FROM THE PRESIDENT
we will continue to support the advancement and excellence of all independent agencies
“WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER” Hello, fellow PIAW members.. My name is Ryan Butzke, and I am truly honored to be elected President of the Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin. It seems like yesterday I was serving on the YPC committee, then elected to the board of directors, chairing our Clay Shoot event, and now serving as our President. Thank you all for your confidence in me and for allowing me the opportunity to serve you. I would like to welcome our other PIAW Executive Committee officers to their new positions: • Vice President: Steve Clements, CPIA • Treasurer: Lacey Endres, CIC • Secretary: Jon Strom
RYAN BUTZKE, CIC, CISR President, PIA of Wisconsin
Please welcome our newly elected PIAW Board Members: • Tracey Sabol • Mike Endres Returning PIAW Board Members: • Ann Linstroth, CISR, PWCAM • Michael Winstanley • Bob Wolfgram • Mitch Tarras • Jeff Glass, CPIA – Past President Liaison • Tracy Oestreich, CIC, CPIA, AU, CPIW – National PIA Director • Julie Ulset, CPIA – Immediate Past President I look forward to working alongside each of them and the PIAW staff to promote and improve the independent agency channel as I believe “We Are Better Together.” As a unified TEAM together, we will continue to support the advancement and excellence of all independent agencies in Wisconsin. We will continue to provide our members elite educational events, comprehensive & competitive E&O insurance and will advance technology opportunities to help our members NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 [ 4 ]
automate processes they use daily. To advance those technology opportunities, my focus this year will include but will not be limited to: Bringing more third-party technology vendors to the convention. As we all know, technology is pushing our industry now more than ever. The use of third-party technology vendors is crucial to independent agencies’ success. Whether digital marketing, website development, virtual assistants, or staff training platforms, having more technology vendors at our convention will greatly benefit PIAW members. Focusing more on member benefits PIA National offers, specifically The PIA Partnership. What is the PIA Partnership? It’s a joint effort between leading national & regional insurance carriers and the PIA. The PIA Partnership is committed to helping independent insurance agencies increase market share and improve profitability so they can experience long-term success. Some of the opportunities offered through the PIA Partnership are Winning@Virtual, Winning@Talent, and Agency Journey Mapping. To learn more about The PIA Partnership, please visit the website www.pianational.or/pia-partnership. I am currently working with PIAW staff to finalize our committee structure for this upcoming year. Some of the committees’ missions look a little different than in years past, so please take a look at the brief explanation of each committee below. Joining a committee is a great way to get involved in PIA and give some of your time and talent to better the industry in 2021/2022. There is a committee sign-up form on the website (www. piaw.org) under the “About” tab and “Committees.”
