Fall 2017
VISIT WWW.TRICOUNTYAGENTS.COM [1]
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Re-Branding & Revisiting
IIABNY recently rebranded. They are now known as Big I
New York. It’s the same organization at the same location with the same staff but doing business under a new and improved name. It makes sense. We have always been known as the ‘Big I’ going way back before the days of the old Raymond Burr ads. The name of the Independent Insurance Agents Association of New York was later turned into the acronym IIAANY and later changed to IIABNY when the word ‘Brokers’ was added. Many folks found those acronyms to be confusing
Adam Erickson President
but the full name was just too long…..
The TriCounty board of directors has decided to follow
suit and we will soon do business under a new name too. We will still be the TriCounty Independent Insurance Agents Association, but doing business under another name similar to Big I New York…. Right now we’re considering ‘Big I TriCounty’ but would like input from our members before we decide. Please send me your thoughts and suggestions on this matter. My email is adam@carlstan.com
Revisiting L-Day in Albany. This Big I legislative day was
once a very popular event - and then it lost its energy. Being held the end of January or early February each year, we rarely avoided major snow and ice while traveling to and from the capitol. Now, local associations in NYS want to revive L-Day,
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CON’T
but at a better time of year and with some streamlining done to shorten the day. The new date is set for March 6, 2018 and the event has been shorted so attendees can get back on the road (or the bus) by 1:00 and home at a reasonable time. You are all invited to join the group already assembled; we’ll supply the transportation. If you haven’t been to L-Day before, I’m sure you’ll find it rewarding and fun. You will discuss important issues with state legislators on pre-arranged appointments, meet Big I New York leaders and enjoy the trip with friends and associates. We’ll be advertising this soon, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please let me know…..
Adam Erickson,
President
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We’ve listened to our members and are bringing back a newer, leaner version of L Day on Tuesday, March 6, 2018! Based on your feedback we are planning an abbreviated legisla<ve day, focusing primarily on appointments with legislators, to make the most of your <me in Albany. We have a commi@ee of agents represen<ng all regions of the state and chaired by Big I New York director Ron Brunell who are planning this exci<ng event. Over the years L Day has proven to be an important element of the success of our legisla<ve team in Albany. AFer a three-year hiatus it’s <me to bring it back! Its success will be dependent on the support of our local associa<ons and we hope that you can join fellow agents in Albany on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.
Schedule of Events Tuesday, March 6, 2018 9:30 AM – LegislaCve briefing 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Visits with legislators There is no cost to a@end other than your <me to make an impact. Team leaders will lead each group so don’t worry if you don’t feel comfortable. Your presence is what is important! All those interested in aCending and who would like to be included in group transportaFon, please contact Pat Calvert at calvertpc@aol.com or (516) 621-2209. Yes! Count me in! Name ______________________________________________ Agency _____________________________________________ Phone ______________________________________________ Email _______________________________________________ Please respond to: TriCounty Independent Insurance Agents Associa<on PO Box 316 Albertson, NY
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Save the Date! TriCountyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2018 Post Holiday Party January 29, 2018 At K-Pacho Join Us For An Evening of Good Food, Good Fun, and A Good Time.
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Oktoberfest 2017 - Another Winner !
October 12th set out to be another
successful Oktoberfest event for Tri County, with 40% more attendees than last year. Oktoberfest has surely turned into the event ‘not to be missed’. It was great to see so many familiar and new faces this year from agencies, carriers and vendors. Guests came from the entire down state region, a couple of who drove from as far away as Rhode Island to join us. The subsequent feedback was nothing short of amazing!
What makes this event so successful?
There are a number of things that I can point to -
Chris Dritsas
the facility, the popular charity we support, the
Meetings & Programs Chair
enthusiasm of attendees and the hard work put in by the entire TriCounty board and other volunteers. (Not to mention the $1,000 won by a lucky person in the 50/50 drawing this year and the terrific raffle gifts)
Where better to hold an Oktoberfest event than The Plattdeutsche
Biergarten? The large and inviting banquet room and the service staff there are hard to beat. From the minute you walk in, nothing about the place makes you feel like you are at another “work” event. From the large pretzels and authentic (and delicious) German fare to the amazingly large beer mugs, you will find your mood elevate immediately. Guests are welcome in business attire or jeans and everyone is sure to find a conversation when you join others in the large wooden bar area and order your first German beer.
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Oktoberfest 2017 - Another Winner ! con’t
An important part of the event is how we distribute the funds. Traditionally,
since we started Oktoberfest 3 years ago, a large part of the proceeds have gone to support the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk which Jeanne Abatelli participates in each year. This year, in the wake of devastating hurricanes around the country, we will include a donation to The Red Cross Hurricane Fund to help support hurricane victims.
This truly was another great networking event with the feel of just a regular
night out with a group of friends watching a Thursday night NFL game…..
Mark your calendars 10/11/2018……”By Popular Demand”, we’re doing it again!
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Octoberfest 2017 Here are just a few of the photos from the Oktoberfest. Please visit www.tricountyagents.com to see all the pictures.
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‘Thank You’
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t
believe this is my fourth year walking and all of you continue to support my fundraising efforts. This year WE raised $5,150! Please pat yourselves on the back, as this is a huge accomplishment. But wait, even better is that over the course of my last 4 walks you have helped me raise a total of $22,460. Now that is really impressive!
I’ll be honest, I was nervous this year. I felt
I had not trained enough and I was worried that I Jeanne Abatelli
wouldn’t be able to walk all 60 miles. I’m happy to inform you I walked every mile, blisters and all, no sweeper van for me. Be that as it may, what I
truly wish is that I could bring you all with me to experience this incredible journey. The pictures you will see just don’t do it justice.
For 3 days, everyone who walks, lives in a bubble. It is a perfect bubble,
where new friends are made and old friends are reunited. Words of encouragement abound, everyone has a story to tell, and tears of joy and sadness are shed as we share why we walk! Everyone has a different story, but we walk for the same reason, to rid the world of breast cancer one day.
This year truly impacted me. I watched a daughter, age 15, walk for the first
time in her mother’s memory. She lost her mom on September 29th this year. She had no time to really train but she walked. I witnessed a woman battling breast cancer with two chemo treatments remaining, crush this walk, empowering her to
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‘Thank You’, con’t crush the cancer that she is fighting. I watched another woman, with metastatic breast cancer, walk with her team of 20, all out to support her dream of walking 60 miles in 3 days. I don’t know if she’ll even be here next year but she is doing what she can to prevent someone else from being in her shoes. These are just 3 stories, from the 2,200 people that walked November 17th, 18th & 19th.
I’m already thinking about next year, another 3 day 60 mile journey. I
promised to put in the time training, I hope you will continue to support me. See you at next years Oktoberfest.
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3 Days 60 Miles Here are just a few of the photos from the 3 Day Walk. This page shows you my exact walk on each of the three days.
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A “Big” Announcement On Monday, September 25th, 2017 Lisa Lounsbury, President and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York (IIABNY) made a BIG Announcement! She stated, “Today is a BIG day. Today your voice gets BIGGER. Today we unite our national, state and local presence. Today we are transitioning our brand from IIABNY to Big I New York.” Big I New York is part of The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big "I") which is a national alliance of more than a quarter Chris Wukovits
million business owners and their employees who offer all types of insurance and financial services products.
Big "I" was founded in 1896 as the National Local Association of Fire
Insurance Agents. With the expansion of property-casualty business and coverages, the organization’s name was changed to the National Association of Insurance Agents in 1913. To emphasize its members’ ability to work with a variety of insurance companies, the organization became the Independent Insurance Agents of America in 1975. The Association’s name was changed in 2002 to the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America to reflect the diversity of its membership, which includes both independent insurance agents and insurance brokers. Big "I" is a voluntary federation of state associations and local boards, with affiliates in every state and the District of Columbia. Its independent insurance agents and brokers are politically astute and are involved both locally and nationally.
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A “Big” Announcement, con’t
Ms. Lounsbury also stated in her release that, “Big I New York
(www.BigINY.org) lays the foundation for the future that we are building for our members, their employees and the independent agency industry. We will leverage the collective knowledge, resources, clout and connections available on a local, state, cross-state and national level to propel YOU to the top. The plan is in place and change starts today.”
As part of the announcement, Big I New York produced a professional video
which you can view here https://vimeo.com/235291866/6c9900508a. The Website has changed from iiabny.org to biginy.org and all emails with iiabny.org will continue to work indefinitely, however the new email addresses for Big I staff will now @biginy.org.
Lastly, we expect that this branding campaign will filter down to the locals
such as Tri-County in the near future, so more to come on that in upcoming editions of Tri-Lines or maybe it will be named something else?
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Two PACs... Two Reasons Big I New York members are called upon to invest in their future by contributing to two funds, one for New York state and one for federal action. Each serves a specific purpose. We need your support for both IAPAC (New York) and InsurPac (Federal) – not just for the dollars that go to candidates and causes supportive of our aims, but for the direct contact that you and your fellow assocation members can make at the grassroots level as candidates receive tangible support. It is a system that works only if you support it. If you provide a check, IAPAC and InsurPac advance your interests as independent agents.
New York
Federal
IAPAC
InsurPac
IAPAC (Independent Agents Policital Action Committee) is a non-partisan political action committee established by the New York Big “I” to raise funds for contributions to candidates for elected office in the State. It does not contribute to Federal candidates.
InsurPac is the Political Action Committee (PAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA). This non-partisan political action committee raises funds for contributions to candidates for national office on behalf of independent agents. Contributions support Federal candidates only.
Its primary function is to spur election of candidates to the New York Legislature who are responsive to the needs of independent agents.
InsurPAC is a vital part of the IIABA’s Government Affairs program – a program that includes professional lobbying, legislative analysis, grassroots contacts, and long-term political relationships. InsurPAC can accept personal checks only.
IAPAC can accept both corporate and personal checks.
To contribute: Federal law requires that InsurPAC receive a signed corporate approval form from all corporate agencies before soliciting contributions. Once a form has been signed and filed with the state or national office, contributions from individuals may be solicited and accepted by InsurPAC. Business organization contributions are not permitted. All contributions to InsurPAC must be by personal check.
To contribute: Please send the IAPAC contribution form along with your payment to IAPAC in care of: Big I New York 5784 Widewaters Parkway, 1st Floor Dewitt, NY 13214
Please send the InsurPAC contribution form along with your payment to InsurPAC in care of: InsurPAC 20 F Street, NW Suite 610 Washington, DC 20001
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YES, I WANT TO HELP MY INDUSTRY BY SUPPORTING IAPAC! Contribution amount $_________________________ This is a(n): Agency (business) contribution Personal contribution
PLEASE PRINT Name: __________________________________________ Title/Occupation: ___________________________________ Business Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________ City: ____________________________________________ State: _______ Zip: ________________________________ Email Address: _______________________________________________
Phone: ______________________________
PAYMENT METHOD Check (payable to “IAPAC”) Credit card:
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Name as shown on credit card:______________________________________________________________________ Card #: ______________________________________________________________Exp. Date: _____ / _____ Authorized Signature: _________________________________________________ Date: ______ / ______ / ______ In an effort to protect your data, please do not email this form if it contains credit card information. Mail or fax to: IAPAC 5784 Widewaters Parkway 1st Floor, Dewitt, NY 13214 Fax: 315-446-2749 Phone: 800-962-7950 Contributions or gifts to IAPAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for purposes of federal income tax. [24]
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. 20 F Street, NW • Suite 610 • Washington, DC 20001 P: 202.863.7000 • F: 202.863.7015 • InsurPac@IIABA.net
Name:
Title/Occupation:
Business Name: Address: City:
State:
Zip:
Email:
Phone:
Suggested Contribution: $
I am a Young Agent
One-Time Payment (Check or Credit Card) $5,000 Millennium Club
$1,000 Centennial Club
$250 Pioneer Club
$100 Young Agent
$2,500 Platinum Club
$500 Gold Club
$150 Founders Club
$ (Other)
OR Monthly Payments (credit card withdrawal on the 15th of each month) Start Month:
/2017
End Month:
/
$250 Month $100 Month
$50 Month $25 Month
$10 Month $
Month
No end date
Personal Check (payable to “InsurPac”) Credit Card:
American Express
Card Number:
VISA
Mastercard Exp. Date:
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****All forms of payment must be by personal check, credit card or non-incorporated agency check. Authorized Signature:
Date:
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Contributions or gifts to InsurPac are not deductible as charitable contributions for purposes of federal income tax. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year. Your contribution should [25]be considered strictly voluntary.
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS OFFICERS President Adam Erickson Carlstan North Hills Agency, Inc. 377 Oak Street Ste 305 Garden City, NY 11530
Vice President Alex Giraldo Club Agency 100 Ring Road, Ste 200 Garden City, NY 11530
Treasurer Ron Brunell, CIC The Signature B&B Companies 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530
Secretary Andrew Chong ARC Underwriting Partners, Inc. 73 Cuttermill Road Great Neck, NY 11021
DIRECTORS Chris Dritsas Phillips General Insurance, Port Washington 180 Main Street Port Washington, NY 11050
Frank Elorza Club Agency Insurance Brokerage LLC 100 Ring Road West, Suite 202 Garden City NY 11530
Steve Ferrar Ferrar Insurance 120 Franklin Avenue Franklin Square, NY 11010
Neil Levy, CPA,CFP CBS Coverage a division of Assured SKCG, Inc. 111 Express Street Plainview, NY 11803
Robert E. Mackoul, CLU New Empire Group, Ltd. 214 West Park Avenue, Atrium Suite Long Beach NY 11561
Christopher M. Wukovits AAA New York Insurance Services, Inc. 1415 Kellum Place Garden City, NY 11530
Immediate Past President James Bastian Advantage Partners, Inc 37-19 Broadway Astoria, NY 11103 [26]
OTHER POSITIONS TriCounty IIAA Executive Director Patricia Calvert 132 Peachtree Lane Roslyn Heights, NY 11577 calvertpc@aol.com 516-621-2209 Tri-Lines Publisher Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Drive Hicksville, NY injeanious1@optonline.net 516-681-6265 TriCounty IIAA Director of Sales Jeanne Abatelli 150 Dartmouth Drive Hicksville, NY injeanious1@optonline.net 516-681-6265
IIABNY Positions Chair of the Board Richard MacDonald, CPCU, ARM, AIM Haylor, Freyer & Coon, Inc. 231 Salina Meadows Pkwy Ste 200 Syracuse, NY 13212 p: 315.451.1500 f: 315.703.8161
IIABNY President & CEO Lisa Lounsbury, CAE, AAI, AIS IIABNY 5784 Widewaters Pkwy Dewitt, NY 13214 800-962-7950, Ext 230
Regional Director Ronald Brunell, CIC The Signature B & B Companies 501 Franklin Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 p: 516.823.3133 f: 516.764.1019 e: rbrunell@sbbinsure.com
Regional Director John Cofini BNC Insurance Agency, Inc. 111 S. Ridge Street Rye Brook, NY 10573 p: 914.881.4844 f: 914.937.1124 e: jcofini@bncagency.com
VISIT US AT WWW.TRICOUNTYAGENTS.COM [27]