InsurPac, the Big “I" political action committee (PAC), raised $1,318,024.21 during the 2023 calendar year. This week, the Big “I" presented a number of awards at the 2024 Big “I" Legislative Conference, including the presentation of the annual InsurPac National Championship and Eagle awards.   

This year's winners include:   

InsurPac National Championship Award (South Carolina): The award goes to the state whose agents contribute the most money for InsurPac in a calendar year. Collectively, 265 South Carolina agents contributed $126,865.00 to InsurPac.   

InsurPac Eagle Awards (awarded to a record 19 states): The awards recognize states that surpass a fundraising average of $100 per member agency. The states and average per member agency amount are as follows:   

• South Carolina ($417.00) 
• Nevada ($244.77) 
• North Dakota ($211.34) 
• Maryland ($149.49) 
• New Hampshire ($147.13) 
• Tennessee ($147.08) 
• Arkansas ($144.51) 
• South Dakota ($137.61) 
• Connecticut ($131.44) 
  
• Georgia ($114.92) 
• Montana ($111.77) 
• Idaho ($109.31) 
• Nebraska ($106.32) 
• Wyoming ($105.00) 
• Maine ($104.86) 
• Kentucky ($101.81) 
• Louisiana ($101.80) 
• Alabama ($100.26) 
• Kansas ($100.02) 

Also, the 2023 Bernard J. Burns Award was presented to Cindy Hower (pictured above, left, with Jana Foster), commercial lines advisor at Kellerman Insurance in Holton, Kansas. 

For the last decade, Hower's dedication to InsurPac fundraising has led her state to become a routine InsurPac Eagle Award recipient, raising the bar with more than $100 per member agency each year. 

“She has routinely circled the wagons in the final month of fundraising and encouraged agents to give until it hurts," said Jana Foster, chair of the InsurPac Board of Trustees and owner and producer at Nevada Insurance Agency Company in Carson City, Nevada, as she presented the award to Hower. “Her passion for political engagement has also helped develop a younger generation of politically active agents that will carry on the tradition to take InsurPac to new heights." 

The award is named after former Big “I" President Barney Burns, who founded InsurPac in 1975 and served as chairman of its Board of Trustees until 1983. During these years, Burns is credited with the rapid growth of InsurPac, working tirelessly to educate agents about the importance of being politically active and contributing to InsurPac. 

AnneMarie McPherson Spears is IA news editor.