President's Message

HELP PROTECT OUR INDUSTRY

I write this message from Washington, D.C., in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. It’s the return of our full participation in the Big I’s National Legislative Conference, and we hosted 30 member agents at the event. We spent a day on the Hill, visiting congressional offices to speak about issues important to independent agents.

It’s one of my favorite events of the year because it’s a perfect blend of comradery and networking, of agents coming together to fight for a common good. The IA&B delegation joined 1,000 other independent agents from around the country to talk shop, and to urge Congress to take it easy on us. It’s what advocacy is all about.

IA&B always has your back when it comes to the political scene. Whether in Harrisburg, Annapolis, or Dover – or the nation’s capital – we are constantly monitoring and advocating on your behalf. But unlike other services that IA&B provides, with political advocacy we cannot go it alone. We rely on you.

We rely on member agents getting involved. Whether it be attending future National Legislative Conference events, or attending local legislative events in your state, we need you. State and federal legislators like to hear from businesspersons on the front lines, in their district. We also continue to seek interested member agents to serve on our state-specific government relations committees. These committees serve as a sounding-board for IA&B staff as we develop our legislative plan each year.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, we rely on our members to support our state and federal political action campaigns (PACs). It is these member contributions, and these contributions alone, that allow us to support those legislators that support us. Our advocacy efforts would be for naught if we didn’t have PACs, and your support of these PACs. If you haven’t already (and many thanks to those that have), please consider contributing today at IABforME.com/political_ advocacy. It allows IA&B to do our job of protecting you.

Until next time,

Jason F. Ernest

President & CEO