MEMOS FROM MADISON
You’re already out doing good things in your community, and we can’t wait to show people!
PETE HANSON, CAE, CISR Executive Director, PIA of Wisconsin
CORNERSTONES Independent agents are cornerstones of their communities. They advise clients on proper coverages for their homes, lives and businesses. They help clients assess and reduce risks and, of course, they help them recover from disastrous events. The first place many people turn for help is their insurance agent. Indeed, helping people is part of an agent’s job. The same can be said for their carrier partners. The fact is, many people choose insurance as a profession for precisely that reason. It may not be the reason they initially took a job in insurance, but it is the aspect of the job that provides job satisfaction for many and tends to keep them there. It is really no surprise, then, that the people who comprise the insurance industry do a lot of other things to help out, in their communities. It’s in their nature. In honor of this giving spirit, we’re adding a new feature to this publication called Community Corner. This is where we will honor insurance agencies, carriers, brokers and the people who work for them, for their good works and generosity. For this first Community Corner article (see Pg. 20), we used press releases – sent to us recently – that happen to fit the bill. These tend to be from regionalsized companies and large agencies, but we want to encourage PIA members of all shapes and sizes to let us know about the good works they are doing in their communities. Sure, you can send us a press release and a photo. That’s perfect. We will trim those press releases down to a paragraph or two, so that we can fit them all into the space we JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 [ 6 ]
have available, and we look forward to running the photos you send us. You say you don’t have a marketing department that can put out a press release? No worries, because we don’t need all that. Just write a short email telling us about how you volunteered, donated or otherwise helped out in your community and attach a photo. You can send it to our Communications Director, Natalie White, at nwhite@piaw.org. You’re already out doing good things in your community, and we can’t wait to show people! For so many reasons, we should talk about our people and their contributions more often. If Community Corner encourages PIA members to take some photos and document their volunteer activities, that’s great. They can use the same photos on their social media accounts to show their clients that they give back to the community. If it encourages PIA members to get out and do more in their communities, even better. Just don’t forget the photo! Have a happy and prosperous New Year, friends!
