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INSIGHT
Olivia Overman
Alan Shulman
Claudia McClain
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Chairman of the Board - Allyson Padilla allyson@blanksinsurance.com
President - Patrick Taphorn, CIC, CSRM ptaphorn@unland.com
President-Elect - Thomas Evans, Jr. tom.evans@assuredpartners.com
Vice President - Chris Leming cleming@troxellins.com
Secretary/Treasurer - Cindy Jackman, CIC, CISR cjackman@arlingtonroe.com
IIABA National Director - George Daly george.daly@thehortongroup.com
Directors
Mohammed Ali - mali@aliminsurance.com
Charles Hruska, IV - chas@hruskains.com
David Jenk, Esq. - djenk@nwibrokers.com
Rebecca Kohn - rkohn@worthyinsurance.com
Lindsey Polzin - lpolzin@presidiogrp.com
Ray Roentz - ray.roentz@hwcrins.com
Noele Tatlock - ntatlock@unland.com
Luis Tayahua - lt@goldenowlinsurance.com
Sharon Waldvogel - sharon@infinitybrokersinc.com
Andrea Wallace - andrea@aadins.com
At-Large Directors
Amiri Curry - acurry@assuranceagency.com
Kevin Lesch - klesch09@gmail.com
Jeff McMillan - jeff@mcmillanins.com
James Sager - james@sagerins.com
Luke Sandrock, CIC - lsandrock@2cornerstone.com
Committee Chairs
Budget & Finance | Cindy Jackman, CIC, CISR cjackman@arlingtonroe.com
Education | Lisa Lukens salibainsurance@gmail.com
Farm Agents Council | Steve Foster s.foster@ciagonline.com
Government Relations | Dustin Peterson dustin@peterson.insurance
Planning & Coordination | Nick Gunn, CIC ngunn@envisionins.com
Technology | Brian Ogden brian@ogdeninsurance.com
Young Agents | Cody Imming cody@imminginsurance.com
Follow us on socials.
Big I Illinois Staff
Insurance Products Administrator
Director of Information and Technology
Director of Education and Agency Resources
Accounting & Admin Services
Director of Human Resources, Board Admin
Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer
Chief
Director
Director
Office Administrator
Director of Communications
Rebecca Buchanan (217) 321-3010 - rbuchanan@ilbigi.org
Shannon Churchill (217) 321-3004 - schurchill@ilbigi.org
Brett Gerger, CIC (217) 321-3006 - bgerger@ilbigi.org
Tami Hubbell, CIC (217) 321-3016 - thubbell@ilbigi.org
Jennifer Jacobs, SHRM-CP (217) 321-3013 - jjacobs@ilbigi.org
Mark Kuchar (217) 321-3015 - mkuchar@ilbigi.org
Phil Lackman, IOM (217) 321-3005 - plackman@ilbigi.org
Lori Mahorney, CISR Elite (217) 415-7550 - lmahorney@ilbigi.org
Evan Manning (217) 321-3002 - emanning@ilbigi.org
Kristi Osmond, CISR Elite (217) 321-3007 - kosmond@ilbigi.org
Rachel Romines (217) 321-3024 - rromines@ilbigi.org
Tom Ross, CRIS, CPIA (217) 321-3003 - tross@ilbigi.org
Carol Wilson, CPIA (217) 321-3011 - cwilson@ilbigi.org
CONVO Celebration
Wow what a celebration! Shame on you if you don’t know what I’m talking about. Of course, I’m talking about CONVO 2024 and the 125th PIIAI, IIA of Illinois, Big I Illinois (our own little “March of the Acronyms” celebration). This will be hard to duplicate, but luckily, we will have 124 more years to outdo it.
CONVO 2024 was a comprehensive experience, offering everything from golf to education, vendor and peer interaction, and even food trucks. The museum that Jennifer Jacobs put together was amazing, showing where the Association’s roots were and where we are now. The influx of new blood (young agents) is inspiring as they will get the Association to the 250th. Hopefully they unfreeze my cryogenically preserved body for the 250th.
The golf outing had record numbers, the education was incredibly relevant to our membership, and the speakers were A++++. The data guy was speaking my language as I love me some data. Zobrist was incredible, humble, relevant and engaging. I won’t hold the Cubs against him, as he is an Illinois guy and an ex-KC Royal (my team). His Royal World Series was a better performance than his Cubs (in my opinion).
If you didn’t get excited about the Association after all that, you should probably be checked for a pulse. If that wasn’t enough, Shannon Churchill, lead event planner, put on one of the best parties ever. The band was amazing! How nice was it to hear actual instruments? Seeing people dressed up was incredible and just made everything feel more like a celebration. That is exactly what it was, a celebration. Making it 125 years old as an association or any organization is so meaningful that many have led this organization to make it the success it is today. This is a testament to all the past, present, and future board and committee members and their leadership and guidance.
To past boards - Thank you for serving and maintaining the level of excellence that each previous board has established. To the current board - thank you four foresight to say yes and become a leader in your profession to hopefully make a difference and set the great example for the future boards. To future board members - say yes, make a difference, get this Association to 250.
2 Sense Brett’s
I also want to give a special shout-out to the entire staff for putting on an event of this caliber. The staff of 13 people (the smallest staff in quite some time) worked on this event for well over a year. Add in the name change we had at the beginning of the year, and your association staff knocked it out of the park this year! Kudos to you all!
If you have topics or speakers you’d like us to consider for a future event, let me know!
As always, this is just Brett’s 2 Sense and I hope it was helpful. You can contact me through my CONNECT and if it is urgent, do not hesitate to reach me through CONNECT. I may be pushing you to CONNECT. If you need any clarification or have any suggestions for future articles please email me at bgerger@ilbigi.org.
Proactive Education Creates Opportunities in the Hard Market
By Olivia Overman
Through proactive communication, diversification and investment in their agencies, independent agents are successfully navigating the hard market and laying the groundwork for future growth, according to the “2024 AgentCustomer Connection Study,” the latest research by Liberty Mutual and Safeco’s Agent for the Future.
The report explores how the hard insurance market is impacting both agents and customers, with 83% of agents saying this is the hardest market they can remember seeing. Also, 89% of customers said their insurance rates increased in the last year and 21% said it increased “significantly.”
Yet, customers don’t fully understand what’s causing rate increases, the report said. Only about 20% of insurance customers say they understand the market forces behind rising insurance rates. Insurance clients want their agents to help them understand, as 62% said it’s important for their agent to educate them on the changing market dynamics.
However, while 70% of independent agents say they are proactively communicating with their clients about market conditions, only 20% of customers said they first heard about a rate increase from their agent. More than half (58%) said they first learned about the increase when they noticed their bill amount changed.
There is an opportunity for agents to communicate their value as trusted advisors through improving proactive communication. Agents could improve customer satisfaction and retention by adapting their communication strategies, particularly when it comes to customers who have experienced significant rate increases, the report says.
“Insurance is a relationship business,” said Luke Bills, president of independent agent distribution at Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance. “In a hard market, those relationships have become even more important. We already know that customers rely on their independent agents for advice and expertise on their insurance coverage. But this research goes further to show that today’s customers are turning to their agent for even more. They want their agent to educate them on changing market conditions, help them better understand policy changes and provide advice on risk mitigation.”
According to the research, forward-thinking agents have stepped up to today’s challenges, adapting to meet clients’ needs and finding growth opportunities. Agencies that experienced an annual revenue increase of more than 10% reported three strategies: diversifying and shifting toward markets less impacted by the hard market; investing in new retention programs to keep existing clients happy; and positioning themselves for future growth by continuing to invest in new client acquisition programs, as well as hiring additional staff.
Amid the hard market, 65% of agents say their retention rates are the same or better than they were a year ago, and 69% say they are acquiring new clients at the same rate or better than the previous year.
“Hard insurance markets are challenging, but they don’t last forever,” Bills said. “It’s with a sense of optimism that I can say - and this research validates - that independent agents are well-positioned to weather this market and come out stronger, more resilient and customer-centric.”
Olivia Overman is IA Magazine content editor.
Production-Driven Goals
Set For Personal Lines CSRs
By Alan L. Shulman
Running a successful independent agency is a multi-faceted job. It’s a difficult balancing act that demands creating a constant flow of new business, while keeping insureds, employees and carriers reasonably happy. To accomplish this, principals can’t focus solely on production while letting their employees run on autopilot. Staff actions (and inactions), particularly those performed by front line employees, directly impact insured and insurer relations. In other words, managers must keep a watchful eye on everyone, but especially on customer service representatives (CSRs).
Reps are the heart and soul of every office. Without them, principals and producers would have to cope with the endless requests, quotes and problems that develop during the business day, which would stymie growth.
But CSRs should never be so valued that they’re given full autonomy. Like every employee, a CSR must be managed, like it or not. Without direction, unsupervised reps can adversely impact renewal ratios and new production. Commercial lines CSRs typically work closely with producers, minimizing these issues, while personal lines reps tend to work independently. Therefore, it’s these front office staffers that agencies must primarily monitor.
Goals
One of the most practical ways to keep an eye on personal lines CSRs is by establishing a selection of production-driven goals for each. These might deal with retention ratios, finding new prospects, closing sales, cross-selling, upselling, obtaining referrals, and other desirable, measurable actions. Establish a selection of numerical goals for specific activities for each CSR or for all reps as a group. Either way, it’s you who decides what’s important to the agency, not your staff. Examples: If you recognize that second-year personal lines retention is a problem, as it is for some offices, set retention targets for this specific renewal period instead of the rep’s entire personal lines book. And if your office thrives on referrals, set goals for attaining those as well.
Relationships
Goals are important, but establishing an environment where CSRs can actually achieve them is even more so. Do everything you reasonably can to make it easier for personal lines staffers to do their jobs the way you want them done. One such consideration is allocating a defined book of business to each CSR. In most offices, this apportionment is handled by dividing clients via an alphabetical split. This traditional approach is preferential to the first-available
approach used by call centers, as it allows one-on-one relationships to develop, making insureds and reps feel more comfortable when dealing with service and sales. Enhance this by encouraging CSRs to become professionally proficient with today’s social media, within agency-established parameters. This online action permits reps to enjoy a more contemporary level of communication with their insureds.
Support
Don’t let your reps think that they are in this “goal thing” entirely on their own. Give them what they need to be successful. No CSR can achieve assigned objectives, especially the sales-oriented ones, without adequate time to sell and the training to do it. There is plenty of industry material and expertise on developing CSR time efficiencies, including such automation time-savers as Real Time (getrealtime.org). Also provide your reps with creative marketing and sales training materials to give them the confidence to meet their numbers. Carrier-provided classes and those offered via the various designation programs are vital as well.
Value
Setting and tracking goals has value beyond the individual rep. Their singular achievements and failures serve as a window into your entire personal lines operation as they can help you to identify sales and operational successes and dysfunctions that you may otherwise miss. Accordingly, don’t use them as a disciplinary weapon. Instead, employ production-driven objectives to guide your reps and your agency in the right direction.
Alan Shulman, CPCU, is the publisher of Agency Ideas® sales and marketing newsletter. Get details at agencyideas.com.
How the Heck Do You Grow Personal Lines Departments Today?
By: Kelly Donahue-Piro
Is your personal insurance department stagnant or shrinking? Seems like an awful lot of work and frustration to not be growing, right? Often times simple switches can bring big results to help grow your personal insurance book of business. Many agencies spend the bulk of their time and effort on building the commercial book (which is excellent), but all too often personal lines starts to become second priority. The great news is all teams can win and grow with the right plan.
So what are top growing personal insurance teams up to these days? Well if you are feeling resistance and frustration in personal lines, find comfort in the fact that it’s a difficult time. Rates are going up, commissions are getting cut and most personal lines team members seem less than enthusiastic. It’s easier to stay focused on other departments. However, the team that needs you the most is personal lines.
Whenever teams have no direction, goals, tracking or plan, it’s easy for them to become apathetic. Your first step is to look in the mirror to see if you have been an awesome leader. If not, that’s ok because your future is still bright! Let’s get working on a plan to maximize and grow your personal insurance department.
It all starts with getting good at tracking 2 key sets of figures. First, you need to track your new business by person, policy and premium. Next, you need to identify your retention rate. To lead the troops you need to understand the math between what’s leaving and what’s coming in.
Now we can build goals. They should be obtainable but a stretch. Remember that by tracking those above figures you’ll be able to get a bump in the numbers. Your goals should be launched in a way that shares a plan on exactly how the goals will be hit. Launching your plan needs to be fun and exciting. Oh, and it needs to include incentives.
Every growing personal lines team has incentives. They should be ones that matter to the actual team members. We have been shocked at what some team members want – It can be as simple as jean day, pizza or Dunkin gift cards. Sometimes we fall into the trap of creating incentives based on what we think is best when really the team should dictate it.
Now you should have routine meetings to check in on the goals and work through challenges. This takes commitment. You have to meet with the team at least every 2 weeks. It’s critical that you make the commitment. If you fail to meet, don’t expect the results to be outstanding.
During the meetings share successes, challenges and the numbers. Celebrate wins and work through losses. You should always have at least 1 team training component in a meeting. Maybe a script, a best practices or a video.
Personal lines is easy to grow but you have to manage the team and lead the troops. Make it your purpose and the rest will follow through!
Kelly Donahue-Piro, founder and president of Agency Performance Partners, is a no-nonsense effectiveness expert who has helped hundreds of insurance agencies identify and capitalize on sustainable improvement opportunities. Connect with her on social platforms, via email at kelly@ agencyperformancepartners.com, or by phone at 401-4156205.
The Role of Technology in Consumerism
As we head toward 2025, one of the most significant transformations in the personal lines marketplace is the power of technology in shaping consumer decisions. Insureds today have access to an unprecedented amount of information at their fingertips. With just a few taps, consumers can compare quotes, read reviews, analyze coverage options, and make well-informed decisions on their home and auto insurance needs. This technological shift has created a savvier, more empowered customer base - one that expects speed, transparency, and personalized service in every interaction. The insurance industry is no exception, with consumers now relying more on digital platforms to purchase coverage than ever before. For insurers, this means that customer expectations are evolving rapidly, driving the need for innovation in service delivery and product design.
As Kristy Hoffman, Personal Lines Account Manager at J. Krug, notes, “The average cost of full coverage auto insurance is up 20.3% over last year, according to Nicole Ridgeway’s article in MoneySaver. This is a stark reminder of why maintaining a good credit score and staying informed on coverage options is more critical now than ever.”
Market Challenges: Home, Auto, and Umbrella Insurance
As we progress into the future, the personal lines insurance market continues to face numerous challenges that significantly impact insureds. Rates for both home and auto insurance are expected to rise by an average of 10%-15%, with homeowners in catastrophe-prone areas seeing even higher increases - up to 25%. These rate hikes are being driven by a combination of factors, including extreme weather events, inflation, and increased litigation costs. According to recent projections, 2025 will see these trends continue, placing a greater financial burden on homeowners and auto insurance policyholders alike.
A significant factor contributing to these rising costs is the surge in catastrophic weather events across the United States. According to USA Today, Illinois - traditionally not viewed as a tornado hotspot - has recorded the highest number of tornadoes in the country this year, surpassing states like Texas and Oklahoma. These unexpected spikes in natural disasters have created an environment of uncertainty for homeowners, who must now contend with rising premiums and more restrictive coverage options.
By Ashley Gallegos
Reinsurance and the Hard Market
One of the key drivers behind these increasing costs is the hard market in reinsurance. Reinsurers, who provide a crucial layer of financial protection for insurance companies, are tightening their belts due to the heightened risk environment. As reinsurers increase their prices and reduce their appetite for certain high-risk areas, these costs are being passed down to policyholders. The result is that homeowners in catastrophe-prone regions are not only seeing higher premiums but also facing the challenge of fewer available coverage options.
Adding to these challenges, the Insurance Information Institute highlights the significant increase in U.S. home insurance costs driven by a combination of natural catastrophe losses and extraordinary inflation. Legal system abuse has also played a role, with an uptick in litigated claims adding to the financial burden. Cumulative replacement costs spiked 55% between 2020 and 2022 - four times the U.S. inflation rate - due to supply chain disruptions and the rising costs of construction materials and labor. While these costs have started to moderate, they continue to outpace inflation, exacerbating the financial strain on homeowners.
In response, some major insurers, including AIG, Allstate, and State Farm, have reduced or even ceased offering coverage in certain states. For example, California and Florida are particularly hard-hit by these changes, as insurers withdraw from markets where they can no longer secure adequate rates to cover potential losses.
The Impact of Inflation and Repair Costs
In addition to weather-related risks, inflation and supply chain disruptions have driven up the costs of repairing homes and vehicles. This rise in costs directly impacts policyholders, as repair expenses increasingly exceed policy limits, leaving homeowners to pay the difference out of pocket. The Insurance Information Institute’s analysis highlights that the spike in construction materials and labor costs during the COVID-19 pandemic caused replacement costs to soar, increasing by 55% from 2020 to 2022. Although these
costs are beginning to stabilize, they continue to surpass the general inflation rate, placing further pressure on policyholders, especially in areas prone to natural disasters.
Auto insurance is similarly affected by inflation, as the costs of vehicle repairs and replacements skyrocket, exacerbated by the growing prevalence of high-tech vehicles, which are more expensive to repair. The economic ripple effects of these challenges are profound, particularly for middle-income households that may struggle to absorb these additional financial burdens.
The Future of Auto Insurance: Stability with Exceptions
Despite the rising costs, auto insurance availability remains relatively stable in most regions. However, California continues to be a notable exception. Due to regulatory constraints and catastrophic risks, many insurers have scaled back their offerings in the state, creating a reliance on nonstandard markets to fill the gap. While consumers in most states can expect stability in their auto insurance coverage, those in high-risk regions may face fewer choices and higher premiums as the market adapts to the evolving risk landscape.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 Insurance Marketplace
By 2025, we expect to see further consolidation in the personal lines marketplace, with insurers continuing to refine their offerings to adapt to the new realities of risk management. Weather-related losses, inflation, and a harder reinsurance market will continue to push rates higher, making it more critical than ever for consumers to be informed and proactive about their insurance coverage. Insurers, too, will need to innovate, leveraging technology to offer more personalized, flexible solutions that meet the evolving needs of today’s tech-savvy consumers.
Kristy Hoffman adds, “As we look toward the future, the role of technology and consumer education will be paramount. The market is changing rapidly, and consumers who understand the importance of factors like credit scores and coverage details will be better positioned to navigate the challenges ahead.”
Ashley Gallegos is the Director of Marketing for J.Krug and can be reached at agallegos@jkrug.com.
Sources: mintel.com, wtwco.com, usnews.com, usatoday.com, and iii.org
Developing a NICHE Fuel Growth to Personal Lines Agency
in Your
At the risk of dating myself seriously, I will share that I loved watching the television show Marcus Welby, MD in middle school. Starring Robert Young and James Brolin (I told you that I was dating myself!), Dr. Welby was a family practice doctor with a kind bedside manner. He was on a first-name basis with many of his patients, made house calls, and it seemed like he could cure any ill, no matter how complex.
As I entered my insurance career 45+ years ago, I wanted to be that kindly insurance agent who made house calls and could cure any potential risk that a client could conjure up by simply finding a company to insure the risk. I ran myself ragged, quoting a non-standard auto in the morning, and gathering vehicle and driver lists from an auto dealer in the afternoon. Fairly quickly I realized that it was difficult to be “kindly” when I didn’t have a clear focus or operational efficiencies.
While I didn’t realize it at the time, making the difficult decision to sell my small commercial lines book of business and focus 100% on personal lines was the first step to niche marketing. In those years, independent insurance agencies were all general practices writing both personal and commercial lines.
After this move we immediately experienced growth and greater profit in our agency, since we could design operational systems and marketing programs that were focused on our personal lines core.
Later, we fine-tuned our operations even further by eliminating cash payments in our agency, which not only freed our time but also tended to refine our PL niche toward a preferred client base. EFT and paid-in-full options were heavily promoted. Retention and profitability improved once again.
Somewhere around this time, an insurance coach started preaching the “niches to riches” theme, although it was focused on finding niches in commercial lines. We started thinking about how the premise could be applied to our personal lines agency.
By Claudia McClain
Today, some of the most interesting and energizing activities of our agency now revolve around:
• Identifying a niche and a team member with a passion for the niche
• Analyzing the niche for operational efficiency and profitability
• Partnering with compatible insurance carriers
• Target marketing to that niche
• Cross-selling to convert niche mono-line policies to fully rounded client accounts
After some success and an equal number of missteps, here is a summary of the filter we now use when considering a niche.
Identify a Niche
Our most successful niches have come from a team member’s personal experience. In the case of our earthquake niche, I grew up in Southern California where earthquake drop-and-cover drills were monthly occurrences. As home insurance carriers in WA started cancelling their earthquake endorsements, we knew there was both a need and an opportunity – not just with our clients, but for our competitors’ clients.
Our e-bike niche evolved when Nick Pembroke, our agency Vice President, had challenges finding coverage for his father’s newly acquired e-bike.
Fellow HawkSoft user and friend, Tom Larsen, has developed a highly successful rental real estate niche. He reports that he’s now having great success with an associated niche targeting Airbnb and VRBO rentals. He’s got a strong regional market that has an appetite for these risks and he’s noticed that when his current landlord clients start rehabbing their rentals, there is a good chance they are considering a conversion to short-term, seasonal rental.
The common denominator: all of us had a passion to find solutions to challenging insurance problems and then share them with our client base.
Analyze the Niche
Just because a need exists doesn’t mean that it will be easy or profitable to pursue as a niche. We look for opportunities where:
• Quoting is fast, easy, and has the potential to be automated in the future if not immediately
• Service requests are less than a typical personal lines policy
• Premiums and commissions have the potential to be at least 75% as high as the average of our other lines of business
• The niche introduces us to an affluent group of clients whose personal lines accounts can be acquired through client nurturing and cross-selling.
• Download into HawkSoft earns bonus points
Partner with Carriers
Ideally, there will be multiple carriers active in the niche so that if one carrier’s loss ratio or appetite wanes, you have other options.
In the case of the e-bike, we had to lobby multiple companies over years and were only able to get Safeco onboard. However, they are a solid agency partner for our other personal lines, so we felt they’d remain stable insuring this niche.
Never stop selling your vision for the niche, and don’t be afraid to ask for technology investments from the carrier that will allow you to write more business profitably. Thanks to strong relationships with our earthquake carriers, we were able to lobby for IVANS download and the development of a consumer-facing rating tool.
Target Your Marketing
• Start with your “acre of diamonds” by promoting your niche to your existing clients. Write blogs, include articles in your agency newsletter, add questions about the exposure to your annual protection review process.
• Keep in mind that if a client has a passion, they have friends who share that passion. Classic car owners hang out with other classic car owners. Now that your clients are properly insured, they will talk about you to their friends and family.
• Be social! Watch for friends’ and clients’ social media posts. Have they started a new home-based business? Reach out with congratulations, then ask if they’ve considered the insurance implications.
• Identify a team member who will be the point person for the niche. Ideally this is someone who shares the passion of the niche. Provide them time and incentives to learn, then work the niche. Our earthquake niche has grown and evolved so that we are able to designate one of our agents as our “Earthquake & Flood Specialist” and she works the niche full time.
• Develop a niche landing page or website that can serve as your platform for education and quoting.
• Sponsor community events related to the niche. We’ve been a sponsor of a city preparedness festival, complete with an earthquake simulator and Mutt Strutt which celebrates our canine fans. On our horizon is sponsorship of a 2-day classic car event.
Cross-Sell Monoline Policies
• Do the niche clients fit your ideal client profile for the rest of your personal lines business? If not, unless the niche generates significant revenue on its own, it may not be the best choice.
• Include mono-line niche clients in all agency communications, including your welcome sequence and newsletters, so that they will be aware that you can manage all their insurance needs.
• Develop an incentive program for your team so that those who are selling the niche product are encouraged to refer niche clients to your personal lines sales team, and vice versa.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Please understand that we’ve had our fill of hits and misses! Some of our past niche efforts where we’ve stubbed our toes include:
• Stand-alone water and sewer line coverage (not enough premium, no download)
• Stand-alone pet insurance (too many other sellers, no download, complaints)
• Stand-alone home warranty coverage (no download, too many complaints about claims denied)
• Home-based business insurance (we still hold out hope for this, but we lost our team member who had the passion for the niche and we haven’t been able to ramp up the marketing again)
Ultimately, we know that the more policies each client carries with an agency, the higher their retention. Retention is such a critical component to agencies’ organic growth that niche marketing may be a valuable tool for your agency.
This article originally appeared on the HawkSoft User Group website at https://hawksoftusergroup.org/blog/niches-toriches-in-personal-lines/.
Claudia McClain is the founder of McClain Insurance Services in Everett, WA.
ILLIN O I S
CONVO
October 15-17
Peoria, IL
Marriott Pere Marquette & Civic Center
125 Years of the Association…
Honoring our Past, Empowering our Future
As we began preparations for the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Association, one thing was clear. We wanted the event to reflect the people of the organization. We wanted to honor the people who laid the foundation for the industry we have today. We wanted to celebrate our current leadership and members, and we wanted to prepare us all for the future of the industry. The event, if successful, would reflect the mission of the Association in providing a sustainable competitive advantage for our members by showcasing the value of the membership and the Association together.
Wow… what an event to remember. Not only did we hit our goals, but feedback received from attendees ranked it as one of the best CONVOs ever. Here is a quick recap of what you missed…
• The Big I Illinois History Museum showcased the foundation of the Association and the beginning of our roots.
• Past Presidents were honored during a special gavel passing ceremony and celebration.
• Casino Night was fun, and prizes were won. More importantly, we raised money to support the Trusted Choice Disaster Relief fund and those suffering from the recent hurricanes. Donations can still be made at independentagent.com/trusted-choice/Pages/disaster-relief.
• Dr. Robert Hartwig, keynote speaker, shared an Outlook for the P&C industry and reviewed an enormous amount of data on the trends we are seeing and the future state of the market.
• Ben Zobrist hit it out of the park with his closing keynote presentation, in which he shared his personal story of overcoming adversity.
• The final keynote presenter, Charlie Lydecker, shared why he thinks insurance is the greatest industry in the world. Anybody pick up the book he mentioned yet? He shared insights on continuing to grow the industry through
Arthur
By Shannon Churchill
perpetuation and knowledge sharing. One thing Charlie said that sticks out to me was something along the lines of, “High potential people like to be around high potential people.” As I looked around the room, I realized he was right!
• We heard from a panel of insurance professionals about perpetuating the industry and answering key questions from young agents. It was a great “what you wish you could have told your younger self” session.
• There were 11 Breakout CE sessions on topics like cyber, perpetuation, E&O, and the state of the auto market, resulting in the filing of over 1,300 Illinois continuing education credits.
• Food trucks. The lines were long (lesson learned), but the wait was worth it! That is just one of the food functions and countless networking opportunities featured during the event.
• The 125th Celebration cannot be easily summarized using words. It’s one of those “you had to be there” scenarios. This special occasion included regular food stations, music, entertainment, and fun, which our Big Party usually features. But this year was special... This year, we had an illustrious past to celebrate and a bright future to toast to. And we did it right.
What was CONVO this year? It was a great remembrance of what makes our industry so great….the people. It was an honor to plan and put together an event to showcase the amazing members of our great Association.
Next year, we will be back in Peoria, October 7-9, 2025. Save the dates on your calendar now.
Shannon Churchill is the lead planner of CONVO, and is also the Director of Information & Technology for Big I Illinois. She can be reached at schurchill@ilbigi.org.
2024 Award Recipients
Arlington/Roe Names Andy Roe President & Chief Operating Officer and Patrick Roe
Executive Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
Andy Roe has been promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer and Patrick Roe has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Indiana-based Arlington/Roe, a managing general agency and wholesale insurance broker. Jim Roe continues as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Andy began his insurance career when he joined Arlington/ Roe in 2001, where he is a third-generation member of the family-owned business. Over the last 20 years, he has been involved in many facets of the organization by holding various roles from underwriting to departmental leadership.
Andy’s responsibilities include maintaining and directing the daily operations of the company as well as working with the leadership team to ensure performance expectations and strategic plan execution. He promotes company culture and is heavily involved with human resources. Andy also oversees financial operations and manages relationships with our carrier and agent partners.
Patrick joined his brother Andy at Arlington/Roe in summer, 2003 as the second member of the third generation of the Roe family. He first began working as a Personal Lines Assistant Underwriter and Underwriter. After five years, he transitioned to a Personal Lines Marketing Representative. In 2010, Patrick became Vice President and Director of Marketing. He was then promoted in 2020 to Senior Vice President for Sales & Marketing. He holds Certified Insurance Wholesaler (CIW) and Associate in Insurance (AINS) designations.
In 2024, he was promoted to Executive Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. In this role, Patrick identifies strategies and growth opportunities in our core states. He is engaged with agency partners to understand their needs, develops new sales strategies, and monitors marketplace changes. Patrick works closely with Andy Roe and Jim Roe to develop and implement sales strategies supporting growth.
Jim Roe has been preparing for this transition for some time as part of his commitment to perpetuating the family business. While he remains actively involved, this shift represents a gradual handover of daily operations to Andy (President & Chief Operating Officer) and Patrick (Executive Vice President & Chief Sales & Marketing Officer) allowing him to dedicate more of his efforts to overall strategy, governance and industry positioning. Jim emphasizes that he has no plans to step away, but rather is focusing on guiding the business’s long-term direction and success.
Encova Insurance Wins Gold-Level 2024 Ivans Spark Awards in Commercial Lines and Personal Lines
Encova Insurance has been recognized as a gold-level 2024 Ivans Spark Awards winner in both commercial lines and personal lines. Recipients were recognized for sparking digital connectivity by using technology to support the growth of their agency partners across the policy lifecycle –from marketing to quoting to servicing and renewals.
Out of more than 450 carriers, Encova is one of only six carriers to receive gold-level awards in both commercial lines and personal lines.
Since launching their innovative commercial lines solution, Encova has written over $1.3 billion in commercial lines premium on their platform. The solution is available to independent agents in 19 states. They launched a transformation of their personal lines offerings in 2020 and have continued to grow, which helped qualify them for the gold level this year. The transformation has included moving agents in 10 states to an industry-leading digital platform and will soon include transitioning their entire book of business to the modern, state-of-the-art system.
In Memoriam
Kevin Miller of Society Insurance died in July following a battle with cancer.
Kevin graduated from Illinois State University and had a career in the Insurance industry, most recently as the State Expansion Manager for Society Insurance. He started his career with Society in May 2014 as the regional sales manager in Chicago and then in 2019, was promoted to State Expansion Manager. Previously, he was a territory manager for Safeco. Kevin was well-liked and wellrespected in the industry.
Kevin met his wife Tammy at work and they clicked instantly. They got married in 2003 and enjoyed a beautiful honeymoon in Positano, Italy. He was devoted to his family and put his children, Kate and Jerry, and wife above everything else in life. He treasured each and every minute he had with them and was constantly thinking of ways to have fun with them and give them new experiences.
The Big I Illinois staff and board of directors extend our sincere condolences to Kevin’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Thank you to our Associate Members.
Diamond Level
Platinum Level
Progressive
Surplus Line Association of Illinois
Silver Level
IMT Insurance
Gold Level
Arlington/Roe
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of IL
Pekin Insurance
Keystone Insurance Group, Inc.
SECURA Insurance
Bronze Level
A. J. Wayne & Associates
AAA, The Auto Club Group
AMERISAFE
AmTrust Insurance
Amwins
Apollo Brokers dba Limit
Auto-Owners Insurance Co.
Berkley Aspire
Berkley Management Protection
Berkley Small Business Solutions
Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
Bliss McKnight
BluSky Restoration Contractors, LLC
Boundless Rider
BriteCo Jewelry & Watch Insurance
Central Illinois Mutual Insurance Company
Chubb
Columbia Insurance Group
Cornerstone National Insurance Company
Cowbell Cyber
Donald Gaddis Company, Inc.
Donegal Insurance Group
EMC Insurance
Encova Insurance
Erie Insurance Group
Foremost Choice Property & Casualty
Forreston Mutual Insurance Company
Frankenmuth Insurance
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company
IA Valuations
Illinois Mine Subsidence Ins Fund
Illinois Public Risk Fund
Imperial PFS
Independent Mutual Fire Insurance Company
Indiana Farmers Insurance
Insurance Program Managers Group (IPMG)
J M Wilson
Liberty Mutual/Safeco Insurance
Madison Mutual Insurance Company
Main Street America Insurance
Maximum Independent Brokerage, LLC
MEM
Mercury Insurance Group
Method Workers Comp
Midwest Insurance Company
Nationwide
NHRMA Mutual Workers’ Compensation
Paychex HR and Payroll Solutions
Pinnacle Minds, Inc.
Rhodian Group
Rockford Mutual Ins. Co.
ServiceMaster DSI
Society Insurance
SPRISKA - Specialty Risk of America
Steadily
Summit Insurance
Travelers
UFG Insurance
Universal Property & Casualty
Utica National Insurance Group
W. A. Schickedanz Agency, Inc./Interstate Risk Placement
West Bend Insurance Company
Western National Insurance
Westfield
XPT Specialty
In Memoriam
Nancy Solomon, 86, of Lake Forest, IL, passed away on October 21, 2024.
Born Nancy Levin, she married her beloved husband, Ronald Y. Solomon, 66 years ago. Together, they raised two children, Donald L. Solomon (wife Andi) and Julie A. Clarke (husband Philip). Nancy was a proud grandmother to Jenna Solomon, Bradley Solomon (wife Traia), Mathew Baker, and Jessica Baker.
She is survived by her sisters, Susan Neumann (husband Jim) and Jayne Sangerman (husband Charlie), as well as her late brother, Billy Levin. Nancy will be greatly missed by her many cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and the many insurance professionals she taught over her long career.
“Many insurance agents and members today can remember a course they sat through with Nancy as the instructor,” said Shannon Churchill, past Education Director who worked closely with Nancy. “Her love of teaching was evident in every class she taught, and her colorful storytelling and humor were a guarantee with each one. She was a joy to work with, and I loved how she would always want to share experiences with others to grow the industry.”
Small Business Insurance
The traditional coverage your customers need. The customized options your customers desire. The affordable price your customers deserve.
We’ve been successfully protecting small businesses since 1983.
ILLINOIS
Cody Imming
Young Agents Committee Chair
Imming Insurance Agency, Carlyle, IL
Commercial Lines Account Manager
Rebecca Kohn Director
Worthy Insurance, Skokie, IL
Principal
Number of Years with Agency: 14
Year You Started in Insurance: 2010
Education: JD, Fordham University
Number of Years with Agency: 9
Year You Started in Insurance: 2015
Education: Went to Kaskaskia Junior College to play golf, then Rockford University to play two more years of golf before transferring to SIUE to receive his Bachelor’s in Science and Minor in Business.
What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today? Getting people involved.
What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges? Letting people understand what the Association does and how it will help you.
What do you see at the greatest benefit to Big I Illinois membership? The Networking with other agents, finding out what they do that might help you in your business.
What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges? Arranging member agency-hosted CE-earning lunch-and-learn style events to draw more participation with minimal associated costs.
Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities: Four years as Commission Member, Lincolnwood Human Relations Commission
What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today?
Membership and member participation.
Andrea Wallace
Director
Aadvantage Insurance Group, Edwardsville, IL
Director of Operations
Number of Years with Agency: 15
Year You Started in Insurance: 1996
Education: Southern Illinois University
- B.S. in Workforce Education and Development
What do you see at the greatest benefit to Big I Illinois membership? Being part of a larger insurance community; access to a large knowledge sounding board; as a small agency, giving our employees access to mentorship and community.
Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities:
Edwardsville Art Fair
Edwardsville ARTini
Neighborhood Bakery
Glen Ed Food Pantry
Veda’s Closet
Faith Coalition
Wreaths Across America
Got Your Six Support Dogs
USO Food Drive
Luis
Tayahua Director
Golden
Owl Insurance, Berwyn, IL President
Number of Years with Agency: 9
Year You Started in Insurance: 1999
Education: Devry University
Current or Past Civic, Political, or Community Service Activities:
Current President of the Summit Chamber of Commerce
What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today?
At the moment, I think the biggest thing across the board for all agents, captive and independents, is pricing and underwriting guidelines. We’ve all seen the price increases by our companies. The biggest advantage brokers had was that we were able to shop around to find a better price for our clients. Now with stricter underwriting guidelines it’s hard to find a company that will take them at still have a competitive price.
Sharon Waldvogel Director
Infinity Brokers, Roselle, IL
Year You Started in Insurance: 1989
Designations: CISR, PISA
What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today?
The major challenge facing our Association today is that we don’t have enough youth to fill the gaps of those retiring.
What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges?
To respond to these challenges, we must re-engage with our young people and express the importance of building relationships, especially in this world of future AI.
What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges?
Network with your fellow agents in the industry, and talk amongst each other. Most companies and markets I have found that can help are through word of mouth or at insurance expos. There’s always a solution out there you just have to go out there and find it.
What do you see at the greatest benefit to Big I Illinois membership?
Big I Illinois opens your eyes to how big the insurance industry really is. It’s truly, to me, the best resource you can have as an independent agent. I know that I have someone to call when I really need help with something. Their opinion is always sincere, never clouded by what companies they do business with. I feel like they are here for us, the agents, and not the insurance companies, and that’s something you don’t get every day.
What do you feel are major challenges facing our Association today?
Some major challenges for the Association will continue to be mergers and acquisitions, legislative changes, and talent acquisition. Finding ways to provide value to all of these challenges can be done and the Association has or knows the right people to get the job done!
What suggestions do you have to respond to these challenges?
I think the Association has done a great job by evolving its services, maintaining strong advocacy for all members, and
What do you see at the greatest benefit to Big I Illinois membership?
The Big I Illinois membership provides the vehicle to gather and network outside the office ‘water cooler’ of our workfrom-home world.
fostering an inclusive environment that supports agencies of all sizes. The Association has the tools, we just need to share the availability to all members.
What do you see at the greatest benefit to Big I Illinois membership?
Big I Illinois membership offers advocacy on your behalf, exclusive resources and tools. Whether you are looking for education, networking, and resources, all designed to support the growth and success of independent agents throughout the state, are available with Big I Illinois!
WEST BEND
THE BEST REMEDY FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
West Bend has a long history of writing workers’ compensation insurance. Our underwriters are knowledgeable and experienced. Our loss control reps have the expertise and tools to help keep employees safe. And our claims practices are the best in class.
From Main Street-type businesses to specialty businesses like food trucks, West Bend has the experience and expertise to protect businesses of many kinds and many sizes. We want to write all of your workers’ compensation business, small to large!
When you select West Bend for your valued customers, you can rest assured you made the right choice. After all, we are the best remedy for workers’ compensation.
To find an agent near you, visit thesilverlining.com.
LOOKING FOR AN EXIT STRATEGY?
25. Are you looking for an exit strategy while still continuing to produce for a few years or are you ready to sell now? Paczolt Insurance would like to talk with you! We are an independent agency dating back to the 1970s that is located in the western suburbs. Our focus is on mid-tosmall commercial accounts and personal lines. Our companies include EMC, Badger Mutual, Safeco, Progressive, and Travelers. We have the flexibility and capital to get a deal done. Contact:
Susan Troppito Paczolt Insurance susan@piaigroup.com (708) 215-5202
AGENCY FOR SALE
25. Small Agency for sale, including AMS360 management system, website, six carriers, VOIP phone system including a complete crm for insurance agents from Bridge, an Orange Partner with Vertafore. Ideal for an insurance professional expecting a fast start to build with everything in place.
For more information, contact Tami Hubbell, Big I Illinois, at thubbell@ilbigi.org.
PERSONAL LINES SALES REPRESENTATIVE POSITION AVAILABLE
24. Come join our team! Madison Mutual has an opening for a licensed professional insurance agent in our Midwest Preferred Insurance Services office located in Collinsville, IL. The individual must currently hold an insurance producer’s license and have 3+ years of insurance agency experience. Visit the MMIC website Careers page for additional information: madisonmutual.com/careers. Also, explore our social media pages to see for yourself why MMIC is a great place to work!
Send your salary requirements and resume to: careers@madisonmutual.com
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, Buy-Sell 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! We’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.
Dan Browne will provide an agency evaluation/appraisal at little cost to you. Please call:
Dan Browne or Cathy Hall Forest Insurance (708)383-9000 www.forestinsured.com/mergers-acquisitions
Genuine relationships
SECURA’s team of insurance experts is making insurance genuine. They are here to support you and your clients. Our underwriting teams are quick to reply, open-minded, and know their stuff. Plus they are backed by our caring claims group who will get your clients back on their feet.
Interested in building a relationship? Contact us at secura.net/IL-agents
Hear from our experts
Want to learn more about what SECURA has to offer?
Scan the QR code or visit secura.net/IL-agents for more information about the SECURA team.
