Spring 2023 Update

I hope you all are enjoying this time of the year and getting the chance to go outside and get some fresh air. We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful state with so many opportunities to enjoy our spectacular state and national parks whether you live in the mountains of East Tennessee, the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee or the Mississippi delta of West Tennessee. In our family, we are big believers in taking breaks from the rigors of the insurance business from time to time, to relax, recharge and reflect so that we are better able to be our best in service of our clients, staff, and industry colleagues. So, this Spring and Summer “get out there” and enjoy all the natural beauty our state has to offer.

At the end of April, a contingent of your colleagues visited Washington D.C. to take part in the Big I Legislative Conference to attend informative sessions about legislative trends, pending legislation, and the advocacy objectives of the association this year at the national level. We also had the opportunity to supply input and discuss issues of particular concern for Big I members in Tennessee. We then met with our elected leaders and their staff at the Capitol to build relationships, open communication channels and speak about topics of importance with our members of the House of Representatives and Senate. The trip was productive, and our advocacy efforts were of great value. We will provide you with more details in other sections of the magazine. The one key takeaway from this trip is that advocacy at the state and national level is essential to the ongoing success of our industry. The work of the Insurors of Tennessee’s Legislative Affairs Committee, State National Director, John McInturff and our Government Affairs Consultant, Trey Moore is central to our success.

Now is a good time to mark your calendars for upcoming Young Agents and Women in Insurance (WINS) events coming up this Summer to help build professional relationships and establish connections with your peers in the industry that can last a lifetime. See the Insurors of Tennessee calendar of events found in this issue of the magazine for more details. In addition, it is not too early to save the date on your calendars to attend the Insuors of Tennessee Annual Conference, also known as Insurefest, on October 21-24, 2023, in Knoxville this year. We are already hard at work planning a great event for 2023 to celebrate the 130th Anniversary of this historic organization.

One important observation I have made attending various events as President of our association, is the impressive young talent joining the insurance industry in independent agencies and brokers, insurance companies and other business organizations that serve the insurance industry. I am excited to see what the next generation of talent brings to our industry and how they will transform our business in the years to come. As we often hear in the Future Leader Spotlight columns of this magazine, the importance of mentoring and guiding young people in our industry is time well spent. Young agents are quick to acknowledge those who invest their time, knowledge and experience supporting them in the early phases of their career. Mentoring coupled with a commitment to strong insurance education for young agents greatly enhances the competence and capabilities of people early in their insurance careers. We encourage agency principals and company leaders to take advantage of the many professional insurance education programs offered through this association to augment the mentoring efforts in your organization. It's imperative that we equip the future leaders of our industry with knowledge and ability to navigate the inevitable change and transformation that is on the horizon.

By the time you read this article, we will have commemorated Memorial Day. Nevertheless, I would like to make a few comments about this important date. While Memorial Day is a day off from work for most people in observance of the holiday, it is also a time to gather with family for cookouts, go boating on one of the state’s many lakes or hiking in one of Tennessee’s beautiful parks. Most importantly, it is also a time for quiet reflection and reverence for members of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy who gave their lives defending this country at home and abroad.

Since the end of the American Revolution, 646,596 American troops have died in battle and more than 539,000 died from other, non-combat related causes such as disease and injuries in those wars. Beyond the terrible direct loss of a service member comes the ripple effect that changes the arc of an entire family’s life for generations to come and in turn the future of our nation. So, while we pay special tribute to those who gave all for our nation on Memorial Day, we should remember them throughout the course of the year and honor them by our actions and behavior as responsible citizens, political representatives, and business leaders to indeed build a more perfect union. u