Last week, the White House nominated Big “I” agent leader Angela Ripley for the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB) board of directors. Ripley joins five other nominations for the board.

Ripley has served as president of V.W. Brown Insurance Service in Columbia, Maryland since 2000. As an active member of the Big “I,” she has held numerous leadership positions including serving as chair of the Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland and InsurPac chair for Maryland. Ripley currently serves on the national association’s government affairs committee as the state government affairs chair and represents Maryland on the national board.

The first six nominations now head to the U.S. Senate, which must confirm nominees before they begin service on the NARAB board. Additional NARAB nominations are expected in the coming months to complete the board. The Big “I” urges the Senate to quickly confirm these NARAB nominees, as well as any future nominees once it receives them.

The association welcomes the news of Ripley’s nomination and looks forward to the board beginning its work to help streamline the agent licensing process. The 13-member board of directors will ultimately consist of eight state insurance regulators and five private-sector representatives. In managing the nonprofit, nongovernmental entity, the board must operate transparently and will not be part of any federal agency.

NARAB will provide agents and agencies with a vehicle for obtaining the authority necessary to operate on a multistate, nonresident basis. It is designed to establish true licensing reciprocity and create a one-stop compliance vehicle for nonresident licenses. 

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I” senior director of federal government affairs.