Passing the Torch
By: Brett Nilsson
In the last year, my experience as chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America has been indescribable.
In the past six years, as a member of the executive committee, I have learned so much about our profession and the great work our members do. Our members continue to be the lifeblood of our communities as they volunteer for service in various capacities. You will find agents on city councils, school boards, chambers of commerce, civic clubs, leadership boards, serving in state congressional seats, as little league coaches and a host of other positions. It is no wonder that when anyone wants to know how America feels about an insurance issue, they turn to independent insurance agents!
During the last 12 months, you have read my articles about bolstering interest in our profession. Statistics show that in the next 10 years a large percentage of our members will retire. With the assistance of some great company partners, we are promoting insurance training and education through our InVEST program. We continue to request that agents and our company partners find ways to inform future generations of the opportunities available within our industry. We have not touted the benefits of an insurance career. I personally have had the opportunity to travel extensively. My schedule has been flexible, allowing me to attend games and activities of my children and now grandchildren. I have been able to serve my community and be involved in benefiting the lives of many others.
Insurance is an occupation that provides a good living if you work hard and provide your customers with the services they need. Let’s do a better job of telling this great story by providing opportunities for young people to job shadow or intern. Teach a class or address your civic groups. Our association has tools to assist you.
Our staff and volunteers have faced a number of critical issues this year. Not only have we encountered a very difficult financial environment, but there have been issues threatening our personal livelihoods and those of our customers. Health care has been a major focus for our organization. Our average member generates 15 to 20% of revenue from this line of business alone. We all agree that health care needs reform, people need to have access to coverage, costs must be reduced and quality improved, but this must be done without generating a new government program, and without jeopardizing the great things that currently exist within the system.
We continue to ask you, and all agents and agency employees, to write or call your elected officials so they know where Americans stand! We continue to respond to your pleas about moving licensing procedure legislation forward. NARAB II has bipartisan support and will enable agents to simplify their applications and procedures to deal with multi-state license procedures. We acknowledge the great assistance from the NAIC as we have worked to move this important legislation forward.
Obviously, we are not without other challenges, such as certificates of insurance. We are working diligently to provide information, state by state, which may assist our agents in handling these documents correctly. We are also providing our members with online rating portals that will help drive business to their agencies through the use of the Internet. This, along with our Trusted Choice® brand, are high areas of focus as they provide great benefits to individual members across the country.
There are also enormous efforts with Agents Council for Technology (ACT), InsurBanc, Best Practices, Virtual University, technical affairs, agents advocacy, Independent Agent magazine, errors & omissions insurance, Young Agents and many more. Our committees and staff are among the very best and I thank them for their support this year.
As our association meets in New Orleans, there will be a change of volunteer leadership at the Big “I”. David Daniel will assume the helm as your new chairman and will have a great executive committee by his side to face the challenges of a new year.
It has been my honor to serve the country on behalf of the Big “I” and I will continue to do my part for years to come. In the mean time, I might catch a few more of those Little League games as my grandchildren grow—could there be anything better?
It is my hope that our paths will cross sometime in the near future, but until that time, keep up the great work and continue to support the efforts of so many volunteers and our industry in protecting the lives, assets and businesses of all Americans. They need us now more than ever!
—Brett Nilsson, Chairman
In the past six years, as a member of the executive committee, I have learned so much about our profession and the great work our members do. Our members continue to be the lifeblood of our communities as they volunteer for service in various capacities. You will find agents on city councils, school boards, chambers of commerce, civic clubs, leadership boards, serving in state congressional seats, as little league coaches and a host of other positions. It is no wonder that when anyone wants to know how America feels about an insurance issue, they turn to independent insurance agents!
During the last 12 months, you have read my articles about bolstering interest in our profession. Statistics show that in the next 10 years a large percentage of our members will retire. With the assistance of some great company partners, we are promoting insurance training and education through our InVEST program. We continue to request that agents and our company partners find ways to inform future generations of the opportunities available within our industry. We have not touted the benefits of an insurance career. I personally have had the opportunity to travel extensively. My schedule has been flexible, allowing me to attend games and activities of my children and now grandchildren. I have been able to serve my community and be involved in benefiting the lives of many others.
Insurance is an occupation that provides a good living if you work hard and provide your customers with the services they need. Let’s do a better job of telling this great story by providing opportunities for young people to job shadow or intern. Teach a class or address your civic groups. Our association has tools to assist you.
Our staff and volunteers have faced a number of critical issues this year. Not only have we encountered a very difficult financial environment, but there have been issues threatening our personal livelihoods and those of our customers. Health care has been a major focus for our organization. Our average member generates 15 to 20% of revenue from this line of business alone. We all agree that health care needs reform, people need to have access to coverage, costs must be reduced and quality improved, but this must be done without generating a new government program, and without jeopardizing the great things that currently exist within the system.
We continue to ask you, and all agents and agency employees, to write or call your elected officials so they know where Americans stand! We continue to respond to your pleas about moving licensing procedure legislation forward. NARAB II has bipartisan support and will enable agents to simplify their applications and procedures to deal with multi-state license procedures. We acknowledge the great assistance from the NAIC as we have worked to move this important legislation forward.
Obviously, we are not without other challenges, such as certificates of insurance. We are working diligently to provide information, state by state, which may assist our agents in handling these documents correctly. We are also providing our members with online rating portals that will help drive business to their agencies through the use of the Internet. This, along with our Trusted Choice® brand, are high areas of focus as they provide great benefits to individual members across the country.
There are also enormous efforts with Agents Council for Technology (ACT), InsurBanc, Best Practices, Virtual University, technical affairs, agents advocacy, Independent Agent magazine, errors & omissions insurance, Young Agents and many more. Our committees and staff are among the very best and I thank them for their support this year.
As our association meets in New Orleans, there will be a change of volunteer leadership at the Big “I”. David Daniel will assume the helm as your new chairman and will have a great executive committee by his side to face the challenges of a new year.
It has been my honor to serve the country on behalf of the Big “I” and I will continue to do my part for years to come. In the mean time, I might catch a few more of those Little League games as my grandchildren grow—could there be anything better?
It is my hope that our paths will cross sometime in the near future, but until that time, keep up the great work and continue to support the efforts of so many volunteers and our industry in protecting the lives, assets and businesses of all Americans. They need us now more than ever!
—Brett Nilsson, Chairman
This month’s issue
The August issue is out now!