The Tennessee Insuror Nov/Dec 15

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR November/December 2015

Vol. 26 No. 6

www.insurors.org

Ready to Run

6 10 12

122nd Annual Convention Recap “TRID” Lightly With New Lending Regulations

2015 National Alliance Conferees

New Insurors President Christie Reeves is Ready to Lead in 2016

Expect big things in workers’ compensation. Expect to save a third of your clients 30% or more. Most classes approved, nationwide.

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Insurance plans protected U.S. Patent No. 7,908,157.

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The Tennessee Insuror

contents

THE TENNESSEE

INSUROR Vol. XXVI, Number 6 November/December 2015

features

Phone (615) 385-1898 Toll Free: 1-800-264-1898 Email: info@insurors.org Editor: Charles T. Bidek, CPCU Publisher: Daniel D. Smith Jr.

4 Ready to Run INSURORS OFFICERS

President ......................................................... Cindi Gresham, CIC Immediate Past President ..................................... Lou Moran III IIABA National Director ................................................ Brad Smith Vice President, Region I ..................................... Chris Allison, CIC VP, Region II and Pres. Elect .... Christie Reeves, CIC, CPCU, CPIW Vice President, Region III ................................. John McInturff III Treasurer .............................................. Battle Bagley III, CIC, CPA Secretary ...................................................................... Rush Powers Director, Region I ....................................................... Portis Tanner Director, Region I ...................................................... Edward Kaiser Director, Region I .......................................................... Tim Roberts Director, Region II ....................................................... Chip Fridrich Director, Region II .................................................... Joe Lester, CIC Director, Region II ................................................. Steve Copeland Director, Region III ..................................................... Kevin Ownby Director, Region III ............................................ Josh Gibbons, AAI Director, Region III .................................................... Eric Campbell Young Agents Chairperson .................................... Stuart Oakes

ADVERTISING

Display advertising rates, deadlines and specifications may be obtained by writing to Insurors of Tennessee, 2500 21st Avenue South, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37212, calling 615.515.2601, e-mailing dsmith@insurors.org or online at www.insurors.org The Tennessee Insuror is provided to all Insurors of Tennessee members and associate members as a member service.

New Insurors President Christie Reeves is Ready to Lead in 2016

6

122nd Annual Convention Recap

10

“TRID” Lightly With New Lending Regulations

12

2015 National Alliance Conferees

14

Daniel Learns About Insurance: Are Your Jingle Bells Covered?

Eighty-Two Insurance Professionals in Tennessee Earned Designations...

departments 21

From Your President

23

From Your IIABA National Director

25

From Your CEO

29

Education Calendar

31

Government and Legal Affairs

37

Broker Spotlight

39

Company Spotlight

41

Company Briefs

51

Meetings

53

Member Tips

INSURORS OF TENNESSEE 2500 21st Avenue South, Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212-0539 www.insurors.org

‘Know Before You Owe” Rule Adds Challenges

Thank You For a Wonderful Year Thanking My Insurors Family

Needs of the Many or the Wants of the Few?

RLI PUPs

Safeco Insurance

Expert Advice on Preparing for Severe Winter Weather 3

Ready to Run

New Insurors President Christie Reeves is Ready to Lead in 2016

Running a race takes a lot of things - endurance, tenacity, focus and ability are just a few of them. When you look at the life and career of Christie Reeves, you can see all of those attributes apply to everything she does. Although she says she runs for exercise and as a “stress-reliever,” you can see that she has a runner’s spirit too.

From Humble Beginnings Christie was born and raised in Memphis to a blue-collar family that worked hard but didn’t put a lot of emphasis on education. Her parents were hard workers, and they came from humble beginnings. Christie’s maternal grandparents were farmers in Mississippi, and based on her first experience trying to milk a cow, she knew that wouldn’t be her career. From a young age, she knew that she wanted things to be different for her, “I knew that education was the path to creating a different kind of life for myself.”

Around age eleven, Christie started working and saving, planning ahead for her future. Once she graduated from Hillcrest High School, she decided that she wanted to go to college at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She wanted to be away and get the full college experience, and she also loved football. So she left Memphis for Knoxville, and began her new life as a student and future businesswoman. When she arrived at Tennessee, she started out as a Calculus and Chem4

istry major. She quickly realized that if she wanted a successful career that didn’t involve teaching, she would have to change her major. She switched to the School of Business, and found that that was truly where he talents lie.

Christie worked her way through school, paying her own way with scholarships and jobs like babysitting and as an attendant on a Trailways bus line. In the summers, she would return to Memphis and work two or three jobs to save up for her return to school. In 1973, she graduated with her degree and started her career in insurance. That summer, she got a job working for Aetna in their Knoxville office. She was their first female underwriter trainee, and after a year and a half, she took a new job with CNA and accepted a transfer to San Francisco. Life was very different for Christie there, and she missed home, the state pf Tennessee, and of course - the football.

The Return to the Volunteer State Wanting to be back in her home state, Christie accepted an underwriter position in Nashville with Royal Globe. The location was perfect for her, as she was halfway between Knoxville and Memphis. She advanced quickly at Royal, and soon became an underwriting supervisor. As her career continued to blossom, she knew that soon she would have to look at transferring if she wanted to advance. Preferring to stay in Nashville, and wanting to be closer to the customer-side of The Tennessee Insuror

the business, Christie took a position with Gale Smith & Company in 1987. It was a big change, as the agency did not have set job titles or compensation. “I didn’t really know what I was getting into,” she recalls. “I just knew that the agency side of the business was where I wanted to be.”

At Gale Smith, she settled in as sort of an “account executive” for John Witherspoon. The management team at Royal had encouraged her to pursue continuing education, and being at Gale Smith furthered that emphasis. Christie knew that doing so would help her stand out, “I was still a woman in a man’s world then, and I knew that knowledge was what would earn me respect.” In 1983, Christie earned her CPCU, and she has continued with education ever since.

the Nashville local board. After her involvement with Insurors of Nashville, she decided she wanted to get involved in the State Association. She served on the Education Committee, and was elected as a Region II Director in 2000. She then served as Secretary before leaving the Board to focus on the transition at her agency. Gale Smith & Co. sold to Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management and Insurance Services in 2008, and Christie was asked to join new local management team. In her new agency role as Director of Client Operations, Christie works with producers and CSRs in the agency and helps develop and train new staff members at the Nashville and Louisville locations.

The management team at Gale Smith quickly saw promise in Christie and she was promoted to marketing before joining the management team herself. She was the first female to do so in the company’s history, and was also named as the corporate secretary.

Changing Career and Changing Life While her career kept progressing and changing, Christie’s life was changing as well. She was set up on a blind date, and the handsome young man wearing the Alabama Crimson Tide jacket would later become her husband. Durl and Christie were married in 1980 (after he changed his football allegiance).

The couple’s first child, daughter Emily, was born in 1985 and is a fellow UT alumni. She now works in logistics for a firm in Nashville. Their second daughter, Elissa, was born in 1987.

Elissa was born with Down Syndrome and had three heart surgeries before the age of two. Despite her health complications, Elissa is full of joy and can always put a smile on your face with her love of life. She is in a day program at Brightstone in Franklin, where Christie and the family have done volunteer work over the years.

Christie, daughter Emily and friend Bekah Waterston complete a relay run at “Hoggin’ & Joggin’”

Christie has always enjoyed giving back, mentoring and helping young people. She has been a mentor in the UT alumni program, and has also volunteered at the Nashville Juvenile Detention Center helping mentor girls aged 12-18. As for her own mentors, she says that people like John Witherspoon Jr., Ken Patterson and Jim Stanton encouraged her, taught her to be tough and trusted her to get things done.

What’s Next?

Christie says a lot has changed in the industry since she got her start, “Technology has really changed our business, and mostly for the better.” She continues, “We have an emphasis on automation and procedures, but we also may have less of an emphasis on knowledge.” That is another reason why education is such an important topic for her. When Insurors added the CIC program, Christie was one of the first people to sign up for courses. After earning the designation, she now attends the Ruble Seminars each year and enjoys the continual learning format that the program provides.

As President in 2016, Christie wants to focus on making sure Insurors remains a resource of knowledge to agents and the industry. From continuing education, to Young Agents, to mentoring and information, she wants to make sure Insurors is building the foundation for industry knowledge.

Christie, husband Durl and daughters Elissa and Emily

Christie and the Association In the mid-90s, Christie was introduced to Insurors through The Tennessee Insuror

Christie is also the third female President in Insurors history and the second in a row. She wants to be an example for females in the industry, and let them know that hard work and determination can provide anyone with the same success that she has found. That is another area she has seen change 5

in her time in the industry. “When I was younger, it was hard to get respect as a female in the business,” she recalls. “But now I see a lot of opportunities for women, and if they work hard and build their knowledge base insurance can be a very rewarding career for them.”

800-226-3224 www.fcci-group.com

Christie stands by “The Gallagher Way” principles

Christie truly does have a love for insurance, and it can be seen in her support of so many industry initiatives. In addition to Insurors education programs, she has volunteered on the Liaison Committee for the Martin Chair of Insurance at Middle Tennessee State University. Why are these things important to her? “We have an age gap in this industry, and this is a quality business that is very important to commerce in our country. If young people are looking for an opportunity to find a lifelong career and be successful, insurance can provide that opportunity.”

PERSONAL SERVICE. EXCEPTIONAL PARTNERSHIP. “FCCI’s culture stands out.

We are a big company, but we don’t act like one. When I go out and visit policyholders with agents and our loss control consultants, our goal is to get to know and really help the agents and policyholders we work with.”

It is easy to see why Christie gained the respect of her peers and superiors throughout her career. In 2003, she was named as the Tennessee Insuror of the Year by this Association, and in 2012, she was named to the Robert E. Musto Tennessee Insurance Hall of Fame at MTSU. She was only the second female inductee in the Hall’s history.

Trey Stone, CIC Senior Marketing Underwriter Gulf Coast Region Birmingham, Alabama Now, let’s talk about your business.

General liability t Auto t Property t Crime Workers’ compensation t Umbrella Inland marine t Agribusiness t Surety Coverage available in 18 states. © 2015 FCCI

Christie and others at the 2012 TN Insurance Hall of Fame induction

Now Christie takes on a new challenge as Association President for 2016. Based on what she has already done in her life and in our industry, we are certain her year will be a successful one. u 6 TI15_Stone_3.625x10.indd 1

The Tennessee Insuror

2/17/15 10:38 AM

ost there when it matters most there when it matters

Technology

At Donegal we understand that “ease of doing business” is vital in determining the value of a carrier to any independent agency. That’s why Donegal focuses on providing superior technology including fully automated web-based systems for Personal and Commercial Lines to give our agents optimal efficiency in quoting and issuing policies.

And while we’re pleased to offer advanced technology equal to any of the national carriers, Donegal constantly strives to improve and enhance that technology.

Donegal’s commitment to delivering superior technology to make your job easier… another way Donegal is “There When It Matters Most.”

To learn more visit www.donegalgroup.com or call Bill Anderson at 800-277-7442 ext. 3418.

The Tennessee Insuror

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Attendees gather for the Sunday night Opening Celebration featuring former Vols Coach Phil Fulmer

122nd Annual Convention Recap Over 400 Attendees Participate in 2015 Event in Knoxville

The Insurors 122nd Annual Convention was another successful event for the Association. Over 430 attendees were on hand at the Holiday Inn World’s Fair Park in Knoxville, and we had many sold out functions throughout the event.

Things kicked off with our tailgate before Tennessee’s big win over Georgia. Over 100 people joined us on the Festival Lawn in World’s Fair Park on Saturday afternoon before the game for our tailgate presented by Consumers Insurance. The rain held off and we enjoyed a nice day with food, fellowship, and some beverages!

then headed to their optional activities, with wine tasting, clay shooting and golfing all on the agenda. Travelers Insurance again helped sponsor the golf outing, with INSBANK and Finworth Mortgage continuing their annual Clay SHoot sponsorship. Our golf winners were the team of Cy Young, Justin Poole, Danny Geoffrion and Brian Tunge. Our Clay Shooting winners included INSBANK sponsor Mike Qualls as “Top Shot.”

Everyone was a winner at the wine tasting event at Blue Slip winery.

Sunday we got things started with Steve Anderson’s Outlook Seminar helping us all be more efficient. That afternoon we opened up our trade show with over 80 exhibitors on hand and our Business Connection Lounge presented by Chubb.

On Sunday evening, our keynote speaker, Tennessee legend Phil Fulmer, gave a motivating speech to the more than 400 in attendance.

Monday morning completed our trade show with exhibit hall breakfast and prize giveaways. Attendees then packed out the breakout sessions, discussing the state of Work Comp in the Opt-Out Woes session, and dissecting claims case studies during Rick Pitts’s Ten Minute Mysteries. Our attendees 8

Yee-Haw Brewing Company was on hand to offer samples to attendees at our tailgate at World’s Fair Park

The Tennessee Insuror

Monday night featured our Young Agents Reception presented by Berkley Southeast Insurance Group. We had over 40 attendees that took time to network and help raise almost $1,000 in donations for InsurPACTN.

Smith of Smith-Berclair Insurance in Memphis for the second time in his career.

Tuesday morning we closed with our Association Day and Annual Meeting. Guest speaker and Big “I” Executive Committee member David Walker brought everyone up-to-date on our National Association, and then inducted our 2016 Board of Directors, led by Christie Reeves of Arthur J. Gallagher in Brentwood. Many volunteers were also thanked for the service on the Board.

Our wine tasters enjoyed a pairing in a rail car at the Historic Southern Railway

The always popular door prizes were also given out on Tuesday morning, we many attendees receiving some great parting gifts.

Send in Your Feedback and Save the Date for 2016 Attendees and exhibitors take time to catch up and discuss some potential business at our trade show

Tuesday morning was also time for the presentation of the 2015 awards. The Arch Northington Young Agent of the Year award went to Eric Campbell of Reliance Partners and the Jim Alexander Chairperson of the Year award went to Stuart Oakes of TIS Insurance Services in Knoxville. Presidential Citations were presented to Janet Smith of Bailey Special Risks and Bryan Wimberly of Douglas & Greer in Memphis. The prestigious Insuror of the Year award was presented to Brad V.

Award Winners

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION JANET SMITH Bailey Special Risk Janet was awarded for her many contributions to independent agents in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Insuror

We hope you enjoyed the 2015 event, but we would love to hear your feedback on the convention. Please e-mail Daniel Smith at dsmith@insurors.org with any thoughts, concerns or questions you may have. Didn’t attend this year? We would love to hear what would make the event one you wouldn’t want to miss.

Whether you were able to attend this year’s event or not, please make plans to join us for next year’s event on October 29-November 1, 2016 at the beautiful Omni hotel in downtown Nashville for the Insurors of Tennessee 123rd Annual Convention. u

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION BRYAN WIMBERLY Douglas & Greer Bryan was awarded for his work as president of the Insurors of Memphis local board.

INSUROR OF THE YEAR ARCH NORTHINGTON JIM ALEXANDER BRAD V. SMITH YOUNG AGENT COMMITTEE AWARD Smith-Berclair Insurance ERIC CAMPBELL STUART OAKES Brad was named Insuror Reliance Partners TIS Insurance Services Eric was named Young Stuart was awarded for his of the Year for the second time in his career for his Agent of the Year for his work as the Chair of the work as SND and for 30+ work on the State & Local Young Agents Committee Board and volunteerism. and on the State Board. years of Association service.

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“TRID” Lightly With New Lending Regulations ‘Know Before You Owe Rule’ Adds Challenges TILA is a much shorter acronym for the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Integrated Disclosure. A little over six weeks ago the TRID (also known as the ‘Know Before You Owe’) rule was implemented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The TRID was designed to consolidate the TILA with the RESPA Act to provide a better understanding during the decision making process for homebuyers and refinance candidates.

Both the documentation and the process flow have been heavily impacted by the new TRID regulations. The two major document changes that you should be aware of include the addition of the Loan Estimate and the Closing Disclosure. The Loan Estimate or LE is created at the beginning of the lending process and provides the potential borrowers with a clear and accurate disclosure of all estimated fees that will be incurred during the lending process. The new Loan Estimate is a combination of the old Truth-in-Lending and the Good Faith Estimate. This document must be delivered and disclosed within three business days of the initial application. The Closing Disclosure or the CD replicates the HUD-1. It is a detailed and accurate disclosure of every actual fee needed to close. The biggest change is that the Closing Disclosure must be delivered three days prior to closing.

Before the new regulations, there was not a required waiting period and this document could be delivered to the borrower at the time of the closing. This will now give the borrower adequate time to review and compare fees against the initial Loan Estimate. The borrowers must sign off on the Closing Disclosure to start the 3 day waiting period prior to closing.

written by Keith Collison, Finworth Mortgage The Borrower Plays More Than One Crucial Role There are many ways in which the borrower can help avoid closing delays. Give your lender any documents necessary to complete the loan as soon as possible. Read the Loan Estimate carefully so any questions can be resolved early in the process and avoid any last minute changes to the loan. Work with your real estate agent and the seller’s agent to conduct home inspections, order reports (e.g. pest inspections), and clear any contingencies as early in the process as possible.

Schedule your final walk through well before the Closing Disclosure is issued. Be up front and let your lender know about any changes to the transaction that might impact the loan or the closing.

Despite these new challenges present with TRID, you can still ensure a smooth mortgage transaction by choosing a knowledgeable lender who can help you navigate through all of the new rules and regulations. Lenders who were ready for the TRID implementation have not slowed down at all, and continue to close loans in less than 30 days. Choose wisely!

About the Author Keith Collison serves as Managing Director of Finworth Mortgage, LLC, a subsidiary of INSBANK. He has over fourteen years of experience in mortgage banking, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Real Estate and Mortgage Financing from Mississippi State University. He may be contacted at Keith.Collison@finworth. com. u

The overall consensus is that TRID is going to slow down the mortgage process by at least 15 days. Most banks are now telling their clients that it will take 60 to 90 days to complete the entire loan process. With the proper policies and procedures in place, it is still realistic to close a loan in 30 days. In order for that to happen a lender will be required to document accurate fee information from the borrower’s chosen vendors on the front end. The lender will also have to efficiently deliver disclosures and document the receipt of these new time sensitive disclosures.

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The Tennessee Insuror

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2015 National Alliance Conferees Eighty-Two Insurance Professionals in Tennessee Earned Designations This Year

Each year we honor individuals who have completed the requirements to earn National Alliance designations.

Twenty-four Tennessee agents earned the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation in 2015. CICs offer a higher professional level of experience and competence.

Haley Erin Hardin, CIC Van Meter Insurance Group - Franklin Amy. M. Harrison, CIC Nationwide Insurance - Nashville

Paige Stiefel receives her CIC pin at the Conferment Ceremony

Certified Insurance Counselors Jill E. Bachuss, CIC The Hardin County Bank Insurance Agency - Counce Jill is an Agent with Hardin County Bank Insurance Agency and has been in the industry for fourteen years. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee. She started with Hardin County in 2001 and worked in several positions before becoming an agent selling Personal Lines and then began working in Commercial Lines.

Taylor Beck, CIC Joe Morton & Son, Inc. - Knoxville Bonnie Jamison Burchfield, CIC, CISR Sam Neill Insurance - Morristown Bonnie works as the Agent and Marketing Specialist for Sam Neill Insurance Agency. She has over fifteen years of experience in the industry and has attended Safeco’s Personal Insurance School.

Rebecca L. Charles, CIC James A. Scott & Son - Franklin Saundra A. Etchison, CIC, CISR Robins Insurance Agency, Inc. - Nashville Saundra is a Commercial Lines Manager/Technical Training Manager for Robins Insurance Agency, and has over eleven years of industry experience. Shea earned her B.B.A in Marketing from MTSU and began her career as a captive personal lines sales representative before moving to Med Mal Liability account management and then field Property Claims adjusting. She now works with account including niche markets in entertainment and community associations 12

Allison P. Fones, CIC, CISR Memphis

Darcy Hooper, CIC BB&T Insurance Services - CLJT&H - Nashville Darcy is an Account Manager for BB&T Insurance Services - CLJT&H and has over eleven years of experience in the insurance industry.

She handles commercial property and casualty accounts for the agency with emphasis in construction and manufacturing.

Pamela Jeffreys, CIC, AINS James E. Brown Insurance Agency - Knoxville Pamela works as a Commercial Lines Agent for James E. Brown Insurance Agency and has over eleven years of experience in the insurance industry.

Michelle Kubaiko, CIC Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance, LLC - Memphis Kevin P. Lockmiller, CIC V. R. Williams & Company - Winchester Kevin s a Commercial Producer for V. R. Williams and has been in the industry for seven years.

He earned his B.B.A. in Management/Marketing from MTSU and worked on the company side for two years before making the transition to an independent agency.

Sherrie Maloy, CIC, CRM, CISR Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management - Brentwood Sherrie is a Client Service Manager for Arthur J. Gallagher and has eleven years of experience in insurance. She started out as a Personal and Commercial Claims representative with Farmers Help Point and transitioned into the brokerage side of the business where she handled Commercial Property and Casualty accounts for various industries and of various sizes. Prior to joining Gallagher, she handled a book of business of Medical Malpractice insurance for individual, group and institutions.

The Tennessee Insuror

Melissa D. O’Brien, CIC, CISR Miller Loughry Beach Ins. Services - Murfreesboro Melissa is the Commercial Lines Operation Manager for Miller Loughry Beach and has been in the industry for over eighteen years.

She attended Tennessee State University with major in Business Management. She obtained her CISR designation in 2006.

Debbie C. Rose, CIC The Hardin County Bank Insurance Agency, Inc. Savannah Debbie is an Agent with Hardin County Bank Insurance Agency and has been in the industry for thirty-five years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She joined Hardin County after working for a captive agency for over twentyfive years.

Gregory Saunders, CIC, CSD Farmers Insurance Group - Smyrna Greg is the Area Sales Manager for Farmers Insurance Group and has been in insurance for seven years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and works on developing sales and marketing initiatives for the company.

Scott A. Schorp, CIC Van Meter Insurance Group - Franklin Denise D. Slay, CIC, PLCS Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance, LLC - Memphis Denise is a Personal Lines Coverage Specialist (PLCS) for Lipscomb & Pitts and has been in insurance for ten years. She began her insurance career in 2005 as a receptionist at an independent agency in Georgetown, Texas. She attended San Diego State University and the University of Houston and was hired by Lipscomb & Pitts in March of 2011.

Paige Denise Stiefel, MBA, CIC Asurion - Nashville Angie B. Summers, CIC State Auto Insurance - Camden Jack Thoma, CIC E.B. Thoma & Son Agency, Inc. - Tullahoma Jack is a Producer for E.B. Thoma & Son and has been in insurance for three years. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Risk Management & Insurance. He worked for Auto-Owners Insurance for two years as a commercial underwriter before joining the family agency.

Jackson R. Vaughan, CIC James A. Scott & Son, Inc. - Knoxville Jackson is a Risk Advisor - P&C / Workers’ Comp with Scott InThe Tennessee Insuror

surance and has over six years of experience in the industry.

He graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Risk Management & Insurance.

Roberta (Bobbi) Williams, CIC, CPCU, ARM, ARM-P, AAI Liberty Mutual - Nashville Bobbi is a Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager with Liberty Mutual Insurance and has been in the industry for over twenty-nine years. She has a Bachelors degree in Health Services Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Jean M. Willson, CIC, CISR Strate Insurance Group - Morristown Jean is a Business Insurance Service Associate with Strate Insurance and has eight years of industry experience. Prior to 2007, she co-owned a small family business. She also attended the University of Kentucky.

Certified Risk Managers Ten insurance professionals in Tennessee earned the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) designation in 2015. The CRM designation demonstrates that you are a knowledgeable professional in all areas of managing risks, hazards and exposures for clients.

David Allen receives his CRM pin at the Conferment Ceremony

David H. Allen, CIC, CRM RSS Insurance - Chattanooga David is a Principal of RSS Insurance and has nine years of experience in insurance. He graduated Cum Laude receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, with a major in Finance and collateral in International Business. He also received a degree in Spanish. Currently he is completing a Masters of Science in Insurance and Risk Management from The Florida State University. He is also a proud member of the Beta Gama Sigma national honor society and serves on Insurors Young Agents Committee.

Laurie Andrews, CIC, CRM, CPIA BB&T - KDC Insurance Services - Kingsport Laurie is an Assistant Vice President –Marketing for BB&T - KDC and has over eighteen years in the industry. She earned her Bachelors in Business Administration from Drury University and joined Cooper, Love and Jackson in September 1997 as a producer. She transferred from Nashville to Kingsport in 2013 and transitioned from production to marketing.

Emily Biging, CRM OHL - Nashville

continued on page 41 13

Daniel Learns About Insurance: Are Your Jingle Bells Covered?

Could Professional Light Installation Leave You Crying All the Way? Insurors Director of Communications Daniel Smith is far from an insurance expert, but he is trying to learn! In this series he will look into insurance industry and coverage questions he has about popular trends in day-to-day life.

“250 strands of lights, 100 individual bulbs per strand, for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights.” - Clark Griswold’s Holiday lighting display in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

Back in 1908, it was said that the insurance industry was at war with Christmas. There had been so many fires caused by candles, hot lights, dry trees and flammable materials being used for decoration that the New York Board of Underwriters issued a warning/announcement to every client of every fire-insurance firm in the city.1 The underwriters warned that these materials, along with “the use of moving picture machines,” was causing “additional hazard not contemplated by the underwriters in issuing policies of indemnity covering the usual fire hazard.”

In the 1920s, reliable Christmas lights that minimized the risk of fire were introduced and began to replace candles and more dangerous electric lighting. As they became more popular and cost-effective, Americans began broadening their use of

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written by Daniel Smith

lights for large external displays and holiday decorations.

You may not have thousands of lights decking your halls for the holidays, but maybe one of your clients does. In fact, Tennessee has a few of the largest displays in the country. Chad’s Winter Wonderland in Lebanon has over 2 million lights on 8 acres of displays and uses 15,000 feet of extension cords.2 Lipton Lights in Franklin uses 4,100 LED color-changing lights running on computer-controlled circuits synchronized to eight songs. The display is run from a dedicated playback system, an FM transmitter, and hundreds of feet of data/communications cable.3 That’s a lot of lights, electricity, work, and maybe even liability. Most Homeowners policies will cover the personal property of the lights and displays, even if they were to cause fires or other damage. But what about installation?

Many people, at their own peril, put up their own lights and decorations during the holidays. However, a growing number of people are hiring “professionals” to install their lighting displays. It can be a costly business, as well. A custom installation with setup and take down can cost well over $1,000. Large installations and those with high roof and tree access can cost over $10,000.

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15

Your clients need to keep more in mind than just the installation cost when hiring someone else to do the work. Hanging lights can be a dangerous business. With electrical access, ladders and heights involved, consumers need to make sure that installers are properly insured.

Many companies are hesitant to write light installation insurance, and even fewer write more than just general liability coverage. But the need for workers’ comp, property, surety and commercial auto is there, and not having it creates liability for the light installer and the homeowner.

Installing holiday lights is hard work that must be undertaken properly, but like Clark Griswold’s father-in-law said about him working hard, “So do washing machines.”

1-Per “How the Insurance Industry Tried to Ban Christmas” via Bloomberg at http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2011-12-22/how-the-insuranceindustry-tried-to-ban-christmas-echoes 2-Per Chad’s Winter Wonderland FAQs at http://chadswinterwonderland. com/faqs.html 3-Per Lipton Lights at http://www.liptonlights.com/Pages/default.aspx

About the Author Daniel Smith serves as the Director of Communications for Insurors of Tennessee. He has a Bachelors degree in Marketing with a minor in Graphic Design from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

He may be contacted at dsmith@insurors.org. u

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The Tennessee Insuror

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17

Future Leaders Spotlight

presented by

Brent Chance • Ivy Insurance - Brentwood Brent Chance of Ivy Insurance

Brent Chance is the principal agent of Ivy Insurance in Brentwood. He is a Nashvillearea native who graduated from Goodpasture High School and played baseball for Belmont University. He has three children, twelve year-old Bo, ten year-old Hutson and eight year-old Harby with his wife Jennifer and they reside in Brentwood.

He is still active in coaching and teaching baseball and football to youth in the community.

At the Insurors 122nd Annual Convention in October, Brent was elected as the Young Agent Representative to the Board of Directors for 2016. In that position he will also chair our Young Agents Committee.

The Insuror: Can you tell us a little about your current job title and responsibilities?

Brent: I am currently the owner of Ivy Insurance. We have a commercial, personal lines and benefits book of business.

In a small agency of only five employees, the owner does everything from writing business to making the coffee and I enjoy every minute of it.

The Insuror: What can you tell us about your educational background?

Brent: I graduated with in Bachelors degree in Marketing and Hospitality Management from Belmont University.

The Insuror: How and why did you get your career in the insurance industry started?

Brent: My first job was doing individual health insurance sales.

In that position I cold-called on small business owners for health insurance. Needless to say, this helped mold my sales techniques for the future in the insurance business through a lot of trial-and-error. After learning the benefits side of the insurance business, Al Phillips Insurance hired me to cross-sell my clients and learn the commercial P&C Business. When Al Phillips Insurance Agency sold out to Brown and Brown I knew it was my chance to break away and start my own agency.

18

With one insurance company and no outside assistance we started Ivy Insurance and have been blessed with great clients and employees ever since.

The Insuror: Do you have any influences/role models in the industry?

Brent: I have several role models in the insurance industry. Al Phillips brought me into the P&C business and I learned a lot from him and will always be thankful for what he taught me.

Others like Kevin Hale and Tracy Lomax are mentors that have helped me learn how to run an insurance agency on a daily basis.

I truly believe that asking questions and mirroring the work habits of successful role models and mentors are the reasons I am where I am today.

The Insuror: Is there any advice you could offer Young Agents or others in the industry to achieve success?

Brent: At Al Phillips Insurance Agency there was a sign in the conference room that read, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” That saying has stuck with me from the beginning. I try to run my business with a servant’s heart and take the very best care of my clients. But just like that sign I will always remember says – “Nothing happens until someone sells something.”

The Insuror: As an independent agent, you have many partners in this industry, including carriers, MGAs and many more. How do you determine which ones are the right relationships?

Brent: When it comes to partners we look for a relationship that adds value to our agency. From the carriers that provide the insurance to the brokers we share business with, we want to make sure we are a good fit. We want our partners to be leaders in their industries and be able to help us throughout the entire sales cycle.

The Insuror: Thank you for giving us your time Brent, we appreciate it and wish you continued success in your career.

Brent: I appreciate the opportunity and I look forward to working with many of our industry’s future leaders through the Young Agents Committee in 2016. u The Tennessee Insuror

Young Agents ‘16

Upcoming Events and Information The 2016 committee has begun planning for next year’s events, goals and activities. The committee will meet in January to build on the momentum of 2015, which saw almost 50 new Young Agent participants in our programs and events. The group also helped generate over $1,500 in Young Agent contributions to InsurPACTN. If you are interested in providing suggestions and/or participating in events, please e-mail Daniel Smith at dsmith@ insurors.org or call 615.515.2601.

Below are some updates on the events scheduled for Young Agents in 2016. Please mark your calendar and join us for these opportunities to network.

March 9 - Young Agents Reception at Growth Conference TBD • Murfreesboro

Young Agents Committee Brent Chance - Chair Principal Agent/Owner Ivy Insurance Brentwood bchance@ivy-insurance.com Stuart Oakes, CRIS - Immediate Past Chair Producer/Construction Division TIS Insurance Services Knoxville sfoakes@tisins.com Tim Treadwell V - Region I Account Executive Boyle Insurance Agency Memphis timt@boyle.com Alan Sisk, AU, AINS - Region II Producer Geny Insurance Nashville alansisk@hotmail.com David Allen - Region III Principal Agent RSS Insurance Chattanooga dallen@rssins.com For more information, please e-mail dsmith@insurors.org. u The Tennessee Insuror

INTRODUCING

Exceptional Agents Berkley Southeast Insurance Group recognizes the need to mentor the growth of new talent and to perpetuate the Independent Agency System, as well as provide young agents with a competitive advantage. Tennessee’s Young Agents are the future of our business. That’s why we are working together for success.

Congratulations Exceptional Agents 2015 Aaron Jensen Adam Reeves Andrew Powers Blake Dickens Brandon Patterson Chad Richardson Chad Snider Charlie Taylor Clement Ledbetter David Evans Garrett Flannery Jamie Williams Jared Smith Jason Stiltner Jason Teague Jeremy Stiltner John Brock John Fritts Josh Witt Kevin Ownby Leslie Frazier Matt Spellings Michael Novarese Mike Thomas Patrick Sala Ramsey Brock Robert Harris Stacy Woodard Stuart Oakes Tim Treadwell Will Webb

Shafer Insurance Agency, Knoxville Union City Insurance Agency, Union City Burke, Powers, and Harty Insurance, Bristol Harris, Madden and Powell, Memphis Ownby Insurance Services, Sevierville Swallows-Newman Insurance, Cookeville Westan Insurance Group, Martin Burke, Powers, and Harty Insurance, Bristol Battle Page Insurance, Franklin The Insurance Group, Inc., Knoxville Carroll Insurance Agency McKenzie Hardin County Bank Ins. Agcy., Savannah TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville Heritage Insurance, Kingsport Watauga Insurance, Johnson City Heritage Insurance, Kingsport Brock Insurance, Chattanooga TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville The Insurance Group, Inc., Knoxville Ownby Insurance Services, Sevierville Shafer Insurance Agency, Knoxville Consolidated Insurance Agency, Paris McDaniel-Whitley, Inc., Memphis Insurance, Inc., Nashville Harris, Madden and Powell, Memphis Brock Insurance, Chattanooga Tigrett & Pennington, Nashville Shafer Insurance Agency, Knoxville TIS Insurance Services, Knoxville Boyle Insurance, Memphis Battle Page Insurance, Franklin

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The Tennessee Insuror

From Your President

Thank You for a Wonderful Year

As I write my final article for this position, I can’t help but look back and think about what a fantastic year it has been. I first want to thank all of of my fellow members for allowing me to serve as the 122nd President of the Insurors of Tennessee.

The friendships that I have made along my journey with the Insurors have been incredible. I was able to meet several of you at the various functions. Our agency and company members have gone out of their way to welcome me, along with my husband, Rocky, to your local events.

The last year has brought me so many opportunities and experiences. Last December, I was able to participate in the swearing in of officers for the Insurors of Memphis and attend the Southern Agents Conference. In the first part of 2015 I was able to attend the Big “I” Conferences and attend the Insurors Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C.

The board members that I has honored to serve with over the years have become lifelong friends. They were with me when my Mother passed away this year, hugged me and helped me dry my tears. They have helped when I have had questions. These members are not my competitors, they are friends. Friends that have help me grow my business and become a better agent. I thank each and every person that I served with on this Board. There are a few very special thank-yous; Brad Smith, thank you for encouraging me throughout my Insurance career and challenging me to become involved in the Insurors Association. Lou Moran, yes, you are the politician and I am the “bull in the china shop” but our views help balance out each other. And finally, Christie Reeves, you are the premier ‘Insurance Woman.’ Thank you for your support, encouragement and most of all friendship. I hope that you will enjoy the next year as much as I have.

I wanted to participate in the various local Insurors golf tournament and events this year, even though I was a terrible golfer. Chuck has been so patient, even when I whiffed 3 strokes on one tee box. I attended the Northwest Tennessee Golf Outing and I FINALLY got to taste those delicious pork chops I have heard about for so long. I was also able to play at the beautiful Chattanooga Golf and Country Club. What an absolutely gorgeous course!

I missed the Nashville event but have been to Nashville so many times I feel like I almost know some of the back ways during rush hour.

I was so excited that my oldest son, Brad, his wife, Alice (both alumni of UT) and my 3 grandsons, Jack, Brayden and Tyler were able to attend the UT/Georgia game during this year’s convention. This was my grandsons’ first game in Neyland stadium and they were thrilled. They are convinced that UT won due to their new jerseys that we purchased at the bookstore.

We have such strong, efficient leadership in our Association. Thank you to the entire Insurors the Tennessee staff for an outstanding job. We are the envy of many State Associations, not just in the Insurance industry but with all organizations. Chuck, Ashley and Daniel, I will miss working so closely with each of you. It has been an absolute pleasure. Chuck, I have learned so much from you. I have almost developed a real interest in politics.

The Tennessee Insuror

I must also thank my dear, sweet husband, Rocky. He is the absolute best. He has traveled with me during this journey and have never been anything but supportive throughout my career. Rocky – I love you with all of my heart.

“The last year has brought m e s o m a ny opportunities a n d experiences.”

We accomplished a great deal this year but there is still a lot of work to do.

I would encourage each of you to get involved in our Association, either on the local or State level. I have truly received so much more than I have ever given and I believe that being involved with the Insurors will make you a better agent.

I would hope that each of your would have the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I feel that I was blessed to have grabbed the brass ring.

I cannot express how much this honor meant to me. This was the highlight of my career. All I can say is thank you so very much! u

Cindi Gresham, CIC 21

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From Your IIABA National Director Thanking My Insurors Family Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I don’t believe that all good things must eventually come to an end, but the truth is that some of them must. The last couple of months have been a series of, “last time to do...” as I have spent most all of my adult life being involved with the Insurors at some level. I use the word “involved” as opposed to “serving” as I really feel I have been served more than I have served. When you get down to the basics it is almost always about the people. When I view the last 37 years from the vantage point of the people I have been blessed to be around, get to know, spend time with, exchange ideas with, and at times argue and disagree with, well it just could not have been any better.

way is also very intelligent. She loves our Association and our people and our cause. I learn something from her almost every time we meet as she is just a fountain of information and a real joy with which to spend time. A little dangerous on the golf course - but just a great person and I feel so very blessed to call her a friend.

The People Make the Difference

Quality Attracts Quality

Our Association has attracted the highest quality of people as employees and as volunteers.

The quality folks are the ones who give their time and their passion to trade associations like ours. Look at our entire staff that have been with us for so many years.

The point is that it all fits together. Quality leadership only sticks around when there are quality volunteers and membership. They only stick around if they feel they can make a difference and be of service. When members volunteer it is for the same reasons, they must have great leadership and know they can make a difference by serving. The benefit none of us expect to receive in serving and involvement are the friendships we have built along the way. And wow have Cathy and I been blessed in that area.

Chuck Bidek began working with us in the early 70s (he says he was just out of high school) and many of us were fortunate to attend his week-long licensing schools. Mine was in 1978 and began a lifelong friendship that will never be replaced. Having the good fortune to serve for some 18 years in various roles on the State Board has allowed me to see Chuck and know his passion not just for the Association but for you the insurance agent. He truly understands and fights for what is best for us and the consumers of Tennessee. Since I have had the privilege of being on the national board for 6 years I also get to see how he is respected in that group, and not because he has been there almost longer than anyone – but because of his understanding of what our needs are. And besides all that he is just a good guy.

For many years Ashley Gold was our hidden gem. Few associations can attract an attorney to work on their staff. But we didn’t just get legal counsel – we got a full-fledged, both feet in – whatever it takes type person – who by the The Tennessee Insuror

Our Association cannot function without great staff and Chuck has done a great job assembling ours. I’ll get in trouble when trying to list everyone - but Laura, Colleen, Stephen and the others do such a terrific job. A few years back Chuck hired this young man named Daniel Smith. Little did we know what a valued asset he would become to our membership.

In closing for my last article, as I move out of the way for Lou Moran III to have his opportunity to serve you, I just want to say: to those of you on staff – thank you for your service to our association and to our members. To those I have had the privilege to serve with on the boards of local, state and national over the last 37 years – thank you for having patience with me and allowing me to participate in this great organization and serve alongside you. And to both those groups I can’t thank you enough for enriching my career and my life. And finally, to those who have not yet served – you really are robbing yourself of a truly great experience.

Cathy and I thank you all for the many kindnesses shown to us and wish you all great success in the future. We pray that God may richly bless you all. u

“Quality leadership only sticks a r o u n d when there are quality volunteers and membership.”

Brad V. Smith 23

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The Tennessee Insuror

From Your CEO

Needs of the Many or the Wants of the Few?

I find myself very proud of our Association as we move forward into the new year. Not necessarily for anything we as staff did but what our volunteers did and are doing to help defeat Opt-Out Workers’ Compensation legislation in Tennessee. The odyssey, which began in the summer of 2014, and appeared as a piece of legislation in January has been a discussion in at least three of our Board meetings. Following our mission statement, which states our actions are to be what is in the best interest of the insuring public, our Board never faltered from that basic tenet.

meet law requirements without using traditional insurance for workers’ compensation: self-insurance, industry pools, and most recently, cell captives. So why is this option needed?

Some outsiders began to say, agents are only protecting their commissions and protecting their business. I can tell you that nothing was further from the truth. My personal discussions with so many members have centered around protecting employers and injured workers. They have trouble understanding why such a dramatic change is contemplated – let alone needed. I have always known that independent agents do what’s right for their clients, even when it costs them money to do so.

Who is Behind the Curtain?

Your Board has allocated funds to move this issue from inside the legislature to the public at large for more vetting. To accomplish this we have recruited about 20 members, so far, to visit newsrooms and public officials across the state.

Associate members have helped with funds and support to increase our efforts. Our National Association, IIABA, has also contributed funds from its Agency Action Fund, as this issue has the potential to turn into a national one in the coming years.

The proponent lobbyist told me recently he had talked to me for over five hours on the issue. I assume he is paid by the hour and I intend to make him a lots of money in the coming years.

He also once told me we were the only group not supporting the legislation. However, there are plenty of others and through our efforts the numbers continue to grow.

Insurors efforts so far have resulted in the bill being taken off notice, although we have been told that some of the proponents might bring back another version (their third) this Winter.

What’s all that about you might ask? I like the phrase, “changing chairs on the deck of the Titanic,” to distract as many as possible from the real issue.

The most obvious answer? Because the four current methods must adhere to the laws and rules of coverages set forth by the state. Ever read a Coverage A in a workers’ compensation policy? It basically says we pay what the state says we will pay. Opt-Out says we will only pay what we want to pay. Said another way, it is an opportunity to reduce benefits and coverages.

So who are the people supporting this idea?

Although we know who the principal architect from Texas who is promoting law is, and we know whom and who is representing an association created in Fall of 2014, little else is known about the proponents. Initially it was described to us as the “marquee companies of Tennessee,” but at least so far they have not been individually showing their public support.

Our viewpoint is that legislation should be reserved for needs that are in the interest of all Tennesseans. Wants of the individual should be left behind. Each year over 1,000 bills are filed (many are wants) and about 150 pass. Hopefully those that pass are needs.

Is Another Option Needed?

We need your support to protect the needs of Tennesseans. Call or e-mail us to discuss how you can help. And for those of you that tell me you don’t like politics, let me quote what our Secretary of State recently reminded us, “If you don’t do politics, politics will do you.”

Currently, there are three ways for employers to

I wish you all a Happy New Year. u

The Tennessee Insuror

“ O u r viewpoint is that legislation should be reserved for the needs that are in the interest of all Tennesseans.”

Chuck Bidek, CPCU 25

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26

The Tennessee Insuror

3/4 4/22

CISR

Commercial Property

6/9

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CISR

Personal Lines Institute

5/13-15 CIC

Agency Management

Commercial Casualty Inst*

7/22

Commercial Property

10/28

Commercial Casualty II

4/21 CISR

Comm Property

7/23-24 CIC

Ruble Graduate Seminar

10/27 CISR

Comm Cas. II

CISR

8/19

KNOXVILLE

3/5

CISR

CISR

Agency Operations

3/11-13 CIC

Commercial Property Inst

5/4-6

Other

Dynamics of Selling*

6/17

CISR

Commercial Casualty II

CISR

Education Calendar

Agency Operations

4/8-10 CIC

Elements of Risk Man.

6/10-12 CIC

Insuring Personal Auto

8/25-28 CRM

Financing of Risk*

9/16-18 CIC

Life & Health Institute

11/4- 6 CIC

Commercial Casualty Inst

12/8- 9 Other

Executive Risk Seminar*

JOHNSON CITY

4/23 CISR

Comm Property

8/20 CISR

Life & Health

The Insurors of Tennessee offers education opportunities to member agents across a wide range of insurance specialities that satisfy individuals at many different experience levels.

If you are looking to further your career, seeking a professional designation, or need to satisfy continuing education requirements, check out the variety of courses available.

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5/13-15 Agency Management

Nashville

4/22

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Knoxville

6/10-12 Commercial Casualty Inst* Knoxville

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Chatt.

7/23-24 Ruble Graduate Seminar

Nashville

6/9

Elements of Risk Man.

Knoxville

9/16-18 Life & Health Institute

Nashville

6/17

Commercial Casualty II

Memphis

11/4- 6 Commercial Casualty Inst Nashville

7/22

Commercial Property

Nashville

8/19

Insuring Personal Auto

Nashville

8/20

Life & Health

Chatt.

10/27

Commercial Casualty II

John. City

10/28

Commercial Casualty II

Knoxville

Registration is fast and easy at www.insurors.org. More information about each class can also be found online.

ONLINE COURSES WEBCASTS (register and view dates at insurors.aben.tv)

Data Privacy Insurance Ethics & Business NFIP Flood Basics E&O Risk Management Series Commercial Property Professional Ethics and many more!

WEBINARS (register anytime at insurors.ceu.com)

Insurance Principles and Policies Long Term Care and many more!

OTHER COURSES 5/4-6

Dynamics of Selling*

8/25-28 CRM Financing of Risk*

Memphis Nashville

12/8- 9 Executive Risk Seminar* Nashville

REGISTER ONLINE NOW AT WWW.INSURORS.ORG OR *WWW.SCIC.COM CALL LAURA THROWER AT 615.515.2607 FOR MORE INFO OR E-MAIL LTHROWER@INSURORS.ORG

CISR

3/8 Personal Lines 3/9 Personal Lines 4/12 Personal Auto 4/13 Personal Auto 4/14 Commercial Property 6/15 Life & Health

7/20 Commercial Casualty I 7/21 Commercial Casualty I 8/9 Commercial Casualty II 8/10 Commercial Casualty II 10/4 Personal Residential 10/5 Personal Residential 12/1 Elements of Risk

CIC

Fee: $186

CE: 7

Johnson City Knoxville Chattanooga Nashville Memphis Memphis Knoxville Johnson City Nashville Memphis Knoxville Chattanooga Nashville

Fee: $430

8/16-19 Analysis of Risk*

Risk Seminars

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Fee: $420

12/8-9 Executive Risk Seminar*

Nashville

Online Courses (www.iiaba.net/vu) Available from IIABA Virtual University. Member pricing shown.

Ethics for Insurance Professionals How to Calc. Business Income in 5 Min. National Flood Insurance Program New Employee Training Course

Fee: $424 (Ruble $430)

3/2-4 Agency Management Institute 4/6-8 Personal Lines Institute 5/4-6 Commercial Property Institute 7/28-29 Ruble Graduate Seminar 9/14-16 Life & Health Institute 11/9-11 Commercial Casualty Institute

CE: 3 CE: 3 CE: 6 CE: 9

$75 $50 $80 $100

*check VU site for current information on CE and pricing

CE: 24 (Ruble 16)

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The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba. org. Advanced Curriculum Rating = 20 CPE Credits. For more information regarding administrative policies such as complaint and refund, please contact our offices at 800-633-2165.

ABEN Webcasts (insurors.aben.tv) 12/3 12/8 12/10

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E&O - Agency/Carrier Relationships CE: 3 $48 E&O - Role of Agency Defenses CE: 3 $48 Business Income-Beyond the Basics CE: 3 $72

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Legal & Ethical Requirments of Insurance CE: 4 Insuring Flood Exposures - NFIP Review CE: 4 Available from The Institutes

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Insurance Principles and Policies CE: 7 Long Term Care CE: 24 Workers’ Compensation CE: 10 Employee Benefits for Small Companies CE: 4 Healthcare Reform and Affordable Care CE: 5 e-Coverage CE: 15 Fundamentals of Personal Auto Insurance CE: 3 Management Process for Ins. Professionals CE: 21 Intro to Flexible Spending Accounts CE: 4 Terrorism and Its Impact on Insurance CE: 4 Toxic Mold and Homeowners Insurance CE: 15 Understanding the Industry of Insurance CE: 5

$49 $99 $59 $39 $49 $79 $29 $89 $39 $39 $79 $39

Register Online at www.insurors.org

Indicates course is presented by The National Alliance. Register for these courses at www.thenationalalliance.com The Tennessee Insuror

27

Let us ĮģĜĭĠ Īİĭ ıĤĠIJ ŌľʼnĽ ŎńŊ

Marine & Recreation

2 ĮłĶŁŁ ĝńĶʼnň ĝĶňň ĭŊŃĶķńŊʼn ĥĺʼnňŀľ

2 ĴĶĸĽʼnň ĮŅńŇʼnňĻľňĽ ĞŇŊľňĺŇň ģńŊňĺķńĶʼnň

2 ĨŊŁʼnľŅŁĺ İŃľʼnň ńŃ ńŃĺ īńŁľĸŎ 2 ĞĽĶŇʼnĺŇ ĪĸĸĶňľńŃĶŁ ĞĽĶŇʼnĺŇ 2 ıĶŇľńŊň īĶŎłĺŃʼn ĪŅʼnľńŃň

Habitation & Dwelling

2 įĺŃĶŃʼn ıĶĸĶŃʼn ĝŊľŁĹĺŇ/ň ĭľňŀ 2 īŇľłĶŇŎ ĮĺĸńŃĹĶŇŎ ĭĺŃʼnĶŁň 2 ģĪ ĶŃĹ ğī 2 īĞ 2 ĪŃŁľŃĺ ĝľŃĹľŃļ ĜŋĶľŁĶķŁĺ

Proud to be a member and partner with the AAMGA 28

The Tennessee Insuror

ķŎ ŊňľŃļ ńŊŇ Manufactured Homes

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2 ĮĺĶňńŃĶŁ ĭľňŀň 2 ĭĺŃʼnĶŁ ĭľňŀň 2 īŇľłĶŇŎ ĭĺňľĹĺŃĸĺ 2 ıĶĸĶŃʼn ĨĶŃŊĻĶĸʼnŊŇĺĹ ģńłĺň 2 ĜĹłľʼnʼnĺĹ ĶŃĹ ĩńŃ ĜĹłľʼnʼnĺĹ īŇńļŇĶłň

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Nashville, Tennessee | 615.251.1297 fax 615.248.4348 nashville.burnsandwilcox.com Commercial | Professional | Personal | Brokerage Binding | Risk Management Services 30

The Tennessee Insuror

Government and Legal Affairs What You Need to Know About Workers’ Comp Investigations

•

Over the last two years the Department of Labor, Workers’ Compensation Division has increased its investigations into construction service providers and other employment categories to determine whether they have workers’ compensation insurance and are classifying their employees correctly. The Bureau is seeking to make sure that actual employees are covered where appropriate, and that there is a level playing field for employers related to workers’ compensation insurance.

These investigations often lead the investigators to the office of insurance agents who are writing the workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of the employer.

As a result, we have received calls asking what the agent should do and what protections does the agent have for violations of privacy and confidentiality.

If an investigator comes knocking on your door what should you do:

Written by Ashley N. Gold, JD, Insurors General Counsel

The Department has nine Compliance Specialists (investigators), two attorneys and four administrative staff. Their geographical areas and contact information may be found at http://tn.gov/commerce/section/insurance

”The administrator of the division of workers’ compensation may request and obtain information regarding employer workers’ compensation insurance policies in order to ensure compliance with the law...” Tenn. Code Ann. §50-6-421

1. Ask for their ID. Most of the state investigators will contact the agent in advance of a visit. They should have either state issued identification, or some type of introductory letter that they will provide to the agent.

2. Remember that you are the agent for your insured, not your insured’s subcontractors or other 3rd parties. You do not have a confidential relationship to third parties with whom your insured is doing business. Therefore, information collected by or on behalf of your insured regarding another party is not protected and there is no confidential relationship. You can turn over that information without concern.

3. Ask for the investigator to provide you with a subpoena. A subpoena is an

In the fiscal year of 2014/15, the Uninsured Employers’ Fund (UEF) and Employer Misclassification Enforcement and Education Fund (EMEEF) have levied the following assessments on Tennessee employers: UEF Number of assessments = 382 Amount of assessments = $1,901,299.05 EMEEF Number of assessments = 29 Amount of assessments = $562,609.63 The Department relies upon the following statutory authority to obtain relevant information necessary to determine whether an employer is in compliance with the law: •

“The administrator of the division of workers’ compensation or the administrator’s designee has the authority to issue a subpoena to require an employer doing business in the state to produce any and all books, documents or other tangible things that may be relevant to or reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of relevant information…”

Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-412(a)

The Tennessee Insuror

Partners.

You and your clients. You and Harford Mutual. We’re committed to protecting their business and building yours.

That’s what mutual success is all about.

Explore P&C insurance opportunities at HarfordMutual.com 31

Order issued by a court, or in this case the Administrator of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, requiring you to produce tangible documents and records relevant to their investigation.

4. Contact Westport or your E&O carrier and notify them that you have received a subpoena. Westport provides first dollar subpoena coverage and will walk you through the process. Notifying Westport of your receipt of a subpoena will not affect your claims history, no matter how many you receive. This will protect you should there be a claim in the future.

5. Contact your customer. Remember, they are still your insured. Although you are required by law to comply with the subpoena, the insured has a right to know that the information is being requested and that an investigation is taking place.

6. Documents that you may be asked to provide may include: •

Proof of WC coverage (general contractor and subcontractors)

•

Contact info for insurance agent or carrier

•

Information page of the current policy showing total estimated payroll and state premium

•

Copy of the employer’s application

•

Copy of audits

•

Exemption certificates

Only provide the investigator with the documents requested that you have in your possession. You are not required to provide documents that are not requested in the subpoena. Nor are you required to seek out documents that are not already in your possession. This is not your job. That is the job of the investigator. If you do not have a document, simply let the investigator know the information is not in your possession.

If you know where it can be obtained, they would appreciate it.

THE NEW FORCE IN RISK PLACEMENT.

#ElevateExpectations

Occasionally an investigator will seek information without a subpoena. We advise that you go ahead and request that they provide one for you. This is the only way to guarantee that you are legally protected from violations of confidentiality and privacy.

About the Author Ashley N. Gold has served as General Counsel of Insurors of Tennessee since 2007, and previously consulted for the Association on legal and government affairs matters. She received her undergrad degree from the University of Kentucky and her Juris Doctor from Samford University. She may be contacted at aarnold@ insurors.org or by calling her at 615.515.2606. u

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The Tennessee Insuror

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The Allison Insurance Group - Jackson Bagley & Bagley Insurance - Fayetteville Boyle Insurance Agency, Inc. - Memphis Burke, Powers & Harty - Bristol Carnal-Roberts Agency, Inc. - Lexington Cate-Russell Insurance, Inc. - Maryville Goss Insurance - Hixson Inter-Agency Insurance Services - Knoxville Martin & Zerfoss, Inc. - Nashville

McInturff, Milligan & Brooks - Greeneville Miller | Loughry | Beach Insurance Services - Murfreesboro Ownby Insurance Service, Inc. - Sevierville Smith-Berclair Insurance, Inc. - Memphis S.N. Anthony, Inc. - Ripley Tigrett & Pennington Inc. - Dyersburg V.R. Williams & Company - Winchester Watauga Insurance, Inc. - Johnson City

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The Tennessee Insuror

Association Update

Big “I” Adds Webb to Gov. Affairs Team

Jennifer Webb has joined the Big “I” Capitol Hill team as federal government affairs counsel. Webb joins the association’s bipartisan lobbying team primarily as a liaison to Democrat congressional offices and will assist in formulating federal policy positions.

“Jennifer brings a wealth of insurance policy and legal experience to the Big ‘I’ and our small business members will benefit greatly from her institutional knowledge,” says Charles E. Symington, Jr., Big “I” senior vice president for external and government affairs. “The Big ‘I’ is pleased to welcome her to our federal government affairs team.”

A native of Leicester, New York, Webb earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and political economy from Tulane University in New Orleans and a law degree from The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. She also studied politics and law at the London School of Economics.

Willis Appoints Perry as VP in Knoxville Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings plc, has appointed of Ken Perry as vice president of the Human Capital Practice, Willis of Tennessee, effective immediately.

Based in Knoxville, Perry will be responsible for business development within Willis’s Human Capital Practice. He will work closely with the firm’s National Human Capital Practice to deliver employee benefits products and services to local clients. Perry will report to Andy Rader, senior VP, Human Capital Practice, Willis of Tennessee.

finished second to current State Sen. Ferrell Haile of Gallatin.

Coker holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Middle Tennessee State University and an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Belmont University’s Center for Professional Development. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in management from the University of Alabama.

Road Builders Add Two Insurors to Board The Tennessee Road Builders Association has elected a new board of directors to serve the organization in 2015–16, and two Insurors members are among the new group.

Wink Neal of Frank E. Neal & Co., Inc. in Nashville has been named as the Associate Division Chairman and Carlton Smith of Collective Insurance Group in Nashville was named as the Associate Division Vice Chairman.

BB&T Adds Lewis in Chattanooga BB&T Insurance Services, a subsidiary of BB&T Insurance Holdings, has hired MaryStewart Lewis as a commercial insurance consultant. Lewis brings more than 20 years in the Chattanooga business community to her new role. The Chattanooga native earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan College and an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Safford Joins Crye Leike Insurance in Memphis

Perry has more than 17 years of experience in the insurance and employee benefits space. He previously served as vice president, Health & Benefits, Aon Hewitt. He has also held key roles at USI Insurance Services and United Healthcare.

Greg Safford has joined the Crye Leike Insurance Agency in Memphis as the Agency General Manager. Safford previously spent almost ten years with Safeco Insurance in various roles. He has an Associates degree in General Studies from Spokane Falls Community College and a Bachelors degree in Music Composition from Eastern Washington University.

Coker Running for Mayor in Hendersonville

InVEST Introduces New Chair

Jeff Coker, agent and financial planner at Coker, Wolfe & Associates, Inc., in Hendersonville, has announced his plans to run for Mayor of the city in the 2016 election. Coker was one of four Republican candidates to run for state senate in the 18th district in the August 2012 primary. He The Tennessee Insuror

InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier classroom-to-career education program, is pleased to announce that Cynthia Hower, CIC, has been appointed as chair of its national board.

Hower is president of Kellerman Insurance, Inc., a Trusted Choice® independent insurance agency in Holton, Kansas.

Hower joined Kellerman Insurance in 1981. The 52-year old business continues to be family-owned and operated. u 35

Your customers like working with a local agent to handle their insurance. We think you deserve the same kind of attention. That’s why EMC has a fully staffed branch office in your area—to respond quicker and with a greater understanding of your area’s needs. It’s just one of the many reasons you and your policyholders Count on EMC ®.

TOM O’CONNELL, CPCU Resident Vice President EMC Birmingham Branch

LOCAL SERVICE FOR YOU

AND YOUR CLIENTS.

BIRMINGHAM BRANCH OFFICE

36

Phone: 800-239-2005 | Home Office: Des Moines, IA

www.emcins.com

The Tennessee Insuror

© Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2015. All rights reserved.

Broker Spotlight

RLI PUP Program

RLI’s Personal Umbrella Program (PUP) stands atop the existing homeowner and auto insurance to provide an extra layer of personal liability protection for the insured and their family.

With RLI’s PUP program, the insured can maintain their auto or home coverage with any company they choose, provided they agree to maintain the mandatory minimum underlying coverage limits. See application for underlying coverage limit.

With increased travel, hectic holiday shopping traffic, and possible winter weather conditions, the potential for an accident could be increased. As an Insurors member, you have access to stand alone personal umbrella markets which enable you to write most any risk you will run across.

RLI’s Personal Umbrella Policy can afford your clients the extra liability coverage that can provide them peace of mind this holiday season! Some of the features of RLI PUPs include: • •

Limits up to $5 million available New drivers accepted - no age limit on drivers

The Tennessee Insuror

• • • • • • •

The insured can keep their current homeowner/auto insurer Up to one DWI/DUI per household allowed Auto limits as low as 100/300/50 in certain cases Competitive, low premiums for increased limits of liability Simple, self-underwriting application that lets you know immediately if the insured is accepted E-signature and credit card payment options Immediate coverage available in all 50 states plus D.C.

And don’t forget... excess Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is available too! Just because your clients are safe drivers, doesn’t mean their neighbors are.

Get in Touch and Get Started Contact David Williams at dwilliams@insurors.org or call 615.515.2605 for more information or to get started today. For other information on the RLI PUP program, visit http://www. insurors.org/products-programs/rli-pups/ u

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SAFECO INSURANCE IS COMMITTED TO INDEPENDENT AGENTS Safeco Insurance is 100% dedicated to independent agents.

No other carrier offers you the same level of regional support, national resources and product selection.

BEST OF A REGIONAL 9 Local relationships 9 Local claims staff 9 100% dedicated local underwriters

BEST OF A NATIONAL. 9 A broad selection of products 9 24/7 claims service 9 We write almost all products online in minutes

ALL THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED, IN ONE PLACE. 9 Auto, home, motorcycle, watercraft and more 9 Combine auto and home into a Safeco Package 9 Write 6-month or annual auto policies*

Visit SafecoNow.com for more information

Š 2015 Liberty Mutual Insurance The audience for this information includes insurance agents and brokers nationwide and is therefore general in nature. Every agent and broker is responsible for knowing the guidelines and laws that govern rating, underwriting and claims handling in their states. Coverages and features not available in all states; see the Product Guide(s) for details. *Not available in all states

38 AP-5176 07/15

The Tennessee Insuror

Company Spotlight

Safeco Insurance Safeco Insurance, in business since 1923, is the No. 2 writer of personal lines in the independent agency channel in Tennessee. The insurer recently released survey results that forecast a strong case for independent agent growth as Generation Y clients become the largest segment in the marketplace.

Recently, Carl Canales, Safeco Southeast Region General Manager, talked with The Tennessee Insuror about Safeco’s current offerings and future market trends.

Tell us a little about Safeco’s history in TN. Safeco has a long history in Tennessee; we have agents that have been with us for 75 years or more. We continue to grow due to our broad product set and the investments we’re making in our agents, both tenured and new.

Our Southeast region team has representatives and field claims professionals serving agents across Tennessee and in Suwanee, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. Our Atlanta team also boasts a group of personal lines underwriters, specialty lines underwriting experts and claims experts. We also recently added an agency claims leader in Atlanta who works directly with agents to improve the customer claims experience.

What business does Safeco write in TN? We offer agents a variety of personal insurance choices, including auto, home, umbrella, motorcycle, watercraft, RV, classic car and more.

Both our homeowners and auto products give customers the flexibility to choose the coverage level that’s right for them.

Both programs feature many options and discounts, and we’re introducing new telematics programs that will save our best drivers money.

How do you see the market changing?

Obviously, there have been many studies The Tennessee Insuror

that show consumers are changing. They require 24/7 service, online and mobile access. Those studies haven’t highlighted the value that people – especially Generation Y - are putting on ease, choice and advice – hallmarks of what independent agents bring to the table.

In Safeco’s May 2015 study, 31 percent of Gen Y consumers placed themselves in a segment that values independent advice, choice among insurance companies, an expert advocate, and ease of understanding their insurance options. That’s higher than Gen X, Baby Boomers and Seniors.

As this fast-growing Gen Y segment continues to grow into the insurance marketplace, we believe independent agents will see an increase in the share of consumers preferring their unique value proposition of ease, choice and advice.

How do you see Safeco’s role in helping agents succeed?

When agents succeed, Safeco succeeds.

We work hard every day to earn a valued position as the carrier champion of independent agents. Safeco’s first goal is to make it easy for independent agents to do business, so agents can focus on their customers and selling insurance. For example, we offer 24-hour Gold customer service. This allows customers to do business at convenient times for them.

Our second goal is to provide agents with the tools that make it easy to help Gen Y customers – and others who value choice – understand, buy and manage coverage.

We’re building tools to help agents connect with customers more frequently.

We are a founding sponsor and enthusiastic advocate of Trusted Choice.

Our cross-sell and prospecting tools are turn-key and deliver results for agents.

In addition, programs like Customers for Life and Bricks & Clicks™ help agents take their marketing to the next level. Both

are scheduled for Tennessee in 2016.

Ultimately, we want to help agents bring their combination of strengths – a local presence, and their value of ease, choice and advice – while embracing new tools for customer engagement. u

Tennessee Contacts Lee Allison Region Manager, TN, MS, AL Lee.Allison@Safeco.com 205-909-9085 Deborah Walker Territory Manager, Middle TN DeborahG.Walker@Safeco.com 603-285-4029 Derek Wright Territory Manager, East TN Derek.Wright@Safeco.com 865-337-3261 Clara Shirley Agency Specialist, Tennessee Clara.Shirley@Safeco.com 678-417-3656 About Safeco Insurance In business since 1923, Safeco Insurance sells personal auto, homeowners and specialty products through a network of more than 10,000 independent insurance agencies throughout the U.S. Safeco is a Liberty Mutual Insurance company.

Safeco’s Southeast Region sales, underwriting and claims operations leaders are based in Suwanee, Georgia, just north of Atlanta.

The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A(Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

39

Bringing the Best Together IN TENNESSEE Partner with the best and distance yourself from the competition.

Stephen Bryant Heritage Insurance Group

Dave Porch

Van Robins Robins Insurance Agency

Andy Porch Porch–Stribling-Webb

Taylor Porch

Roger Smith Thompson & Smith Insurance

Matt Swallows Swallows Insurance Agency

Mitch Rader Burchfiel-Overbay & Associates

David Palmer Holman & Holman Agency

Charlie Rowland RSS Insurance

Ed Kaiser Jamieson & Fisher

Tom Strate Strate Insurance Group

3DJH RI Bob McIntire McIntire & Associates Insurance

Busch Thoma E.B. Thoma & Son Agency

Art Gernt Art E. Gernt Insurance

"M 0MJWFS Portis Tanner Westan Insurance Group

Thomas H. Chappell Christopher J. Turnbull CS&A Insurance

Jack Spann Spann Insurance

Walt Bradshaw Bradshaw & Company Insurors

Richard Hollis Hollis & Burns

Jeff Brown First Insurance

Derek Raborn William Blount Ashley Wyatt Raborn Insurance Agency William Blount & Associates Wyatt Insurance Services

Partners in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois, and Missouri. Ć Ć Ć Ć

# on Insurance Journals’ Top 20 $JHQF\ Partnerships Increasing Agency Value for Over 270 Partners Strengthening the Independent Agency System Individually Owned & Operated KWWSV IEFGQ VSKRWRV G D DNDPDLKG QHW KSKRWRV DN [ID Y W B

Contact Michele Bicknell at mbicknell@keystoneinsgrp.com

888-892-5904 Or visit www.keystoneinsgrp.com

40 Thefranchise Tennessee Insuror Š2015 Keystone Insurers GroupŽ. All Rights Reserved. This does not constitute an offer to sell a franchise in any state in which the Keystone Insurers Group is not registered.

2015 National Alliance Conferees , continued from page 12 Shari Campbell, CIC, CRM, CPCU, AIC, SCLA State Auto - Goodlettsville Shari is a Claims Supervisor for State Auto and has twenty years of industry experience. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee and has also founded nonprofit organization the Sumner Teen Center.

Michael Brent Marcum, CIC, CRM, AAI Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance, LLC - Memphis Charles T. Midgett Jr., CIC, CRM, AAI, CWCA Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance, LLC - Memphis

agency distribution and commercial lines operation across Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi.

Kimberly H. Schultheis, CIC, CRM, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Jim Smith, CIC, CRM, CPCU, AAI, AU The Hartford - Franklin Jim is a Specialty Liability Practice Leader for The Hartford and has eight years of experience in insurance. He graduated from MTSU with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations before working in various commercial underwriting/production roles roles for State Auto, Grange Insurance and Montgomery Insurance.

Branden Miller, CIC, CRM Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services - Brentwood

Certified Insurance Service Representatives

Tony Paschali, CIC, CRM The Hartford - Franklin Tony is the Regional Vice President – Atlanta/ Nashville Region for The Hartford has been in insurance for thirteen years. He earned a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin.

He has worked in six different cities in various Middle Market and National Account roles for The Hartford, and has been in his current role for over three years managing

Forty-eight Tennessee insurance professionals earned the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation in 2015. The CISR Program empowers outstanding individuals to provide exceptional customer service. continued on page 48

GUARD Plus

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Jennifer Chandler receives her CISR pin at the Conferment Ceremony

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Able to write a Total Insured Property Value up to $12.5 million (up to $25 million upon request).

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The Tennessee Insuror

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COMMITMENT A PROMISE WE DON’T TAKE LIGHTLY “With 37 years in the bond business, I know our response time can be the difference between our agent writing a new piece of business or not. I don’t go home at night until every phone call and email has been answered. ”

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The Tennessee Insuror

Company Briefs

Dr. J.D. Hickey Named CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

graduate of Ball State University with a degree in graphic arts management.

Dr. J.D. Hickey has succeeded Bill Gracey as the CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Gracey retired at the end of August, and Hickey had been named CEO-elect by the insurer in June, according to the company. Betty DeVinney, the BlueCross board chairwoman, said Hickey has proven himself to be a highly capable leader throughout his time at the company.

Central Insurance Appoints Stripe to Board of Directors

Hickey joined BlueCross in 2011 as CEO of the BlueCross Medicaid managed care subsidiary BlueCare Tennessee, and was named chief operating officer of the parent company less than a year later. Before coming to BlueCross, Hickey was a principal at McKinsey & Co., where he led strategic health care consulting and management teams for one of the world’s leading management consulting firms. There he was recognized as the top expert on health care reform.

Hickey graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University. He also earned a medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine and a juris doctorate from the Duke University School of Law.

Arlington/Roe Adds Huff and Koluch Brittany Huff and Amanda Koluch have joined Arlington/Roe as marketing coordinators. Both Huff and Koluch are based at the managing general insurance agent’s Indianapolis headquarters.

Huff is responsible for coordination with independent insurance agents in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Huff is also responsible for new agents outside of Arlington/Roe’s core territories east of the Mississippi. She received a business administration degree in marketing from the University of Iowa and previously worked in healthcare communications and recruiting.

Koluch joined Arlington/Roe as a marketing coordinator and executive assistant.

She is returning to Arlington/Roe after working in the finance industry in Ohio for several years. Koluch handles marketing and agency coordination for agents in the states of Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.

She is also responsible for agency management functions in states west of the Mississippi. Koluch is a The Tennessee Insuror

The Central Insurance Companies have announced the appointment of Dennis D. Stripe to the Board of Directors for Central Mutual Insurance and All America Insurance Companies, and the Central Insurex Agency effective October 30, 2015.

Stripe has more than 30 years of medical device experience, with 23 years in the orthopedic sector in various senior management positions. He is the Managing Director of Compliant Innovations Inc. in Sunnyvale, California, and also works as an independent contractor/consultant for strategic planning for medical device commercialization.

Stripe is a graduate of Ohio Northern University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an Honorary Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He has also studied at Harvard University, Wharton School of Business, Boston University, and California State University.

Mark Green Joins Encompass as President Mark Green joined Encompass in October of 2015 with over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, representing companies who sell through independent agencies. Mark began his career at Chubb Insurance Group as an underwriter in 1989.

Over the years he honed his insurance expertise working for American International Group as a senior casualty underwriter, assistant vice president at Discover Reinsurance, key member of the Swiss Re American management team, and associate director of Swiss RE Alternative Risk Transfer Division. In 2002, Mark joined Chubb Financial Solutions Inc., and was vice president of financial products. In 2003, he went to Acordia/Wells Fargo leading their cross sell division, selling insurance products to bank clients.

Mark joined Encompass parent company Allstate in 2009, where he served as vice president of the Capital Region leading growth and profitability in West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. In 2011 he was appointed President of Ivantage, Allstate’s wholly owned insurance broker division. And in 2014, his role was expanded to include Allstate Dealer Services (ADS), Allstate’s product offering to automobile dealer’s finance and insurance departments.

43

Green earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Communications from Macalester College and holds a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Business School.

J.M. Wilson Adds Russell; Promotes Stadler J.M. Wilson has announced the addition of Alissa Russell as Surety Underwriter in their Carmel, Indiana office and the promotion of Phil Stadler as Senior System Administrator.

Alissa is responsible for underwriting new and renewal commercial and fidelity bonds for independent insurance agents in 31 states. Prior to joining J.M. Wilson, Alissa worked for an insurance company for six years where she held various positions, including: Administrative Assistant, Commercial and Personal Lines Customer Service Rep, and Bond Underwriting Assistant. Prior to that, she was a Licensing and Compliance Coordinator for one year.

Alissa graduated from Vincennes University with an Associates of Arts degree in American Sign Language.

Phil is responsible for maintaining and administering computer networks, working with consultants to ensure sufficient computing resources, researching and recommending changes to improve system and network configurations, and diagnosing, troubleshooting, and resolving hardware, software, or other network and system problems in eight J.M. Wilson offices.

Phil began with J.M. Wilson in 2012 as IT Specialist. He is a Portage, Michigan resident and graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Systems and a minor in Business.

Nationwide Announces New Roles for Lewis and Schilling Under the company’s unified Nationwide branding, new roles have been announced for Mike Lewis and Dan Schilling.

Mike Lewis, formerly the regional Sales Director leading Ohio and Tennessee, has been promoted to Associate Vice President of Sales. Mike has been with Nationwide for 15 years, with the majority of that time spent in sales leadership roles within independent agency regions. As Sales Director Mike did a fantastic job building a strong sales culture and strengthening relationships with our agency partners. With this promotion, Mike will have responsibility for regional sales strategies. The field sales teams in Ohio, Maryland, D.C., and Delaware will report directly to Mike, as will the inside sales team for the entire region.

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Dan Schilling, formerly Field Sales Manager in Tennessee, has 44

The Tennessee Insuror

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The Tennessee Insuror

45

been promoted to Sales Director. With this promotion, the field sales teams in Tennessee and Virginia will report to Dan. Dan began his career with Nationwide in 2007 and has held positions in Claims, Commercial Underwriting, and Sales. As the Tennessee Sales Manager, Dan was named Nationwide’s 2014 Independent Distribution Sales Manager of the year.

Dan will remain in Chattanooga, where he lives with his wife and their two children.

A.J. Gallagher Acquires North Alabama Ins. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has acquired North Alabama Insurance, Inc. (NAI) based in Florence, Alabama. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Established in 1982, NAI is a managing general agent and wholesale insurance broker which provides property/casualty, commercial auto/garage and other specialty insurance placements to their independent retail insurance broker clients throughout the south central United States. Joshua Blevins, John Speir and their associates will continue to operate from their current locations in Florence and Cabot, Arkansas, under the direction of Joel Cavaness, president of Risk Placement Services, Inc., another subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Main Street Amer. Names Randle SE President The Main Street America Group announced Dave Randle has

been appointed president of its Southeast Region, which includes Tennessee and five other states. Randle is based at the super-regional property/casualty insurance company’s corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida, and reports to Jeff Kusch, Main Street America’s senior vice president/head of field operations.

Most recently, Randle was Main Street America’s director of distribution management, a role he assumed in May 2015.

Randle joined Main Street America in 2008 as a surety development executive in its bonds operation and became a field marketing representative in its Southeast Region in 2010. Prior to joining Main Street America, Randle held various marketing and underwriting positions at Zurich Insurance Services.

Risk Innovations Joins Trusted Choice Wholesale insurance broker Risk Innovations is the latest company to join the Trusted Choice brand. “We are proud to support The Trusted Choice brand and are excited to do whatever we can to help further this important industry initiative.

We feel it is vital to work collectively in an effort to maintain and ultimately expand the independent agent’s share of the national insurance market. The technological role that the TrustedChoice.com portal provides agencies is critical,” said Bruce Peddle, Risk Innovations Managing Partner. u

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46

Elba, Alabama

The Tennessee Insuror

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CONTACT

Commercial Property & Casualty 800.884.1704 SIUINS.COM 47

2015 National Alliance Conferees , continued from page 41 Brandon Lee Adams, CISR First Volunteer Insurance - Jasper Anna M. Anderson, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Knoxville Daria Bankston, CISR Insurance Incorporated - Cleveland Yolonda Beech, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Emily Booher, CISR Insurance Incorporated - Cleveland Kevin Bullock, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Paula M. Centers, CISR TIS Insurance Services - Knoxville Jennifer Leigh Chandler, CISR BB&T Insurance Services - CLJT&H - Nashville Jennifer is a Commercial Lines Account Manager for BB&T Insurance Services, and has over fifteen years of experience in the insurance industry. She began in the bond department before moving to commercial lines.

tistry for two years before moving to Tennessee. She began as a receptionist in the agency before working with the Vice President and then moving in to her administrative role.

Connie Marie Eadie, CISR Brown & Brown Insurance of Tennessee - Nashville Laurie Michelle Farrow, CISR CRC Insurance Services, Inc. - Nashville Laurie is an Internal Reviewer for CRC Insurance Services in the Southern Cross Underwriters division.

Christine E. Goodwin, CISR BB&T Huffaker & Trimble - Chattanooga Stephie Gregg, CISR Jenkins Insurance Agency - Dandridge Stephie is a Personal Lines Account Manager for Price & Ramey Insurance of Dandridge, and has three years of industry experience. She graduated from Sevier County High School and worked for a timeshare resort for eighteen years. After spending some time away from her career caring for family members, she started with the agency in 2012.

Lisa Heslep, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Jeremy Cox, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Brandy Michelle Hicks, CISR Employers Insurance Group - Johnson City Brandy is an Agent with Employers Insurance Group and has five years of experience in insurance. She was a benefits administrator for a multi-state payroll company for 13 years before the company started an agency and she became licensed.

Cassandra Creson, CISR Lester, Greene & McCord Insurance Agency - Tullahoma

Lacy Beth Hooten, CISR Michael Wealth Management Group - Lewisburg

Lily Crumley, CISR Insurance Incorporated - Cleveland

Abigail Totty House, CISR The Crichton Group - Nashville Abigail is a Communications & Recruitment Specialist at The Crichton Group and has been in insurance for almost four years. She graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication and minors in business, journalism and psychology. In the past she worked as both an Assistant Account Manager and Risk Control Coordinator at the agency before her current role.

Paul B. Coons, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Amanda S. Davis, CISR Southern Insurance Group, Inc. - McMinnville Pamela C. DeWitt, CISR EPG Insurance, Inc. - Memphis Peggy Dickenson, CISR Widener Insurance Agency - Johnson City Amy M. Dillon, CISR BB&T Legge Insurance - Cookeville Amy is the Assistant Agency Manager for BB&T Legge Insurance and has been in insurance for seventeen years. She attended school for dental assistance and business, and worked in den48

Robert James, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Amy A. Johnson, CISR Geny Insurance Group LLC dba Dunn Insurance - Clarksville Amy is an Account Manager for Dun Insurance and has over The Tennessee Insuror

six years of experience in the industry. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Communications from the University of South Florida and worked for Lassiter-Ware Insurance in Central Florida as a producer and account manager before moving to Tennessee in 2013.

George Oswalt, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Deborah Lane, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Catherine Ruth Posey, CISR Clay & Land Insurance - Memphis

Rhonda R. Leffew, CISR BB&T Huffaker & Trimble - Chattanooga Rhonda is a Commercial Lines Marketing Specialist for BB&T and attended Tennessee Tech University and Chattanooga State prior to entering the insurance industry. She worked at US Insurance Group for 10 years as an insurance account manager and marketing representative specializing in the trucking industry prior to moving to BB&T.

Janeary Smith, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville

Brooke Lyon, CISR The Yates Agency - Elizabethton Carissa Magnusson, CISR William Knight Insurance - Knoxville Carissa is a Personal Lines Account Manager for William Knight Insurance Agency and been in insurance for eight years. She graduated from Thomas Edison State College in 2004 and began working in insurance after moving back to Tennessee in 2007.

Baili Rae McDonald, CISR Frost Specialty, Inc. - Nashville Angela M. Merritt, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Knoxville Gina Morton, CISR Thompson & Smith, LLC - Jackson Gina is a Commercial Lines Account Manager for Thompson & Smith and has five and a half years in the industry. She started her career as an assistant customer service representative in 2010 after being a stay-at-home mother. After obtaining her license in 2011 she worked her way into her current role.

Shannon Renee Pardue, CISR Insurance Incorporated - Cleveland

Baileigh C. Walker, CISR Boyle Insurance Agency, Inc. - Memphis Baliegh is a Commercial Lines CSR for Boyle Insurance and has three years of experience in the industry. She graduated from the University of Memphis is 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. She started with Boyle in October of 2012 as a Personal Lines CSR and moved to Commercial Lines in January 2015. Baileigh is also a Board Member of the Insurors of Memphis.

Misty Ann Ward, CISR Carnal-Roberts Agency, Inc. - Lexington Tracy Waaraniemi, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Deana G. Weaver, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Gary Wilson, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Leah Wilson, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Karla M. Wood, CISR Powell & Meadows Insurance Agency, Inc. - Lebanon All the 2015 Conferees were honored at a luncheon ceremony in Nashville on Tuesday, November 17th. Fore more information on The National Alliance designation programs, please visit www.scic.com. For our 2016 schedule, or to register now, please visit www.insurors.org. u

Kristy Morgan, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Brittany Nekayla Nelson, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Brent Newsome, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville Cassandra Nichols, CISR Willis of Tennessee - Nashville The Tennessee Insuror

Some of the conferment attendees who received designations in 2015

49

We get you.

We understand what independent agents want and we’re committed to giving you the tools you need to grow your independent agency.

Look into a partnership with us by calling today.

Stacy Gardner 614-948-4107 Gardnes1@nationwide.com

Products underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies. Home Office: Columbus, OH 43215. Subject to underwriting guidelines, review, and approval. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies, and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle and Nationwide is on your side are services marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Š 2015 Nationwide NPO-0605AO (03/15)

50

The Tennessee Insuror

Meetings

As 2015 Comes to A Close 2016 is Being Planned Southern Agents Conference 12/11-13 The Annual Southern Agents Conference (SAC) is a sounding board for Big ‘I’ leaders and Industry Partners (company/ broker/vendor) in fourteen southeastern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The 2015 event will take place December 11-13 at the RitzCarlton Buckhead in Atlanta. Find more information at www. southernagents.com.

Big “I” Winter Meeting January 6-10 The Big “I” 2016 Winter Meeting will be held January 6-10 at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida. The meeting features planning for the Association year, as well as meetings for InVEST, Best Practices, Trusted Choice, Government Affairs and more.

Get more information or register online now at http://www. independentagent.com/Events/WinterBoardMeeting/home. aspx

2016 Agency Growth Conference March 9-10 The Insurors 3rd Annual Growth Conference will be held March 9-10, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Murfreesboro. The event will feature educational tracks for Young Agents, Growing Agencies and Errors & Omissions. Guest speakers are being finalized now and will be announced soon.

Get more information or register online at http://www. insurors.org/2260

Ole Miss Insurance Symposium March 23-24

YOUR FIT FOR WORKERS’ COMP AND MORE! Preferred Comp of Tennessee is endorsed by the Insurors of Tennessee (IOT) to provide member agencies competitive workers’ compensation options.

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For more information or to get started, please contact: Keller Chapman (615) 406-8033 keller.chapman@meadowbrook.com Josh Allen-Bottoni (978) 933-4161 joshua.allen-bottoni@meadowbrook.com

The 2016 Ole Miss Insurance Symposium will take place March 23-24 at The Inn at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. The event will feature guest speakers Reid French, CEo of Applied Systems; Lisa Krouse, EVP/CHRO of FCCI; Mike LaRocco, President/CEO of State Auto and Insurors member Johnny Pitts, Chief Manager of Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance.

Get more information or register online now at http://www. olemissalumni.com/events u The Tennessee Insuror

www.preferredcomp.com

51

Member Tips

Expert Advice on Preparing for Severe Winter Weather From Big “I� Partner Agility Recovery As summer winds to a close, we remember that some of the most damaging storms to affect our clients and our own firms occur as fall transitions into winter.

This time of year, ice storms, heavy rains, flu pandemics and dramatically colder temperatures are the biggest threats— and they can all lead to property damage, lost revenue, employee illness or injury and even business closures.

These threats, coupled with a prediction of a strong El NiĂąo continuing throughout the rest of the year, could pose an enhanced threat to areas not accustomed to such severe weather events.

In fact, Agility Recovery, Big “I�-endorsed provider of disaster recovery services, has a litany of case studies that emphasize the importance of preparedness this time of year. A few examples include an auto dealer whose roof collapsed from heavy rain; dozens of power generator recoveries from early winter ice storms; and a number of flooding recoveries due to torrential downpours in drought-stricken areas like the Southwest.

EDTINT R C CE MS, LA,

These stories serve as a reminder that in order to not only minimize the damage and time it takes to recover from storms this time of year but also ensure you can serve your clients, developing a plan of action for your firm and staff is a good idea. Take the time now to determine how and where your staff can continue operations, how you will power your firm should the utilities be cut off and how you will communicate with employees and clients should the worst occur.

This is an excellent time of year to provide your clients with a few disaster planning tools that can benefit both you and your insureds. Below are a few of the assets Agility recommends all insurance firms and their clients review and work to implement in their organizations. Many of the elements that constitute a resilient disaster strategy need not require a great deal of time and investment, but can potentially save your organization from the next disaster event.

Find tools and more information online at http://www. agilityrecovery.com/ u

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS Reid French

CEO, Applied Systems, Inc.

Kimberly Hanna COO and EVP, AIG Environmental

Lisa Krouse EVP and Chief HR Officer, FCCI

2016 OLE MISS

INSURANCE SYMPOSIUM

March 23-24 ¡ The Inn at Ole Miss %ARLY BIRD REGISTRATION s 2EGISTRATION AFTER -ARCH 2EGISTER AT OLEMISSALUMNI COM EVENTS &OR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT +ATHY 3HOALMIRE OR KSHOALMIRE BUS OLEMISS EDU

Mike LaRocco President and CEO, State Auto

Peter Lefkin SVP of Government and External Affairs Allianz of America

Johnny Pitts Chief Manager, Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance

Eugene Starks Partner, Benefits Administration Services, Ltd

The Honorable Roger Wicker U. S. Senator from Mississippi

Joel Wood SVP of Government Affairs, The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers

Directory of Advertisers Advertiser

ACUITY Allstar Financial Group Amerisafe AmTrust North America Applied Underwriters Arlington/Roe & Co. Atlas General Insurance Services Auto-Owners Insurance Bailey Special Risks, Inc. Berkley Southeast Insurance Group Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Cos. Brentwood Services Administrators Builders Mutual Burns & Wilcox CNA Insurance Consumers Insurance Donegal Insurance Group EMC Insurance FCCI Insurance Group Harford Mutual Heartland Ovation Payroll INSBANK J.M. Wilson Johnson & Johnson Keystone Insurers Group National Security Group Nationwide North Alabama Insurance Ole Miss Insurance Symposium Penn National Insurance Preferred Comp/Meadowbrook Preferred Property Programs Risk Innovations Safeco Insurance Securerisk South & Western Southern Cross Underwriters Southern Insurance Underwriters Summit Holdings

Phone

(920) 458 - 9131 (877) 950 - 3222 (800) 897 - 9719 (877) 528 - 7878 (877) 234 - 4450 (800) 878 - 9891 (855) 309 - 3310 (615) 373 - 5200 (800) 768 - 7475 (615) 932 - 5508 (800) 673 - 2465 x4567 (800) 524 - 0604 (800) 809 - 4859 (800) 341 - 4844 (800) 251 - 5852 (615) 896 - 6133 (800) 277 - 7442 (800) 239 - 2005 (800) 226 - 3224 (800) 638 - 3669

(901) 598 - 4829 (866) 866 - 4268 (800) 595 - 0063 (931) 704 - 0810 (800) 416 - 5498 (800) 239 - 2358 x267 (614) 948 - 4107 (800) 824 - 1740 (662) 915 - 2830 (800) 395 - 0518 (800) 755 - 8090 (888) 549 - 2465 (800) 913 - 6696 (800) 332 - 3226 (770) 723 - 8096 (800) 492 - 5351 (800) 682 - 5263 (800) 568 - 1700 (800) 971 - 2667

Website

www.acuity.com www.allstarfg.com www.amerisafe.com www.amtrustnorthamerica.com www.auw.com/us www.arlingtonroe.com atlas.us.com www.auto-owners.com www.bsrins.com www.berkleysig.com www.guard.com/apply www.bwood.com www.buildersmutual.com www.burnsandwilcox.com www.cna.com www.ciusa.com www.donegalgroup.com www.emcins.com www.fcci-group.com www.harfordmutual.com www.ovationpayroll.com www.insbanktn.com

www.jmwilson.com www.jjins.com www.keystoneinsgrp.com www.nationalsecuritygroup.com

www.nationwide.com www.nai1982.com

www.olemissalumni.com/events www.pennnationalinsurance.com

www.meadowbrook.com www.umbrellaprogram.com

www.riskinnovations.com/tni www.safeconow.com www.securerisk.com www.southandwestern.com www.scui.com

www.siuins.com www.summitholdings.com

BIG “I” WINTER MEETING 2016 JANUARY 6-10 | ORLANDO

register now at iiaba.net

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Thank you, agents.

Auto-Owners has always been dedicated to the independent agency system and proudly standing behind the agents who represent us. We would like to thank you for your continued loyalty, which has helped us achieve tremendous growth and accomplishments over the years.

2500 21st Avenue South Suite 200 Nashville, TN 37212

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Nashville, TN Permit No. 380

We look for the best independent agents and build relationships that last the duration. We are committed to the independent agency system as the only means to deliver our products. Because of that, we work hand-in-hand to help our agencies grow profitably.

Our agents set us apart.

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