e-Insight - August 2019 - Member by Big I Illinois

AUGUST 2019

INSIGHT IIA of Illinois

October 1-3

Crowne Plaza, Springfield

The

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Editor & Graphic Design - Rachel Romines

Advertising - Tami Hubbell

CONTENTS August 2019

9 10 13 15 18 25

Be an Industry Hero

By Evan Manning

Mental Toughness and Sales Success

By John Chapin

If You Don’t Fix It, You Can’t Succeed

By John Graham

How to Build High-Performing Teams

By Caliper

CONVO 2019 - IIA of IL’s Premier Event Cyber... What? Part II

By Brian McSherry

25 In This Issue

6 17 The Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL) has been providing members with a sustainable competitive advantage since 1899.

Trusted Choice

e-Insight

26 27 30 32 34

Associate News IIA of IL News Industry News People in the News Classifieds

info@iiaofil.org | www.iiaofil.org | (800) 628-6436 or (217) 793-6660 | Fax: (217) 793-6744

2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017

Insight is the official publication of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois (IIA of IL). The magazine is published monthly for the members of the IIA of IL, with the office located at 4360 Wabash Avenue, Springfield, Illinois 62711-7009; Consumer Website: www.ChooseIndependent.com. The IIA of IL welcomes letters discussing concerns of the insurance industry, articles, editorials, other matters of interest to the membership. The editor reserves the right to edit and select submissions for publication. Address submissions for review to Rachel Romines at rromines@iiaofil.org. For advertising information, contact Tami Hubbell at thubbell@iiaofil.org.

ADVERTISERS

Board of Directors Executive Committee

Chairman of the Board | Ryan Hite (309) 688-7316 | ryan.hite@eaglerockins.com

APPLIED UNDERWRITERS

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY GUARD INS. GROUP

President | Patrick Muldowney (312) 595-7192 | patrick.muldowney@alliant.com

DONEGAL INSURANCE GROUP

President-Elect | Bill Wirth (618) 939-6368 | billw@wirthagency.com

EBRM

Vice President | George Daly (708) 845-3311 | george.daly@thehortongroup.com

ENVISION HEALTHCARE

Secretary/Treasurer | Bennie Jones (312) 960-6206 | bjones@rmsoa.com

EVOLVE

IIABA National Director Gregory A. Sandrock, CIC, AFIS (815) 438-3923 | gregsandrock@2cornerstone.com

FCCI INSURANCE GROUP

GRINNELL MUTUAL

Regional Directors

IMT INSURANCE

Region 1 | Lisa Lukens (618) 942-2556 | salibainsurance@gmail.com

Region 2 | Joseph Heneghan (618) 639-2244 | joe.heneghan@hwcrins.com

KEYSTONE INSURANCE GROUP, INC.

Region 3 | Jay Peterson, AFIS, LUTCF (217) 935-6605 | jay@peterson.insurance

OPENLY

Region 4 | Michael Gonet (815) 339-2411 | mike_gonet@hotmail.com

SOCIETY

Region 5 | Patrick Taphorn, CIC, CSRM (309) 347-2177 | ptaphorn@unland.com

WA SCHICKEDANZ AGENCY, INC./INTERESTATE RISK

Region 6 | Teresa Fleming (815) 849-5219 | tess@leffelmanassoc.com

WEST BEND MUTUAL

IPMG

IIA of Illinois Staff CRM Manager, CONVO Coordinator Shannon Churchill - (217) 321-3004 - schurchill@iiaofil.org

Government Relations Manager Evan Manning - (217) 321-3002 - emanning@iiaofil.org

Director of Education and Agency Resources Brett Gerger - (217) 321-3006 - bgerger@iiaofil.org

Vice President, Agents Insurance Services Brian McSherry, CIC - (217) 321-3018 - bmcsherry@iiaofil.org

Accounting & Admin Services, Tradeshow Admin Tami Hubbell - (217) 321-3016 - thubbell@iiaofil.org

Office Administrator Kristi Osmond - (217) 321-3007 - kosmond@iiaofil.org

Director of Human Resources/Board Admin Jennifer Jacobs - (217) 321-3013 - jjacobs@iiaofil.org

Director of Communications Rachel Romines - (217) 321-3024 - rromines@iiaofil.org

Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Mark Kuchar - (217) 321-3015 - mkuchar@iiaofil.org

Director of Membership Services Tom Ross, CRIS, CPIA - (217) 321-3003 - tross@iiaofil.org

Chief Executive Officer Phil Lackman - (217) 321-3005 - plackman@iiaofil.org

Products & Services Administrator Janet White, CISR - (217) 321-3010 - jwhite.indep12@insuremail.net

Central/Southern Marketing Representative Lori Mahorney - (217) 415-7550 - lmahorney@iiaofil.org

Sr. Products & Services Administrator Carol Wilson, CPIA - (217) 321-3011 - cwilson.indep12@insuremail.net

Trusted Choice | Keith Verisario (847) 699-4040 | kmv@allsecurity.com Young Agents | Allyson Padilla (618) 393-2195 | allyson@blanksinsurance.com

Find us on Social Media

INSURANCE PROGRAM MANAGERS GROUP

Illinois Workers' Compensation Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG) has been servicing Independent Agents since 1997. Our exceptional service and quick turnaround time makes IPMG the first choice for many agents. We help our agents place hard to write workers' compensation risks. We have also been very successful with writing clean accounts that require competitive pricing.

TO GET STARTED SUBMIT:

» Workers' Compensation Acord application » 3-4 years of currently valued loss runs » Current Modsheet (if applicable)

SEND NEW SUBMISSIONS TO: » wcnewsubmissions@ipmg.com

TARGETEDACCOUNTS: » High Mods » Start-ups/No Prior » Contractors » Trucking » Auto Repair » Towing » Home Health Care » Distributors » Dealerships » Garbage Haulers » Bars/Restaurants » Manufacturing

QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS? Nathan Kaprinay nathan.kaprinay@ipmg.com 630-485-5968

Sponsored by Trusted Choice

Two Chicago Area Events in 2019

September 14 | Montrose Beach, Chicago September 22 | Busse Woods, Elk Grove Village Walk For Wishes® is a Make-A-Wish® fundraiser that celebrates the thousands of wishes that have already been granted, while raising funds for future wishes. It’s a family-friendly event powered by wish families, volunteers, companies, donors and friends. We are excited to walk and raise funds for this year’s Walk For Wishes. Together, we can raise money for Make-A-Wish to help grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses. A wish gives children renewed energy and strength, brings families closer together and unites communities. These life-changing wishes are only possible because of supporters like us. A wish experience can truly change a child’s life, and so can we. We invite you to participate in these walks with Team Trusted Choice to celebrate the spirit of a wish. Entry fee is waived to those that use our registration code. Join our team or make a donation today at www.iiaofil.org/About-Us/IIA-of-IL-Gives-Back.

insight

august 2019

Free to do what's right for you.SM

The Trusted Choice Brand: Part IV ®

Trusted Choice® is the brand of members of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Over the course of past newsletters we explored how the Trusted Choice brand came to be, what it means and how it helps member agencies. This installment covers awareness and how a number of efforts all contribute to creating awareness of the brand and members of the Big “I.”

As discussed in Part III, new consumer shopping behaviors are changing how companies big and small market their goods and services. When a consumer has an interest in a purchase, they start investigating their options. Once they narrow the field, they look for validation from other purchasers that their choice(s) meet their criteria. Finally, they research purchasing options. Creating awareness of the brand in the mind of the buyer is the first step in the new buying behavior and requires repetition. Encouraging Purchases Trusted Choice® markets to insurance buyers to raise their awareness of the brand and reinforce their decision to purchase from an independent agent and the carriers they represent. The three methods are: • Advertising to raise awareness, • Publishing informative insurance content, and • Encouraging discussion by third parties referencing and recommending Trusted Choice content. Raising Visibility Agencies, state and national IIABA associations, and even insurance companies embrace and display the Trusted Choice brand in order to increase the visibility with the insurance buying public. Some of these efforts are as straight forward as printing the logo on correspondence, signage and websites. Others include advertising campaigns in traditional media, from purpose built spots to appending the logo on existing marketing campaign materials. TrustedChoice.com specializes in digital marketing. From advertising to content creation, the team raises the visibility of the Trusted Choice brand and Big I member agencies and the carriers they represent. When an insurance shopper is searching for information on the internet, they often use commonly searched-for words and phrases, collectively known as ‘keywords’. Searching for many of these insurance keywords will result in a search result that includes one or more listings affiliated with the Trusted Choice brand. Some may be agencies or carriers, and some may be specific web pages on the Trusted Choice website. august 2019

In the second quarter of 2019, over 3 million impressions of the Trusted Choice brand are made on the Google search engine every week! Imparting Knowledge Search engines like Google and Bing reward original, helpful web pages by presenting those pages at the top of the list of search results. TrustedChoice.com leverages this to build brand impressions on behalf of independent insurance agencies and companies by writing and posting close to 100 new informative articles on relevant search terms every month. When an insurance buyer finds an article that contains valuable information, they spend time reading that article. This time-on-page signals the search engine that the article is worthwhile and is a positive vote as to usefulness. Articles with lots of positive votes are shown high in the Google results list. This is a self-reinforcing cycle. Worthwhile articles generate positive votes, which improves the results of those articles in search, which brings more visitors to start the cycle again. Starting Conversations Consumers are naturally skeptical of a seller’s claims. Often they discount seller statements, believing them to be puffery at best. What others, particularly satisfied customers, say about a brand is one of the most helpful ways to raise visibility, because they are credible. Trusted Choice offers opportunities for consumers to leave feedback, testimonials, ratings and reviews. These reflections of real life experience with independent agents build confidence so that other consumers are willing to commit to a purchase. When Trusted Choice is discussed on third party websites, it also serves to add to credibility. For example, a site dedicated to small business might have an article about insurance for small businesses and refer to Trusted Choice agents. Each of these marketing methods serves to reinforce one another. Combined, they develop familiarity and encourage purchases of insurance from Trusted Choice Independent Agents. With over 500,000 visitors to TrustedChoice.com, shouldn’t your agency listing be prominently displayed? When your agency is, you raise your agency’s visibility and write more new business. To find out how your agency can benefit from an enhanced presence on the website, go to https://solutions.trustedchoice.com/demo. insight

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Learn How To Use Health Insurance To Grow All Your Lines of Business Your existing business clients and prospective new clients all have the same problem: the high cost of health insurance. EBRM shows P&C and Life agents how to solve this problem.

ITEMS TO CONSIDER: n

Let EBRM help you with a system to get in front of business owners. We show you how. When you solve a business owner’s problem, a prospect becomes a valued customer. By controlling a business owner’s health insurance costs, your clients can free up $$$ for other business uses. EBRM offers full support to make you the health insurance pro your clients expect. P&C firms have relied and continue to rely on EBRM’s health insurance expertise to maintain existing P&C clients while growing their book.

“EBRM’s expertise has helped us protect our P&C book of business and build a successful health insurance practice.” – Jack M. Cacioppo, CDC Insurance Group

n n n

n n

Migration of Group to Individual and Individual to Group Age vs. Composite Rating HRA and FSA Options Age 65 Employee Options for Groups Pre-Tax Premium Plans High Benefit/Lower Cost Networks Level Funded Plans

REMEMBER: Timely problem resolution maintains your customer satisfaction levels and increases referral business.

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There’s no longer a reason to go it alone. Be the health insurance expert your clients expect! 8

insight

EBRM: The GA on Your Side, Not in Your Pocket

july 2019

government | INSIGHT

Be an Industry Hero help save the industry - donate to the IIAPAC silent auction By Evan Manning

CONVO Silent Auction to Benefit IIAPAC CONVO is just around the corner, October 1-3, and this year we are featuring a Silent Auction to benefit the Independent Insurance Agents Political Action Committee (IIAPAC). Supporting IIAPAC is one of the most impactful investments in the future of our industry. There are several benefits to supporting IIAPAC. It allows Phil Lackman, IIA of IL CEO, and I the opportunity to build relationships with elected officials, allows us to provide information to further good government, advances government affairs priorities, and increases our understanding of the political process. This year we have had to fight a truly unprecedented number of threats to the insurance industry and small business owners. Here are just a few that we fought: • A bill that would limit an insurer in underwriting or rating automobile insurance, including the determination of premium rates. • A bill that would have created a board made up of individuals, outside of the Department of Insurance, that have no experience in insurance the ability to approve and disapprove health insurance rates. • A bill that would have provided that all individuals residing in the State be covered under the Illinois Health Services Program for health insurance. Fortunately, we successfully beat back these bills and many more. But we need your help to keep fighting bad legislation. I can’t devalue what our members have continually done for this association. Attending various august 2019

political events, coming to the state capitol for legislative day, making calls, sending emails and letters to their local legislators, it has truly been impressive. If we want to continue to punch above our weight, we need to supercharge our political action committee. It is the difference between being at the table or on the menu. I am asking for a monetary donation or donation of items like sporting event or concert tickets, sports memorabilia, golf clubs, golf packages or trips, and more. A list of additional items we would like to include can be found on the CONVO website at www.ilconvention.com/iiapacsilent-auction. Additionally, if you have any other ideas to be included in the Silent Auction, please do not hesitate to contact me. A contribution to IIAPAC is an unimaginably small fraction of what even one of the many, many, bad bills and regulations could cost your agency. We’re committed to defending independent insurance agents and those you serve to protect. Please support our fight. Both individual and corporate contributions are accepted. Evan Manning is the Government Relations Manager for the IIA of IL and can be reached at emanning@iiaofil.org or (217) 321-3002.

CON

Deta VO page ils on 18

insight

Mental Toughness and

Sales Success

By John Chapin

In an article a few months ago, I mentioned the five foundational personality qualities necessary for sales success: people skills, mental toughness, work ethic, attitude, and character (honesty and integrity). If someone is missing any one of these, they won’t make it in sales over the long haul. Of the five, I find that the one that is most overlooked is mental toughness. Not just in the initial search when looking for a new sales rep, but also after the person is hired. When someone comes to you, they either have good people skills, work ethic, attitude and character, or they don’t, you can’t teach those. They also come to you with some level of mental toughness. It may be high, low, or somewhere in the middle, but they at least have some. That said, mental toughness is a skill that can be, and should be, developed after they’ve been hired, similar to sales skills and product knowledge. This is where many companies miss the boat. While almost all companies have some form of product and sales training, very few do any mental toughness training, and mental toughness can make or break a salesperson. Why mental-toughness training? There’s a saying that 90% of life is mental, or as Yogi Berra reportedly said, “90% of life is half mental.” Whether or not you like math or Yogiisms, one thing is true: sales, like life, is pretty much 100% mental. Think about it, 100% of our waking hours, and most of our sleeping hours, are done through our brain. With the amount of rejection required to be successful in a sales career, one needs to have a high level of mental toughness. When people fail at sales 99.9% of the time it’s due to a lack of activity: they didn’t make enough calls, to talk to enough people, to get enough qualified prospects, to make enough sales. What causes the lack of activity is either fear of rejection (addiction to the approval of others), complacency (the comfort zone), or an inability to persist and persevere when they encounter repeated failure and rejection. The cause of each of these is a lack of mental toughness. What is mental-toughness training and how do you do it? In short, mental toughness training is training people to overcome the mental hurdles they encounter in sales and in life. Essentially, it’s developing someone’s grit and determination. You do it by discovering what they’ll fight for and what they’ll die for and then helping them use those emotional hot-buttons when they are down or otherwise unmotivated. This requires a deep dive into the psyche via targeted questions that cover the past, present, and future in all the major areas of life. What you’re after here is their WHY. In other words, why do they do what they do? Why do they get up in the morning and go to work? Why is it critical that they succeed in their career? A powerful WHY is the key to having a high level of mental toughness. As Nietzsche once said, “He who has a [powerful enough] WHY to live, can bear almost any HOW.” In other words, if the why is powerful enough, a person will go through almost anything to achieve their goals. That means they’ll push through rejection, won’t allow themselves to get complacent, and even when they are feeling down and beat up, they’ll still have the persistence and perseverance to keep moving forward.

august 2019

While finding someone’s why involves some extensive questioning over several weeks, in short, you discover someone’s why in two areas: pleasure and pain, which is the language of the brain. First, on the pleasure end, what are they running toward? What do they want for themselves and the people in their lives? Do they want a house on the lake or a new sportscar? Do they want to send their kids to school wherever they want to go to school? Do they want to take a trip around the world with their family? Do they want to retire and travel? So, on the pleasure end, what are their goals and dreams, and how much money do they need to make those goals and dreams a reality? So, start with goals, but keep in mind, for most people positive goals aren’t enough to keep them motivated long-term. As a result, we need to leverage pain. Pain is a more powerful motivator than pleasure for humans. What “pain” is someone running from in the present, hoping to avoid in the future, or striving to overcome from the past? What has happened to them that motivates them? Did they get fired from a job? Did someone tell them they’d never amount to anything? Is there an ex-spouse or ex-boss that they’re going to show that they made a mistake? Are they afraid of not having enough money? Are they afraid of how they’ll feel if they don’t provide for their family? Where are the issues, or the pain, and what are the motivators or demotivators behind those? When you think of motivation, think of the 3 Ps: people, possessions, and proof. What do they want for the people in their lives, including themselves? What possessions do they want and what values do those possessions fulfill such as: peace of mind, security, love, and excitement? And what do they have to prove to themselves and others? Do they need to prove they are worthy, important, capable of taking care of their family, or that they’re good enough? When you discover what’s truly important to people, what they are willing to fight and die for, then you and they will have the necessary emotional hot-buttons to push in order for them to get through fear, step out of their comfort zone, and get back up after they’ve been knocked down. John Chapin is a sales and motivational speaker and trainer with over 26 years of sales experience. He is the author of the 2010 sales book of the year: Sales Encyclopedia. He can be reached at johnchapin@completeselling.com.

While finding someone’s why involves some extensive questioning over several weeks, in short, you discover someone’s why in two areas: pleasure and pain, which is the language of the brain.

insight

Beautifully Simple Insurance, Sold Through Trusted Advisors

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Available for sale exclusively through licensed independent agents and only where approved by state regulators

If You Don’t

FIX IT, You Can’t

SUCCEED By John Graham

Hard Skills and Soft Skills Aren’t Enough

The job world is changing so rapidly it’s next to impossible to know what to do even in the short term to get ahead, let alone five years down the road. Now, a debate rages between which is more important, hard skills or soft skills. Those for hard skills focus on the need for specific knowledge to meet job performance standards and expectations. On the other side of the table are those who say the hard skills path can lead to dead ends, to obsolescence. They bet on possessing interpersonal skills, such as the ability to relate to others, being a good team member, and communicating effectively. A case can be made for a combination of both hard and soft skills. Yet, it may be too narrow a view for dealing with what is arguably the most critical need facing companies today - people who can fix things.

The Need to Fix Things

A Dept. of Labor bulletin describes the fix-it problem clearly: “Employers want employees who can work through problems on their own or as an effective member of a team. Ideal employees think critically and creatively, share thoughts and opinions, use good judgment, and make decisions.”

august 2019

Employers say they need people who not only how know how to do things, but more importantly, they need people who know how to fix things. The goal is not just doing a good job but having the ability to identify, analyze, and solving problems. “No manager wants to hire someone who can’t think for themselves and comes running every time things go wrong,” writes Courtenay Crawford in Graduateland, while another employer survey named complex problem solving as the #1 desired skill. It also revealed that by 2020, “36% of all jobs across all industries” will require complex problem solving as a core skill. In other words, business needs people who not only recognize problems but take ownership and fix them: • “Thanks for letting us know, I can take care of that for you.” • “If we made this change, we could reduce costs.” • “We’re replacing this part. It will solve the problem.” Whether you call it problem solving or more accurately, the ability to “fix things,” the need is clear.

What It Takes to Fix Things

1. Get the message “I didn’t see it coming.” Whether it’s layoffs, the closing of a business, the sale of their company, or being fired, it’s surprising how many workers say they didn’t see it coming. insight

Some are totally shocked and actually speechless, while others sensed that “something” was about to happen. “It was obvious,” they say, “How could you miss it?” In other words, how can anyone fix something when they’re unable to recognize problems? Anyone who is pre-occupied with themselves and their issues have their antennae are turned off. Lacking awareness, they literally don’t get the message. 2. Figure out the problem Salespeople, for example, can easily miss the mark with customers by offering solutions that are way off-base, that don’t fit customer needs or expectations. Being focused on getting to the close, they don’t pick up on what the customer is saying or what they want to accomplish. This is what happens when we don’t take time to ask enough questions so we can accurately identify and understand

what’s going on in the customer’s head. We assume that customers will find our questions bothersome, boring, or taking up too much of their time. Yet, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has a totally different view when it comes to asking questions. “We run this company on questions,” he says, “not answers.” This is good advice. If we don’t ask sufficient questions, our personal beliefs and assumptions influence our thinking. This leads to inaccurate conclusions and interferes with our ability to come up with solutions that grab our customers’ attention. 3. Keep your eye on the goal “The hard skills are changing,” says Kelli Jordan, who is in charge of IBM’s career and skills initiatives. “Just because we do a role one way today, doesn’t mean we were doing it that way three years ago.”

WHAT THE HAIL JUST HAPPENED? NO WORRIES, CALL US. HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE THAT’S DESIGNED TO BE WORRY FREE A home is one of the most valuable assets. Whether it is a current homeowner, someone looking to own, or someone renting a home, financial protection is needed for the important things in life. A homeowners policy from IMT Insurance can help your policyholders Be Worry Free. Learn how you can represent IMT Insurance at imtins.com/contact.

Even though the emphasis is on “being a good team member,” some workers take a “lord of the manor” approach. It’s as if they possess job ownership and woe to anyone who attempts to invade their territory. There’s another view: keep your eye on the goal, not yourself. Adaptability: A Primer author Daniel Goleman calls it Adaptability Competency and he describes it as “being able to juggle multiple demands, and adapting to new situations with fresh ideas or innovative approaches.” The implications are described by Goleman in follow ups with MBA students five to 19 years after graduation: “A strength in adaptability predicted their life satisfaction, and, in fact their career success.” When you keep your eye on the goal, the path forward becomes clear. All of which is to say, fixing it isn’t a job; it’s a mission that becomes a career. John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com.

AUTO | HOME | BUSINESS

insight

august 2019

How to Build

High-Performing Teams By Caliper

We’ve been talking a lot lately about mental toughness in athletes; what it is and how to spot it. While some people are more naturally inclined to possess the traits that suggest mental toughness, it’s also a skill that can be developed. Not everyone needs to be a North Carolina point guard to understand mental toughness or learn how to leverage those qualities in their professional careers, you can also cultivate mental toughness on your own teams.

Applying Mental Toughness to the Workplace Before approaching a strategy for mental toughness, you should consider what it means to value mental toughness in the workplace. Why should you prioritize building these skills in your team if they aren’t naturally inclined to do so on their own? If these are skills typically associated with athletics, how can they apply to the workplace? As it turns out, there’s a lot of commonality between the traits that make a successful athlete and a successful employee. Just as successful athletes excel at balancing the demands of training, travel, and competition while still maintaining focus and confidence, mentally tough employees will be better at coping with a stressful work environment, i.e., deadlines, demanding clients, crossdepartmental responsibilities, etc. The result is a teammate who is reliable and whose work remains consistent, regardless of circumstance. Additionally, these employees are more likely to bounce back from rejection. How often have you heard an athlete speak about their failure as motivation for improvement? Michael Jordan famously cited his failure to make his high school basketball team as the impetus for becoming the greatest basketball player in the world. The more willing and able an employee is to accept his or her failures and learn from them, the more they will take ownership of improvement and maintain the confidence and energy required to improve and overcome.

How do you develop mental toughness? It’s a misconception that these skills exist innately and that you either have it or you don’t. There’s a number of tactics you can employ that can develop these skills and help you coach resilience and confidence into your employees, even if they don’t believe they have it within themselves. So, how do you do that? There are a few easy places to start:

Reframe the context

The struggle doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. A good athlete knows that every obstacle helps them get stronger and better at what they do. The same goes in the workplace. Is someone on your team struggling in their role or up against a particularly difficult project? Make sure they know that these aren’t roadblocks, they’re opportunities. They can work through the problem, learn from the challenges, and apply it moving forward. There’s a lesson in everything.

Communicate Often

Make sure your team knows there is an open line of communication. When they come across obstacles, encourage them to talk it through. Maybe that involves getting advice from their manager or brainstorming with a colleague who can coach them. Conversely, if you spot a team member in the weeds, make it clear to them that you’re available to help. Communication is a two-way street.

Set Goals

Give your employees something to strive for. Often, when people are presented with a challenge, they can rise to the occasion. By encouraging them to reach just beyond their comfort zone and watching them achieve their goals oneby-one, you’re instilling a sense of confidence, ownership, and autonomy. You don’t always have to incentivize growth with a bonus or title, sometimes just demonstrating trust in their skills is incentive enough.

Build Trust

Creating a supportive relationship between management and employees is critical to building mental toughness. When your employees know that you have their back, they won’t get discouraged when the going gets rough. Having a support system helps maintain unfaltering confidence in their abilities that will carry them through to the finish line without negatively impacting their quality of work. By fostering a supportive, communicative environment that rewards employees for putting in the hard work rather than punishing them when things get difficult, you’ll soon start to see the evidence of mental toughness growing from within your team, and you won’t need to hire the entire Duke basketball team to do so. For more on mental toughness, download the latest whitepaper at https://discover.calipercorp.com/mentaltoughness-differentiates-athletes. View Original Article at https://calipercorp.com/blog/buildhigh-performing-teams-develop-mental-toughness/.

august 2019

insight

Provider Recaptures January 2018 ‐ December 2018 Total Refund $336,235.39

40000 $35,603.76

$36,710.59 $32,092.85

35000 30000

$32,130.18 $30,552.71

$23,620.65

25000

$31,062.00 $28,910.73

$27,822.06 $23,206.05

20000

$18,273.58

$16,250.23

15000 10000 5000 0

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

e INSIGHT -

online journal at www.iiaofil.org/Resources/Insight

AU GU ST 20

INSIGH T

IIA of Ill

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LEGAL CANNABIS By Elana Ashanti Jefferson, PropertyCasualty 360 august 2019

In this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e-Insight. insight

The Future of Your

Industry

October 1-3, 2019 Crowne Plaza, Springfield, IL Tradeshow

Wednesday, October 2 3:00 - 6:30 pm With over 155 exhibitors, the CONVO Tradeshow is one of the biggest industry tradeshows in the entire country. Exhibitors include companies, wholesalers, technology & software companies, and everything in between.

Attention Companies

Small Price - Big Value. Get your brand and message in front of over 800 Illinois agents by exhibiting at the tradeshow, or sponsoring part of the event. There are only a few opportunities left, so make sure to secure your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spot right away.

Schedule Tuesday, October 1 10:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Independent Agent Invitational Golf Outing The Independent Insurance Agents Golf Outing is the premier golf event of the IIA of IL. Join us at Piper Glen Golf Club in Springfield for a round of golf complete with food, beverages, and friendly competition.

Noon

CONVO Registration Desk Opens

1:00 – 4:00 p.m. 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Concurrent Education Sessions (CE) Welcome Reception and Meet & Greet Kick off CONVO at the Welcome Reception. Enjoy a drink and hors d’ oeuvres before heading out to dinner.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Dutch Dine Arounds/Company Dinners Head out for dinner with your Company Partners, old friends, or new acquaintances. Don’t have dinner plans? Sign up for the Dutch Dine Arounds with the IIA of IL staff. The IIA of IL has made reservations and travel arrangements. **Hence the name “Dutch,” each attendee is responsible for paying for their own dinner.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Young Agents Network Dinner Invitation Only

8:00 – 11:00 p.m. Casino Night Hosted by Young Agents, Benefitting Make-A-Wish Feeling lucky? Spin the wheel at roulette, try your hand at poker, blackjack, or one of the many other games. Turn in your chips to win one of many great prizes.

Wednesday, October 2 7:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast/CONVO Registration Desk Opens

8:00 a.m. – Noon

General Session (CE) - Build and Grow a 5-Star Agency We’ve pulled together a great panel of experts to help you identify potential job candidates; hire and on-board new employees; cultivate, develop and retain your staff; equip your staff with tools to improve performance; analyze your agency’s data and more.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch and Networking Take a break from learning to grab a bite to eat at the hosted buffet lunch, check in at the office, and connect with people you have met throughout CONVO.

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Concurrent Education Sessions (CE)

3:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Tradeshow Connecting during the Tradeshow will be easy, as you meet with over 155 vendors from around the Country. Learn about the valuable industry products and services which will make your agency stand out.

6:30 – 11:00 p.m.

Dinner, “Dancing with the Agents” and Party This party needs no explanation. Food, Drinks, Music, Fun…You don’t want to miss it. We had so much fun last year, we are doing it again, only this year we have a special treat while raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This is not your typical fundraiser, trust us!

Thursday, October 3 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.

e miss th t ’ n o D C IIAPAuction! A Silent n page 9. Details

Hot Breakfast

State of the Association Address and CEO Panel Discussion (CE) IIA of IL leadership will discuss the trends and challenges facing the independent agency system and the association, and share what the association is doing to stay ahead of the curve to provide a competitive advantage for member agencies. The IIA of IL Annual Business Meeting to vote on proposed by-laws changes will be included in the presentation. Attendees will hear the latest on association benefits including Trusted Choice, classroom and virtual education offerings, new products, advocacy efforts and will meet the 2019-2020 IIA of IL Board of Directors. During the CEO Panel Discussion, hear from company CEO’s on how the insurance industry is changing and how their companies are revolutionizing the insurance industry. Learn what this means for your agency, and what you can do to be an “Agency of the Future.” CEO Panelist details are included on the next page.

We know what it took to build this business.

And we know what it takes to protect it. Underwriters who know and understand what coverages are necessary to protect the business. Loss prevention professionals who use a hands-on approach to help develop programs tailored to the individual business. Claim reps with the expertise and technology to process claims quickly and efficiently. As an Official Supplier of the Silver LiningÂŽ, you and West Bend will find the right insurance plan for your valued customers. To find out more, talk to your West Bend underwriter.

Celebrating 125 years of valued relationships with our agent partners.

Continuing Education Classes

Here is just a small sampling of education sessions scheduled during CONVO. Tuesday Afternoon

Errors & Omissions, including Ethics

Understanding what drives E&O claims can provide direction in areas within the agency’s operation to focus risk management efforts. In this session, we will take a deep dive into the ways your agency can avoid an E&O claim. Real-life case studies provide the good, the bad, and the ugly of E&O claims made against agents. Using these claims as examples, we walk through what agents should, and should not, do to reduce their E&O exposure. Swiss Re Corporate Solutions claims data reveals that no matter the size, business mix, or geographic region, agencies that attend the seminar have better a claims experience.

Wednesday Afternoon

Data Breach & Security - Develop and Implement a Plan

Data breach and data security remain a daily threat to agencies of all sizes. It’s complicated, both in development and implementation, but the threats are not going away. Don’t be reactive to a data breach be proactive. During this session you will hear from our host Brian McSherry, who will be joined by several data and security experts including Bill Larson, NetGen Security Consultants; Eric Swingler, Production Underwriter with Evolve MGA; and several agents who will participate in our panel discussing Risk Management from an agents perspective.

Active Assailant - Are Your Clients Covered? How Do You Plan to Respond?

Eliminating the risk of a malicious attack is impossible but preparing for one is essential. In today’s world, threats come from many sources. Although shootings are all too often in the headlines, recent experience reminds us that devastation can also happen using seemingly everyday items such as knives and road vehicles. If an agency gets things wrong, the liability on the owners and management for a non-staff member harmed in an attack can be significant. In this session we will take a deep dive into the three core pillars of coverage including prevention services, crisis management services, and general liability/primary liability.

Legislative Update

This breakout session will review both existing and new laws and regulations affecting your agency. IIA of IL staff will cover a range of topics including the Premium Fund Trust Account, the new Workers’ Compensation Repose law, legal recreational cannabis and how it affects employers, the new Managed Care Organization Assessment and additional legislation.

Thursday Morning

CEO Panel Discussion - Industry Insights from Industry Leaders

Hear from company CEO’s on how the insurance industry is changing and how their companies are revolutionizing the insurance industry. The presentation will be moderated by Adam Hackman of Presidio Group in Naperville, past Chair of the Young Agents Committee. CEO panelists include: Kurt Eaves, Vice President of Underwriting, Sales, and Service, Grinnell Mutual Kurt Eaves has spent his entire professional career in the field of property and casualty insurance and risk managements. Eaves oversees more than $470 million in written premium and a staff of over 200 in commercial lines underwriting, loss control, personal and farm lines underwriting, sales, billing and customer service, actuarial services, product development, and statistical reporting and compliance. Scott Martin, Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO, Pekin Insurance Scott Martin began his career with Pekin Life Insurance Company in 1976 as an underwriter trainee and continued to climb the ladder within the company since that time. He is a member of the Board of Directors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Midwest Affiliate; Illinois Life Insurance Council; and Illinois Insurance Association. Gregory Murphy, Chairman and CEO, Selective Insurance Group, Inc. Having joined Selective in 1980 as a member of the Finance department, Gregory Murphy has accumulated broad experience in all aspects of finance and operations through positions of increasing seniority. Selective’s “high-tech, high-touch” business model has contributed to a long track record of financial strength, superior execution and disciplined growth. Robyn Hahn, President Small Business, Westfield Insurance As a leader in the P&C industry, Robyn Hahn has more than 25 years’ experience with national and international carriers. With Westfield’s concentrated focus on American small business owners, Hahn is driving a customer-centric culture determined to meet evolving customer expectations. august 2019

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TRUST US TO KEEP THEIR BUSINESS ON COURSE Our Eagle One insurance has helped golf courses and country clubs weather tough times for more than 20 years. Whether it’s for buildings or equipment used every day, our coverage helps your customers get back into the swing of things. Trust in Tomorrow.® Talk to us today. AUTO | HOME | FARM | BUSINESS

grinnellmutual.com “Trust in Tomorrow.” and “Grinnell Mutual” are registered trademarks of Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. © Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, 2019.

Independent Agent Invitational Tuesday, October 1

Piper Glen Golf Club, Springfield

11:00 am Shotgun Start (Scramble Format) $175 Per Golfer

Includes welcome gift, lunch, beverages and other on-course events.

This event fills up quickly. Get your registrations in early.

Casino Night Tuesday, October 1 8:00 - 11:00 pm

Everyone in attendance receives a free pre-loaded playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s card upon entering the casino. Playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cards can be re-loaded by making a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation on-site.

Poker - Roulette - Blackjack - Craps - Cash Box - And More

Cash in at the end of the night for a chance at one of many prizes.

august 2019

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Cyber… What? Part 2 of 6 By Brian McSherry In the July issue of Insight, I covered the first two parts to building an Agency Serurity Plan. This month, I will cover the third, Incident Response Plan, and fourth, Staff Training and Monitoring. Agents Council for Technology (ACT) has an inventory of free resources available to help you with cyber compliance. The Cyber Guide 2.0 is your road map to data security protection. Let’s review the 12 parts: 12 Parts to Building an Agency Security Plan 1. Risk Assessment 2. Written Security Plan 3. Incident Response Plan 4. Staff Training and Monitoring 5. Penetration Testing/Vulnerability Assessment 6. Access Control Protocol 7. Written Security Policy for Third Party Providers 8. Encryption of Non-Public Information 9. Designation of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) 10. Audit Trail 11. Implementing Multi Factor Authentication 12. Procedure for Disposal of Non-Public Information My goal is to provide you with a pathway to compliance for your agency and customer security. I cover the third and fourth parts below. 3. Incident Response Plan An incident response is an organized approach to addressing and managing the aftermath of a security breach or attack (also known as an incident). The goal is to handle the situation in a way that limits damage and reduces recovery time and costs while complying with federal and state regulations. This includes communication/notice to the state superintendent upon detection of a cybersecurity event and communication to customers, insurers, and third-party service providers. Below are a few resources to help with your plan.

4. Staff Training and Monitoring This is a critical regulation. Even if all other areas are in compliance, one misstep by agency personnel can expose data due to malware, phishing and other incursions. ACT strongly recommends that all businesses, regardless of size, train their staff on online security risks. This part of your compliance plan will take some time and work on your part. Everyone needs to understand the importance of security within the agency. These resources should help: Resources • Phishme.com Phishing simulator for agency training https://phishme.com/ • KnowBe4 Staff security awareness training www.knowbe4.com/ • Cybersecurity employee training guidelines from Travelers www.travelers.com/resources/cyber-security/cybersecurity-training-for-employees.aspx • NetGen Data Security http://www.netgendatasecurity.com/ Hopefully you are making progress in your journey to security compliance. Look for steps 5 and 6 in next month’s issue of Insight. Slowly, but surely, you will have your plan complete by the end of the year. Brian McSherry is Vice President of Agents Insurance Services. He can be reached at bmcsherry@iiaofil.org or (217) 321-3018.

Resources • NCSL Security Breach Notification Laws by State www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-andinformation-technology/security-breach-notificationlaws.aspx • Guidance for Incident Response Plans www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/guidancefor-incident-response-plans • NetGen Data Security www.netgendatasecurity.com/

august 2019

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INSIGHT | associate news Thank you to our Associate Members.

Diamond Level Members

Platinum Level Progressive

Gold Level AAA Insurance Arlington/Roe Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL Surplus Line Association of Illinois

Silver Level Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company Imperial PFS IMT Insurance A. J. Wayne & Associates AFCO Credit Corporation AMERISAFE Aon Programs Atlantic Specialty Lines Auto-Owners Insurance Co. Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Companies Burns & Wilcox, Ltd. Chicagoland Carstar Columbia Insurance Group Continental Western Group Donald Gaddis Company, Inc. Donegal Insurance Group Encompass Insurance Erie Insurance Group Foremost Insurance Group Forreston Mutual Insurance Company Frankenmuth Insurance Grange Insurance Illinois Public Risk Fund Indiana Farmers Insurance Insurance Program Managers Group J C Restoration J M Wilson Kemper Keystone Insurance Group, Inc. KPA, LLC dba Succeed/KPA Larry Gordon Agency 26

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Nationwide West Bend Mutual Insurance Co.

Bronze Level Liberty Mutual/Safeco Insurance Madison Mutual Insurance Company MarshBerry Maximum Independent Brokerage, LLC Mercury Insurance Group MetLife Auto & Home Midwest Insurance Company miEdge Motorists Insurance Group Nat Gen Premier NHRMA Mutual Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Compensation PEOPLE Previsor Insurance ProAg Management Inc PuroClean Selective Insurance Company of America ServiceMaster DSI Society Insurance Specialty Risk of America Transcom General Agency Travelers UIG - The Agent Agency United Fire Group Universal Property & Casualty Utica National Insurance Group W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc./Interstate Risk Placement Western National Insurance Westfield august 2019

iia of il news | INSIGHT

Education Classes august

6 8 8 21 22 22 26 27 27 28

E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis Webinar CISR - Agency Operations Springfield

september

Ethics & E&O: Synergy Not Rivalry Webinar CIC - Insurance Company Operations Rolling Meadows CISR - Insuring Personal Auto Exposures Champaign E&O Risk Management Webinar Ethics Rolling Meadows Ethics and the Law Webinar E&O Risk Management Webinar CISR-Elements of Risk Management Rolling Meadows

Congratulations to the IIA of Illinois Education Committee and Education Team on being named an IIABA Excellence in Insurance Education Diamond Award Recipient. This is the top honor the IIABA bestows upon Association Education offices across the country.

5 5 10 11 12 18 24 24 24 25 26

CISR - Commercial Casualty 1 Springfield CISR - Commercial Casualty 2 Orland Park E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis Webinar On Ethics: Data, Dilemmas & Knuckleheads Webinar CISR - Commercial Casualty 1 Lake Bluff CIC - Personal Lines Springfield CISR - Insuring Personal Residential Property Rolling Meadows CISR - Commercial Casualty 1 Edwardsville E&O Risk Management Webinar Ethics - Walking a Straight Line Webinar E&O Risk Management Webinar

Online Education www.iiaofil.org August & September Featured Online Classes General Homeowners | General PAP Property & Liability Concepts | Ethics & E&O When the Child Becomes the Parent- Aging Parents Business Income | Commercial General Liability E&O Roadmap to Policy Analysis | Ethics & the Law National Flood Insurance Program Basic Course Who is an Insured? | Workers Comp Insuring Trusts | Homeowners Hot Topics And More! august 2019

New Members member agency HAJ Financial Chicago, IL

For information regarding IIA of Illinois membership or company sponsorship, contact Tom Ross, Director of Membership Services, at (217) 321-3003, tross@iiaofil.org. insight

Fine coverage instead of fine print. Small detail. Big difference. At Society, we keep it simple and protect your outdoor property the same way we do your building—and that includes coverage for wind damage. In our experience, your signage, fencing or satellite dish is more likely to be damaged by wind than anything else. Ironically, some insurance companies don’t include this common risk in their outdoor property coverage. If you agree that details like these make a big difference, give us a call at 1-888-5-SOCIETY or visit societyinsurance.com.

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august 2019

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INSIGHT | industry news Motorists Insurance Group and BrickStreet Insurance Re-Enter Market as Encova Mutual Insurance Group Motorists Insurance Group and BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co. are now Encova Mutual Insurance Group following the announcement of the new brand name and identity. Encova.com launched Monday, July 15.

Motorists and BrickStreet affiliated in 2017. Bringing these two companies together allowed them to develop an all-encompassing new brand that gives agents and policyholders a one-stop-shop to provide peace of mind for every step in life’s journey. Encova remains committed to the independent agency model that Motorists and BrickStreet employed in the past. Their superior financial strength, cutting-edge technology, local expertise, one-stop-shop model and 360° workers’ compensation coverage set them apart from their competitors. “We are redefining ourselves in the market,” Encova president and chief operating officer TJ Obrokta Jr. said. “We are debuting a new brand identity, but Encova has decades of industry knowledge to expand our product offerings. We’ve created a more robust experience for our agents and policyholders.” Over the course of the next year, Encova will continue to update building signage, marketing materials and other collateral to reflect the new brand identity.

Insurance Brokers Incorporated (IBI) Now Offers Policy Downloading and Access to Comparative Rating Platform to Agency Partners

Insurance Brokers Incorporated (IBI) has announced that they are now offering policy downloading and access to an EZ Lynx-based comparative rating platform as features to agency partners. Both features are available free-of-charge and are being made available to all active IBI agency partners. These developments were made to improve the ease and speed of doing business with IBI, while also keeping in mind the role that they will play in improving customer service and time management for agency partners.

Mercury Insurance Among Top Auto Insurers

Mercury Insurance is celebrating being named one of the top five best auto insurance companies for 2019 by insurance comparison site Insure.com. The annual list was created based on survey responses from more than 3,100 current policyholders who were asked to rate their insurers. Respondents scored their insurers in the categories of value for price, customer service, claims satisfaction, usefulness and ease of use of websites and mobile apps, plans to renew and likelihood to recommend the insurer to others. This is the third consecutive year that Mercury has made the list. Mercury took the final place in the top five with an overall score of 87.71 out of 100. It was also recently named one of America’s top mid-sized employers by Forbes magazine.

Indiana Farmers Insurance Named a Top 50 Insurance Industry Company

Indiana Farmers Insurance has been recognized as a member of Ward’s 50 Companies for the second year in a row. Ward’s 50 is a group of property-casualty companies recognized by Ward Benchmarking for superior performance across a number of key safety and consistency measurements and performance tests for the previous five years. “We are proud to be selected once again to the prestigious Ward’s 50. The award criteria reflect the work of all our associates and underscores our financial preparedness to serve our policyholders,” said Kim Smith, Indiana Farmers Insurance CEO and president. Each year, Ward analyzes the financial performance of nearly 3,000 property-casualty insurance companies domiciled in the U.S. to identify the Ward’s 50. In selecting the Ward’s 50, the Ward Group identifies companies that pass financial stability requirements and demonstrate potential to grow while maintaining strong capital positions and underwriting results. Indiana Farmers Insurance is a Midwest based company that writes auto, home, farm, and business insurance. Providing insurance solutions to their members has been their only mission since 1877.

Insurance Brokers Incorporated (IBI) is a wholesale insurance broker and general agency that offers agents a broad range of personal, commercial, and E&S insurance products. IBI does not charge start-up or initiation fees, monthly fees, or membership dues, and offers competitive commissions and local underwriting support. IBI is licensed to write business in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Missouri, and Colorado. For more information, please visit the IBI website at www.GoIBI.com or contact our Marketing Department at Marketing@GoIBI.com.

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august 2019

industry news | INSIGHT SECURA Insurance Named a Top 50 Carrier by Ward Group for Sixth Consecutive Year

SECURA Insurance has again earned a place among Ward Group’s 50 top-performing property and casualty insurers for its performance over a five-year period (2014-2018). This is the sixth consecutive year the company has been recognized on this list for superior financial performance.

“It is an honor for Grinnell Mutual be recognized by Ward’s as a top 50 property and casualty insurance company for the fourth consecutive year,” said Jeff Menary, president and CEO of Grinnell Mutual. “It’s a testament to the tremendous dedication and work our employees, members, and agents have put into growing our business into the strong and financially secure entity it is today.” Ward Group is in its 29th year of conducting the analysis.

Ward Group® is the leading provider of benchmarking and best practices studies for insurance companies. The company analyzes nearly 3,000 property-casualty insurance companies in the United States to identify top performers annually. In addition to being named to Ward‘s Top 50, SECURA has an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, which affirms its solid financial results and its ability to pay claims. SECURA also is certified as a Great Place to Work for 2019 based on associate feedback about the company’s workplace culture, and was ranked number 13 in Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance for small and medium companies.

Grinnell Mutual Recognized as Top 50 Property and Casualty Insurance Company

Grinnell Mutual has been recognized by Ward Group as one of its 2019 Top 50 Property and Casualty Performers for the fourth year in a row. Ward Group analyzed the financial performance of nearly 3,000 propertycasualty insurance companies based in the United States and identified the top performances based on objective data and subjective quality measures. Each company must pass primary safety and consistency tests and are measured and scored along five-year average returns on equity, assets, total revenue, growth in revenue, growth in surplus, and combined ratio.

august 2019

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INSIGHT | people in the news Bennie Jones Appointed Chair of Big “I” Diversity Council Bennie Jones, IIA of IL Secretary/Treasurer, of Risk Management Solutions of America, Inc. in Chicago, has been appointed as Chair of the Big “I” Diversity Council. The Big “I” Diversity Council is a cooperative industry group comprised of multicultural Big “I” member agents in addition to leading insurance company executives. The Diversity Council collaborates with other multicultural industry groups, state associations and other Big “I” committees to create an awareness of the opportunities and benefits available by embracing diversity and encouraging change necessary for the independent agency system to survive and flourish. The mission of the council is to engage and develop a sustainable diverse independent agency network by partnering with state associations, carriers, and industry affinity groups. Jones said, “I have been a member of the Big “I” Diversity Council for the past three years and have enjoyed watching it grow. Seeing the growth over that time, I am honored to Chair the Council for the upcoming year. I believe diversity and inclusion is an integral part of the future of the independent agency distribution system and hope, in the next year, to move the needle adding to our success. I would like to thank the Big “I” for selecting me and encourage everyone to consider joining the Council in New Orleans, January 14-15, at the Level Up Agent Summit.” Phil Lackman, IIA of IL CEO said, “Bennie’s appointment as Chair of the Big “I” Diversity Council is recognition of his many contributions in the diversity arena to both Big “I” and IIA of IL. His passion in developing a diverse agency universe will serve independent agents and our company partners nationwide as he leads the council moving forward. We are proud of his appointment and look forward to the increased awareness of Council activities that Bennie’s chairmanship will bring.”

Greg Sandrock Appointed Chair of Big “I” Crop Insurance Task Force Greg Sandrock, IIA of IL National Director, of Cornerstone Agency, Inc. in Tampico, has been re-appointed as Chair of the Big “I” Crop Insurance Task Force. The Crop Insurance Task Force is responsible for Big “I” representation on all aspects of the Federal Crop Insurance Program, whether political or technical in nature. The Task Force acts as a resource to state associations to promote and support an agents’ grassroots network to achieve member goals relative to farm and crop insurance issues. “It is truly an honor to be asked to serve as Chair of the Big “I” Crop Insurance Task Force. I’ve been involved with the Task Force now for 6 years and it is important to me because I feel we have worked hard to get bipartisan support to sustain and improve crop insurance products which serve our agents and clients,” said Sandrock. Phil Lackman, IIA of IL CEO said, “Greg’s reappointment as Chair of the Big “I” Crop Insurance Task Force is an 32

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obvious one as he is recognized as the leading expert on the Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) in the country. His leadership not only serves independent agents in Illinois, but agents throughout the nation. Greg’s close relationship with Representative Cheri Bustos led to the recent formation of the bipartisan Congressional Crop Insurance Task Force, of which Bustos is Co-Chair. The spring flooding in the Midwest only serves to underscore the importance of the FCIP and Greg’s leadership will serve agents, companies and most importantly, farmers, well in this vital risk management program.”

IIA of IL Members Appointed to Serve on Big “I” Committees or Task Forces

The IIA of IL would like to congratulate the following IIA of IL members who have been appointed to serve on a Big “I” committee or task force for the upcoming year: Large Agents & Brokers Council Patrick Muldowney Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services, Chicago The Large Agents & Brokers Council identifies issues, concerns, problems, opportunities and trends for large agencies and brokers and recommend action when and where appropriate for the Big “I”. Health Care Liaison Mike Wojcik The Horton Group, Inc., Orland Park The Health Care Liaison acts as a resource for the Government Affairs Committee and staff on health insurance issues at the federal level. Crop Insurance Task Force Brian McSherry IIA of IL, Springfield The Crop Insurance Task Force is responsible for Big “I” representation on all aspects of the Federal Crop Insurance Program, whether political or technical in nature. The Task Force acts as a resource to state associations to promote and support an agents’ grassroots network to achieve member goals relative to farm and crop insurance issues.

Leffelman & Associates Celebrates 50th Anniversary Leffelman & Associates, located in Sublette, Amboy and LaMoille, are celebrating 50 years of service to their community. Larry Leffelman established the agency in 1969 after buying the Wilson Roemmich Agency, whose roots date back to 1899. As a new business owner, Leffelman utilized the lessons he learned while attending Officer Candidate School in the Army. His goal when opening the agency was to work at least three nights a week, in addition to regular business hours. “OCS teaches you discipline,” he explained. “That’s what drove me, guided me. We worked hard and built up our business fast.” When opportunities to expand were presented, Leffelman was ready. He purchased the Burkardt Agency in Sublette in 1972, the Duffy Agency in Amboy in 1980 and the Ortgiesen Agency in Amboy in 1990. He also opened an office in LaMoille.

august 2019

people in the news | INSIGHT Although Leffelman and his wife, Rose, are now retired, the business remains in the family with their daughter, Chris Klein taking over as CEO and their two grandchildren, Riley Klein and Lexi Willey, also working in the business. The agency slogan, “Our Family Protecting Your Family,” embodies the core of their business beliefs. The IIA of IL Board of Directors and Staff congratulate Leffelman & Associates and wish them many more years of success.

Arlington/Roe Announces Staff Appointments and Promotions Jim Roe, CPCU, president and CEO of Arlington/Roe, managing general agency and wholesale insurance broker, has announced staff appointments and promotions. Erin Cauley has joined Arlington/Roe’s workers’ compensation team. She has 14 years of prior combined account manager experience at two different retail agencies. Erin is a graduate of Northern Michigan University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Audrey Mertes has been promoted to senior broker at Arlington/Roe. She joined Arlington/Roe in 2012 as a broker specializing in workers’ compensation and general brokerage. Mertes has previous experience at a retail insurance agency where she was a client service manager and prior to that, she worked in personal lines and commercial lines as an account executive. Brittany Noller is now part of the agency relations coordinator team. She joined Arlington/Roe’s marketing team in 2015 and most recently worked in the company’s communications area. Noller now handles internal coordination for independent insurance agents in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin in addition to serving as a key liaison in the sales and marketing area with the continued development of the company’s agency management system. She is also responsible for agents outside of the company’s core states. Originally from Iowa, Noller has a business administration degree in marketing from the University of Iowa. Christina Lizotte, also part of the agency relations coordinator team, joined Arlington/Roe this year. She is responsible for internal coordination with independent insurance agents in Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan. Lizotte also acquires agency august 2019

information for these core states and makes sure mergers and acquisitions are processed efficiently. She focuses on ongoing effective communication and delivering excellent internal and external customer service while building and managing agency relationships. Lizotte has previous experience in the medical field after earning a degree from Central Michigan University. Lee Steffy joined Arlington/Roe in 2019 and is part of the agency relations coordinator team. He handles internal agent coordination in Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee and assists with marketing-related needs and ensures record accuracy. Steffy also serves as a liaison with Arlington/ Roe internal teams, providing information and support regarding agency relationships. His previous experience as an underwriter and sales agent for a large retail insurance company contributes to his ability to serve and communicate effectively with independent agents and internal teams. Steffy is a graduate of the University of Evansville with a degree in communication.

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Public & Specialty Transportation W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc./Interstate Risk Placement, Inc. understands the need to protect your customers by offering Commercial Auto Coverages for:

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Auto Liability limits available up to $5,000,000 Physical Damage UM / UIM Medical Payments Regulatory Filings for Federal & State available New Ventures considered

For more information, contact: Rick Sutton — ricks@was-irp.com Wendy Lucas— wendyl@was-irp.com Abby George, CIC, AFIS — abbyg@was-irp.com Dave Miller, CPCU — davidm@was-irp.com

W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc.

Interstate Risk Placement, Inc.

Phone: (618)233-0644 Fax: (618)233-0672

Phone: (309)692-8544 Fax: (309)693-0402

300 West Main Street PO Box 445 Belleville, IL 62222

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7320 N. Villa Lake Dr PO Box 3765 Peoria, IL 61612

9/18/2017 3:48:59 PM

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INSIGHT | classifieds for the insurance professional by the insurance professional

AGENCY LOOKING TO MERGE.

47. Central Illinois Independent Agency looking to merge with another Independent Agency. Owners are aging and looking for future perpetuation options. Agency is profitable and has a strong carrier line. Any inquiries will be held in strict confidence. Contact:

Tami Hubbell thubbell@iiaofil.org Reference #ALM47

AGENCY WANTED.

20. Since 2004, Central Illinois Agents Group LLC has been providing independent agents with a variety of markets with contingency opportunities. Agents have availability to several markets that they may not be able to sustain or maintain on their own. We have markets for personal, commercial, agricultural and crop insurance lines. Let us help you get to the next level.

Visit www.ciagonline.com for contact information.

AGENCY/AGENTS/PRODUCERS WANTED.

02. Forest Park/Oak Park agency for over 60 years, will meet your needs by providing space, markets, marketing & sales support, automation, merging with or purchasing your agency. Perpetuation/ Succession Plans, BuySell Agreements also available. We have experienced, educated and dedicated staff for you and your clients. Have access to our numerous companies, office services and many other resources. Retain ownership in your book with contingency. Please look closely at us- we are an agency you want to do business with! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done it before, we know how- we make it easy! Visit our website at forestagency.com/agents.html, or call for a confidential discussion and a list of Agency benefits.

OPPORTUNITIES/SPACE AVAILABLE/RETAIN OWNERSHIP

13. We are a 100 year old Northbrook agency looking to discuss any mutually beneficial opportunity. Our producers, mergers, clusters and agency purchases receive 50% commissions on new and renewal business without any expenses. We can provide: office space, phones, agency management system, service renewals and changes. The companies we represent are: Badger Mutual, Employers Mutual, General Casualty, Guide One, Hartford, Kemper, Progressive, Rockford Mutual, Safeco, State Auto, Travelers and Met Life. Contact:

Nancy Solomon Martini, Miller & Schloss, Inc. (847) 291-1313 Ron@martini-miller.com

SHARED SPACE FOR RENT

99. 6400 SF office located at 127 N. Walnut St., Itasca, has availability for startups, insurance agents, salespeople, consultants, professionals, etc.; who are in need of class A space without the cost. Monthly fees range from $375 and include: Receptionist/Clerical, internet, conference rooms, kitchen, classroom/break room. Printing and clerical services are also available. Short term or long-term rentals are available. Wed are in downtown Itasca across from the Metra station. Close to expressways. For information contact:

Dino Gavanes 630-779-0566 or dino_gavanes@advisersinc.com

Dan Browne will provide an agency evaluation/appraisal at little cost to you. Please call:

Dan Browne or Cathy Hall Forest Agency (708) 383-9000 www.forestagency.com/contact-us/mergersacquisitions/

insight

august 2019

Recruiting new talent. Target marketing. Competing for new business. Perpetuation planning.

As an independent agent, the path forward isn’t always clear. With Keystone, the best resources are at your fingertips to help you carve out clarity from our industry’s complexities. We connect you to a community of like-minded independent agents, provide access to relationships that extend beyond your geographic reach, and employ the expertise that expands opportunities for you and your clients.

Success is a journey. Let us be your guide.

Because independence works better together. ©2018 Keystone Insurers Group ®. All rights reserved. This does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise in any state in which the Keystone Insurers Group franchise is not registered.

Contact Matthew Fink: 570-473-4346 mfink@keystoneinsgrp.com keystoneinsgrp.com

Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Most classes approved, nationwide. It pays to get a quote from Applied.® For information call (877) 234-4450 or visit auw.com/us. Follow us at bigdoghq.com.