Leading the PAC

As November brings month two serving as your chairman, I’m reflecting on what a wonderful learning experience and great fun month one was for me. With travels to Vermont and New Mexico, I’ve already had the chance to interact with members all across the country. But no matter where you live, as an agent, there is one thing that is extremely important to the survival of the Big “I” and our independent agency system: InsurPac for the national association and your state PAC (in my case, OkPac in Oklahoma). While you might be tired of political discussions after the run-up to the election, we can’t afford to lose focus on PACs.

I learned about both the national and state PACs as a young agent and was charged to lead both for the Oklahoma association in my early years. As chairman of these groups, my wife Nanette and I traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Big “I” Legislative Conference and met with our members of Congress. For two young people from Oklahoma, the goings-on in our nation’s capital were incredible and left quite an impression. The importance of the political involvement of our state and national association became very clear.

InsurPac, our national political action committee—taking nothing away from the importance of your state PAC—has a goal of raising $1 million each year and $2 million each election cycle.

By the time you read this, it will be early November with not much time to act prior to Dec. 31 to make your InsurPac contribution. InsurPac Chairman Mike Larges and his board of trustees have done a great job of leading and monitoring the activities of our PAC, which is very aptly led by Big “I” national staff Nathan Riedel and Katherine Douglas. This team is really good at what they do in providing information to our states as to where the PAC stands during the year. Here are the facts for 2012:

All members who donated to InsurPac in 2010 or 2011 but haven’t yet contributed in 2012 recently received a letter from me and Big “I” President & CEO Bob Rusbuldt asking to join us in this important cause once again. Giving $20, $50, $150, $250, $500, $1,000 or more is a small investment in preserving and continuing to move forward our effectiveness on Capitol Hill. This, in turn, helps ensure not only our success, but the survival of our industry. The incredible group of Big “I” lobbyists making up our government affairs team, led by Senior Vice President Charles Symington, will tell you how important attaining our $1 million PAC goal is to our success on the Hill.

If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you and your team to join me in helping to reach our goal. For information on how you can make a contribution, call 202-863-7000, or write:

Nathan Riedel or Katherine Douglas
IIABA
412 First Street SE, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20003

Please feel free to call me personally on my cell phone at 580-768-9702, or email me at bbram@bramlettagency.com if you have any questions.

I sincerely appreciate your understanding of my passion about giving both to InsurPac and our individual state PACs! As I said earlier, being a $950,000 PAC, although admirable, is just another PAC on Capitol Hill. Please dig deep and help take us over the top so we once again can become a $1 million PAC!

Nanette and I are truly enjoying our time representing you, our fellow agents. We welcome your comments, thoughts and ideas as we work to make this association better every day.

—Bobby Bramlett, Big “I” Chairman