Insurance Journal West 2013-12-16

DECEMBER 16, 2013 | VOL. 91, NO. 24

NATIONAL

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On The Cover

Special Report:

Inside This Issue

IICF, Sesame Workshop Team Up for Literacy

December 16, 2013 • Vol. 91 No. 24 • National

20

31

32

16

NATIONAL COVERAGE

IDEA EXCHANGE

DEPARTMENTS

8 U.S. Insurance Broker Sector Outlook Positive for 2014: Fitch

28 Viewpoint: How Volunteering Changes Lives, Ours and Others’

6 12 14 14 17 29

8 A.M. Best Special Report: Homeowners Profitability Is an Ongoing Challenge 8 Commercial Lines Price Gains Slowing Down: Towers Watson

31 Growing Your Property Casualty Agency: Alan Shulman

Opening Note Business Moves Declarations Figures People MyNewMarkets

34 Closing Quote: Encouraging a Charitable Company Culture

16 Closer Look: 10 Things to Know About Winter Sports 18 Special Report: IICF, Sesame Workshop Team Up for Literacy 20 Special Report: How Agents and Brokers Help Communities Nationwide 24 Special Report: How Insurance Industry Associations Help Those in Need 26 Wood Gutmann & Bogart Helps Employee with Spinal Injury

4 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

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Opening Note A Time to Give

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t’s that time of year again — the time of year when many consider giving gifts to family, friends, co-workers and those in need. But giving is not about the time of year. Giving is a way of life — a way of life that many organizations in the property/casualty industry support.

According to a study conducted by McKinsey & Co. and supported by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), the P/C industry gave more than $500 million to charities in 2010. That level of giving is on target with other financial services industries, says Bill Ross, CEO of IICF. But what that $500 million figure doesn’t tell is the story behind those donations.

“In the community, the business of insurance is really a personal business where insurance leaders and insurance employees are actively engaged in their community,” Ross says. “It’s part of the nature of their business.” And that is the story that is often never Community service is part of told, he adds.

During the IICF’s annual the nature of insurance.

“Week of Giving,” which took place in October, insurance industry volunteers sprang to action in 21 states.

Going into the event, industry professionals had already logged 166,000 volunteer hours of service to community nonprofits through the IICF’s “Week of Giving” campaign.

“People went out to volunteer as groups of employees, as partners of companies and as individuals to participate,” Ross says. “Some people who couldn’t even get out of their office, stayed in their office and took the time to write letters to servicemen to say thanks for your efforts.”

But the IICF’s “Week of Giving” is just one week in the year. The insurance industry gives much more in time, service and financial donations throughout the entire year.

This special issue of Insurance Journal tells a few of those tales of giving and serving the community through charitable deeds. It’s only a glimpse of the thousands of generous deeds performed every year by insurance organizations nationwide.

Insurance Journal received many more charitable tales than the pages of this magazine could hold, so more stories, including those of carriers and wholesalers, will be featured online at InsuranceJournal.com as 2013 comes to a close.

We thank you for sharing your charitable tales with us.

But most of all we thank you for doing so much good in the communities that you serve. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a prosperous New Year.

Andrea Wells Editor-in-Chief 6 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Andrea Wells | awells@insurancejournal.com V.P. Content Andrew Simpson | asimpson@insurancejournal.com East Editor Young Ha | yha@insurancejournal.com Southeast Editor Michael Adams | madams@insurancejournal.com South Central Editor/Midwest Editor Stephanie K. Jones | sjones@insurancejournal.com West Editor Don Jergler | djergler@insurancejournal.com International Editor Charles E. Boyle | cboyle@insurancejournal.com Senior Editor Susanne Sclafane | ssclafane@insurancejournal.com ClaimsJournal.com Editor Denise Johnson | djohnson@claimsjournal.com MyNewMarkets.com Associate Editor Amy O’Connor | aoconnor@mynewmarkets.com Columnists Alan Shulman Contributing Writers David Coons, Joanna O’Hanlon SALES V.P. Sales & Marketing Julie Tinney (800) 897-9965 x148 | jtinney@insurancejournal.com West Dena Kaplan (800) 897-9965 x115 | dkaplan@insurancejournal.com South Central Mindy Trammell (800) 897-9965 x149 | mtrammell@insurancejournal.com Midwest Lauren Knapp (800) 897-9965 x161 | lknapp@insurancejournal.com Southeast Howard Simkin (800) 897-9965 x162 | hsimkin@insurancejournal.com East Dave Molchan (800) 897-9965 x145 | dmolchan@insurancejournal.com New Markets Sales Manager Kristine Honey | khoney@insurancejournal.com Classifieds, Jobs, Agencies Wanted/For Sale Ly Nguyen (800) 897-9965 x125 | lnguyen@insurancejournal.com MARKETING/NEW MEDIA Marketing Administrator Gayle Wells | gwells@insurancejournal.com Advertising Coordinator Erin Burns (619) 584-1100 x120 | eburns@insurancejournal.com New Media Producer Bobbie Dodge | bdodge@insurancejournal.com Videographer/Editor Matt Tolk | mtolk@insurancejournal.com DESIGN/WEB V.P. of Design Guy Boccia | gboccia@insurancejournal.com V.P of Technology Joshua Carlson | jcarlson@insurancejournal.com Design and Marketing Executive Derence Walk | dwalk@insurancejournal.com Web Developer Jeff Cardrant | jcardrant@insurancejournal.com Web Developer Chris Thompson | cthompson@insurancejournal.com IJ ACADEMY OF INSURANCE Director of Education Christopher J. Boggs | cboggs@ijacademy.com Online Training Coordinator Barbara Whiffen | bwhiffen@ijacademy.com ADMINISTRATION Chairman Mark Wells Chief Executive Officer Mitch Dunford Chief Financial Officer Mark Wooster | mwooster@wellsmedia.com Cover Image: TM/© 2013 Sesame Workshop

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Insurance Journal, The National Property/Casualty Magazine (ISSN: 00204714) is published semi-monthly by Wells Media Group, Inc., 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92108-1747. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Diego, CA and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $7.95 per copy, $12.95 per special issue copy, $195 per year in the U.S., $295 per year all other countries. DISCLAIMER: While the information in this publication is derived from sources believed reliable and is subject to reasonable care in preparation and editing, it is not intended to be legal, accounting, tax, technical or other professional advice. Readers are advised to consult competent professionals for application to their particular situation.

Copyright 2013 Wells Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Content may not be photocopied, reproduced or redistributed without written permission. Insurance Journal is a publication of Wells Media Group, Inc. POSTMASTER: Send change of address form to Insurance Journal, Circulation Department, PO Box 3618, Northbrook, IL 60065-3618 ARTICLE REPRINTS: For reprints of articles in this issue, contact Rhonda Brown at 1-866-879-9144 ext. 194 or rhondab@fosterprinting.com.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

News & Markets U.S. Insurance Broker Sector Outlook Positive for 2014: Fitch

R

evenue and earnings growth for U.S. insurance brokers in 2014 is expected to improve modestly over 2013, according to a report by Fitch Ratings.

Fitch, which issued a stable rating outlook and positive sector outlook for the insurance broker market, said its outlook reflects its analysts’ expectation that “prospective operating performance and balance sheet strength will remain supportive of the existing ratings” for the brokers in Fitch’s ratings universe.

Despite anticipating modest improvement in key credit fundamentals in 2014, Fitch said it sees limited potential for upgrades over the next 12 to 24 months.

Fitch said its positive sector outlook recognizes that the “continued but moderating trend of pricing improvement” in many commercial insurance business classes should provide a tailwind for organic growth at least through the first half of 2014.

Fitch also said that “favorable operating fundamentals” are anticipated to improve profit margins modestly and interest coverage for larger brokers going forward. New business opportunities should also benefit from continued economic improvement that will likely yield modest gains in insured exposures. The disruption caused by the rapidly evolving healthcare environment should be especially beneficial for the employee benefits and consulting businesses of the insurance brokers, Fitch said.

A.M. Best Special Report: Homeowners Profitability Is an Ongoing Challenge

D

espite the various strategies employed by companies that write the business, homeowners insurance historically has produced volatile underwriting performance, according to A.M. Best.

And while strategies to make homeowners insurance more profitable have intensified with advancements in technology over the past 10 years, through 2012 there have been only four years in the past 20 years that have produced combined ratios below 100, A.M. Best stated.

Those four years benefited from fewer catastrophe events, the beginning of some price firming and the initial stages of exposure management and control. From an underwriting perspective, since 1992 the combined ratio in the homeowners line has fluctuated from a low of 89.0 in 2006 to a high of 158.4 in 1992, according to A.M. Best.

Year-to-year fluctuations of 10 points or more have occurred 10 times in the past 20

8 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

years, according to the report.

Homeowners is one of the U.S. property/casualty segment’s leading product lines, representing roughly 15 percent of net premiums written as of year-end 2012.

Generating operating profits in the face of growing competition and treacherous patterns of localized catastrophes always has been a concern in managing property books of business, A.M. Best stated.

Before Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and in the absence of a hurricane making landfall since 2008, writers with significant coastal exposure worked to develop books of property business farther inland. However, some companies that fled coastal hurricane risks experienced significant noncoastal catastrophe losses.

Despite volatile catastrophic activity over the past several years, there have been few rating actions related to single, severe catastrophes, A.M. Best said.

Commercial Lines Price Gains Slowing Down

P

rice gains are slowing down after commercial insurance prices increased for the 11th straight quarter, rising by 5 percent in aggregate during third-quarter 2013, according to Towers Watson.

The professional services company’s third-quarter update to its Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey shows that the magnitude of the 5 percent price-level increase is below the 6 to 7 percent gains of the past six quarters.

According to Towers Watson, price hikes by line of business were lower than those reported in the second quarter in all lines with the exeception of employment practices liability, where price increases spiked into double digits. The next biggest gains were in the workers’ compensation and commercial auto lines, with price increases for most lines falling in the mid-single digits, according to the report.

No line of business reported a price decrease.

Other findings showed mid-market accounts had higher price increases than large and small commercial accounts, and specialty lines prices increased at a lower rate than standard lines.

The survey compares carriers’ pricing on policies underwritten during the third quarter of 2013 to those underwritten in the same quarter of 2012.

Towers Watson said that survey respondents are reporting improved loss ratios, with accident-year 2013 ex-catastrophe loss ratios anywhere from 3 to 6 points better than accident-year 2012, and that earned price increases are more than offsetting low reported claim cost inflation.

Carriers surveyed estimate no claims cost inflation for 2013 on average, although the median response was just under 3 percent, the survey shows. www.insurancejournal.com

Who insures you doesn’t matter. Until it does.

Financial Strength and Exceptional Claim Service Property | Liability | Executive Protection | Workers Compensation | Marine | Surety Homeowners | Auto | Yacht | Jewelry | Antiques | Accident & Health

Chubb Group of Insurance Companies (“Chubb”) is the marketing name used to refer to the insurance subsidiaries of The Chubb Corporation.

For a list of these subsidiaries, please visit our website at www.chubb.com. Actual coverage is subject to the language of the policies as issued.

Chubb, Box 1615, Warren, NJ 07061-1615. ©2012 Chubb & Son, a division of Federal Insurance Company.

Greetings from all of us at Texas Mutual Insurance Company, including those pictured this page (l to r) Jim Kohloff, VP Claim Operations; Ken Lauber, VP Business Development; Jeanette Ward, SVP Claim; Steve Math, SVP Underwriting; Jeff Skaggs, VP Austin Region; Frank Elmen, Manager Dallas Regional Premium Audit; Linda Martin, Manager Information Services; Robert Zapata, Sr. Manager Lubbock Regional Claims & Facilities.

(800) 859 -5995 H www.texasmutual.com Pictured this page (l to r) Rich Gergasko, President/CEO; Martin Bali, Manager Austin Regional Premium Audit; Ernest Stokey, VP Premium Audit & Recovery; Bill Jackson, VP Dallas and Lubbock Regions; Tim Osmond, Sr. Manager Dallas Regional Claims; Bobby Kellum, Manager Houston Regional Premium Audit; Barbara Caraway, Sr. Manager Austin Regional Claims; Barbara Drollinger, VP Houston Region. Š 2013 Texas Mutual Insurance Company

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Business Moves Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Van Gilder offers business insurance, employee benefits programs, risk management services and personal insurance products for individuals.

By acquiring Van Gilder, USI’s footprint has been extended into the Rocky Mountain region.

Van Gilder will change its name to USI Colorado, however the company’s office and employees will remain in Denver and Van Gilder President Donald McG. Woods and Chief Financial Officer Edward M. Harrington Jr. will remain in their leadership roles, according to the company.

USI operates out of roughly 100 offices across the United States.

AmWINS Acquires Bliss & Glennon, eReinsure AmWINS Group Inc. has reached a definitive agreement with Fortegra Financial Corp. to acquire Bliss & Glennon, an excess and surplus lines wholesale insurance broker and managing general agency in California, and eReinsure, an online platform for managing the placement of facultative reinsurance.

The acquisition is expected to close following standard regulatory approval.

Bliss & Glennon has offices in California and six other states. Salt Lake City, Utahbased eReinsure provides Internet-based technology solutions for managing reinsurance transactions. The company also has offices in New York City and London.

Following the close of this deal AmWINS will employ more than 3,200 employees in 108 offices across 17 countries.

AmWINS is a specialty distributor of insurance products and services. The firm is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. USI Insurance Acquires Van Gilder in Colorado Valhalla, N.Y.-based USI Insurance Services has entered into an agreement to acquire Van Gilder Insurance Corp. in Denver, Colo.

12 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

Horner Insurance Services, South & Western Join Forces Dallas, Texas-based South & Western General Agency Inc. has merged with Horner Insurance Services Inc. of Memphis, Tenn.

As an MGA specializing in commercial transportation, Horner Insurance Services brings additional markets and expertise to the existing commercial transportation facilities at South & Western.

Based in Memphis, Gene Horner Jr. will lead a combined unit as president of commercial transportation. Existing underwriting staff at Horner Insurance Services will continue to provide commercial transportation products to retail agents throughout the mid-South and Southwest.

South & Western offers specialty insurance products to independent agents throughout the mid-South and Southwest.

Leavitt Group The Leavitt Group announced a merger of three of their Southern California agencies.

The merger will include the Covina office of Valley Insurance Service, employee benefits agency Leavitt Benefits Insurance Services of Southern California, and the Santa Ana office of Pridemark-Everest

Insurance Services.

All three agencies will join in the existing Santa Ana location and will operate as Leavitt Insurance Services of Southern California. The merger will not affect current accounts, and clients will continue to work with the same personnel. Phone numbers will remain the same.

The three agencies have worked together in their region for several years.

The Leavitt Group offers property/casualty insurance, risk management, employee benefits and other services.

JLT Towner, Charter Risk JLT Towner Insurance Management (USA) LLC, announced its acquisition of Charter Risk Management Services LLC, a Connecticut captive management company.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Under the transaction, Thomas F.X. Hodson, Charter’s president and chief executive officer, will lead Burlington, Vt.-based JLT Towner’s Connecticut office.

Charter was co-owned by The Compass Company Consultants LLC, an Albany, N.Y.-based risk management subsidiary of New York City-based Park Strategies LLC. JLT Towner is purchasing Compass’ ownership in Charter and part of Hodson’s interest.

JLT Towner is an independent captive insurance management and captive consulting company.

Gunn-Mowery, Wells Fargo Insurance Gunn-Mowery, an independent agency in Pennsylvania, announced the asset acquisition of Wells Fargo Insurance’s Camp Hill, Penn., operation. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Approximately 10 Wells Fargo Insurance professionals will join Gunn-Mowery following the transaction.

The combined operations will manage more than $80 million of insurance premiums and will include more than 60 employees in Gunn-Mowery’s regional offices in Pennsylvania.

Founded in 1985, Gunn-Mowery offers commercial and personal insurance, group and individual benefits. www.insurancejournal.com

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December 16, 2013 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL | 13

NATIONAL COVERAGE

Declarations Odor Battle

“We believe it’s a strong ruling that acknowledges and is reflective of the concerns that the community has raised about the health impacts of the odor.”

— Irwindale, Calif., City Attorney Fred Galante applauded a decision by a judge that the factory that manufactures Sriracha hot sauce must partially shut down after neighbors complained of the spicy smells it was producing.

How Much?

Essential Contribution

“It used to be, ‘Do I need earthquake coverage?’ Now it’s changed to, ‘How much insurance do I need? … I never thought it would be a concern, but anything can happen here.”

— Oklahoma City insurance agent Matt Pryor comments on the increased interest in earthquake insurance among Oklahomans. Since 2008, the state has experienced an uptick in the number of temblors occurring there each year, increasing from a handful of magnitude-3.0 earthquakes or greater annually to around 40 per year from 2009 to 2013.

“This is a city and a state which recognizes and acknowledges the essential contribution of your industry to our economic good health.”

— Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Joseph Murphy on the state’s insurance market.

Speaking at a Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents’ Boston event in November, Murphy noted that the state’s overall insurance market is a $43 billion industry, directly employing more than 100,000 people.

Rooting Out Bad Apples

“The state has to have some authority over who are the navigators. … We have to be able to root out any bad apples.”

— Missouri State Sen. Scott Rupp, R-Wentzville. A new Missouri law requiring insurance counselors to receive at least 30 hours of training and pay a small fee in order to help online shoppers negotiate the federal health insurance exchange has been challenged in court by a coalition of medical organizations and healthcare advocates.

Figures 82.4% Is the percentage people riding in vehicles who were buckled up this year, according to an annual survey by the Utah Department of Public Safety. The state’s annual seatbelt observational study found 81.9 percent who were buckled up in the 2012 survey.

3.6% The average workers’ comp rate increase that New Jersey businesses will see in 2014. New Jersey’s Banking and Insurance Commissioner Kenneth Kobylowski approved the increase in rates and rating values applicable to New Jersey workers’ comp and employers’ liability insurance effective Jan. 1, 2014, on a new and renewal basis.

14 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

2,000 The approximate number of new roofs — with a value of just under $24 million — installed in Hutchinson, Kan., since a severe hailstorm hit the area on July 23. Until recently the city was issuing an average of 110 roofing permits a week, with an average value of $1.3 million. During the last week of November, 21 permits for new roofs valued at $117,783 were issued, the lowest numbers during the 18-week period.

$360 Million

The amount in premium that Louisiana flood policyholders currently pay to the National Flood Insurance Program, which is the third most NFIP premium in the nation, after Florida and Texas. As of Sept. 30, there were about 483,000 NFIP policies in force in Louisiana. The state insurance department has joined a lawsuit filed by Mississippi against the federal government to block rates from increasing under the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act. www.insurancejournal.com

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CLOSER LOOK

Winter Sports 10 Things to Know About Skiing & Snowboarding The preliminary estimate of the number of U.S. skier/snowboarder visits for the 2012/2013 season is 56.6 million. The Rocky Mountain region had the most visits, with 19.5 million, followed by the Northeast region, with 13.3 million.

Source: National Ski Areas Association (NSAA)Â

There were 477 U.S. ski areas in operation during the 2012/13 season.

Source: NSAA - Kottke National End of Season Survey

Direct spending at U.S. resorts in the 2011/12 ski season totaled $5.8 billion.

Source: NSAA

During the 2012/13 season, 60 percent of alpine skiers were male, as were 67 percent of snowboarders and 60 percent of cross country skiers. Forty percent of alpine skiers, 33 percent of snowboarders and 40 percent of cross country skiers were women.

Source: Physical Activity Council – 2012/13 SIA SnowSports Participation Report

Seventy percent of all skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2012/2013 ski season, up from the reported 67 percent helmet use during the 2011/12 season. By comparison, only 25 percent of skiers/snowboarders wore helmets during the 2002/2003 season.

Source: NSAA 16 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

An average of 41.5 people per year died while skiing/snowboarding over the past decade. There were 54 fatalities in the 2011/12 season, out of the 51 million skier/snowboarder days reported for the season; 36 were reported as wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.

Source: NSAA

Serious injuries (paralysis, serious head, and other serious injuries) among skiers/ snowboarders occur at an average rate of about 44.7 per year. During the 2011/12 season, there were 51 serious injuries; 30 of those were reported as wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. The rate of serious injury in 2011/12 was one per million skier/snowboarder visits.

Source: NSAA Most fatalities occur among a predominantly male (85 percent) population in their late teens to late 30s (70 percent). Less than 10 percent of fatally injured skiers/snowboarders are under 10 or over 50, but more than 16 percent of all skiers/snowboarders are in these age groups.

Source: NSAA U.S. in-store purchases of snow sports apparel, equipment and accessories from Aug. 1 through March 31 for the 2012/13 ski season totaled $1,783,772,393. Online purchases during that time period totaled $750,245,211.

Source: SIA SnowSports RetailTRAK

As of the 2012/13 ski season, since 1973 there have been 12 deaths attributed to ski lift malfunctions.

During that 40-year span, the industry estimates it provided more than 15.5 billion lift rides to skiers and snowboarders.

Source: NSAA www.insurancejournal.com

NATIONAL COVERAGE

People The Progressive Corp., based in Mayfield Village, Ohio, named Chief Executive Officer Glenn Renwick as chairman of its board of directors following the death of the company’s previous chairman, Peter B. Lewis, on Nov. 23, 2013, at the age of 80. Renwick will continue to serve as president and CEO. Current director Stephen Hardis was elected lead independent director on the company’s board.

Lewis had shepherded Progressive from a small-time operation to one of the largest auto insurers in the country.

He became CEO of Progressive in 1965, built from the company his father co-founded in 1937. Lewis held the leadership post for 35 years.

Marsh & McLennan Cos. promoted Scott McDonald to be the new head of its Oliver Wyman Group subsidiary. McDonald, who has been serving as president of Oliver Wyman, a management consulting firm within the Oliver Wyman Group, will become the new CEO of Oliver Wyman Group, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

McDonald succeeds John Drzik, the current chairman and CEO, who will move to Marsh Inc. to become its president of global risk and specialties.

At Marsh, Drzik will oversee a number of businesses, including Marsh’s global industries, global practices, risk solutions, global analytics and technologies, and the insurer consulting group. Drzik has also been named chairman of the newly formed Marsh & McLennan Cos. Global Risk Center, where he will work to strengthen collaboration across the firm.

Drzik is based in New York. McDonald is based in London but will relocate to New York.

Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, appointed Kelly Smith as president of its U.S. business. Smith will report to Bryon Ehrhart, CEO of Aon Benfield Americas. Smith joined Aon in 1989 and was most recently executive managing

www.insurancejournal.com ASTISH14873.indd ASTISH15197.indd 11 ASTISH5333.indd

director of Aon Benfield U.S. She is based in Chicago.

The insurance industry’s Real Time/Download Campaign, which aims to improve workflows for independent agencies, named Elizabeth Kittell as campaign director.

Kittell has independent agency and association experience including with her family-run insurance agency in Lincoln, Neb. After starting her own career in 2006 as an agent with All American Insurance/Midwest Insurance Agency Alliance in Lincoln, Kittell joined the Independent Insurance Agents of Nebraska (IIAN) in the marketing department.

Cooper Gay Swett & Crawford (CGSC) announced Terri Snell has been appointed chief operating officer of Swett & Crawford. She is based in Suwanee, Ga. Snell has held the position of chief administrative officer and been a member of Swett & Crawford’s senior leadership team since 1997. The COO position is a newly created one.

CGSC also named Peter Gorman as interim chief executive officer of its North American subsidiary, Cooper Gay Re, following the departure of Ron Carlier, who was appointed to the post in May. Gorman has 22 years of reinsurance market experience and was previously executive vice president of Cooper Gay Re. Gorman is based in New York.

Gilmer, Texas-based independent agency, All-Star Insurance Group Inc., has appointed Jeremy Dreesen as the managing agent for a new office in Diana, Texas.

Additionally, All-Star Insurance appointed Jackson Boyd as the managing agent for a new office in Pittsburg, Texas.

Dreesen comes to All-Star Insurance after six years with Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. Boyd comes to All-Star Insurance after two years with Farmers Insurance and State Farm Insurance.

Glenn Renwick

Scott McDonald

John Drzik

Elizabeth Kittel

December 16, 2013 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL | 17 1/27/11 9:42 AM 6/11/11 9/6/11 2:54 8:30 PM

SPECIAL REPORT

The Charity Issue IICF, Sesame Workshop Team Up for Literacy

By Andrea Wells

I

magine not being able to read this article, or the directions on a medicine bottle, or the menu at a restaurant. For 32 million Americans, being unable to read is a daily reality, according to the U.S. Department of Education. This is not a problem for adults only; millions of children in America are growing up without learning how to read also.

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a non-profit organization funded by the insurance industry, has often supported children’s causes and education though its regional chapters’ grants and volunteerism. The IICF is now targeting child literacy on a national scale with its biggest contribution and effort yet.

The IICF has partnered with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the long-running PBS-TV kids’ educational program, Sesame Street, to launch a new early learning literacy program called “Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day.” The literacy program is the first of its kind for Sesame Workshop and the first grant awarded by the IICF to support its goal of tackling widespread social challenges, such as literacy, on a national scale with a long-term commitment, says IICF’s CEO Bill Ross.

“One in four children in America will grow up without learning how to read,” Ross says. “If we can impact that in any way, we’ve achieved something really good for the communities that we work in and frankly for the industry that we represent.”

18 |

The IICF is a collective insurance industry effort that provides grants, volunteer service and leadership.

Since its inception in 1994, IICF has contributed more than $20 million to charities and 166,000 volunteer hours to hundreds of community nonprofit organizations.

According to Ross, the IICF National Committee was moti- Bill Ross, CEO of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, with Grover vated to get involved of Sesame Street, the long-running PBS-TV kids’ educational program on early learning literacy after learning that waiting until high dren from high-income families,” says Dr. school can be too late to have a real impact.

Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president “All the research shows that you need for Community and Family Engagement to focus your attention on the preschool at Sesame Workshop. “With support from individual,” Ross says. “That’s where we can IICF, we are excited to bring ‘Every Day is make great strides for the economic success a Reading and Writing Day’ to young chilof America.” dren.”

This year, the IICF made its largest single grant ever — $750,000 to the Sesame Why Literacy and Insurance Workshop — to launch the literacy initia The search for the right national program tive. to support began almost three years ago, The program offers families, parents, according to Ross. caregivers and volunteers learning materials The IICF’s leadership — which today that draw from everyday life, thus giving consists of four operating boards and a adults an easy way to implement literacy national board of governors — collectively into their daily interactions with children. operates a robust local grants program.

The resources are available for free, in Each of IICF’s four divisions — Midwest, English and Spanish, to parents across the Northeast, Texas/Southeast and West — country at www.sesamestreet.org/literacy. raises money and reinvests that money into While the program is the first literits own communities. acy program ever launched by Sesame “At the collective national level one of Workshop, it’s certainly not Sesame’s first the things that we have talked about for a program centered on early childhood educanumber of years, is not only an initiative tion. that would support the community, like “From the very beginning, Sesame Street our local grants program or our volunteer has promoted the importance of early childefforts, but that would also allow us to hood education. However, children from really do something substantial across the low-income families do not have access to nation that would tackle a social challenge,” the same educational opportunities as chilRoss says.

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“We looked at a lot of different things but eventually centered on education,” he says.

Then the research began. “We found that if we want to bring long-term growth, success and economic value to America [we need] to make sure our young children are educated.” That starts in early childhood, he says.

Three agencies working on early childhood literacy were finalists for the IICF grant, but it was the Sesame Workshop program that received the award for the foundation’s first initiative in this area, Ross says.

“We think this is a great opportunity for the industry to take its network of employees and companies across the nation and now share ‘Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day’ materials in their community,” Ross says. “It’s a great way for us to move the needle on a social issue working through this great network of employees in the insurance industry.”

In concert with the insurance community, the IICF and Sesame Workshop will be promoting “Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day” at events nationwide and will be working to reach as many families and volunteers as possible through both local and national programming.

“The IICF and insurance industry are committed to improving early childhood literacy rates across America, but we know change will not happen overnight,” Ross says. “This is why we felt it was so important to make a long-term, active, commitment to ‘Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day,’ where we support and sponsor Sesame Workshop, but more importantly, engage the nationwide network of insurance professionals across the country to serve as advocates, stewards and volunteers for this wonderful program.”

Ross believes the insurance industry is the ideal advocate for literacy.

First, the industry is a leader in the community. “It’s a quiet leader but it’s engaged in every aspect of life. Yet in many cases, it’s just there behind the scenes thinking about risk, protecting risk and responding to risk when it happens. The idea of giving and being involved is not necessarily new but this is an opportunity for us to really www.insurancejournal.com

demonstrate our leadership.”

The second reason, Ross says, is the opportunity for the entire industry to play a part improving literacy across the country.

“This is an opportunity for every individual employee of the insurance industry to be able to contribute …

We believe there is great strength in the industry working collectively together on a community challenge — and that challenge is literacy and we think that we can really begin to improve literacy across America through that effort.”

Improving literacy rates in America is important, not only to combat a widespread social challenge, but also for the insurance industry as a whole, he says.

“Clearly the better developed a child in America becomes and grows the more successful life they will have, and that reinforces a successful business life as well,” he says.

“How can you experience the American

dream without being able to read or write?

How can you understand any document put in front of you, and that includes an insurance document, if you can’t read or write?”

Ross asks.

The three-year partnership with Sesame Workshop is just getting started, Ross says, and there’s a lot to be excited about. “They have been a wonderful partner and I think they have developed an absolutely brilliant program.”

IICF’s current sponsors of the early learning initiative include Travelers, Farmers, Chubb, ACE Foundation and the AAA Safety Foundation, but Ross adds that his foundation welcomes opportunities for other sponsors to join in as well.

“The Sesame program is our first program of what we hope will be a number of programs that will be launched to focus on the area of literacy,” Ross says. “We believe it’s valuable to the community and distinctly valuable to the industry as well.”

‘Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day’ at a Glance

R

esearch shows that prior to starting school, children from high-income families benefit from 400 hours more literacy-related activities than children from low-income families. By age four, a high-income child is exposed to 35 million more words than a low-income child. The “Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day” program aims to reduce that gap in literacy rates.

The program is a bilingual, digital resource that includes tips, games and activities that parents, caregivers and volunteers can engage children with to improve their reading and writing capabilities from an early age. The resources are available, for free, to parents across the country at www.sesamestreet.org/ literacy.

The program’s resources include:

• Video segments that draw from everyday life and model ways for parents to easily engage their children in activities around vocabulary, reading and writing.

• Materials volunteers can use to plan fun-filled literacy-based experiences for children and families.

• A Parent/Caregiver guide with information and activities to encourage literacy development for children ages two to five. The guide also includes additional material that parents can use to help form the building blocks for literacy in children ages zero to two.

• A new mobile site with videos, games and activities for parents and volunteers to enjoy with children on-the-go, as well as an online section dedicated to “Every Day is a Reading and Writing Day” on sesamestreet.org.

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The Charity Issue How Agents and Brokers Help Communities Nationwide matching challenge with a $25,000 donation to SSKP. The challenge has raised $715,000 to benefit the charity over the past nine years, which translates to providing more than 2 million meals. The Gowrie Group Challenge runs from through Dec. 31.

IMA Dallas employees James Dark and Sharon Sanford paint walls at a child care center.

IMA Big on Volunteerism In addition to giving back with volunteerism, one of the key financial goals of employee-owned IMA is to contribute a portion of the company’s profits annually to the IMA Foundation.

The IMA Foundation historically has been funded with the company’s profits.

The foundation supports organizations within the foundation’s four focus areas: enhancing economic vitality; advancing youth; advancing arts and culture; health and wellness.

In 2012, IMA associates donated $200,000 in volunteer time (9,618 hours) and supported 134 community partners. That year also marked the launch of “I MAke a Difference Day,” a corporate day of service held simultaneously throughout all of IMA’s markets.

Gowrie Group employees at the grill for charity.

Gowrie Raises Funds for Soup Kitchens

This year marks the 10th year Westbrook, Conn.-based Gowrie Group is focusing its charitable giving on supporting The Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries (SSKP).

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USI Consulting’s Sebetka teaches at a rural school in Ghana.

USI Producer Volunteers at Rural School in Africa Kathleen Sebetka, a producer at USI Consulting Group, traveled to Ghana, Africa, in August to volunteer at a rural school, where she taught English and other subjects like geography and history. The village where she lived had no running water.

USI MidAtlantic Chief Financial Officer Chris Hearn rappels off the SunTrust building in Richmond, Va. USI CFO Rappels for Special Olympics USI MidAtlantic Chief Financial Officer Chris Hearn participated in the Over The Edge fundraising event for Special Olympics Virginia in October.

Hearn’s wife, Allison, works for Special Olympics, and the couple was looking for a way to show their support. Hearn rappelled off the SunTrust, a 25-story building in downtown Richmond.

Heffernan employees volunteer at a soup kitchen.

Heffernan Holds Spirit of Giving High The Heffernan Group in 2012 donated more than 16 percent of its profits to charity. In addition to encouraging employees to volunteer, the Heffernan Group sponsors three official avenues for charitable giving: employee matching; Garee Lee Smith Scholarship Award; and the Heffernan Foundation.

In 2013, Heffernan staff participated in the following philanthropic fitness events: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Chicago; Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Portland; Walk for Humanity; Nike Women’s half marathon, San Francisco.

Momentus employees at the “Make it Better” summer carnival.

Momentous ‘Makes it Better’ Momentous Insurance Brokerage formed a “Make it Better” committee that organizes unique and meaningful ways to give back to the community — from cooking meals for the homeless to hosting summer carnivals for foster kids and at-risk youth to buying toys for children over the holidays.

The Van Nuys, Calif.-based firm offers an employee contribution program, matching dollar-for-dollar what’s donated from employee payroll. In 2012, Momentous raised more $34,000 from the program.

Momentous also has a recycle program that returns the proceeds from the company’s recycled bottles and cans to the charity fund.

Momentous also partners with www.insurancejournal.com

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. to provide Heritage grants to local fire departments for vehicles, equipment and project funding.

Higginbotham employees wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Haylor, Freyer & Coon employees at Francis House.

Higginbotham Funds Numerous Charities in Texas From social service and arts appreciation to youth mentorship and education, Texasbased Higginbotham and its employees put countless hours and dollars into community development.

In 2010, the firm created the Higginbotham Community Fund administered by the Community Foundation of North Texas to formalize its gifting strategy to the many charities it supports throughout Texas. Grants are distributed to nonprofits selected by an advisory committee comprised of Higginbotham leadership. The fund is financed by employee donations and corporate matching, and employees can recommend nonprofit organizations to the advisory committee. Since its founding, the fund has raised $265,358 and distributed $164,183 in grants.

Haylor, Freyer & Coon Gives in Central N.Y. Haylor, Freyer & Coon Inc. has contributed time and financial resources to community events and nonprofits throughout the central New York region.

Aside from the many organizations that Haylor, Freyer & Coon has supported, one Thursday per month is designated “Samaritan Center Thursday,” during which 10 to 15 employees head to the Samaritan Center and provide breakfast and a kind word for the clients of this local food kitchen.

On Fridays, up to 10 employees head to the Francis House, a local comfort care facility for dignified end of life care.

Black & Ramer Employees Don Jeans for Charity Black & Ramer Insurance in Kendallvile, Ind., has been doing a Jeans Friday program for more than a year now.

The program has staff members making a donation to the same charity for a month on each Friday and for doing so they wear Jeans.

The firm has two offices, which go back and forth on choosing a charity for which to donate. At the end of the month the employees let the owners know the total donated and they match it with a check.

McLean Insurance Agency’s car show raised $17,000 to fight blood cancer.

EPIC employees at Heart Walk 2013.

EPIC Takes Acronym to Heart Edgewood Partners Insurance Center takes its EPIC acronym to heart.

In 2013 alone, the charitable and community service organizations the firm’s employees and managers advocated for and supported included: the American Cancer Society; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; the Alzheimer’s Association; the American Heart Association; Susan G. Komen for the Cure; Aids Walk and Project Open Hand; Boys and Girls Clubs; Northern Nevada Children’s Cancer foundation; the March of Dimes; Locks of Love; Ronald McDonald House Charities; and more.

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Bock Insurance, Giving Back for 50 Years Brock Insurance Agency has been committed to giving back to the community since opening its doors 50 years ago.

Rossville, Ga.-based Brock has assisted the Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Forgotten Child Fund, March of Dimes and the Walker County Secret Santa.

Black & Ramer’s Jeans Day poster.

McLean Insurance Car Show Helps Fight Cancer Hundreds of spectators and special interest vehicle owners gathered in Potomac Falls, Va., in September, to raise more than $17,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fight blood cancer.

It was the third annual Carz Cruizin to Cure Cancer is a yearly fundraiser presented by the McLean Insurance Agency.

The event featured more than 100 classic, antique, sports and custom cars, trucks and motorcycles which were on display and to be judged.

With the help of numerous volunteers and sponsors, McLean organizes the annual event to honor the memory of its founder, Henry C. Megill, Jr. who battled a rare form of lymphoma for several years before dying in 1990.

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The Charity Issue continued from page 21

Lynam Agency employees stand up to cancer.

Lynam Agency Helps Battle Cancer The Lynam Agency in Bar Harbor, Maine, is a locally owned agency that has been in business since 1884, and throughout its long history the agency has contributed to local non-profit organizations.

All employees pitch in to give money, collect food, toys and clothing for others, as well as stocking shelves at the local food pantry.

This year the agency took it up a notch.

Agency manager Nancy Corliss, whose 33-year-old daughter-in-law, Trish, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer two weeks after her first child was born, helped out the STAND UP TO CANCER organization, which assists doctors and scientists in concentrating their efforts.

In one fundraising effort, Corliss found 100 people to fill up a large boat and raise more than $4,000 to fight cancer.

Participants in the March of Dimes’ March for Babies line up at the starting arch in Allegany, N.Y., on Oct. 5.

Iroquois Group Walks Through Woods for Babies Employees of The Iroquois Group, headquartered in southwestern New York state, raised $1,585 for the March of Dimes’ March for Babies on Oct. 5. The walk took participants through the woods and along the bank of the Allegheny River.

Woodruff-Sawyer CARE’s Extensively Woodruff-Sawyer has an extensive program supporting the community both in volunteer efforts and fundraising.

In 2008, Woodruff-Sawyer established the C.A.R.E. Committee — Community, Action, Responsibility and Enhancement.

The employee-directed committee selects charitable organizations which WoodruffSawyer will support each year. WoodruffSawyer provides financial contributions to those and other non-profit organizations.

Barney & Barney’s Foundation for Giving Since 2009, the Barney & Barney Foundation, created by insurance brokerage Barney & Barney, has contributed more than $1 million to nonprofit organizations in California.

Among the community initiatives Barney & Barney participated in this year are: Rock The Foundation Benefit Concert, Barney & Barney Foundation Golf Classic, Building Bikes for Kids, and I Love a Clean San Diego.

Leavitt Group’s “Can”-tribution Sculpture.

Wounded veteran Travis Greene’s new home.

A New Home for a Wounded Veteran California-based Hartley Cylke Pacific Insurance Services (HCPac) helped a wounded veteran move into a new home through a fundraising campaign benefiting the organization Homes for our Troops (HFOT). Late last year HCPac decided it wanted to support HFOT, which builds new homes for severely wounded veterans, and Marine Corporal Travis Greene, in particular. Between the agency’s staff and some very generous clients, HCPac raised nearly $10,000 to go toward a specially adapted home for Greene, who lost both his legs in an IED blast in Ramadi, Iraq on Dec. 7, 2005. Greene received the keys to his new home on Dec. 2, 2013.

The Leavitt Group Supports Food Bank The Leavitt Group supports the local Cedar City, Utah, community in which it is headquartered, as well as other worthy causes. All shareholders have the opportunity to direct a portion of the company’s profits to a charitable organization of their choosing. One of the charities receiving many of these contributions is the Iron County Care & Share, Cedar City’s local food bank. The Iron County Care & Share provides numerous services to the community and is able to help homeless and low-income individuals and families work toward self-sufficiency.

One year, the Leavitt Group’s donation to the Iron County Care & Share was in the form of canned goods. Leavitt Group employees broke into teams and had a “can”-tribution sculpture contest before stocking the shelves.

B&B associate Gabrielle Tan-Torrez freshens up fire lanes with a coat of paint.

Woodruff-Sawyer’s Michael Poor drums up business for a bake sale.

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The race team at TWG. TWG’s Passion Is Finding a Cure, Protecting Families With a mission to protect families, Dallasbased TWG Insurance believes this not only includes providing insurance coverage for the market, but also providing for and helping families in its community. Throughout each year, TWG Employees voice their passions about their favorite charities and the agency annually supports the Stepping Stones Foundation, Battered Women’s Foundation and The Dallas County Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Many TWG Employees have been personally affected by breast cancer, so over the past three years the company has become very involved in finding a cure. With only about 100 employees, TWG has raised more than $25,000 and encouraged more than 360 people to join the TWG race team to fight to find a cure.

Lockton Volunteers on Harvesters Night.

Lockton Associates Stuff Backpacks, Run Through the Muck for Charity Associates at Kansas City-based Lockton often go the extra mile to support community organizations such as the United Way, American Cancer Society, YMCA, Children’s Hospital of Colorado and the American Heart Association. Sometimes they run that mile through the muck, as they did raising funds to fight multiple sclerosis in support of a fellow associate.

Lockton associates in Kansas City have raised more than $840,000 for the United Way of Greater Kansas City, with more than www.insurancejournal.com

lives and reaching their full potential by providing financial, emotional, physical, and spiritual support. The group’s 45 associates brought in canned and boxed goods for those in need, and were able to get a couple of turkeys donated. Through a departmental competition, the group collected enough food to almost completely fill a van.

Mack, Mack & Waltz is again supporting the Gateway Community Outreach program by donating toys this Christmas/Holiday season.

95 percent participating in the campaign this year, donating time and raising money.

More than 175 Kansas City associates have volunteered at quarterly Harvesters Volunteer Night this year, stuffing backpacks with food for children. Associates packed 2,600 backpacks in two hours at one Harvester event.

Rogers & Gray resident Pilgrim, Bob McAllister, and two others at the 27th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the Needy.

Bowermaster and Associates hosted a booth at the Kiwanis Family Fun Day charity event.

Rogers & Gray Helps for 27 Years Rogers & Gray Insurance, located in Massachusetts, recently celebrated the 27th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the Needy.

For the past 27 years, Rogers & Gray staff have been cooking and serving a complete Thanksgiving dinner the day before the holiday, for close to 500 guests. Rogers & Gray pays for all of the meals and the facility and staff members hand-make all of the snacks and desserts.

The dinner begins with a blessing by the agency’s resident Pilgrim, Bob McAllister, senior vice president of Rogers & Gray. Since its inception, Rogers & Gray has supplied this special meal to more than 10,000 guests.

Mack, Mack & Waltz Insurance associates filled a van with food for Gateway Community Outreach.

Mack, Mack & Waltz Collects Food and Toys Mack, Mack & Waltz Insurance Group Inc. in Deerfield Beach, Fla., collected food this year for Gateway Community Outreach which assists individuals and families in rebuilding their

Bowermaster and Associates’ Giving List Cypress, Calif.based insurance agency, Bowermaster and Associates, strives to play a part in improving its surrounding community. The agency is actively involved in supporting numerous nonprofit community organizations, including Children’s Benefit League of Long Beach, The Foster Care Project and The Kiwanis of Huntington Beach.

125-Plus Organizations Benefit from InterWest’s Support In 2013, independent insurance broker InterWest Insurance Services in Sacramento, Calif., made contributions to more than 125 national and local organizations.

The firm solicits suggestions from employees on how they would like to give back. Based on votes this year, the company-wide focus is on creating care packages for military members, participating in continued on page 27

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The Charity Issue How Insurance Industry Associations Help Those in Need Big ‘I’ Helps Grant Children’s Wishes The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) conducts numerous charitable activities throughout the year. At the national association level, one of the primary charitable initiatives has been its partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Big “I” member agents, along with former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, at a Make-A-Wish event on April 21, 2013, at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Va., to benefit local children.

This year, each of the association’s chapters around the country participated in events with Make-A-Wish. Trusted Choice, the consumer branding program for independent insurance agents and brokers, held its third annual social media campaign in August to benefit Make-A-Wish.

The Trusted Choice Disaster Relief Fund assists those who have suffered losses from disasters.

At the PIA of New Jersey, the New Jersey PIA of Virginia & D.C. presented a $10,000 check to the Special Olympics of Virginia on June 27, 2006. PIA of Virginia & D.C. has contributed over $400,000 to the Special Olympics of Virginia over the past 32 years.

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PIA Affiliates Hold Fundraising Events At National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, each state/regional affiliate makes decisions about which charities to support. Regional affiliates’ charitable programs include the following: Young Insurance Professionals (NJYIP) raised some $143,000 for Special Olympics New Jersey. NJYIP has raised more than $3 million for Special Olympics New Jersey in the past 29 years.

PIA of Virginia & D.C. has been an annual contributor to the Special Olympics of Virginia, averaging a $10,000 contribution yearly.

PIA of Wisconsin helped in collecting cellphones as part of the Cell Phones for Soldiers program.

PIA of Arkansas conducted a toy drive for Arkansas Children’s Hospital Festival of Stars.

The Young Insurance Professionals of Louisiana, at PIA of Louisiana, hosted their annual charity bowl-a-thon in August.

Pete Herron and Deborah Egel -Fergus both from Travelers, and Ben Smith from Allied World Insurance Co. at PLUS Conference 2013.

PLUS Gives Kids the World The PLUS Foundation is a separate nonprofit charitable arm of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).

In 2013, the foundation supported charities across the United States and Canada with $77,500 in grants.

The foundation’s Conference Cause is a way to give back to the communities that host the PLUS Annual Conference. At the conference in 2013 in Orlando, Fla., PLUS

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members served meals, played games and hosted activities for children and families at Give Kids the World (GKTW), a resort that provides free vacations for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

PLUS Foundation is making a $33,536 grant to GKTW. At the annual AAMGA meeting in San Antonio, Texas Adam Rothert of the Rothert Insurance Inc., a managing general agency in Portland, Ore., invited members to fill out raffle tickets to win donated prizes in exchange for their contributions to the local branch of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas.

AAMGA Helps in Many Ways, Make-A-Wish, Big Brothers and Sisters At each American Association of Managing General Agents annual meeting, the group’s Under Forty Organization enables members and vendors to be part of efforts to contribute to causes.

They have selected the local chapters of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters; Make-A-Wish Foundation; and the Wounded Warrior Project at each location at which the annual meeting is held for its members to contribute.

During the 2013 annual meeting in New Orleans, La., attendees put CARE packages together for U.S. servicemen and women serving overseas.

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PLUS members at the 10th annual Conference Cause volunteer event.

PCI Helps Out After Disasters In 2013, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America made charitable contributions to show support for individuals and families affected by tragic events such as Boston Marathon Bombing and the wildfires in Arizona and Colorado as well as tornadoes in Oklahoma and Illinois. PCI contributed roughly $10,000 through groups such as the One Fund Boston, Red Cross and United Way. PCI also contributes to its local community through food drives and supporting families in need during the holidays.

PIA of Wisconsin presented over 4,000 donated cell phones as part of the Cell Phones for Soldiers program during the association’s trade show in 2011. A U.S. Soldier (center) accepted the donation from (left to right) PIA members Alan Breitenfeldt, Dennis Kuhnke and Kori Sagen.

RIMS Gives Food, Time, Resources Many RIMS chapters conduct their own charitable initiatives. RIMS has devoted this year’s giving efforts to the Food Bank of New York City. Throughout November, RIMS employees donated nonperishable food items and other living essentials to the charity.

At the RIMS annual conference the group selects a charity in the city of the conference to benefit. On April 21, more than 100 risk and insurance professionals assembled puppet stages and classroom story boards

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AIA Contributes to Food Bank The American Insurance Association’s employees contributed non-perishable food items to the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C., which serves nearly 500,000 hungry people in the region.

Additionally, AIA employees based elsewhere in country or who wished to make a monetary contribution were able to participate by making online donations, which enabled the food bank to purchase fresh produce and food at wholesale prices.

for the Child Care Resource Center, a Los Angeles area charity that provides programs, resources and training to a network of more than 25,000 children and families.

NAPSLO Focuses on Education The National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Office’s Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation encourages the educational development of those interested in the excess and surplus lines business.

The foundation offers scholarships to college students annually. In addition to the scholarship program, the foundation works on a number of educational products related to the excess and surplus lines industry. The foundation also worked to help establish the Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI) designation, which provides education about the surplus lines segment of the industry.

NAIC’s VRT Coordinates Charity Effort The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has a Volunteer Resource Team in its Kansas City, New York and Washington, D.C. offices. The mission is to coordinate NAIC’s support, services and outreach to charitable organizations in the community.

The team holds monthly fundraisers, with the proceeds going to a variety of charity organizations. In 2013, NAIC donated more than $10,000 to various organizations across the country.

The Nautilus Insurance Co. booth at AAMGA’s 2013 annual meeting, wehre members were able to put together care packages that were sent to the troops.

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The Charity Issue Wood Gutmann & Bogart Helps Employee with Spinal Injury

T

he holiday giving and helping spirit was driven home recently for one Southern California insurance agency when fellow employees were called upon to help out when one of their own was severely injured.

Jeff Sachs, a senior broker at Tustin, Calif.-based Wood Gutmann & Bogart, was enjoying a July day at the beach with his family when he dove into the waves from the shore.

The 40-year-old man hit a sandbar and fractured his C4 vertebra. His wife and friends pulled him from the water, and within a week he underwent two surgeries to stabilize his neck.

The spinal cord injury he suffered left him with no movement in his arms or legs and limited movement in his shoulders. He breathes with the aid of a ventilator.

Sachs is currently at a Rancho Los Amigos rehabilitation center in Downey, Calif., where he completed several weeks of therapy.

It’s a big change of life for the outgoing 15-year brokerage veteran, who enjoys the outdoors, including golf. Sachs, who grew up in San Diego, is also a Chargers fan — the Chargers organization heard his story and donated a signed Charger football to Sachs.

With the help of his wife Kristen, a technical writer at Southern California Edison, his four-year-old daughter Evie, and the folks at WGB, Sachs is facing a tough challenge.

“He’s just a great guy, he’s got a tremendous personality,” said Kevin Bogart, a

partner in the firm where Sachs has worked since 2004.

“We feel like one of our family has been wounded. Everybody has rallied around him in a big way,” Bogart said.

That rallying included a drive to bring in old clothing and shoes to donate as a part of the Angel Bins program.

The materials are recycled into yarn and materials that go to third world countries to be used to

make clothing.

In a short time span employees and managers at WGB collected 13,000 pounds of clothing and shoes, raising $3,200 for the Sachs family to help pay for costs including vehicle and home modifications, specialized medical equipment, and caregiver fees.

Additionally a fundraising campaign in Sach’s honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a nonprofit that has been assisting the transplant community for 30 years. In 2000, the group expanded their mission to include those with catastrophic injuries. The link to the website to make a donation to Sachs is: http://bit.ly/ HHLJeffSachs.

Bogart said WGB is matching donations received.

“I think as an organization that is in the community that you have a responsibility to your community and you have a responsibility to give back to your community,” Bogart said.

“It’s got to start at home. I think you’ve got to protect your home team first and foremost as part of your community outreach.”

Depending on how much Sachs recovers, if he’s interested he’ll also have a job when he’s ready at WGB, according to Bogart.

“We will always hold a place for Jeff and we’ve made that clear to his family,” Bogart said. “We’re just hoping that he’s going to be able to make progress to get back to an employment capacity with us, and I feel confident that he’s got a great shot at making that happen.”

Jeff Sachs, a senior broker at Tustin, Calif.-based Wood Gutmann & Bogart, fractured his C4 vertebra when he dove into the waves on a July day at the beach with his family. The severe spinal cord injury he suffered left him with no movement in his arms or legs and limited movement in his shoulders. He breathes with the aid of a ventilator. With the help of his wife Kristen, his four-year-old daughter Evie, and the folks at WGB, Sachs is facing a tough challenge. WBG recently donated 13,000 pounds of clothing and shoes to raise $3,200 for the Sachs family as part of the Angel Bins program, in which the clothing is recycled into yarn and materials that go to third world countries to be used to make clothing.

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The Charity Issue

The Cheney Cos. Helps Build Pool The Cheney Cos. Financial Group in Damariscotta, Maine, has committed to raising $25,000 this year for the CLC YMCA Pool. Company President and CEO Dennis Hilton has served on the YMCA Board of Directors in the past and been involved with other community groups. His companies — Cheney Insurance, Newcastle Square Realty, and Newcastle Square Vacation Rentals — have long maintained a strong commitment to providing financial and volunteer support.

Nat Calamis, strongly believe in giving back and investing in their community.

In 2010, Starkweather & Shepley and The Rhode Island Foundation formed a new partnership, The Starkweather & Shepley Charitable Fund, which was created to grow over time and encourages the company’s 175 employees to participate.

One of Calamis’ most recent personal charitable priorities is Joyce House, which serves homeless veterans. At Joyce House, which is affiliated with the Providence Center and was formally dedicated in 2013, homeless veterans with mental health and substance abuse problems can live and receive support services.

Starkweather & Shepley Gives Back Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. and its president and CEO,

McClain Insurance employees at their e-cycling event.

Relay for Life, raising funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and Make-AWish Foundation, having a food drive for local food banks, and collecting treasures for Toys For Tots.

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Service Valued at McClain Insurance Service to community is one of the core values at McClain Insurance in Everett, Wash. Owner, Claudia McClain is former chair of the Everett Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors and the agency is actively involved in foundation projects such as “Stuff the Bus” and “High School and Beyond.” In January 2012, McClain Insurance organized, publicized and served as the collection spot for end-of-life electronics e-cycling. A record 19 tons of computers, TVs and printers were collected in five hours.

The recycling event this year yielded similar results.

McClain Insurance even gets clients into the act. Its client referral program includes a $25 donation per referral to a local “Charity of the Month.”

In 2013, this program will provide more than $3,000 to local non-profits.

December 16, 2013 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL | 27 11/26/13 1:26 PM

IDEA EXCHANGE

The Charity Issue Viewpoint: How Volunteering Changes Lives, Ours and Others’

By Joanna O’Hanlon

T

he man is in his thirties. He has a slight build, but his calloused hands, swift movements and energetic smile are a testament to his willingness to work hard.

He is a regular worker at Loaves and Fishes, a homeless outreach charity in Sacramento, Calif.

He tells two first-time volunteers about how grateful he is that he is now employed part-time with the organization — he works here full-time, but half of his time is on a volunteer basis.

“I’m hopeful that I can either get another part-time job, or that I can get on [as] fulltime paid staff here,” he says to the women.

They fill igloo drink coolers with lemonade for the midday meal as they talk with him. Then he drops the bomb that neither

woman was ready for: “because I really want to get off the streets this year.”

Community service is a high value for Abram Interstate Insurance Services Inc., a managing general agency in Northern California. Company employees are encouraged to volunteer at Loaves and Fishes every month, and are given leave from work to do so. They spend four to five hours helping to prepare a meal for hundreds of homeless men and women in Sacramento.

A homeless man working all day to serve the homeless is just one of the many impactful stories that Abram Interstate employees have encountered there.

Michelle Smith, an Abram employee since 2010, recalled meeting a homeless man from the Philippines the last time she volunteered: “He was just a really sweet old man and my heart went out to him.”

Abram Interstate Insurance employees prepare food for Loaves and Fishes “You can strike up a conversation with anyone there and they have an interesting story to hear,” said Ashlee Blom, an Abram employee who has volunteered with Loaves and Fishes since she joined the company in 2011.

For Blom, the company’s involvement with Loaves and Fishes afforded her the opportunity to serve others in a way she had always wanted to, but never had before.

The first time she volunteered was during her first month at the company.

“I was nervous,” she said, “just because I didn’t know what to expect. I was confused about which building to go into. I didn’t really know what to do. But once I got inside I was told to get an apron and gloves and then just started chopping.”

Though most employees are nervous their first time volunteering, they keep going back, and they even see it change the way they relate to their co-workers. Once they’ve gotten a chance to serve alongside them chopping onions or doing dishes together, they go back to the office knowing each other a bit better.

Not every company encourages employees to leave their cubicles and comfort zones and chop vegetables for the homeless, but Abram Interstate does, and the employees are thankful for that.

“I am always happy for the rest of the day,” Blom said, smiling, “knowing I’ve done something for someone else.”

O’Hanlon is marketing coordinator for Rocklin, Calif.-based wholesaler Abram Interstate Insurance Services Inc.

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NATIONAL COVERAGE

MyNewMarkets Surety Bonds Market Detail: DBL Surety (www.dblsurety.com) is a surety bond only insurance agency specializing in commercial and contract surety bonds. Most surety bonds can be approved and released within hours of request.

Available limits: Minimum $100, maximum $100 million Carrier: Unable to disclose, admitted States: Ala., Ariz., Calif., Ga., Iowa, La., Md., Miss., N.J., N.Y., S.C., Texas and Va. Contact: Customer service at 386-316-2547

Carrier: CSE Insurance Group States: Ariz., Calif., and Nev. Contact: Kelli Schulhofer at 800-282-6848, option 4 or e-mail: kschulhofer@cseinsurance.com

Contractors Workers’ Comp Programs Market Detail: Alternative Market Alliance (www.amsprograms. continued on page 30

Commercial Market Market Detail: CSE Insurance Group’s (www.cseinsurance.com) commercial products cover apartments, condominium complexes, planned unit developments and lessors risk office buildings with a range of coverage and discounts. Available discounts for qualified policyholders include: sprinkler credit; apartment association membership credit; community association institute membership or real estate management association membership; professional property management credit; individual risk premium modification up to 25 percent; years in business discount; and multiple building credits.

Available limits: Minimum $20,000; maximum $250,000

For over 36 years, the National Insurance Industry Council has raised funds for City of Hope’s mission to provide innovative treatments for people facing life-threatening diseases.

Steven DeCarlo, CEO of AmWINS and City of Hope’s 2014 Spirit of Life® honoree, encourages you to continue your legacy of support by participating in industry activities, large and small.

Your involvement does make a difference!

GET INVOLVED 2014 Event Calendar

Insurance industry executives gathered for the 2013 City of Hope tour.

Pasadena, CA City of Hope campus Duarte, CA

Monday April 7 Hoops for Hope

M. STEVEN DECARLO CEO, AmWINS 2014 Spirit of Life Honoree

Chicago, IL Des Moines, IA Los Angeles, CA Philadelphia, PA San Francisco, CA

Sunday, April 27 to Wednesday, April 30 Tristar Booth Denver, CO

Monday, July 14 City of Hope Golf Outing Sponsored by NIIC West Coast Committee Annandale Golf Club Pasadena, CA

Wednesday, August 20 Strike Out Cancer 300 Atlanta Atlanta, GA

To learn more, visit cityofhope.org/niic or call 800-272-2310, ext. 26370

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Saturday, September 13 Spirit of Life Gala Honoring Steve DeCarlo, CEO, AmWINS Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, October 15 Strike Out Cancer Splitsville Tampa. FL

September/October Los Angeles Wine Auction Dinner Venue TBD

DEV 20324 jjc

Wednesday, March 12 City of Hope Dinner Reception and Tour Hosted by NIIC Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa

11/18/13 9:19 AM

December 16, 2013 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL | 29

NATIONAL COVERAGE

My New Markets continued from page 29

com) has exclusive programs for contractors of all types. Features include: high X-mod; no deposit; most class codes eligible; and pay as you go billing. Partner agents have 90 percent client retention and competitive commission, and access to more than 20 insurance programs. When making submissions, please include the Acord 130 application, currently valued loss history (90 days) and AMS Programs submission cover page.

Available limits: Minimum $25,000, maximum $1 million Carrier: Various — admitted, non-admitted States: All states Contact: Curtis Prince at 925-914-9531 or e-mail: curtisp@amsprograms.com

Golf Courses—Daily Fee and Municipal Market Detail: Fairway Underwriters Inc. (www.fairwayunderwriters.com) offers a package, umbrella, workers’ comp and D&O policies with comprehensive coverage for well-run and maintained golf courses.

Carrier will also accept applications for

Advertisers Index Readers, browse, contact, or do product searches on any of our full page advertisers at:

Physicians Market Detail: Ultra Risk Advisors (ultrariskadvisors.com) offers medical professional liability coverage for non-standard physicians — doctors with claims, board actions, substance abuse, licensing issues.

Coverage is available for doctors with unique or unusual practices, such as pain management, concierge medicine, clinical trials, mobile medicine, and cosmetic surgery. Coverage highlights: broad coverage; incident sensitive trigger; low deductibles; excess coverage; PCF states okay; premium rating alternatives such as visits; reads and procedures; unlimited ERPs; claims made and occurrence options.

Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose States: All states Contact: Jackie Johnston, 425-213-5142, or e-mail: jackie.johnston@ultrariskadvisors.com

Lender Placed Hazard

www.insurancejournal.com/adshowcase/ ACE Insurance www.acelimited.com Applied Underwriters www.applieduw.com Astonish Results www.astonishresults.com Burnett & Company www.bcoinc.com Chubb Corporate www.chubb.com City of Hope www.cityofhope.org IICF www.iicf.org Loya Insurance Company www.fredloya.com NetVu www.netvu.org PersonalUmbrella.Com www.personalumbrella.com SIAA www.siaa.net Texas Mutual Insurance Company www.texasmutual.com

courses for sale and those in receivership.

Available limits: As needed Carrier: QBE/Praetorian States: All states except Alaska, Hawaii, Ky., Nev., and Wyo. Contact: Sue Dumais at 800-662-2141 or e-mail: fcoulter@fairwayunderwriters.com

3 7, 36 17 28 9 29 27 15 13 5 2 10, 11

30 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

Market Detail: Kistler Agency LLC (kistleragency.com) offers lender placed hazard insurance with up to $7 billion in insuring capacity. Losses caused by multiple perils such as fire, smoke, water, wind, civil commotion, explosion, theft and vandalism are covered. Coverage features include: immediate coverage with no waiting period; minimal property and loan information required to place coverage; coverage can be backdated up to 30 days, allowing for up to 90 days of critical interim coverage pending borrower response; automatic coverage (subject to eligibility criteria); flexible borrower notification letter cycle; blanket coverage available.

Coverage can be automatically renewed.

Available Limits: As needed Carriers: Unable to disclose States: All states Contact: Customer service at 404-239-7021

Airbrush Tanning Market Detail: Insurtec’s (www.insurtecinc.com) tanning and spa insurance offers coverage for airbrush tanning and spray on tanning to the salon and spa market.

Insurtec can also cover just about any other service a salon could offer.

Available limits: Minimum $300,000, maximum $3 million Carrier: USF, Victoria States: All states except N.Y. Contact: Customer service at 800-606-0621 or e-mail: info@insuretecinc.com

Financial Institutions Market Detail: Meridian Finance Group (www.meridianfinance.com) is a specialized broker of export credit insurance, accounts receivable insurance and political risk insurance. Meridian Finance is also a source for cross-border trade finance and other international credit, insurance and financial services.

Available limits: As needed Carrier: Unable to disclose States: All states Contact: Customer Service at 310-260-2130

Pilates Studio Market Detail: Sports & Fitness Insurance Corp. (www.sportsfitness.com/ij) offers general liability insurance including professional liability, property insurance, umbrellas, workers compensation and surety bonds for large and small fitness centers, as well as, dance, yoga, Pilates and martial arts studios, and personal trainers. General liability policies provide limits from $1 million occurrence with a $2 million aggregate to $2 million occurrence with $4 million aggregate. Cyber liability and employment related practices liability limits are available on general liability policies. Professional liability for physical therapists, spa personnel and personal trainers can be covered within GL and umbrella policies with full limits.

Available limits: As needed Carrier: Liberty Mutual States: All states Contact: Kate Kartello at 601-898-8464 or e-mail: kmartello@sportsfitness.com www.insurancejournal.com

IDEA EXCHANGE

Growing Your Property Casualty Agency What’s On Your Agency’s Survival To-Do List for 2014?

I

t’s easy to imagine that your agency will stay in business for as long as you want, but in reality, commercial endurance is about action, not wishful thinking. To persevere in today’s competitive insurance marketplace, every independent agency must create a survival to-do list and then enact it. And since it’s New Year’s resBy Alan Shulman olution time ... well you get the idea. Below are key items to consider, if you haven’t done them already.

Go Mobile Almost every insurance buyer has a smartphone; it’s their virtual window into the world. They use it to search for information, including the products and services

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they want to buy. So, if your agency isn’t easily accessible via mobile devices, then you are at a serious competitive disadvantage. Here are four ways to do it.

Hire a conversion website to convert your desktop into one that’s “mobile-friendly.” bmobilized.com and dudamobile.com are two sites that tout this service… Publish a second, smaller website that’s for mobile users only… Replace your desktop site with a “responsive” website that automatically adjusts your menus and content to any size screen, from phone to PC (example: agencyideas.com)… Post agency apps for iOS and Android users. There are myriad sources for custom and customizable apps, ranging from vendors to carriers.

Attract Micro Businesses Micros are smaller than the traditional

“small” business and consist mainly of digital-only operations along with a variety of incubated startups. Some are even financed through crowd-funding, a webbased mechanism for raising small dollar investments. Use the unit to teach new agents about commercial lines, to train sales-minded CSRs, and to experiment with various marketing methods. Most micros will fail or stay tiny, but some will rapidly grow. It’s how Apple started and it’s why continued on page 32

December 16, 2013 INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL | 31

IDEA EXCHANGE

Growing Your Property Casualty Agency continued from page 30 local governments and venture capitalists invest in incubators.

al methodologies, not in lieu of them.

Revisit Direct Mail Raise Revenue per Employee Postal mail marketing isn’t dead; it’s There are multiple elements to this just out of favor in this neo-digital age. top-line action. They commonly include Regardless, it has its virtues. Its tangible better work efficiencies… nature and flexible design Aggressively soliciting every Every independent serves as an attention-grabdesirable P/C policy your bing asset when used creagency must create atively. As such, addressees insureds have outside of a survival to-do list open most direct mail enveyour agency… Selling nonP/C products such as life and then enact it. lopes, whereas only a fracand financial services to tion of promotional email is current clients… Working mainly with caropened and read. Use it selectively in 2014, riers who offer competitive premiums and in conjunction with your social media and commissions. other digital marketing efforts, to cross-sell, upsell, and to attract new prospects.

Be Social Social media is here to stay and it’s evolvRededicate Personal Lines ing every day. Get in on it and keep on it in Don’t abandon auto and home to the 2014. Just don’t bet the agency on it. Use the jumbo insurers. Personal lines provides a media, in partnership with viable traditionsurvival enhancing revenue stream. Plus it

puts you in regular contact with your clients, keeping them engaged in ways beyond social media. There are endless ways to compete. Re-read two of my past columns for ideas… “50 Ways to Market Personal Lines Insurance” (Aug. 19, 2013) and “How to Compete for Personal Lines with the Direct Writers” (Nov. 21, 2011).

It’s hard to be overly concerned about survival when renewal checks keep coming in. But when they stop, it’s too late to worry. Now is the time to make your survival to-do list and check off each item.

Endure and grow in 2014 for your sake and that of the independent agency channel.

Shulman, CPCU, is the publisher of Agency Ideas, a subscription-only sales and marketing newsletter.

He is also the author of the many tools posted on the Agency Ideas Instant Download Store. Phone: 800-724-1435. Email: alan@agencyideas.com. Website: www.agencyideas.com.

Classifieds Insurance Journal • 3570 Camino del Rio North, Ste. 200 • San Diego, CA 92108-1747 email: classifieds@insurancejournal.com Fax: 619/584-1200 • Phone: 800/897-9965 x125 For Ad rate and Information

December 16, 2013

December 16, 2013

December 16, 2013

Oak River Insurance Company 3333 Farnam St, Suite 300 Omaha, NE 68131

American Mining Insurance Company 3490 Independence Drive Birmingham, AL 35209

TruAssure Insurance Company 111 Shuman Boulevard Naperville, IL 60563

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to amend their Foreign Company License to transact Property and Casualty Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to obtain a Foreign Company License to transact Property and Casualty Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The above company has made application to the Division of Insurance to amend their Foreign Company License to transact Life, Accident, and Health Insurance in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Any person having any information regarding the company which relates to its suitability for the license or authority the applicant has requested is asked to notify the Division by personal letter to the Commissioner of Insurance, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 810, Boston, MA 02118-6200, Attn: Financial Surveillance and Company Licensing within 14 days of the date of this notice.

Any person having any information regarding the company which relates to its suitability for the license or authority the applicant has requested is asked to notify the Division by personal letter to the Commissioner of Insurance, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 810, Boston, MA 02118-6200, Attn: Financial Surveillance and Company Licensing within 14 days of the date of this notice.

Any person having any information regarding the company which relates to its suitability for the license or authority the applicant has requested is asked to notify the Division by personal letter to the Commissioner of Insurance, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 810, Boston, MA 02118-6200, Attn: Financial Surveillance and Company Licensing within 14 days of the date of this notice.

32 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

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IDEA EXCHANGE

Closing Quote Employee involvement in charity projects can lend that purpose. Volunteer opportunities offer employees the chance to step away from day-to-day tasks and avoid burnout. It provides them with a new outlook and a renewed appreciation for their work.

Stronger Recruitment and Retention With insurance industry unemployment rates at three year lows, top talent is becoming increasingly hard to find.

Corporate citizenship positively impacts both recruitment and retention. According to the 2011 Deloitte Volunteer Impact study, 61 percent of Millennials would consider a company’s commitment to the community when making a job decision.

Furthermore, busy employees are always looking for ways to squeeze a little more out of their day. This includes opportunities to do the good deeds they might not have time for outside of work. Providing corporate volunteer opportunities offers an appreciated additional perk for employees.

The Case for Volunteerism: Encouraging a Charitable Company Culture

C

By David E. Coons

orporate volunteer programs are not just “feel good” activities. They’re a “win-win-win” because not only does the charity benefit, but so do the employer and the employees. In the midst of the war for talent, competition for top talent is hotter than ever. Your organization’s company culture plays a key role in attracting and engaging your workforce. It can serve as a key differentiator: a position of strong corporate citizenship can demonstrate your company values, encourage comradery among your workforce, and more.

Increased Employee Engagement Gallup’s most recent State of the American Workplace survey showed that an alarming 70 percent of employees are not engaged at work. Those numbers scream that something needs to change. Employers need to take an honest look at their engagement strategies and innovate.

Recent studies show that more employees desire meaning in their work. They want to feel they are making a difference and contributing to the greater good. When employees lose that sense of purpose, they can quickly become disengaged.

34 | INSURANCE JOURNAL-NATIONAL December 16, 2013

Impactful Employee Development Forward-looking companies realize that maintaining a competitive edge requires investment in their No. 1 asset: their employees. Corporate volunteering programs are an excellent way for employers to provide employee development at a relatively low cost, and in unique ways not offered by seminars and traditional trainings.

Volunteering is also known to help develop soft skills like problem solving, mentoring and communications. Employee involvement These unquantifiable skills in charity projects give companies a competilends purpose and tive edge.

meaning.

Positive Corporate Visibility Finally, corporate volunteering does have very obvious financial incentives for employers: a strong corporate citizen profile raises a company’s visibility and speaks very well to its public reputation.

With engagement at an all-time low and demand for top talent at an all-time high, employers should take advantage of the benefits a strong volunteer program offers. The charitable organization will thank you, and your employees and your bottom line will thank you. What better results can we ask for?

Coons is senior vice president of The Jacobson Group, a provider of talent to the insurance industry. Phone: 800-466-1578. Email: dcoons@ jacobsononline.com.

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Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Expect to save a third of your clients 30% or more. Expect broad acceptance and few class limitations nationwide. Expect competitive commissions. For information call (877) 234-4450 or visit auw.com/us.

Š2013 Applied Underwriters, Inc. A Berkshire Hathaway company. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best.