoThe Hartford

&The Internet

SmallBusinessInsurance


FROM THE PRESIDENT

FROM THE CEO

IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT DOING THINGS FOR others and helping yourself coincide. But when it comes to the kind of advocacy that PIA engages in, it happens all the time.

We recently completed PIA’s annual Federal Legislative Summit (FLS), one of our premiere advocacy events. This year’s FLS was a big success. PIA members from around the country made the trek to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to engage our elected representa-tives in dialogue on the issues that are most important to us.

We got an excellent reception from the members of Congress and congressional staffers with whom we met. In addition, we held a successful fundraising event for the Professional Insurance Agents Political Action Committee (PIAPAC).

Every PIA member who participates in PIA advocacy—whether it be as part of the FLS, contributing to your PAC, or by engaging in grassroots actions throughout the year—is helping himself or herself to protect their business and livelihood. At the same time, we are helping each other forge solutions to our common problems.

All of the issues we advocate may not benefit our own agencies directly, but together they do. For example, if we live in a community with no farms, chances are we don’t sell crop insurance. But when one of us faces a threat, all of us do. That’s why we band together in association, to work on our issues collectively. We draw strength from

each other. We look out for each other. We stick together.

PIA’s advocacy is not confined to Congress. Our company coun-cil, The PIA Partnership, creates at-the-desktop tools and resources PIA members can use to ensure the success of their agencies. We advocate before state regulators, state legislatures and among our industry colleagues. We act as a catalyst for industry-wide discussion. We defend the independent agent distribution system and we support state regulation of insurance.

We are an organization of activists committed to our mutual success and prosperity as full participants in the American Free Enterprise System. We care about our customers, our communities, and each other.

I am PIA…we are PIA!

Robert W. Hansen, Jr.President

WHEN THE PIA PARTNERSHIP COMPLETED ITS most recent survey of commercial lines insurance customers, its find-ing that an overwhelming majority wanted to continue to do business with an agent—as opposed to buying online—came with a caveat. Small business insurance customers also want their agents to be fully capable digitally.

It was at this point that PIA connected the dots. For many years, there had been discussion in our industry, but no consensus, about the concept of a “buy button” for independent agencies.

PIA decided to take a leadership role in initiating a renewed industry-wide discussion on a concept that will empower agents to bind in real time and by doing so, better serve their clients.

The Buy Button as conceived by PIA is the ability for agents to bind a policy in a once and done fashion, in their agency systems, regardless of the point of engagement and/or policy sale. Currently agents must leave their systems, or bridge to the carrier system to bind the policy.

The buy button would not transform independent agencies into

direct writers. It would enable the agent to bind coverage instantly when a prospect calls on the phone, walks into the agency, or even when the agent is offsite at a client’s physi-cal location.

PIA called an all-industry meet-ing in January of this year in New York attended by agents, carriers and vendors to discuss the idea. And in March, PIA endorsed our conception of a buy button, which was followed by an endorsement by the Executive Board of NetVU, the Network of Vertafore Users.

PIA will continue to lead discussion of this issue. To learn more about it, visit www.pianet.com/buybutton.

Mike BeckerExecutive Vice President & CEO

PIA PARTNERSHIP TOOLSDesigned for agency success.Created by agents for agents.

How can you make the most of your opportunities with Gen Y customers? We can help you answer that question!

Our national survey listens to “the voice of the customer.” You may be surprised by what they have to say.

Use the calculators to examine your agency,decide what you’d like to change and the approach that’s right for you.

Our unique research examines business owners’ preference for agents vs. online insurance.

Perpetuation Central helps you determine your needs, create a working plan and find the resources you need.

Successful Planning can help you make decisions to create and implement plans tailored to your agency.

PIA volunteer leaders work alongside our company partners to conduct research and develop tools PIA member agencies can use to help them be more successful.

PIA members have access to Partnership research and tools on the PIA National Website at: pianet.com/partnership.

PIA Partnership Companies

Central EncompassErieHanoverLiberty MutualMetLife Auto & Home

MotoristsNationwide IndependentProgressiveSelectiveState AutoThe Hartford

&The Internet

SmallBusinessInsurance

6 | May 2016 www.pianet.com | PIA CONNECTION

NEWS BRIEF!ACA PREMIUMS TO RISE SHARPLY Many insurers have lost money in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) market-places. Now experts say insurers likely will seek substantial rate increases.Given that the ACA tax credits typically cushion the blow, it is difficult to gauge the ultimate impact of these impend-ing rate hikes on consum-ers. Only 15 percent of enrollees through the ACA exchanges do not receive a tax credit, and experts note that not all will bear the full burden of price hikes due to their ability to shop around for the best deal.

The Obama administra-tion has sought to get out in front of the com-ing ObamaCare pre-mium hikes, in part by downplaying their likely impact. A report released by the Department of Health and Human Ser-vices (HHS) this month, for example, asserted that once the law’s tax credits are factored in, the effects of premium increases on consumers would be modest.

“The market continues to react to the ACA, and we expect at least another year of increases (some well into the double digits)

before rates start to stabi-lize,” said Kevin Walters, a spokesperson for Tennes-see Insurance Commis-sioner Julie Mix McPeak.

UNITED HEALTH TO EXIT ACA IN 22 STATES UnitedHealth Group Inc. will leave the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplaces in at least 22 states to stem losses related to the law. The company has not listed the markets it is leaving, but confirmations of the withdrawals have been coming in from state regulators in the 34 states where the company sold plans for this year.

Bloomberg reports that UnitedHealth is withdraw-ing from the following states: Alabama, Arizona,

Arkansas, Colorado, Con-necticut, Florida, Geor-gia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachu-setts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylva-nia, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington.

New York and Nevada

have confirmed that UnitedHealth will remain on their ACA exchanges for 2017, and the com-pany has filed plans to participate in Virginia as well. UnitedHealth’s intent for its ACA marketplace plans in the remaining nine states in which it was active remains unknown.

STATES UNITED HEALTH WILL LEAVE ACA


NEWS BRIEF!100-YEAR FLOODS DON’T JUST HAPPEN ONCE IN 100 YEARSSurviving a 100-Year Flood Doesn’t Mean 99 Years of Safety. The recent flooding in Hous-ton could be considered a 1-in-100-year event, but that label is a misnomer in that it can mislead people into thinking that such flooding literally happens once every 100 years, and that they will thus be safe for 99 years out of 100. It doesn’t work that way.

The U.S. government has used the “100-year flood” label to suggest that a flood of that severity has a 1 percent chance of happening in any given year—not that it could happen only once per

century. However, the label does not take into account other conditions that can alter those prob-abilities, such as climate change, El Niño, and La Niña.

“That’s why the 100-year event is such a mov-ing target, especially in an urban environment. Someone builds a couple of parking lots, and you just turned a 100-year event into a 70-year event because of the imper-vious surfaces,” says Chuck Watson, director of research and develop-ment at Enki Research.

Weather Research Center founder Jill Hasling suggests that residents of places like Houston that get more than one

flood per year buy flood insurance. “If you are not in the flood zone, buy it anyway; it will just be cheaper,” she said.

HURRICANE FORECASTER WILLIAM GRAY DIES AT 86Colorado State University Professor Emeritus of Atmo-spheric Science William Gray, who changed the way the world looked at hurricanes, has died at age 86. He is considered the creator of the modern sea-sonal forecast for Atlantic storms, which he intro-duced in 1984. Since then, a number of commercial forecasters and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion (NOAA) have issued seasonal predictions for Atlantic tropical storm and hurricane development.

PRIVATE FLOOD BILL ADVANCES IN HOUSE

PIA has praised the House of Representatives for passing the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act (H.R. 2901), in an overwhelm-ingly bipartisan 419-0 vote on April 28.

Sponsored by Reps. Dennis Ross (R-FL) and Patrick Murphy (D-FL), the bill would clarify that private insurance is to be treated the same as federal flood insurance in cases where homeowners with federally-backed mortgages are required to buy the coverage.

“PIA members from around the country were just in town for our Federal Legislative Summit ask-ing members to support this measure,” said PIA National Vice President of Government Relations Jon Gentile. “We are pleased Congress heard the voices of their constituents.”

TREATING TEXTING AND DRIVING LIKE DRUNK DRIVINGWhile most states have banned texting by drivers in the last seven years, the problem of distracted driving just seems to be getting worse. According to preliminary esti-mates, road fatalities, which had fallen for years, are now rising sharply, up roughly 8 percent in 2015 from 2014. To combat the issue, legislators and public health experts want to treat distracted driving like drunk driving.

Lawmakers in New York are proposing to give police officers a new device that is the digital equivalent of the Breathalyzer—a roadside test called the Textalyzer. It would work like this: An officer arriving at the scene of a crash could ask for the phones of any drivers involved and use the Textalyzer to tap into the operating system to check for recent activity.

Officers would use the technology to determine whether a driver had used his or her phone to text, email or do anything else that is forbidden under New York’s hands-free driving laws, which prohibit drivers from holding phones to their ear. Failure to hand over a phone could lead to the suspension of a driver’s license, similar to the consequences for refusing a Breathalyzer.


REGULATORY UPDATE

PIA’S COUNSEL AND DIRECTOR of Regulatory Affairs Lauren Pachman testified at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Spring National Meeting in New Orleans, during the meetings of the Cybersecurity Task Force and the Property and Casualty Insur-ance Committee.

At the April 4 Cybersecurity meeting, she discussed PIA’s concerns about the first draft of the Task Force’s Insurance Data Security Model Law. The Task Force chair, North Dakota Commissioner Adam Hamm, has indicated interest in finalizing the model law by year-end and ultimately making it an NAIC state accreditation standard. Since the NAIC National Meeting last month, the Cybersecurity Task Force has scheduled an interim meeting for May 24-25 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. to continue to receive input from regulators and interested parties on the Insurance Data Security Model Law draft. PIA will be represented at the interim meeting.

PIA also advocated for its position at the April 5 Property and Casualty meeting, where Pachman discussed PIA’s position on the future of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the possibility of its partial or complete privatization. Also at that meeting, a measure passed to collect data on private insurance policies, includ-ing primary, excess, and creditor-placed flood insurance, separately from those that are part of the NFIP, to provide policymak-ers with additional data on the private flood insurance market as they consider the future of the program. The NFIP is scheduled to sunset on Sept. 30, 2017.

On April 28, less than a month after the NAIC National Meeting, the House of Representatives passed the Flood Insurance

Market Parity and Modernization Act (H.R. 2901), in an overwhelmingly bipartisan 419-0 vote. The bill, which PIA supports, will expand flood insurance options for consumers by clarifying the definition of a private flood insurance policy as one that provides flood insurance coverage issued by an insurance company that is licensed and approved by the state insurance regulator, ensuring that private flood insurance can be used to satisfy the NFIP’s continuous cover-age requirement. The NAIC has also issued a statement in support of the bill and urging the Senate to pass it as well.

In response to other action in the House, the Producer Licensing Task Force will consider action to address the manner in which the state licensing of adjusters is done. The Catastrophe Insurance Working Group reported that the NFIP/Federal Insurance Office/stakeholder meetings will continue as the deadline to reauthorize the NFIP approaches.

During the NAIC Executive Committee meeting, in the context of a discussion about the currently-vacant position of NAIC CEO, Louisiana Commissioner Jim Donelon proposed a change to the NAIC’s bylaws that would require a cooling-off

period for former members of the NAIC before they may become eligible for hire by the NAIC. Donelon indicated his intent to follow up by recommending a change to the NAIC’s bylaws to the Governance Review Task Force.

Later in the National Meeting, during the meeting of the Governance Review Task Force, Commissioner Donelon moved that the Task Force recommend the adop-tion of a bylaws amendment requiring a two-year “cooling off ” period before an NAIC member may be hired by, or enter into a contract for services with, the NAIC. The motion failed for lack of a second.

Other action at the NAIC meetings included the adoption of the National Insurance Producer Registry’s (NIPR) audit committee report, the rollout of a new NIPR logo by its board, and consid-eration by the Crop Insurance Working Group of the ongoing congressional threat to the federal crop insurance program.

Besides the Cybersecurity Task Force interim meeting, the NAIC is also host-ing its annual Insurance Summit com-ing up later in May in Kansas City and its International Insurance Forum in Washington, D.C.

PIA TESTIFIES ON CYBER, FLOOD AT NAIC MEETINGS


The PIA of Louisiana delegation visits with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R) (3rd from left) during the 2016 PIA Federal Legislative Summit.

FLS speaker Jim Oliphant, political correspondent with Reuters, shares insights from his experiences covering Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and other presidential candidates on the primary campaign trail this year.

MAINSTST

2 0 1 6 P I A F E D E R A L L E G I S L A T I V E S U M M I T

PIA MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN 2016 PIA FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT

MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) brought Main Street to Capitol Hill when they met April 6-7 in Washington, D.C., for the 2016 PIA Fed-eral Legislative Summit (FLS).

The annual PIA Federal Legislative Summit is a gathering of PIA members from around the country who come together to meet with their members of Congress and advocate their positions on issues important to Professional Insurance Agents.

Participants visited with their Representatives and Senators on Capitol Hill, advocating for PIA’s positions on a range of issues including encouraging Congress to defend state regulation of

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insurance, protect a strong and stable crop insur-ance program, provide a long term authoriza-tion of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and reinstate fair and just compensation in healthcare.

On the opening day, an issues briefing was conducted, followed by a reception hosted by PIA’s agency-company council, The PIA Partnership, and a fundraising event for the Professional Insurance Agents Political Action Committee (PIAPAC). After a kickoff breakfast the following morning, PIA members made their way to Capitol Hill for a day of advocacy visits with their members of Congress.

“PIA’s annual legislative summit is an important part of our year-round program of legislative advocacy,” said PIA National President Robert W. Hansen, Jr. “Our members are grateful for the positive reception we received from our lawmakers and we look forward to continuing to work with them to advance our legislative priorities.”

PIA members advocated for solutions that enable agents to better serve their clients and communities by encouraging Congress to defend state regulation of insurance, protect a strong and stable crop insurance program, provide a long term authorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and reinstate fair and just compensation in healthcare.

In addition, PIA campaigned for a clear and simple tax code, reducing individual and corporate income tax rates for small businesses, and against tax provisions and regulations that impede small business growth.

During the meetings, Nevada Republican Sen. Dean Heller was named the 2016 PIA National Legislator of the Year, in recognition of his leadership on PIA’s legislative priorities. In addition, PIA National Immediate Past President Richard A. “Richie” Clements, CIC, CPIA, of Chalmette, Louisiana, was named the 2015 Person of the Year by the Professional Insurance Agents Political Action Committee (PIAPAC).

“We are optimistic that our legislative and policy priorities will continue to fare well throughout the year,” said PIA National Vice President of Government Relations Jon Gentile. “We look forward to continuing to work with lawmakers to support the independent agency system and Main Street insurance agents every-where.”

PIA National President Robert W. Hansen, Jr., pauses while making the rounds of congressional offices during the 2016 FLS. “One of the most important things that professional insurance agents can do for themselves is to engage in advocacy,” says Hansen.

The PIA of Connecticut delegation meets with Connecticut Sen. Christopher S. Murphy (D) during the 2016 PIA Federal Legislative Summit.



PIA THANKS OUR FLS PLATINUM SPONSOR

THE PIA PARTNERSHIP;

GOLD SPONSOR ADM CROP RISK SERVICES;

SILVER SPONSORS LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE, NATIONWIDE INDEPENDENT,

STATE AUTO GROUP, THE HARTFORD;

AND BRONZE SPONSORS THE MOTORISTS INSURANCE

GROUP, THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON COMPENSATION

INSURANCE (NCCI) AND WRIGHT FLOOD.

PIA named Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) its Legislator of the Year for 2016. Left to right: PIA National Vice President/Treasurer Tim Russell, Immediate Past President Richard A. Clements; Sen. Heller; President Robert W. Hansen, Jr.; President-elect Gareth W. Blackwell, Jr.; Secretary/Assistant Treasurer Keith A. Savino.

PIA NAMES LEGISLATOR OF THE YEARNEVADA REPUBLICAN SEN. DEAN HELLER HAS BEEN NAMED THE 2016 PIA National Legislator of the Year, in recognition of his leadership on PIA’s legislative priorities. The PIA National Executive Committee and CEO Mike Becker pre-sented the award during an April 7 meeting.

“Sen. Dean Heller is a stalwart supporter of professional insurance agents and a fierce advocate of the American Free Enterprise System.” said PIA National Executive Vice President & CEO Mike Becker. “Sen. Heller has played a key role in championing two measures backed by PIA: the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) ‘Cadillac Tax (S.2045)’ and introducing legislation to encourage development of a private flood insurance market (S.1679).”

Presentation of the award to Sen. Heller occurred during the 2016 PIA Federal Legislative Summit, at which professional insurance agents from around the country con-verged on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for two days of advocacy.

PIAPAC Vice Chair Nancy “Sue” Peachey announces award winners, including the 2015 PIAPAC Person of the Year, Richard A. “Richie” Clements of Chalmette, Louisiana.

PIAPAC event: The Professional Insurance Agents Political Action Committee (PIAPAC) held a fundraising event. (left to right) Tennessee PIA National Director June Taylor; PIAPAC Chair Elizabeth “Liz” Luce; PIA National Senior Vice President of Industry Affairs Patricia A. Borowski and her husband Dave.


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AUGUSTO RUSSELL, CIC, OF Farmington, Connecti-cut, has been named the 2016 Professional Agent of the Year by PIA National. Russell is a partner with May, Bonne & Walsh Inc. in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

“This award is PIA’s highest honor,” said PIA National President Robert W. Hansen, Jr. “It recognizes the achievements of one Professional Insurance Agent who is an outstanding member of PIA.”

The PIA National Professional Agent of the Year award is the asso-ciation’s highest national award of distinction. It is presented annually to one outstanding professional insurance agent who is a member of PIA. Nominations for this award are made by PIA state and regional affiliate associations.

“Augusto Russell’s life and his career path have both been char-acterized by caring,” Hansen said in presenting the award. “After entering the insurance industry in Boston in 1986, he left the industry in 1999 to work as director of development for HOPE Worldwide—a charity that works to deliver community-based services to the poor and needy. He resumed his insurance career in 2003, when he and his family moved to Connecticut.”

Russell has been an active member of PIA of Connecticut since 2005, serving as its President in 2013-14. He has served with dis-tinction on many PIA committees and was honored as the PIA of Connecticut Professional Agent of the Year in 2015.

In addition, Russell participates in efforts to give back to his com-munity, which he believes is

a necessary ingredient to being a good agent. He is President of the Board of The Arc of the Farmington Valley (Favarh), and chair of its $2,000,000 capital campaign which is nearing completion. Favarh serves a large client population with intellectual dis-abilities. Russell is also Chair of the Economic Development Commission for his home town of Farmington, Connecticut and past President of the Farmington Rotary Club.

“In my opinion, which is not just that of a Governor but as someone

raised in a family of insurance brokers—I recognize the value of a committed professional who cares deeply for both his customers and his community. Mr. Russell exemplifies that in every regard,” wrote Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy in support of Russell’s nomi-nation for the PIA award.

Former Insurance Commissioner of Connecticut Thomas Leonardi said that while there is much discussion about the need to attract bright young people into the industry, “Augusto has actually done something about it!” He was referring to how Russell initiated a program with Goodwin College to create a course curriculum to allow students a pathway into an insurance career. Board members of PIA of Connecticut collaborated in the effort.

“I believe he is one of the finest human beings I have come across in my career,” Leonardi added. “He genuinely cares about people, his community, and his profession.”

The PIA National Professional Agent of the Year award was presented during a gala luncheon ceremony on April 8, 2016, in Arlington, Virginia, held during the national PIA meetings, which fol-lowed the 2016 PIA Federal Legislative Summit (FLS).

THE 2016 PIA NATIONAL AWARDS—

AUGUSTO RUSSELL NAMED 2016 PROFESSIONAL AGENT OF THE YEAR

Augusto Russell (left), PIA National President Rob Hansen.


TAKING PRIDE IN HONORING OUR BEST

JANE CRISPEN OF THE Knight Insurance Group in Ohio was named the 2016 PIA National Customer Service Representative (CSR) of the Year. The award was presented April 8, 2016 at a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, by PIA National and was sponsored by The Hartford.

The PIA National CSR of the Year award is given annually recognizes a CSR who has improved operations of the agency, served their clients in a unique or extraordinary way and engaged in commu-nity involvement and activities to advance the betterment of the insurance industry.

“This year’s PIA National CSR of the Year is the perfect mix of impressive insur-ance knowledge and a customer service attitude,” said PIA National President-elect Gareth W. Blackwell, Jr.

“We congratulate Jane Crispen on being the recipient of this year’s PIA National CSR of the Year award, which recognizes a CSR’s critically important role in the suc-cess of an agency,” said Melinda Thompson, vice president and head of Sales and Distribution at The Hartford. “For the ninth consecutive year, The Hartford is proud to sponsor this award honoring a CSR’s significant contributions to client

service because we believe individuals and organizations that consistently exceed customer expectations will be the winners in our industry over the long-term.”

RYAN VON HADEN, PARTNER and Vice President of Business Accounts with TRICOR insurance in Madison, Wisconsin, has been named the 2016 PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year. The award was presented April 8, 2016, by PIA National and was sponsored by The Rough Notes Company.

“You know that a young agent is des-tined to make his mark on our industry when he has achieved so much, and he’s still just 34 years old,” said PIA National Vice President/Treasurer Tim Russell, in presenting the award. “Ryan is Partner and Vice President of Business Accounts with TRICOR insurance. He started with the agency in commercial sales in 2006. In 10 years, he grew his own personal book of business from scratch—zero dollars—to $8 million in gross premiums. He became a partner in 2014, the first non-family part-ner in the 71-year history of the agency.”

Von Haden has been heavily involved in PIA of Wisconsin (PIAW)

and was Chairman of the PIAW Young Professionals Club for six years. During that time, he took a fledgling scholarship program that was happy to award one $500 scholarship to a young student—and turned it into a single day golf outing that provides up to $25,000 annually in scholar-ships, to deserving students who are pursu-ing a career in the insurance industry.

Ryan Von Haden is the son of PIA of Wisconsin Executive Vice President Ron Von Haden, who has dedicated more than four decades of his life to serving PIA. “We are extremely proud of Ryan and his fellow young professionals for the work they have done to provide scholarships as well as his dynamic personal sales and family achieve-ments,” said Ron Von Haden.

“Encouraging young people to consider a career as a professional insurance agent must be a top priority for all of us,” Russell said. “We are particularly pleased to part-ner with the Rough Notes Company in this important effort.”

The PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year award recognizes outstanding achievement by a young insurance professional. Sponsored for the eleventh year in a row by The Rough Notes Company, it was presented during a gala luncheon ceremony on April 8, 2016, in Arlington, Virginia, held during national PIA meetings which followed the 2016 PIA Federal Legislative Summit.

PIA NATIONAL NAMES RYAN VON HADEN 2016 YOUNG INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

JANE CRISPEN NAMED 2016 CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR

PIA National President-elect Gary Blackwell (left) presents the winner’s trophy to CSR of the Year Jane Crispen.

Like Father Like Son: PIA of Wisconsin Executive Vice President Ron Von Haden (left), PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year Ryan Von Haden.


AGENCY MARKETING$ By Laura Mazzuca Toops

INDEPENDENT AGENT MARKETING: AS UNIQUE AS THE AGENCIES THEMSELVES

BACK IN THE DAY, MARKETING for an independent agency meant mailing out flyers or having the owner press the flesh at the local Chamber of Commerce meetings. The sophistication and easy use of today’s technology tools means agents can expand their marketing reach from across the street to around the globe.

But that almost limitless range of capa-bilities brings with it a unique set of chal-lenges and questions: Which approaches to use? How much to spend? Do it in-house or rely on an outside expert? And is there still room in the modern marketing mix for the tried-and-true approaches?

Independent agency members of NetVU, the official users group of the Vertafore agency management system, run the gamut from small, family-run agen-cies to mega-brokerages. The marketing approaches of these agencies are as unique as the agencies themselves. Most utilize a combination of old-school methods and cutting-edge techniques spurred by social media and technology.

EVENT MARKETINGOne agency that’s part of a large

regional bank takes a surprisingly low-tech approach to its marketing: real-life appearances.

BW Insurance Agency is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of the West, with

the insurance home office located in Fargo, N.D. BW’s employees operate out of 44 agency locations in nine states: California, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Wyoming. BW serves more than 43,000 customers, with written premium volume in excess of $141 million. Specialties, which vary by office, include oil and gas, crop and hail, employee benefits and individual life and health insurance.

Although the agency does direct mail for personal lines, along with digital billboards and print adverting in several markets to help with overall branding, BW finds the best success with event market-ing, such as appearances at trade shows, for both personal and commercial lines, says Stephanie Baril, AVP.

“We’ve found that having booths at community events, trade shows and con-ferences is a great way for us to localize our brand and the agents in each office,” she says. Another benefit of event market-ing is the ability to tailor event attendance

based on each office’s insurance specializa-tion. “For example, Wyoming and western North Dakota specialize in the oil and gas industries, and because of that we spend a lot of our marketing doing trade shows in that industry.”

Although the dollar amount varies from year to year, BW dedicates a “significant percentage of the budget” to various mar-keting avenues and deployments.

Best of all, it’s effective. “Event market-ing always has a fairly high ROI, mostly because our agents are talking face to face with potential customers that are interested in our help,” Baril says. “It isn’t a forced sale or aggressive environment to try and have a conversation. With print and billboards, it’s a little harder to determine the ROI, but for branding, they’re doing a good job.”

Although event marketing is effective for the agency, BW is always looking for new ways to reach clients and prospects. This year the agency launched a mailing specifically directed at its agriculture cli-ents and prospects. Agriculture is on BW’s


top five list of lines of business because of customer loyalty and product consistency across the industry, “so we have put an extra effort in trying to capture more of this market.”

Baril suggests that in order to deter-mine the best ways to market, agencies must first pinpoint what they’re good at, and how to best reach that audience. “Insurance is all about relationships,” she adds. “We encourage our employees to be involved in their communities because those connections and word of mouth referrals are invaluable to us.”

VIDEO MAKEOVERThat sentiment of “know your audi-

ence” is pivotal for another NetVU agency that takes a completely different approach to reaching its clients and prospects: through video and social media.

Stolly Insurance Group, based in Lima, Ohio, is the quintessential generalist inde-pendent insurance agency: family owned and operated for more than 100 years, with five locations, 55 employees, and $5.5 million in annual revenue. Four of its five offices are located in small communities, and the agency just opened a new office in suburban Columbus.

Stolly has always used videos for marketing, but these have basically been instructional discussions on lines of busi-ness like personal lines umbrella and busi-ness insurance by earnest guys in suits, says agency principal Mark E. Stolly.

However, with the emergence of Millennial-age management and employees, a different approach was warranted. The new generation had other ideas for videos that had nothing to do with talking heads.

Instead, they came up with an idea for an office “mascot,” played by one of the producers: a bumbling but well-meaning and mysterious (and fictional) member of the family named Ricky Joe Stolly (https://youtu.be/4oRUDVwZVxo).

The Ricky Joe video series, shot in Stolly offices and featuring clips of the owners and staffers speculating on who Ricky Joe is and what he does, was conceptualized by Stolly staffers and executed by an area marketing firm, which shot and edited the video, says Mark Stolly. The result is a series of funny but professionally executed videos that play on the “hustle” of the Stolly staff.

The object was to engage customers and prospects, and so far, Ricky Joe has been a

big success.Although they have not built any

measurables around the campaign, it’s evident from the number of YouTube views that the Ricky Joe campaign is much more successful than the “talking head” videos of the past—with 20 times the views of the old videos, Stolly says.

The marketing firm also developed other videos for the Stolly agency. Several feature local restaurants, and tie into contests on Facebook where visitors can vote on the best pizza, hot wings or burgers in the area—a strategic move, considering that many are Stolly customers.

Stolly also writes lots of school business, so the Ricky Joe campaign is a good fit—as is their radio advertising on high school sports broadcasts.

Stolly uses the outside marketing firm not just for video production, but for all of its marketing and communication needs. The mix includes TV and radio commer-cials (high school sports), Internet/social media, Website design and upkeep, and direct marketing for niche business to the local community. Stolly pays them annu-ally on retainer for their services, which continue to vary and expand year to year.

The next round of Stolly’s YouTube vid-eos, set to launch in the next month, will feature the agency’s “Bond Girls”—two staffers who will drive around in a sports car a la James Bond and discuss the basics of bonding insurance.

Stolly gets a pretty big bang for its marketing buck. Its annual marketing budget, including all aspects, is well below 3 percent of revenues, Stolly says.

He admits that getting name

recognition in the Columbus market will be more challenging. Although the agency is well known in smaller communities, there is a lot of competition in Columbus. “We plan to take a wait-and-see approach” and let the young producers at the Columbus location become involved in the community for a year or so before deter-mining the most effective ways to present the Stolly brand in the more competitive Columbus market.

Laura Mazzuca Toops is an independent writer, editor and communications consul-tant with more than 30 years experience in the insurance industry. Contact her at [email protected].

LIKE THIS ARTICLE? WANT MORE LIKE IT?

If so, then you should read all of the marketing tips in past and present issues of the annual PIA Agency Marketing Guide. Read them all at www.PIAAgencyMarketingGuide.com.

PIA wishes to thank the sponsors of the most recent issue of the PIA Agency Marketing Guide: EZLynx, ITC, Rough Notes and Smart Choice.

PIA’s Agency Marketing Guide is published as part of the PIA Branding Program, PIA’s agency marketing program (www.piabrandingprogram.com). Funding for the PIA Branding Program is provided in part by PIA’s Pinnacle Partners: Bankers Insurance Group, Encompass Insurance, Erie Insurance, Nationwide Independent, Progressive Insurance, State Auto Group, The Hartford, The Motorists Insurance Group, and Wright Flood.

P INNAC L E PARTNER

Bankers Insurance Group Encompass Insurance

Erie Insurance Nationwide Independent

Progressive Insurance State Auto Group

The Hartford The Motorists Insurance Group

Wright Flood

2016 PIA NATIONAL PINNACLE PARTNERS


SINCE EARLY THIS YEAR, THE National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)’s Cybersecurity Task Force has been developing an Insurance Data Security Model Law. The model law is the next step in a process that began in 2015 with what was originally known as the Cybersecurity Bill of Rights for insurance consumers. That document was ultimately finalized in December as the NAIC Roadmap for Cybersecurity Consumer Protections, with a goal of using it as a stepping stone toward the creating of a data security model law.

In March, led by its chair and North Dakota Commissioner Adam Hamm, the NAIC’s Cybersecurity Task Force issued a preliminary working and discussion draft of its Insurance Data Security Model Law. PIA National commented on the draft in a letter that raised a number of concerns.

Among our concerns is the rapid pace of development of the model law, which Commissioner Hamm has said he would like to see finalized at the August NAIC National meeting or, at the latest, at the December NAIC National meeting. The model law seems to have been developed without full consideration of the related laws

that already exist in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and the manner in which the model would interact with existing state and federal law. The need for unifor-mity, a stated goal of the model, in an area already being addressed by no fewer than 50 existing local laws, is unclear.

The model law was understood by many stakeholders to be a logi-cal next step in the process that had culminated at the end of 2015 with the passage of the Roadmap. However, the provisions contained in the model law went far beyond those contained in the Roadmap and came as a surprise to many in the industry who had been involved since the Task Force’s inception. One of the initial hurdles posed by the model is that it purports to supersede existing state and federal law by establishing “the exclusive standards for data security and investigation and notification of a breach.” Several regulators agreed with the trade organizations that such language seems uncon-stitutional on its face.

Additionally, the model defines the word “licensee” as anyone sub-ject to licensing or registration by state insurance laws, which means that insurance agents, companies, and others are all placed into one catch-all category to which all of the obligations outlined in the model equally apply, regardless of size or resource availability. This leaves open the possibility that licensees will be subjected to laws and regula-tions promulgated by competing authorities at the state and federal levels. Additionally, it sets forth one legal standard for all licensees, be they a five-person insurance agency or a multibillion dollar insurance carrier with an employee roster in the thousands.

We likewise expressed concerns about a provision that would require licensees to only contract with third-party service providers who were willing to undertake specific tasks on behalf of the licensee. This provision seems not to account for the often disparate power dynamics between a small licensee and a large third-party service pro-vider; such contracts are essentially contracts of adhesion, in which the licensee has little or no bargaining power to change the terms of the agreement.

The draft also gives too much discretion to each individual insur-ance commissioner, who will have the authority to edit the notice that goes out to consumers alerting them of a breach, to decide what level of consumer protection is appropriate following a breach, and to adopt implementing regulations “as shall be necessary” to establish the law. These areas of broad discretion will foster a lack of uniformity even among states who adopt the model as written.

Commissioner Hamm has indicated his intent to see the law final-ized by year-end and ultimately made an accreditation standard. For now, stakeholders are preparing for an in-person interim meeting of the Task Force, which will serve as an opportunity for regulators and interested parties to discuss the current draft of the model without the time constraints imposed by the National Meeting. Additionally, stakeholders await the potential release, sometime after the interim meeting, of a new draft of the model, which they hope will address some of the many concerns raised thus far.

NAIC MOVING FORWARD ON CYBERSECURITY MODEL LAW

By Lauren PachmanPIA National Director of

Regulatory Affairs and Counsel PIA National

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ALMOST THREE YEARS AFTER consulting firm Deloitte raised consider-able concern with a study that it said found that that nearly one in five small-business owners surveyed were very likely to buy insurance directly online under the right circumstances—and that close to half indi-cated they were at least open-minded about the possibility of bypassing their agent—the company is out with an updated survey. So what’s changed?

The new survey echoes some of the findings of PIA research, in showing that small business customers overwhelmingly prefer doing insurance business with their agent. Deloitte found that small business insurance customers are not abandoning their agents. Deloitte says:

“However, due to the complex nature of some commercial policies and intangible benefits provided by agents, online sales have been slow to develop in the small-business segment, accounting for less than 1 percent of US market share.” The firm then discusses several options for carriers, including sticking with the independent agency distribution system.

In an article in PC360, (“Small-business insurers must bolster agents to fight off online disruptors”) Deloitte lead researcher Sam Friedman details what carriers should do to bolster their agency distribution channel to counter online competition.

Among the suggestions: agents offering more personalized service, such as shop-ping for the best coverage and lowest price; having one agent arrange all their policies, as no online carrier currently offers a complete portfolio of small-business insur-ance products online; and having someone to advocate for a small business through the claims process. Sixty-one percent of respondents in Deloitte’s study said not having an agent as a proponent in case of a claims dispute would be a big concern in buying direct.

“Small-business insurance buyers tak-ing part in focus groups and surveys for Deloitte said dropping their agent would mean having no one but themselves to blame if they have a gap in coverage,” notes

Friedman, a former editor-in-chief of the National Underwriter and an author of the new study.

“Insurers also should not discount the psychological factors involved with convincing a small-business owner to drop their insurance agent,” he notes. “Independent agencies are often small businesses just like their clients, operating in the same communities and belonging to the same neighborhood associations. Doing business in such close quarters can create a personal relationship that’s difficult for a rival agent to disrupt, let alone a distant insurer looking to impersonally sell direct to consumers online.”

Extensive nationwide research conducted over the past year by The PIA Partnership, PIA’s agency-company council, also found that small business owners strongly prefer independent insurance agents as they make choices in today’s online world, but that agents must take steps to continue to demonstrate their value and be more engaged online. Our research results, part of “Small Business Insurance & The Internet—The Voice of the Commercial Lines Customer,” led to the development of tools to meet the new challenges posed by online providers and direct writers. It also spurred PIA to initiate an industry-wide dialogue on the concept of a “Buy Button” for independent agents that would allow them to do real-time binding of policies.

Bolsters PIA’s FindingsWhile the new research by Deloitte

on customer preferences bolsters PIA’s findings, the firm still prefaces it with a question that’s not in the interest of the agency channel: “How might insurers crack

the code to sell insurance online directly to more small-businesses?”

Of course, that is not our goal, to put it mildly. Still, when you examine some of Deloitte’s options for sticking with the agent channel, you find parallels to the PIA Partnership research.

“Given the conflicting signals offered by respondents in our latest research, it is unlikely that agents and brokers will be disintermediated anytime soon,” the report notes “However, additional direct initiatives will likely be launched, requir-ing a response by their legacy agency competitors.”

It then goes on to cite examples of

how carriers might help their indepen-dent agencies counteract such efforts, by suggesting, “This could perhaps be accomplishing by adapting some of the technology solutions employed by emerg-ing online players, such as establishing more information-rich, interactive websites and mobile applications to supplement but not replace the agent’s role.”

Just as some of Deloitte’s research findings mirror in some respects the PIA Partnership findings, so, too do suggestions that independent agents need to be fully digitally capable and engaged.

NEW DELOITTE STUDY ECHOES SOME PIA PARTNERSHIP FINDINGS

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PIA NATIONAL IS NOW accepting nominations now through July 15, 2016, for its four prestigious national awards: 2016 PIA National Company Award of Excellence, Company Representative of the Year, Managing General Agency (MGA) of the Year and Excellence in Social Media awards.

The PIA National Company Award of Excellence honors an insurance com-pany that demonstrates a commitment to the American Agency System and seeks to further the interests of professional, independent insurance agents. A healthy partnership between a company and agency is critical to the success and growth of both parties, which is why PIA places a very high value on its relationships with its carrier partners.

PIA members as well as PIA state and regional affiliates may make nominations for this award.

The PIA National Company Representative of the Year Award rec-ognizes the professionalism and unique

contributions of an outstanding company representative. Nominees are judged on their professional education, experience and ability; their contributions to the American Agency System in general and PIA in par-ticular; their support of individual, indepen-dent insurance agents; their involvement in community affairs; and their performance as an industry spokesperson.

Nominations for this award are made solely by PIA state and regional affiliates. However, national-only PIA members may submit nominations for the Company Representative of the Year Award.

The PIA National Managing General Agency (MGA) of the Year Award is given annually to recognize the outstanding achievement of a managing general agency in furthering the interests of agents, along with a commitment to the agency system and successful efforts to create a better business environment for professional insurance agents.

Nominations for this award are made by individual PIA members as well as PIA

state and regional affiliates.The PIA National Excellence in Social

Media Award honors a PIA member agency that uses non-traditional com-munication tools to effectively further the goals of the organization. An agency may use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogs and other social media outlets to cre-atively promote programs, build upon an existing brand and introduce products and services to an expandable customer base.

Nominations for this award are made by individual PIA members as well as PIA state and regional affiliate associations. The seventh annual Excellence in Social Media Award is sponsored by the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

All four awards will be presented dur-ing a luncheon ceremony on September 23, 2016, in Omaha, Nebraska, held in conjunction with the PIA”s 2016 Fall Governance Meeting.

For more information and to download nomination forms, go to www.pianet.com/awards.

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ALABAMAPIA of Alabama, 3805 Crestwood Pkwy NW #140, Duluth, GA 30096PHONE: (770) 921-7585 | FAX: (770) 921-7590e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaga.com

ARKANSASPIA of Arkansas Inc. 10801 Executive Center Drive, Suite 207, Little Rock, AR 72211PHONE: (501) 225-1645 | FAX: (501) 225-2550e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaar.com

CA/NV/AZ/NMPIA Group, 3205 Northeast 78th St #104, Vancouver, WA 98665PHONE: (888) 246-4466 | FAX: (360) 571-7600e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piawest.com

COLORADOPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

CONNECTICUTPIA of Connecticut, P.O. Box 997, Glenmont, NY 12077-0997PHONE: (800) 424-4244 | FAX: (518) 434-2342e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pia.org

DELAWAREPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

FLORIDAPIA of Florida, Inc., 1390 Timberlane Road, Tallahassee, FL 32312-1766PHONE: (850) 893-8245 | (800) 277-1171 FL only | FAX: (850) 893-8316e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piafl.org

GEORGIAThe PIA of Georgia, Inc. 3805 Crestwood Pkwy NW #140, Duluth, GA 30096PHONE: (770) 921-7585 | FAX: (770) 921-7590e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaga.com

HAWAIIPIA of Hawaii, 1247 Kelewina St. Kailua, HI 96734PHONE: (808) 261-9460 | FAX: (808) 262-5355e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piahawaii.com

ILLINOISPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

INDIANAPIA of Indiana, 50 E. 91 Street Ste. 207 Indianapolis, IN 46240PHONE: (317) 899-9200 | FAX: (317) 493-0408e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaindiana.com

KANSASKansas Association of Professional Insurance Agents216 SW 7th Ave, Topeka, KS 66603PHONE: (785) 232-4143 | FAX: (785) 232-0272e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.kansaspia.org

KENTUCKYPIA of Kentucky, P.O. Box 4205, Frankfort, KY 40604-4205PHONE: (502) 875-3888 | FAX: (502) 227-0839e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaky.org

LOUISIANAPIA of Louisiana Inc., 8064 Summa Avenue, Suite C, Baton Rouge, LA 70809PHONE: (225) 766-7770 | (800) 349-3434 LA only | FAX: (225) 766-1601e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaoflouisiana.com

MAINEMaine Insurance Agents Association 17 Carriage Lane, Hallowell, ME 04347PHONE: (207) 623-1875 | FAX: (207) 626-0275e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.maineagents.com

MARYLANDInsurance Agents & Brokers of Maryland P.O. Box 2023, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-0763PHONE: (717) 795-9100 | FAX: (717) 795-8347e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.iabforme.com

MASSACHUSETTSPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

MICHIGANMichigan PIA, P.O. Box 99579 Troy, Michigan, 48099PHONE: (616) 454-4461 | FAX: (616) 454-4491e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.mipia.com

MINNESOTAPIA of Minnesota, 8646 Eagle Creek Circle, Suite 202, Savage, MN 55378PHONE: (866) 694-7070 | FAX: (866) 749-8678e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piamn.com

MISSISSIPPIPIA Association of Mississippi, 4744 I-55 North, Jackson, MS 39211PHONE: (601) 984-8855 | FAX: (601) 984-9008 | (800) 898-0136 MS onlye-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piams.com

MISSOURIMissouri Association of Insurance AgentsP.O. Box 1785, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1785PHONE: 573-893-4301 | FAX: 573-893-3708e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.missouriagent.org

MONTANAPIA of Montana, 3205 NE 78th St Ste 104, Vancouver, WA 98665-0697PHONE: (888) 246-4466 | FAX: (360) 571-7600e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piawest.com

NEBRASKA/IOWAPIA of Nebraska/Iowa, 920 South 107th Avenue, Suite 305, Omaha, NE 68114PHONE: (402) 392-1611 | FAX: (402) 392-2228e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianeia.com

NEW HAMPSHIREPIA of New Hampshire, P.O. Box 997, Glenmont NY 12077-0997PHONE: (800) 424-4244 | FAX: (518) 434-2342e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pia.org

NEW JERSEYPIA New Jersey, P.O. Box 997, Glenmont NY 12077-0997PHONE: (800) 424-4244 | FAX: (518) 434-2342e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pia.org

NEW YORKPIA New York, P.O. Box 997, Glenmont NY 12077-0997PHONE: (800) 424-4244 | FAX: (518) 434-2342e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pia.org

NORTH CAROLINAPIANC, PO Box 1387 Davidson, NC 28036PHONE: (704) 534-2338e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianc.net

NORTH DAKOTAPIA of North Dakota1211 Memorial Hwy Holiday Park Office #6, Bismarck, ND 58504-5213PHONE: (701) 223-5025 | (800) 733-1050 ND&MN onlyFAX: (701) 223-9456 | e-mail: [email protected] Site: www.piand.com

OHIOOhio Insurance Agents Association, Inc., 600 Cross Pointe Road, Gahanna, OH 43230PHONE: (614) 552-8000 | (800) 555-1742 | FAX: (614) 552-0115e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.ohioinsuranceagents.com

OKLAHOMAPHONE: 703-836-9340 | FAX: 703-836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.org

OREGON/IDAHOPIA of Oregon/Idaho 3205 Northeast 78th Street, #104, Vancouver, WA 98665PHONE: (503) 287-7570 | FAX: (360) 571-7600e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piawest.com

PENNSYLVANIAPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

PUERTO RICO & CARIBBEANPIA of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean IncPO Box 192389, San Juan, PR 00919-2389PHONE: (787) 792-7849 | FAX: (787) 792-4745e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaofpr.com

RHODE ISLANDPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

SOUTH CAROLINAPIA of South Carolina, PO Box 21367, Columbia, SC 29221-1367PHONE: (803) 772-0557 | (888) 742-6372 | FAX: (803) 772-0846e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piasc.net

SOUTH DAKOTAPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

TENNESSEEPIA of Tennessee Inc 504 Autumn Springs Court Suite A-2, Franklin, TN 37067PHONE: (615) 771-1177 | FAX: (615) 771-3456e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piatn.com

TEXASTexas Insurance Professionals 3632 Frankford Rd, #200B, Dallas, TX 75287PHONE: (972) 862-3333 | FAX: (972) 307-7888e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piatx.org

UTAHUtah Association of Independent Insurance Agents4885 S. 900 E., Suite 302, Salt Lake City, UT 84117PHONE: (801) 269-1200 | FAX: (801) 269-1265e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.uaiia.org

VERMONTVermont Insurance Agents Association 600 Blair Park Road Suite 10, Williston, VT 05495PHONE: (802) 229-5884 | FAX: (802) 223-0868e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.viaa.org

VIRGINIA/DCPIA Assn of Virginia & DC 8751 Park Central Dr., Ste 140, Richmond, VA 23227PHONE: (804) 264-2582 | FAX: (804) 266-1075e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piavadc.com

WASHINGTON/ALASKAPIA of WA/AK, 3205 Northeast 78th Street, #104, Vancouver, WA 98665PHONE: (360) 571-7100 | FAX: (360) 571-7600e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piawest.com

WEST VIRGINIAPHONE: (703) 836-9340 | FAX: (703) 836-1279e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.pianet.com

WISCONSINPIA of Wisconsin, Inc., 6401 Odana Road, Madison, WI 53719-1126PHONE: (608) 274-8188 | (800) 261-7429 | FAX: (608) 274-8195e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.piaw.org

WYOMINGAssoc. of Wyoming Ins. Agents, PO Box 799, Sundance, WY 82729-0799PHONE: (307) 283-2052 | FAX: (775) 796-3122e-mail: [email protected] | Web Site: www.awia.com

PIA AFFILIATES

BUSINESS-BUILDING TOOLS

✦ PIA BRANDING PROGRAM. Print ads, radio commercials and social media support for PIA members. www.piabrandingprogram.com

✦ HARTFORD FLOOD INSURANCE. PIA’s endorsed flood provider since 2004. Dedicated local sales directors and book transfer/rollover team plus great commissions for PIA members. Call (860) 547-5006.

✦ FLOODBROKER.COM. Sell more flood insurance with a flood quoting Web portal. A PIA member exclusive!

✦ PIA AGENCY MARKETING GUIDE. Hands-on marketing tips from industry experts. Published annually.

✦ ROUGH NOTES PRODUCER ONLINE. Identifies risk exposures. Provides detailed coverage analysis. PIA member price $500 annually (reg. $1,695). Call 800-428-4384. Use your PIA member ID# above name on mailing label.

✦ DOCIT FOR AGENTS. Align applicants with the right carrier early in the auto quoting process with DocIT for Agents’ online database of driver violation data.

✦ AGENCY REVENUE TOOLS. Boost personal lines sales by engaging in employee worksite marketing using your appointed markets at regular commission rates.

✦ AGENCY WEBSITES. Cutting-edge websites tailored specifically to insurance agents.

✦ PIA LOGO. Put the PIA logo on your business card, website, stationery and signage. Order items with the PIA logo in our online store.

✦ CONSUMER BROCHURES. Answer your customers’ questions with PIA’s attractive brochures.

INSURANCE PRODUCTS

✦ E&O INSURANCE. E&O coverage from PIAPRO (the PIA Professional Liability Insurance Company) and additional admitted and non-admitted markets with differing appetites. www.pianet.com/eando

✦ PIA AGENTS UMBRELLA PROGRAM. Excess insurance protection includes E&O and business liability coverage, with available endorsements for EPL and personal coverage.

✦ CYBER AND PRIVACY INSURANCE. PIA and U.S. Risk Brokers have introduced a robust program exclusively for PIA members.

✦ INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP INSURANCE PRODUCTS. Basic, voluntary and dependent term life; long/short term disability; AD&D; business overhead expense; and hospital income protection. www.piatrust.com

TOOLS FROM THE PIA PARTNERSHIP, PIA’S COMPANY COUNCIL

✦ SMALL BUSINESS INSURANCE & THE INTERNET — THE VOICE OF THE CL CUSTOMER: Stay ahead of online competition in commercial lines.

✦ CLOSING THE GAP—GROWTH & PROFIT. Plan for growth and profitability. Includes tools for improving retention, sales and account-rounding.

✦ AGENCY TOUCH POINTS—THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER. Give personal lines customers what they really want.

✦ REACHING GEN Y. Convert Gen Y age group insurance consumers into loyal agency customers.

✦ PERPETUATION CENTRAL. Guidance through the many phases of your agency’s lifecycle.

✦ PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL PLANNING. Plan for success within your own agency.

AGENCY MANAGEMENT TOOLS

✦ AGENCY AGREEMENT REVIEW SERVICE. Free to members and carriers, PIA recommends changes to carriers and highlights concerns for members.

✦ AGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY PLAN. The PIA guide to creating an agency-specific business contingency plan.

✦ EMPLOYEE PROFILING. Hire the right people with skills and personality testing from OMNIA.

✦ PRESCRIPTION DISCOUNTS. Save money on prescriptions not covered by insurance. Available to PIA members and their clients.

✦ Discounts on producer licensing, car rentals, shipping with UPS and calendars from Mines Press.

✦ Free subscriptions to industry publications.

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY OUTREACH

✦ GRASSROOTS ALERTS. Send pre-written, fully-editable letters directly to your elected officials. www.piagrassroots.com

✦ PIA FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE SUMMIT. Every spring, PIA members visit Capitol Hill to meet with their elected representatives. www.piafls.com

✦ DISTRICT LOBBYING DAY…CAPITOL HILL IN YOUR BACKYARD. Every August, PIA members meet with Members of Congress in their district offices. www.piadld.com

✦ PIA POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (PIAPAC). PIAPAC contributes to the campaigns of candidates to federal office who share our pro-insurance, pro-business perspective and who support our issues. www.piapac.com

YOUR MEMBER BENEFITS FROM PIA NATIONAL

Learn more about these PIA National member benefits at www.pianet.com.



THE LAST WORD

THE NEED TO GIVE BACKAugusto Russell, CIC

Partner at May, Bonee & Walsh

I recently visited the website globalrichlist.com. It’s supposed to let you know how rich you are in comparison to the rest of the world. It asks two simple questions: where do you live and what is your net annual income? The result I got was sobering. I’m in the top 0.05% rich-est people in the world of over 7 billion by income. No, I’m not among the 1% mega-wealthy in the USA, but with two-thirds of the world’s population earning less than $2 a day according to the World Bank, my ranking makes sense. Funny, though. I don’t feel rich. But maybe that’s my problem: I don’t feel rich.

I suspect a lot of my fellow agents reading this will find themselves in the same percentile, more or less. Out of curiosity, I played with the website to find out what is the lowest income level that would still keep a person in the top 1%. It’s $32,400. This means most of my fellow agents are definitely in the top 1% earners in the world!

It is written, “To whom much is given, much is expected” and “the poor (and needy) you will always have with you.” Of course, you don’t have to go outside the US to know this to be true. The people in need are all around us. And we have much time, talent and treasure to give.

As independent insurance agents with offices on Main Street America, we are (if you pardon the cliché) a thread in the fabric of our communities. For most of us, we make our living from within our communities, whether it’s insuring our neighbors’ homes, autos and life insurance, or the restaurant owner in town, or the big corporate head-quarters in our geographic area.

From time to time, the demise of the independent insurance agent has been predicted and perhaps greatly exaggerated. We’re still here. Why? We’re entrepreneurial; we learn to adapt to the changing landscape of our industry; we learn how to conquer our challenges, albeit slowly. No online insurance program or some “next best thing” could take the place of us rolling up our sleeves and serving on boards, dishing out soup and handing out sandwiches in church basements, volunteering at food pantries, conducting our own annual fundraisers for worthy causes, visiting the elderly in nursing homes, and so on. I commend all my fel-low agents out there who serve and volunteer tirelessly.

Besides working hard to be so good at what we do so that no one can ignore us, I believe giving back to our local community and perhaps elsewhere in the world is an integral part of being a good agent.

AUGUSTO RUSSELL (LEFT) WITH

A CLIENT OF FAVARH, A CHARITY

WHICH SERVES A LARGE

CLIENT POPULATION WITH

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.

RUSSELL IS CHAIR OF FAVARH’S

BOARD AND ITS $2 MILLION

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN.

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