Policy Magazine, fall 2011

POLICYInterns: Future Employees in the MakingGolf Champions

Fall 2011magazineOklahoma’s

Dillingham Takes the ControlsIIAO’s 111th chairman is already piloting IIAO toward a year of clear goals and objectives.

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PUBLISHER DanRamsey,CIC EDITOR KathyRose,CPIW MANAGINGEDITOR KathrynJensonWhite ASSISTANTEDITOR SarahCavanahPRODUCTIONEDITOR SusanTitus,PMP

PRESIDENT/CHIEFEXECUTIVEOFFICER DanRamsey,CIC

CHIEFOPERATINGOFFICER SusanJ.Titus,PMP

CHIEFFINANCIALOFFICER MalindaDay

OKMAPADMINISTRATOR CindyMunden,CISR

EDUCATIONDIRECTOR SusieCurrent

EDUCATION/MEMBERSHIPCOORDINATOR CathyCinotto

FARM/RLIPROGRAMMANAGER CindyMunden,CISR

E&OPROGRAMMANAGER LyraRoberts

EDITORIALSTAFF

PROFESSIONALSTAFF

POLICYistheofficialpublicationoftheIndependentInsuranceAgentsofOklahoma.POLICYispublishedquarterly and distributed to allmember agen-cies and other interested parties in Oklahoma.Manuscripts and contributions are welcome,and will be considered for publication at thediscretionoftheIIAOPublicationsCommittee.

Correspondenceandadvertisinginquiriesmaybead-dressedtoIIAO,P.O.Box13490,OklahomaCity,OK73113.Ph:405-840-4426or1-800-324-4426

The Independent InsuranceAgents ofOklahoma is the

largest insurance trade association inOklahoma.With

more than 475 independent insurance agencies, we

represent nearly4,000 independent insuranceagents

and their employees. IIAOmember agencies range in

size fromoneperson tosomeof the largestagencies in

theregion.

Foundedin1906astheOklahomaAssociationofLocalFire

InsuranceAgents,IIAOisaresultoftheconsolidationof

theIndependentInsuranceAgentsofOklahoma,Inc.(IIAO)

andtheOklahomaAssociationofProfessionalInsurance

Agents(OAPIA)onJan.1,1992.

IIAOpolicyissetbyaboardofdirectorselectedatthean-

nualconvention.Policy is implementedbyaprofessional

stafflocatedinOklahomaCity.IIAO’smission,shownbelow,

iscarriedoutthroughavarietyofprogramsdesignedto

enhancethebusinessofindependentinsuranceagencies.

IIAOisanactiveadvocateonbehalfofindependentagents

before legislative, regulatoryand judicial groups inOkla-

homaandatthefederallevel.

IIAOisaffiliatedatthenationallevelwiththeIndependent

InsuranceAgentsandBrokersofAmericawithofficesin

Alexandria,Va.,andWashington,D.C.

IIAO is an excellent source of information through

POLICY magazine, published quarterly, and the

OklahomaAgent, amonthlynewsletterof time-sensitive

materialforitsmembers.

ABOUTIIAO

Themissionof the Independent InsuranceAgentsofOklahoma,working in thepublic’sbest interests, throughactivememberparticipation, is tobetheunrelentingadvocateof independent insuranceagentsandto fulfill theeducation,politicalandbusinessneedsofitsmembers.

IIAOMISSIONSTATEMENT

ONTHECOVERIIAO’snewchairmanJedDillinghamshareshisfamily’spassionsforinsuranceandflying.

COLUMNS 2 CHAIRMANJedDillingham

4 EXTRADanRamsey,CIC

6 EDUCATIONSusieCurrent

8 YOUNGAGENTSCOMMITTEERyanBebee

10 OKLAHOMAINSURANCECOMMISSIONERJohnDoak

12 LEGALISSUESTomCooper

FEATURES15 OkPACandInsurPacContributorsandForm

26 TeensontheLinks

28 InternInitiative

32 CookingUpaRedCrossDonation

Vol.34,No.1

NEWSMAKERS page 18

DEPARTMENTS

20PROFILEIIAOChairmanJedDillingham

CHAIR

REGIONALDIRECTORS

2 POLICY Fall2011

IIAOLEADERSHIP

JedDillingham

OFFICERS

REDCARPET-ZONE1

PhilEitzen,CIC

EitzenAgency,Fairview

GREATPLAINS-ZONE2LarryNeal,

CIC,AAI,LUTCFJ.T.NealAgency,

Lawton

GREENCOUNTRY-ZONE3

ThadLeonard

CarlM.Leonard&Son,Tulsa

FRONTIERCOUNTRY-ZONE4

DonnaBaker,CIC,CPIW

C.L.Frates&Co.,OKC

LAKE&TRAIL-ZONE5

MikeSomers,CIC

SomersInsuranceAgency,Lindsay

KIAMICHI-ZONE6

KellySmith,CIC

JWBInsurance,Holdenville

CHAIRMAN-ELECTEdMcGrath,CICWilcox&McGrathInsurance,OKC

VICECHAIRMANDavidEaton,CICAdvantageInsuranceGroup,ElReno

SECRETARY-TREASURERMarkCarlin,CIC

ColePaine&Carlin,OKC

STATENATIONALDIRECTOR

VaughnGraham,CIC,CPCU,AFSBRich&Cartmill,Tulsa

IMMEDIATEPASTCHAIRMAN

DeniseJohnson,CICECIInsurance,Piedmont

DIRECTORSBradBerrongBerrongInsuranceAgency,Weatherford

TomCarawayAgar-Ford-Jarmon&Muldrow/INSURICA,

Norman

BruceJordan,CICJordanCarrisAgency,

McAlester

WesMagill,CICMagillInsuranceAgency,

Weatherford

MarkTedford,CICTedfordInsurance,

Jenks

ChrisTorres,CICOklahomaAgentsAlliance,OKC

DillinghamInsurance,Enid

CHAIRMAN

IIAOoffersmanyopportunitiesforindependentagentstogetinvolvedandpositivelyaffectourindustry.Aneasyoption:DonatetooneofourPACstohelpsupportourlegislativelobbying.

TheYearAhead

OnJuly7,itwasmyprivilegetobeinstalledas the111thchairmanof the IndependentAgents Association of Oklahoma. I lookforward tohaving the opportunity to serveourindustryandourmemberagenciesand

theirstaffs.Yourassociationhasmuchtobethankfulfor:Wehave

talentedpeopleinallourassociationstaffpositionswhoprovidememberservicessecondtononeandastate-of-the-artheadquartersbuildinginOklahomaCity.Wearerecognizedasthego-toorganizationoninsurance-relatedlegislativeissues,andwehavecriticalmasswithamem-bershipofmorethan500agencies.Totopoffthatimpres-sivelist,Iamhappytosay,wearefinanciallysound.

DanRamsey,ourassociation’spresidentandchiefex-ecutiveofficer,isrecognizedacrossthecountryasoneofthebestandmosteffectivestateassociationleaders.Danhasauniquebackgroundasaformerindependentinsur-anceagentandlegislatorthathelpshimgreatlyinbeingachampionfortheindependentinsuranceagent.WhetheryourbusinessisinMiami,Altus,BrokenBoworBoiseCity,Danisyourvoiceoninsuranceissues.

Dan’sleadershipskillshavehelpedhimattractateamanymemberagency,regardlessofsize,wouldbehonoredtohaveasapartofitsstaff.Yourexecutivecommitteeandboardofdirectorscouldnotfunctionasefficientlyaswedowithoutthesupportofthesetalentedpeople.

IIAOstaff,thankyouforthesupportyougivetoourmembership.

Yourassociationheadquartersisafantasticfacility.IwouldencourageallmemberstomakethetimetostopbywhenyourtravelstakeyoutoOklahomaCity.Ouragencyhasusedthefacilitiesforseveraleducationalworkshops,andwegetnothingbutpositivefeedbackfromthoseat-tending.AndyoushouldkeepinmindthatwehaveanofficeforvisitingagentstousewhileinOklahomaCity.

Eachfallyourboardofdirectorsandtheassociationstaffparticipateinatwo-dayplanningretreat.Fromthat

process,wegetveryfocusedonwhatwewillworktoac-complishintheupcomingyear.Thisyear’smeetingwasAug.18-19,andmanyexcitingideascamefromit.Ourthankstothoseofyouwhosentinideasfordiscussion.IIAOisyourassociation,andwewanttoworkontheactivitiesmostmeaningfultothemembership.

IIAO is theonly insurance tradeorganization repre-sentingtheinterestsoftheindependentinsuranceagentatthestateCapitol.Danisaregisteredlobbyist,andwealsousetheservicesofJamiLongacre,acontractlobby-ist.BothDanandJamihaveworkedhardtoensurethatwhenitcomestoinsuranceissues,legislatorsturntousforinsightandinformation.

Nationally, the Independent Insurance Agents andBrokersofAmericarepresentyouonissuesdirectlyef-

I know that I was a bitoverwhelmed at the firstfew association activities Iattended;however,IamgladIchosetogetinvolvedinthiswonderfulorganization.Icanhonestly say that some ofmyclosestfriendsarefellowagents.

POLICY Fall2011 3

CHAIR

fecting independentagentsand smallbusinessowners.Oklahoma’sownBobbyBramlettwillbeinstalledastheIIABAchairmanin2012.

We could not do this important legislativework without the support of our state and na-tional political action committees, OkPAC andInsurPac.OurbudgetfortheupcomingfiscalyearforbothPACswillbecloseto$70,000.Withoutyourgeneroussupport,wecannotcontinuetodothejobwehavebeenabletodosofar.WhenEdMcGrathcallsyoutosupportthesepoliticalac-tioncommittees,Iencourageyoutosupportwill-ingly.Our500memberagenciesrepresentmorethan6,000employees.Thinkaboutthis:Ifeachagencyprincipalgave$15to$20dollarsbaseduponherorhistotalstaff,includingproducers,wewouldraisebetween$90,000and$120,000.Thiswouldbeasmallpricetohelpsupporttheeffortstoprotectyourlivelihood.

At our July Board of Directors meeting, wereviewed the year-end financial results for theassociation.Iampleasedtoreportthatwehaveonceagainexceededourprojectionsandendedtheyearwithasmallprofit.ThankstothehardworkofBruceMagillandothers,wewereableto pay off the note on our old headquarters in2007.Thiscoincidedwiththe100thbirthdayoftheassociation.Soonafter,ChesapeakeEnergyReal Estate Holdings purchased that locationforagenerousprice.Wewereabletobuildthenew headquarters building and furnish it withthelatesttechnology.BetteryetisthattheIIAOFoundation has approximately $600,000 in itsreservefundtomaintainthefacility.

I know Iwas abit overwhelmedat thefirstfewassociationactivitiesIattended;however,IamgladIchosetogetinvolvedinthiswonderfulorganization.Icanhonestlysaythatsomeofmyclosestfriendsarefellowagents.Imaycompetewiththemonaday-to-daybasis,butthatdoesn’tmatter. What matters is that we come togetherunitedtorepresenttheinterestsofourindustrywithinthisgreatstateandnationally.

Thankyouagainforallowingmetoserveyouasyourchairmanintheupcomingyear.

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DanRamseyCIC

PRESIDENTCHIEFEXECUTIVEOFFICER

4 POLICY Fall2011

TheIIAOBoardofDirectorsisendorsingtheFoodforKidsBackpackProgram,whichprovidesnutritionforlow-incomechildrenontheweekends.Considerjoiningusinthisimportantandeffectiveprogram.

EducationinaBackpack

In summer 1957, I played shortstop for the LittleLeague Dodger baseball team in Chickasha. As amatteroffact,Iwastheall-starshortstopandwentontoplayonateamthatwonatournamentinParagould,Ark.,butlostoutinthefinalgameofaregionaltourna-

mentinHotSpringsafewweekslater.Butthat’sanotherstory.OneofmyteammateswasRaymondWilliams,whohappenstobeCindyMunden’sfather.CindyisourfarmandranchandRLIprogrammanager.AnotherteammatewasRodneyBivens,whoistheexecutivedirectoroftheRegionalFoodBankofOklahoma.

SeveralmonthsagoIwaswatchingthenewsonChannel9whenIsawafeaturestoryonaprogramthechannelwassponsoring,FoodforKidsBackpackProgram.Iwassome-whatfamiliarwiththeRegionalFoodBankofOklahomaasRodneywaspresentedanawardwhenIwasamemberoftheLegislature,butIhadnotheardaboutthisprogram.ThemoreIheard,themoreIthoughtthatperhapsthiswasanorganizationIIAOshouldbecomeinvolvedwith.Itwouldbe,Iknew,aperfectmatch.

TheFoodforKidsBackpackProgrambeganin2003inresponsetorequestsfromschoolofficialswhosawchildrendiggingintrashcanslookingforextrafood,rushingfoodlinesandevenpassingoutonMondaymorningbecausetheyhadn’teatenovertheweekendawayfromthemealsprovided them in school. The program gives childrenwhowouldotherwisehavelittleornothingtoeatbetweenschoollunchonFridayandschoolbreakfastonMondayabackpackfilledwithnutritious,kid-friendlyfoodeveryweekendandholidaythroughouttheschoolyear.

Theprogramreaches546schooldistrictsinthestateand17,645children.Asyoucansee,justasourmember-shipreacheseverycornerofthestate,sodoestheneedforhelpingprovidefoodforthesechildren.IliveinChickashainGradyCounty.Lastyear243studentsinsevenschoolsinGradyCountyaloneparticipatedintheprogram.

TheIIAOBoardofDirectorshasvotedtoendorse thisprogram.Itprovidesanoutreachthatwilltrulyhavetheabilitytochangethelivesoftheseyoungchildren.Theinitialcom-mitmenttotheRegionalFoodBankofOklahomaistoraise$25,000fromourmembersandassociatemembers.Thebigpicturegoal,however,isforeveryagencyto“adoptachild,”thatis,tosponsorachildintheagency’scountyorcommunity.Thecosttoprovideabackpacktoastudentfortheschoolyearis$200.IIAOhasapproximately500memberagencies.Ifeachmemberagencyweretoadoptachild,wewouldbeabletoprovide$100,000incriticalfundingforthisorganization.

Iurgeeveryagencyandallourassociatememberstosignonforthisimportantandeffectiveprogram.Wearegoing tomakeyourdoing soas simpleaspossible.Allyouhavetodoissendacheckforyour$200contributionpayabletoIIAOInsuranceFoundation,P.O.Box13490,OklahomaCity,OK73113.Thisisa501(c)(3)organiza-tion,soyourcontributionswillbefullytaxdeductible.Theymaybeindividualorcorporatecontributions.Wecertainlywelcomeanyandalldonationsforanyamountfromagen-cies,companies,and/ortheiremployees.WeinturnwillmakequarterlycontributionstotheRegionalFoodBankofOklahomaonbehalfoftheTrustedChoiceIndependentInsuranceAgentsofOklahomaandwilldesignatethefundsgotothecommunityorcountyofthecontributor.

TheFoodforKidsBackpackProgramisjustoneofmanyprogramstheRegionalFoodBankofOklahomasponsors.Infuture,wewillaskyoutocontributeasmallportionofyourtimetotheirworthyactivities,ifpossible,byworkingatthecenterinOklahomaCityorTulsa.Bydoingsoyouwillfullyappreciatetheincredibleworktheyaredoing.

Please send your contribution today. We would liketo present a $25,000 check from the IIAO InsuranceFoundationOct.1.ThankyouinadvanceforwhatIknowwillbeyourgeneroussupport.

SURVEYRESULTSTeachersofChildrenWhoParticipatedintheFoodforKidsBackpackProgram

92.3%sawfewercomplaintsabouthungerbychildren

90.7%observed fewer signs ofchronichungerbychildrenon

Mondaymornings

80.3%saidtheyhadseenchildrenpaybetterattentioninclass

74.9%observedanimprovementinacademicperformance

73.2%witnessedanimprovementinschoolattendance

EXTRA

POLICY Fall2011 5

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TeammatesforLifeThe1957ChickashaLittleLeagueDodgerteamincludesRodneyBivens,executivedirectoroftheRegionalFoodBankofOklahoma(secondrow,secondfromleft);RaymondWilliams,fatherofIIAO’sFarm/RLIProgramManagerCindyMunden(firstrow,farleft)andDanRamsey,IIAOpresidentandchiefexecutiveofficer(firstrow,secondfromleft).

Bytakingjustfivecourses,youcandevelopyourexpertiseinmanagingrisks,hazardsandexposures.

6 POLICY Fall2011

CRMforIIAO

EDUCATIONDIRECTOR

SusieCurrent

EDUCATION

Here’s some good news: In 2012, theIndependentInsuranceAgentsofOklahomawillbeginholdingCertifiedRiskManagerInstitutes.

T h e C e r t i f i e d R i s k M a n a g e r sInternationaldesignation,CRM,tellsallthosewhoseeitthatyouareknowledgeableinallareasofmanagingrisks,hazardsandexposures.

The five courses required for certification provideyou with an in-depth knowledge about today’s highestpriorities — identifying, analyzing, controlling, financ-ing and administering operational risks — as well aspolitical risks, catastrophic loss exposures, third-partyexposures, fiduciary exposures, employee injury expo-sures, juridical risks, legal risks and more — whetherinsurable or not. The skills you learn will make youmore proactive and valuable to your organization indiscoveringhowriskscaninterrupttheflowofearningsand show you how to protect against that possibility.Eachofthefivecoursesinvolvestwoandone-halfdaysofinstructionfollowedbyanoptionalexam.Anyeligibleindividualmayattendclasseswithouttakingtheexamina-tionsorworkingtowardthedesignation.

CRMcoursescoverallareasofriskmanagement.Theyfeatureexperiencedinstructorsskilledatmakingsophisti-catedsubjectsinterestinganddirectlyapplicable.Theyarebasedoncurriculaleadingriskmanagementpractitionershavedevelopedandrecognizedasthemostpracticalinthe

industry.Theyarecreatedandoverseenbycurriculaadvi-sorycommitteesmadeupofriskmanagementprofessionalsandeducatorswhoregularlyreviewthecoursecontenttoensuretheprogram’songoingintegrityandpracticality.

Toearnthedesignation,youmust takeallfiveCRMcoursesandpassallfivewithinfivecalendaryearsafteryoucompleteyourfirst.Thesecoursesareapprovedfor20 hours of CE in Oklahoma for agents and adjusters,includingtwohoursofethicsandonehouroflegislativecredit.IfyouareworkingonyourCICdesignation,youcansubstituteoneCRMcourseforaCICinstitutetoearnbothdesignationsbytakingonlyninecoursesinsteadof10.Ifyoudothemindividually,youtakeallfiveCRMcoursesandfiveCICcourses.

CRMCOURSESPrinciplesofRiskManagement

AnalysisofRisk

ControlofRisk

FinancingofRisk

PracticeofRiskManagement

Camera ready artwork. Bring this customizable artwork to your local printer/newspaper to insert personalization for your location.Personalization should follow these parameters: Font: 9 point Arial RomanPersonalized body copy: Branch Name followed by address, telephone number, E-mail address (if applicable), Web Site address

Center ad in space and add a 1 point frame on the adʼs perimeter.Note: You are required to submit a printerʼs proof of this advertisement to the Home Office Marketing Department for final approval. Fax to 573-474-5865 or E-mail to: [email protected]

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Wichita Branch: 800.223.0562 | Home Office: Des Moines, IA www.emcins.com

© Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2011 All rights reserved

I’m celebrating our 100th year by planning for our next 100 years.

Chad Veach, Engineering Services Supervisor

Today we’re expanding the use of new technologies to identify risks and train workers on how to avoid them. Tomorrow it could be the use of nanotechnology needing monitoring in the workplace or the development of smart systems to better match employees with their responsibilities. EMC Insurance Companies is committed to investing in the necessary resources to achieve our vision of being the best in loss control—today, tomorrow and in the future.

5269_EMC_AD_Chad_OkAsscInsAgents7.5x10.indd 1 1/5/11 9:11 AM

TheYoungAgentsCommitteeisagreatgatewaytobecominginvolvedwithIIAOandthenetworkingandskill-cultivationactivitiestheassociationprovides,butwealsofocusongivingbacktothecommunity.

8 POLICY Fall2011

HelpingOurselvesandOthers

YAC

ColePaine&Carlin

CHAIR,YOUNGAGENTSCOMMITTEE

RyanBebee

“Helpme,helpyou!”Doyouremem-berthatlinefromthemovie“JerryMcGuire”? Agent Rob Tidwell(Cuba Gooding) said it to JerryMcGuire(TomCruise)duringakey

scene.Obviously,thelinemostwillrememberis“Showmethemoney,”whichhasbecomepartofthepopculturevocabulary. However, this lesser-known line has moreresonanceforyoungagentsandtheirinsurancementors.

Whatdoesthislinehavetodowithinsurance?Wellinsomeways,alot.LetmeaskyousomequestionstoshowyouwhatImean:Wheredidyougoforhelpwhenyouwereayoungagent?Whomdidyouconsideryourmentor(s)asyoubeganthiswildride?Thenletmetellyouthatwhetheryoudoordon’thaveaformaltrainingprogramtohelpnewproducersinyouragency,itislikelyanewagentwould

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Contractors build businesses from the ground up. We relate. We’re one of the nation’s leading managing general agents, surplus lines brokers. M. J. Kelly’s steady growth over 35 years is founded on the consistent delivery of quality markets and superior service.

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Guidingyournewagentstoparticipate inYACthroughLunchBunchmeetings,theYoung Agents LeadershipC o n f e r e n c e o r o t h e ract i v i t i es makes you amentor,notjustaboss.

POLICY Fall2011 9

YAC

invite helpful suggestions on business growthanddevelopment. Sometimes, itmight be thegentlesteeringawayfromariskthatmightbea“dogwithfleas.”AskyournewpeopletoattendtheLunchBunchmeetings,askthemtoattendthe Young Agents Leadership Conference orguidethemtoparticipateinanythingelsetheassociationorYACoffersfornetworking,train-inganddevelopment.Ifyoudothesethings,youwillbeprovidingthekindofhelpthatamentorshould. Networking with peers and companyrepresentativesisagreatwaytolearnandbond.

Tochangethelineupabit,“Helpus,helphungryOklahomans.”YoucandosobyplayinggolfonSept.27atWinterCreekGolf&CountryClub in Blanchard. Registration will begin at11:30a.m.followedbya1p.m.shotgunstart.Your $75 per player entry fee includes rangeballs,greenfees,cart,gourmetlunchandprizes.

This year we are proud to team with theRegionalFoodBankofOklahomabyparticipat-inginitsFoodforKidsBackpackProgram.TheOklahomaCityFoodBankprovideschronicallyhungrychildrenwithbackpacksfilledwithnon-perishable,kid-friendlyfoodtoeatonweekendsandschoolholidays.Theprogramwaslaunchedin2003withfiveOklahomaCityschoolsserving180children.Ithasgrownsignificantly,andisnowserving374elementaryschoolsin49coun-tiesacrossCentralandWesternOklahoma.Theprogram isprovidingbackpacks tomore than11,500chronicallyhungrychildreneachweek,and itneedsourhelp.Allproceeds from thistournamentwillbenefitthisprogramandhelpfighthungerforOklahomachildren.

TheOklahomaRegionalFoodbankmissionistohelpthecharitablecommunityeffectivelyfeedpeopleinneed.Morethan600,000Oklahomanswillwakeuptodayandwonderwheretheirnextmealswillcomefrom.Oklahomaranksasthefifthhungrieststateinthenation,butthankstodonors,volunteersandadvocates,theRegionalFoodBankofOklahomais“FightingHunger…FeedingHope.”(regionalfoodbank.org)

FormoreinformationonYoungAgentsac-tivities, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/OKYAC.

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“My hobby as a fi tness instructor allows me to help people—similar to my position at J.M. Wilson. I love being able to assist our agents and our companies in fi nding a solution when a loss occurs.”

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TheOIDisaddingnewfacestohelprepresentthestateandmakeusmoreattractiveforbusiness.Wearealsohonoringthoseinsuranceprofessionalswithinthestatewhoepitomizeourvalues.

10 POLICY Fall2011

HonoringourBest

OKLAHOMAINSURANCECOMMISSIONER

JohnDoak

OIDUPDATE

Oklahoma’s insurance industry is a multi-billion-dollarenterprise,butanyonewhohaseverfoundsuccessinthefieldunderstandsonething:Bottom-line,thisbusinessisaboutpeople.

That’s why as Oklahoma insurance commissioner Ihavesetouttodomorethanjusteducateandprotecttheconsumersofthisstate,whichisaprimarypurposeofastateinsuranceregulator.Ihavealsodeemeditimportanttosingleoutforrecognitionthosewhodobusiness“therightway”inOklahoma’sinsuranceindustry.AndIhaveundertakenanefforttopolishOklahoma’simageintheeyesofthoseoutsidethestatetoattractcompetitionandnewinsuranceproductsthatwillbenefitOklahomaconsumers.

In July, the Insurance Department launched itsOklahoma Insurance Professional of the Month Award,

with Pepper Williams, a district manager for FarmersInsurance, selected as its first recipient. InAugust,wepresentedtheawardtoBevBinkowski,directorofpublicaffairs,communityandcorporationrelationsforBlueCrossBlueShieldofOklahoma.

Williams got his startwithFarmers after thedeadlyEnidfloodsof1973.Hewasworkinginhealthcare,buttheEnidtragedy—inwhichanumberofhisfriendslosttheirpossessionsandeventhehospitalwhereheworkedwasinsufficientlyinsured—showedPepperthevalueofinsurance.HewenttoworkforFarmersandtodayisrecog-nizedasaninnovatorinthefieldofcatastropheresponse,amentortoyoungemployeesintheareaofcustomerserviceandanadvocateforpolicyholders.

Binkowski went to work for Blue Cross of MichiganstraightoutofcollegeattheUniversityofCentralMichigan.

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POLICY Fall2011 11

OIDUPDATE

Fromherearlyroleincustomerservice,andwithamovetoourstatein1983,shewentontoassistinproductdevel-opmentforBlueCrossBlueShieldofOklahoma,obtainedherOklahomaproducer’slicense,workedwithMedicaresupplementalpoliciesandmarketingtosmallbusinessandnowisthecompany’schiefliaisoninthisstatetothepublic,othercorporationsandgovernment.Bothrecipientsalsoaredeeplyinvolvedintheircommunities,holdingpositionsontheboardsofcharitiesandcivicgroupsandvolunteeringforserviceprojectsthathelptheirOklahomaneighbors.

Thesetwotalentedindividualsareworthycandidateswhoepitomizetheprofessionalism,characteranddedica-tiontotheindustryanditsconsumersIhopetoencourageinotherswhoworkintheinsurancebusinessinOklahoma.

WeattheOklahomaInsuranceDepartmentwanttofindandrecognizemanymoreinsuranceindustryprofessionalswho,likeWilliamsandBinkowski,trulyunderstandthatthisbusinessfirstandforemostisabouthelpingpeople.Be they local agents, adjusters, executives or individu-alsservinginsomeothercapacity,considerwhoamongyourcolleagueswouldbemostdeservingof thisaward.ThenmakeapitchforthemtotheOklahomaInsuranceDepartment.Nominationsareacceptedthroughourwebsiteatoid.ok.gov.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Insurance Department ispreparedtomakeapitchforthisstatetooutsidecorpora-tionsandinvestorsthroughthehiringofitsfirstdirectorofmarketing.

KeithKelleyjoinsOIDwithasolidlistofcredentialsinmarketingandhealthcare.ALouisiananative,Kelleyholdsamaster’sofbusinessadministrationinhealthcareadministrationandbeforejoiningushadworkedfornearlya decade in several capacities for St. Francis MedicalCenterofMonroe,La.There,hetookonthetasksofmarket-ing,publicrelationsandproductdevelopment.HehasalsoservedasdirectorofmarketingfortheNELAPhysicianHospital Organization, a managed care company with

oversightofeighthospitalsand250physicians.Healsospent11yearsasahospitalsalesandmarketingmanagerforBristol-MyersSquibb.

Kelley’smissionasOID’smarketingdirectorwillbetoanalyzeOklahoma’sinsurancemarketsandidentifyunmetconsumerneeds.HewillendeavortoretainOklahoma’scurrentcompaniesdoingbusinessintheinsuranceindustrywhile servingas a liaison tonewcompanies thatmightconsider locating in Oklahoma, assuring that incomingfirms are solvent and of high quality. Kelley will helpheightenawarenessofOIDingeneraland,specifically,ofhowitfacilitatesasafe,competitiveinsurancemarketthatbenefitsconsumers,whileheworkstocreatenewinsurancejobsinOklahoma.

Throughtheseinitiativesandothers,IintendtomakeOklahoma the safest, fastest-growing, most solvent andmost innovative insurance market in the country. I amproud to number the Independent Insurance Agents ofOklahomaamongtheindustryprofessionalswhoareal-readyhelpingtomakethisstategreat.

I want to s ingle out forrecognition those who dobusiness “the right way”in Oklahoma’s insuranceindustryasmodelsforusall.

12 POLICY Fall2011

Pignato,Cooper,Kolker&

Roberson,P.C.

TomCooper

LEGAL

COLUMNIST

Youmaywriteyouronlinecopytoattractbusiness,butthoselittlephrasesmightcomebackaslegalpromisestohauntyouinthecourtroom.Becarefulaboutwhatyousayaboutwhatyoucando.

KnowWhatYou’rePromising

Whenpreparingforthisarticle,Ididnotintendtowriteyetanotherpiecediscussing the content of websitesandInternetadvertisementsorhowstatementsmadebyagentscanei-

therleadtoalawsuitbyadisgruntledcustomeroratleastmakeitmoredifficultforyourlawyertoobtainanearlydeparturefromalawsuit.However,theadvertisingissuecontinuestoshowuponmyradarthroughvariousmeans.

For example, I receive periodic email updates fromseveraldifferentinsurance-relatedblogs.ThedaybeforeIsatdowntowritethis,Ireceivedanemaillinktoanarticlefromapolicyholder’sattorneyinanadjacentstate.Hewas,inessence,braggingabouthowhehadjustgrilledanagentinanall-daydepositioninanE&Ocase.Heexplainedhowtheagenthadbeenwellpreparedbyhisdefenseattorney

toexplainhowtheagentismerelyan“order-taker,”doesnotgiveat-riskmanagementadvicetothecustomer(butrathergivesonlyinformation)anddoesnothaveaspecialorfiduciaryrelationshipwiththecustomer.Theattorneythenproceededtobeattheagentovertheheadwiththefollowing statements obtained from the agent’s website:“Itisourbusinesstoknowyourbusiness”and“Weneedtoknowyourbusinesssothatwecancustomizesolutionsbasedonyourspecificrequirements.”

Theattorneycontinuedthebarragewithtestimonialsfromcustomers,whichtheagenthadproudlydisplayedonhiswebsite.Herearesomeofthemoreimpressiveones:“Theagencyprovidesanimportantpartoftheexpertadvicewerelyon”and“TheagencygottoknowmybusinesssoIwouldnothavetolearninsurance.”

Theattorneysaidhewasconfidenthewouldatleast

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POLICY Fall2011 13

LEGAL

makeittotrialagainsttheagent—inotherwords,thecasewouldnotgetthrownoutearly—becausehewouldbeabletoshowsufficientevidence—bywayoftheadver-tisementsandstatements—tosupporttheargumentthattheagentassumedcertaindutiesandobligationsagentsdonotnormallyhave.

Anothermannerinwhichthisissuehasshownupon

myradarisincourtfilings,themselves.EarlierthisweekIreceivedanassignmentonanewcaseagainstanagency.The plaintiff’s attorney was so proud of the statementsmadeontheagency’swebsitethatherecitedportionsofthewebsiteinthepetition.

TheseeventscausedmetoonceagainperformthetypeofGooglesearchyouhaveheardmetalkaboutinpreviousarticlesor,perhaps,inoneofmyseminars.Ientered“in-suranceagency,OklahomaCity”inmysearchengineandclickedonthefirstfewhits.WhatIfoundmightsurpriseyou.BeforeIquotefromthelocalwebsites,though,pleasenotethatIhaveslightlychangedthelanguagetoprotecttheguilty.However,IthinkIhavedonesoinawaythatdoesnotchangethesubstanceortenorofthelanguage.

Herearesomeexamples:“Wewanttobuildarelation-shipoftrustwithourcustomers,andwewanttogiveyoupeaceofmindbyactingasyourconsultant,”“Wehaveabasicresponsibilitytoprovideyouwithriskmanagementadvice”and“Weconcentrateonasimpleprinciple–to

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ContinuedonPage14

Theplaintiff’sattorneywassoproudofthestatementsmade on the agency ’swebsite that he recitedportionsinthepetition.

14 POLICY Fall2011

LEGAL

adviseyouoninsurance,notmerelysellit.”I hope you can see how a plaintiff’s attorney would

focusonstatementssuchasthisintheeventofalawsuit.Of course, it couldbe the case that thebenefit from

makingstatementssuchas theseoutweighs thepotentialdownside.Inotherwords,ifmakingstatementssuchasthesetrulydistinguishesyoufromyourcompetitorsandleadstolargerevenues,thenperhapsthisisworththecomparativelysmallriskofhavingthestatementsusedagainstyouintheeventofalawsuit.Afterall,itisnotillegaltomakethesetypesofstatements;itismerelyapracticalrisktoconsider.

If,however,anagencywishestobesomewhatpreventiveinitschoiceofadvertisinglanguage,perhapsitcouldusesomethingalittlelessextreme.And,indeed,Iwaspleasedtofindsomegood/positiveexampleswhenIperformedtheGooglesearchforlocalcompanies.Herearesomeexamplesofbetter,saferstatements:“Weprovideourclientswithtopqualityproductsatcompetitivepricesanddosoinawaythathasgivenusthereputationofhonesty,dependabilityandintegrity,”“Asanindependentinsuranceagency,wecanoffertherightcoverageswiththepersonaltouchyou

wouldexpect fromyourneighborhood insuranceagent”and“Welookforwardtohelpingfamilieslikeyoursprotectthethingsthatareimportanttoyou,likeyourhome,carandmore.”

Sohere’smyfinaladviceonthisissue,fornowatleast:Takethetimetoknowthecontentandconsequencesofyourwebsite.Thatknowledgecouldsaveyoualotoftime,moneyandhassle.

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Oklahoma Agents Alliance 866.841.6868 | oaaonline.net

ContinuedfromPage13

Take the time to know thecontentandconsequencesof your website. You couldsave yourself time,moneyandhassle.

POLICYFall2011 15

KristiAbdoDonnaBakerFredBarkerJohnBattaliouRyanBebeeBradBerrongBobBramlettToddBrandonTravisBrownTomCarawayMarkCarlinScottCorneliusTerryCuppMalindaDayJedDillingham

DavidEatonPhilEitzenStefanieFieldsBenGorrellVaughnGrahamVaughnGraham,JrRaymondHaleIIIJohnHarperRichHaverfieldMelHoltErinHowellJesseHydeJimmyIrwinDeniseJohnsonKaseyJones

BruceJordanTheresaKamlerThadLeonardBillLivermonMichaelLoftisMarkLongBruceMagillWesleyRMagillPatMandevilleRobertMcKownEdMcGrathCodyMcNeillJonathanMolderCindyMundenLarryNeal

HeidiNeaseDanielO’NeilChrisPaineJustinPeavlerRobPiearcyStevePolemanDanRamseyKathyReeserLyraRobertsKathyRoseMichaelRossTraciRoweKarlSeizingerScottSelmanClarkSmith

KellySmithAdrianeStachmusDickTeubnerRyanTeubnerSusanTitusChrisTorresBradWarwickTravisWiedemannTrentWillisSteveWilsonJennyWoodBaileyWord

KristiAbdoDonnaBakerNeilBarfieldRyanBebeeJakeBramlettNanetteBramlettRobertBramlettTravisBrownKentCarlinMarkCarlinJeffClymerEarnieCorneliusJimCouchBillCoxTerryCuppGeraldDawkins

JedDillinghamTimDriskillDavidEatonPhilEitzenBenGorrellVaughnGrahamVaughnGraham,Jr.RayHaleJohnHarperCharlesHarrisRichHaverfieldTimHillErinHowellDeniseJohnsonKaseyJonesBruceJordan

ThadLeonardJillLesterBillLivermonMikeLoftisMarkLongBruceMagillPatMandevilleLeslieMcGaheyEdMcGrathCodyMcNeillKellyMillerJonathanMolderJonMoonDuaneMurrayLarryNealHeidiNease

JerryOdenDanielO’NeilChrisPaineAllenPaineStevePolemanDanRamseyLyraRobertsKathyRoseWillRosebureMikeRossTraciRoweJaneSealsKarlSeizingerScottSelmanClarkSmithDabneySmith

KellySmithDanielSomersMikeSomersJoeStrunkBelyndaTayarDickTeubnerSusanTitusBradWarwickBillWetzelTravisWiedemannTrentWillisJennyWoodBaileyWordBernieZalaznik

OkPACContributors

InsurPacContributors

OkPACisIIAO’spoliticalactioncommittee.Itprovidesfinancialsupportforstateelectedofficialswhowillprovidesupportfororwhohaveshownsupportofissuesaffectingtheinsuranceindustryandtothosewhoshareourbusinessphilosophies.OnlyindividualsorpartnershipscanmakecontributionstoOkPAC.UnderOklahomalaw,OkPACcanacceptnocontributionsfromcorporations.

InsurPac is IIABA’spoliticalactioncommittee. Itpoolsthevoluntaryand individual financialcontributionsofthousandsof independent insuranceagentstohelpelectcandidatestoCongresswhoshareIIABA’sbusinessphilosophies.InsurPacisthelargestproperty-casualtyinsuranceindustryPACinthecountry.

Isyournamenotonthelist?Usethecontributorsstatementonthebackofthispagetodonate.

Insure Your Future! InsurPac OkPac Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma c/o IIAO, PO Box 13490, OKC, OK 73113 IIAO, PO Box 13490, OKC, OK 73113 P: 202/863-7000, F: 405/840-4450 [email protected] P: 405/840-4426; F: 405/840-4450 [email protected] _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OkPac Contribution

Yes, I want to INSURE MY FUTURE with a Personal Contribution to OkPac! (Check contribution below.)

$5000 Millenium $2500 Platinum $1000 Centennial $500 Gold $250 Pioneer $150 Founders $100 Young Agent Other $_______ InsurPac Contribution

Yes, I want to INSURE MY FUTURE with a Personal Contribution to InsurPac! (Check contribution below.)

$5000 Millenium $2500 Platinum $1000 Centennial $500 Gold $250 Pioneer $150 Founders $100 Young Agent Other $_______ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contributor Information Name ____________________________________________________ Occupation ______________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________ State _____________ Zip ______________________

Phone _________________________________ Email ______________________________________________

Declaration: The contribution listed above was freely and voluntarily given by me from my personal property. I have not, directly or indirectly, been compensated or reimbursed for the contribution listed above. Signature ______________________________________________________________ Date ______________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Payment Information (All contributions must be made by PERSONAL check or PERSONAL credit card.)

Personal Check – Separate personal checks made payable to InsurPac and OkPac. $____________ to InsurPac $____________ to OkPac Personal Credit Card – One-time personal credit card contribution. $____________ to InsurPac $____________ to OkPac

Credit card information: MasterCard Visa American Express Credit Card Number ________________________________________________ Expiration Date ____________

Name as it appears on card _____________________________________________________________________

Contributions or gifts to InsurPac and OkPac are not deductible as charitable contributions for purposes of federal income tax.Federal and State law require us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer

for each individual. Your contribution should be considered strictly voluntary. Any corporate contributions are prohibited.

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Just10yearsafteritsfounding,OklahomaAgentsAllianceisnowoneoftheUnitedStates’largestindependent property/casualtyinsurance agencies, accordingtotheAugustissueofInsuranceJournal.

OAAentered the list atNo.87andisoneofonlythreeOklahoma-basedcompaniesnamed in theannual ranking. InsuranceJour-nal bases the list on premiumswritten in the previous year, astandard benchmark for theinsuranceindustry.

“It’s happened so quickly that Ithinkmany people will be sur-prised to see us on the list,”PresidentChrisTorressaid.“Westarted in 2001with just onememberagency,butthesuccessofourmodelhasattractedmorethan80 agencies fromacrossthestatetojoinusincreatingavi-brantorganizationthatallowsourmemberstocompetewitheventhelargestnationalagencies.”

OAA’smissionistoestablishanetworkofindependentinsuranceagenciesinOklahomaownedinpartnershipwithentrepreneurial-spiritedindividuals.Memberagenciesremaintrulyindependent,makingtheirowndecisionsandpursuingtheirownstrategies.Atthesametime,OAA’sleadershipformsrelationshipswithnationalcarriers,creatingopportunities thatwerepreviouslyunachievableformostagenciesinOklahoma.OAAalsoprovidesmemberagenciesadviceandsupportandnegotiatesbonusesandprofit-sharingwithpartnercompanieslikeTravelers,TheHartford,Safeco,MetLifeandothers.

“Ourgrowthratehasoutstrippedevenourownoptimisticearlyprojec-tions,”partnerTonyCaldwellsaid.“Wehaveenjoyedanaverageannualcompoundgrowthrateof31percentover10years,andthat’sbeenthroughsomeofthehardesteconomictimesthecountryhasseeninrecentmemory.”

OAAexpectstoexceed$142millioninpremiumsthisyear,andTorressaiditexpectstobreakthe$250millionmarkby2015.

“ThisachievementprovesthatthepartnershipmodelOAAusesisnotonlyfeasiblebutverysuccessfulforourmemberagencies,nomattertheirsizesorhistories,”Torressaid.“WeareproudtorepresentOklahomaonthenationalinsurancescene.”

OklahomaAgentsAllianceisagrowingnetworkofindependentinsuranceagenciesinOklahoma.OAAoffersgrowthopportunitiestoagenciesthatwanttoremainindependentwhilealsobeingabletocompetewithlargerregionalagenciesandclusters.OAAisamemberofSIAA,anationalor-ganizationthatwritesinexcessof$6billionincombinedpremiumvalue.OAAisamongthelargestwritersofinsuranceinOklahoma.FindusontheWebatoaaonline.net.

NEWSMAKERSOklahomaAgentsAllianceEntersNation’sTopTier

TheOklahomaAgentsAlliancestaff.Front row, fromleft:AmyStewart,personalaccountsman-ager;PamDowell,commercialaccountsmanager;KellyMcLemore,agencydevelopment;MelissaMarshall,seniorpersonalaccountsmanager;TonyCaldwell,partner.Secondrow,fromleft:ChrisTorres,president;LanceSingleton,chieffinancialofficer;DanielO’Neil,marketingrecruiter;ChrisFisher,accountant;KenAnderson,partner.

NEWSMAKERS

POLICY Fall2011 19

NEWSMAKERSForthesecondyearinarow,OklahomaBusinessInsurorsAgencyhasbeenincludedonalistofthebest-runindependentinsuranceagenciesinthecountry,accordingtotheIndependentInsuranceAgents&BrokersofAmerica.

OklahomaBusinessInsurorshasbeenselectedtoremainaspartofanelitegroupparticipatingintheIndependentInsuranceAgents&BrokersofAmerica’s“BestPractices”StudyGroup.

Eachyearsince1993,IIABAandReaganConsulting,anAtlanta-basedmanagementconsultingfirm,havejoinedforcestostudythecountry’sleadingagencies in six revenuecategories. Theagencies composingthestudygroupsareselectedeverythirdyearthroughacomprehen-sivenominationandqualifyingprocessandawardeda“BestPracticesAgency” designation.However, agencies do not automatically retainthehonorofbeingincludedinthegroup.OBIproveditwasdeservingofcontinuinginthegroupbysubmittingextensivefinancialandoperationaldataforreviewlastyear.

TonyCaldwell, agency principal, saidOBIwasable to keep thebest-practicesstatusbyremainingtruetotheagency’sprimaryfocus:clients.

“Wearehonoredtobeincludedinsuchaprestigiousgroup,butwe’vegottentherebystayingtruetoourcoreprinciples,”Caldwellsaid.“Forus,theclientcomesfirst.Wespecializeinbusinessinsurancesothatourclientscanknowweareexpertsinthefield,whocanhelpthemavoideverypitfallandfindeveryadvantage.We’vearrangedourofficeintotwoseparateunitsofbusiness insuranceandemployeebenefitsbecausethoseareourclients’ twomajorneeds.Andweoffera100percentsatisfactionguaranteebecausewethinkourclientsdeservenothingless.”

More than1,200 independent agencies, out ofmore than35,000throughouttheU.S.,werenominatedtotakepartinthestudyin2010,butonly224agenciesqualifiedforthehonor.Tobechosen,theagencyhadtobeamongthe35-40top-performingagenciesinoneofsixrev-enuecategories.

“There’snothingmoresatisfyingtousthanknowingwecanbesuccessfulandprofitablebymakingsureourclientsaresuccessfulandprofitable,”Caldwellsaid.“Theformulaissimple:courteousserviceandthelowestinsuranceratespossibleforthebestpolicies.”

TheBestPracticesStudywasinitiatedbyIIABAin1993asthefoundationforeffortstoimproveagencyperformance.Theannualsurveyandstudyofleadingindependentinsuranceagenciesdocumentsthebusinessprac-ticesofthe“best”agenciesandurgesotherstoadoptsimilarpractices.

OklahomaBusinessInsurorsAgencyservesclients’needsforbusiness

insuranceinonebusinessgroup,whileaseparateunitofprofessionalin-surancecounselorsfocusesonemployeebenefitplans.OBIwasfoundedin1987onthebeliefthatcustomersdeservenotonlyprofessionalandcourteousservice,butalsothelowestinsuranceratespossible.AllOBIproductscomewitha100percentsatisfactionguarantee.OBIservesclients inOklahoma,Texas,Kansas,Colorado,LouisianaandMissourifromitsheadquartersinOklahomaCity.Website:obionline.com.

Foundedin1896,IIABAisthenation’soldestandlargestnationalas-sociationofindependentinsuranceagentsandbrokers,representinganetworkofmorethan300,000agents,brokersandtheiremployeesnationally.Itsmembersarebusinessesthatoffercustomersachoiceofpoliciesfromavarietyofinsurancecompanies.Independentagentsandbrokersofferalllinesofinsurance–property,casualty,lifeandhealth–aswellasemployeebenefitplansandretirementproducts.Website:independentagents.com.

OklahomaBusinessInsurorsRetainsStatusasOneofNation’sBest

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POLICYFall2011 21

KJW What are your thoughts as you embark on your year as chairman of IIAO?

JDIguessmyfirstresponseiswhatanawesomehonor this is for me and a responsibility, of

course,aswell.IIAOhasjustover500members,andwe represent close to 10,000 individuals, includingallouragencyemployees.We’vebecometheplacetoturn for insurance-related questions or concerns attheCapitol.

KJW What do you see as the primary fo-cuses or goals of your year in office?

JDDon’tscrewup!

KJW Number one rule! Anything else?

JDAsI’veworkedmywayupthroughtheposi-tions to chair, I have learned that we work

hardandwillcontinuetoworkhardtorepresentsmallbusiness,whichisthecategorymostofourmembersfallinto.Ouractiveconcernlegislativelyiswithnotjustthoseissuesthatdirectlyaffectourindustrybutalsowiththoseconcernsthatmighthaveanimpactonanysmallbusiness.

Wehavejustfinishedourannualplanningmeetingatwhichallthedirectorsmetfortwodaysandreallylookedathowwecanbetterserveourmembershipandprovidethetrainingandeducationnecessaryforsuccessinourindustrytoday.Asourworldcontinuestogetfasterandtimeseemsmorecompressed,we’restartingtooffersomeInternet-basedcontinuingeducation.Thatsaid,many

of theprogramsweoffer still requirepeople to leavetheirofficeforafewdays,butweappreciatetheabilitytonetworkandcommunicatewithotherprofessionalsthoseprogramsprovide.

KJW What are the strengths of the organi-zation as you see them?

JDWe’vegotagreat staffandare lucky tohaveastrongprofessionalliabilityprogrammanyofour

membersparticipatein.And,ofcourse,Danisawonder-fulleader.Thatmakessayingyestoparticipatingintheleadershipoftheassociationmucheasier.

Ourfacility,whichisavailableforourmemberstouseandforeducationalopportunities,iswonderful.Wedon’thaveanydebtonthatfacility,andwehaveasignificantendowment fund to maintain it for years to come. I’veservedonmanynon-profitorganizations—membershiporganizations—thatarenotinthesamefinancialcondi-tionanddonothavethestafftalentandlongevityourstaffhas.Again,thatmakesservinginthispositionapleasureratherthananundueburden.

KJW So the situation you’re stepping into is a pretty stable and positive one?

JDAbsolutely.DeniseJohnsondidagreatjobbeforemeand,givenhowmuchsmallerherfeetarethan

mine,IknowIcanneverfillhershoes.AndIneverlearnedtowalkinheels.

KJW That would be a challenge, for sure.

TAKING OFF Third-generationagentandpilotJedDillingham

takesthecontrolsasIIAO’s111thleader.

KATHRYNJENSONWHITEmanagingeditoraconversationwith

AS IIAO CHAIRMAN

ContinuedonPage22

22 POLICY Fall2011

JDJokingaside,Denisedidagreatjob.Wehaveaverycloseboard.It’sfuntobeabletocome

insometimesasdirectcompetitors,butworkinghardfor the benefit of your industry leads to some closerelationships with folks. We take our legislative triptoWashington,D.C,andwehavelegislativeeventsattheOklahomaCapitol,sowebecomeatightgroup.Weworkhard, andweplayhard. It’snot only satisfying;it’salsoalotoffun.

KJW Is there anything you’re especially excited about or interested in for this

year, given your specific background?

JDWell,oneofthenewthingsIknowDenisetalkedaboutlastyearandthatournationalorganization

continues to develop is the consumer-agent portal. Wehopethatwillbereadytorolloutforourmembershipinthenextcoupleofyears.Itwilldriveconsumersofsomeofthosecommodity-basedproductslikehomeowner’sandautocoverageforindividualstotheindependentinsuranceagents,ortheTrustedChoiceagentsaswe’reallreferredtonow.Itwillallowustocompetewithalotofthedirectwritersthatarespendingmillionsuponmillionsofdollarsinadvertising.

KJW Do you lose much sleep over the di-rect writers and all that advertising?

JDIdon’t.Ithinkhavinganadvocateforclaims,forcoverage, for the issues thatcomeup routinely

matterstoinsurancepolicyholders.TheTrustedChoiceagentdoesagreatjobofputtinghisorherclientfirst.Ofcourse,we’resolidlybehindtheTrustedChoiceinitiative,whichnowdefinesalltheindependentagentsinOklahomaandnationwide.Wereallyarethetrustedadviserthatmostpeoplelooktowhenquestionscomeup.Theydon’tliketopickupaphoneandbejustanameandanumberatacallcenter.

TheresponsesthatTrustedChoiceagentsgivewhentherearedisasterslikethetornadosinPiedmontorthehailstormsoricestormsorwhateverareswiftandeffec-tive.Wehelpourcustomersdealwithtragediesandcriseswithhumancaringandconcern.Thosearethekindsofpeopleinsurancepolicyholderswanttodealwith.Themenandwomenwhoareindependentagentsarethoseservingonnon-profitboardsandbeinginvolvedintheircommunities.

KJW Right, the big box stores of insurance certainly don’t have that, no matter

how cute Flo is in those Progressive ads or how clever the Geico gecko is.

JDIt’sjustingrainedintoustoprovideservice,andIknowwedothatwellforallourcustom-

ers.

AllintheFamilyFromleft,Chad,JedandDanDillingham.

ContinuedfromPage21

POLICYFall2011 23

KJW So you’re heading into a year of build-ing on the foundations. And speaking

of foundations, how did your agency begin and when?

JDMygrandfatherstarteditin1927,andthenmyfather and his brother and now one of my two

brothersandIhavebeenorarepartoftheagency.It’sfuntocomeineverydayandworkwithfamilymembers.Dad’sbeenherefor53yearsorso,andI’mapproaching28years.MybrotherChadisatabout22years.Ithasbeenagreatfamilyheritage.Notmanypeopleget theopportunitytoworkwiththeirfatherandtheirbrotherascloselyasIdo.Iwouldliketothankbothofthemforallowingmetotakethetimetoserveourindustry.

KJW Do have a fourth generation planning on coming into the agency?

JDWe’re hopeful that some of our children wouldwant to come back into this industry at some

point. We’re strong believers that our children, even iftheyareinterestedininsurance,shouldbeoutsideofourbusinessforatimedealinginsometypeoftechnicalfieldor business-to-business area like customer relations orsales.Ourorganizationwouldbenefitfromthoseoutsideexperiencesweretheytojoinus.We’rehopefulsomeof

themwilldojustthat.

KJW How large is the agency and what are your primary focuses?

JDWehave18people inourEnidoffice, eightin Oklahoma City and one in Lenexa, Kan.

Our team is made up of great individuals who areincreadibly talented.This teamand the fact thatwetendtoservelargebusinessesallowustorunanef-ficientoperation.Wearetrulyblessed.Wehaveclientsbased in39 states.Wearevery fortunate thatmuchofourgrowthcomesfromclientreferrals.Someofourspecialities include energy, trucking, agri-business,manufacturing,financialinstitutions,wholesale,retailandhealthcare.We’reoneof the topgroup-benefitsorganizationsinthestate.Ourgroup-benefitsdivisionisinOklahomaCity.

KJW Did you go directly into your agency? Was that going to be your career from

the time you were a youngster?

JDIgraduatedwith afinancedegree fromOSU,andatthattimetheyhadaninsuranceoption.

IknewwhatIwantedtodo.Iwasinvolvedinafamily

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24 POLICY Fall2011

ranchingoperationwhenIgraduatedfromcollege,butIhavereallyworkedattheagencysinceI’vebeenoutof school,and Igraduated in1983.MybrotherChadwasabletoworkforoneofourinsurancecarriersintheKansasCityareaforawhilebeforejoiningtheagency.Westillhavesomeoutsidebusinessinterests,butwehaveavery,verysingularfocusonourinsuranceagencyoperation.

KJW Clearly the agency is an integral part of not just your revenues but of who

the Dillinghams are. And I know IIAO is important to you.

JDI’mthefirstfamilymembertogetreallyinvolvedinassociationactivities,andIhavereallyenjoyed

it.I’vebeeninvolvedonmanynon-profitboards,andtheyhaveallbeengreat,butthisisspecialbecauseitfocusesonourindustry.I’mstillservingontheBoardofTrusteesof theSessionof theFirstPresbyterianChurchofEnidand theBoardofTrustees forMemorialParkCemetery,alsoinEnid.

KJW Did you come into this specificvolun-teer organization as a young agent?

JDYes.Thatwasmyentry to the association, andI’vebeeninvolvedasaboardmemberoronthe

executiveboardformanyofthelast10years.

KJW When you’re not doing insurance, you seem to spend a lot of time in the air.

Is that also a family activity?

JDAll of us have flown. As my grandfather wasstartingtheagency,hesupplementedhisincome

asatrouble-shootingcasualtyadjusterforSt.Paul.Heflewalloverthecountry,adjustingcasualtyclaims,truck-ingclaimsandotherclaimsofthatnature.Wegrewuparoundairplanes,andmybrotherChadactuallygothispilot’slicenseonhis16thbirthdaybeforehegothisautolicense.Allthreeofthebrothersanddadhaveallflownandcontinue tofly. Itallowsus tobemoreresponsivewithcustomers.

KJW Is flying what you enjoy most when you’re not working on insurance or

doing the service work you do for your community and, now, for IIAO?

JDIreallyenjoytheoutdoors.Ienjoyhunting.Quailhuntingmaybemyfavorite,butquailpopulations

have continued to move west, and they’ve really had atoughgothelastfiveorsixyears.Wehopetheycomebackbecausethere’snothingmorefunthantowatchbirddogsworking thequail,workingout in thefield.Theybettercomebackbecausewe’resurefeedingalotofbirddogs.ButIalsodeerhuntandduckhuntandbiggamehunt.IhavebeentoArgentinaseveraltimesdovehunting.But,Ihavetosay,mynewfavoritepastimeismygranddaughter,

TheManandTheInsuranceCompanyNewIIAOChairmanJedDillinghamstandsinfrontofthesignrepresentingthecompanyhisgrandfathercreatedin1927andinwhichhe,hisfatherandhisbrotherhaveinvestedthemselvesfordecades.

ContinuedfromPage23

POLICYFall2011 25

Payton,whoisnowthreemonthsold.Infact,we’regettingreadytogotoTexaswhileherparentsleaveherforthefirsttimesinceshewasborn.Mywife,Cathy,andIarereallylookingforwardtothat.Shehasbeenincrediblysupportiveofthechildrenaswellasofme.Westarteddatinginthe9thgrade,sowe’vebeentogetheralongtime.

KJW Congratulations So what’s the last anniversary you celebrated?

JDThat’sagoodquestion.Notknowing thatcouldgetmeintrouble.Itwasour28th.

KJW I guess we can safely say that you are kind of a committed guy. You seem to

go into things and stay in them, don’t you?

JDIdo.Familyis themost important thingtome.We’vebeenblessedinthatbothCathy’sparents

andmyparentsarestilllivingandtheyliveinEnid.AsIsaid,bothmybrothersalsolivehere.Wehavetwosisters,oneofwhomisinEdmondandonejustnorthofHouston.Wehavethreechildren.Payton’smotherisourolderdaugh-ter,andshelivesinTrophyClub,Texas.Our24-year-olddaughterlivesinOklahomaCity,wheresheisanurseatOUHealthScienceCenter.Andouryoungest,ourson,is22andasenioratOSUthisyear.

KJW Any final comments as we close this interview?

JDThe main point I would like to stress is thatIIAO has member agencies of all different

sizes,longevities,structures,etc.,andIwanteveryonetoknowthatI,aschairman,andtheentireboardwanttobeaccessibletoall.Wewanttohelpallourmembers.We’ve had a lot of membership growth among thosecomingfromthedirectwriterworldorcaptivesituation.Suddenly,theyhavetostartthinkingandbehavingasasmallbusinessinadditiontoworkingwithcustomersandtheirneeds.Wereallywanttobeopentothosenewmembers,tohelpthemmakethattransition.Andwithour larger agency members with different needs, wewanttobeequallyresponsive.Ithinkeveryoneleftourplanningsessionwithaclearpictureofwhatourplansarefortheyear,andwelookforwardtoimplementingthem.OneofthebestofourplansthisyearissupporttheFood forKidsBackpackProgramof theRegionalFoodBankofOklahoma.IthinkDantalksaboutitinhiscolumnthisissue,soIjustwanttosayhowimportantaninitiativethisis.

Somethingthatreallytouchedmewasastatementmadebyoneoftheprincipalsintheprogram:“Whenhunger ends, learning begins.” It’s nice that we allhavephilanthropyprojectsindividually,butit’sfuntocometogetherasalargerorganizationandreallymakeanimpactwithagreatorganizationliketheRegionalFoodBank.Wecandoalotofgood,andI’mexcitedaboutthat.

TheOriginalTomG.Dillingham,founderofDillinghamInsurance,passeddownthebusinessandaloveofflyingtofuturegen-erations.

FEATURE

26 POLICY Fall2011

TrustedChoice®Big“I”NationalChampionship

CommunicationsManager

DaveKimball

TeensOntheLinks

Ally McDonald of Fulton,Miss., and J.T. Postonof Hickory, N.C., havewonthegirlsandboysdivis ions, respec-

tively, at the recent 43rd AnnualTrusted Choice® Big “I” NationalChampionshipinMadison,Miss.

Oklahoma was represented by fivegolfers: Cullen Stahl, Lawton; Eric Klein,PoncaCity;GarrisonMendoza,Clinton;AnnaKim,BrokenArrow;andJuneTigert,Yukon.

Thetournamentfeatured159playersfrom36states,allgirlsandboysunder theageof19. ItwasplayedatReunionGolf&CountryClubinMadison,Miss.Theboysdivisionwasplayedatpar72and7,100yards,whilethe

girlsplayedthecourseatpar72and6,000yards.Eachsummer,morethan2,500

junior boys and girls nationally vietoearnaplace in thefinal tourna-ment.Approximately100stateandlocal qualifying events determinethefinalroster.

“TheannualTrustedChoice®Big‘I’NationalChampionshiptournament

provides teen golfers with an excellentopportunity to compete at a national level in

anatmosphere that cultivates sportsmanship,”Big“I”chairmanMikeMileysaid.“WecongratulateAlly,J.T.,thefinalistsandthethousandsofboysandgirlsacrossthecountrywhoparticipatedinthelocalandstatetour-namentsthisyear.”

To become a member of OSLA, contact: Oklahoma Surplus Lines Association • 2445 E. 81st Street • Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137 • Ph: 918.293.1838

One General AgencyPh: 800.299.1951www.youroga.com

RPS, Inc. (Tulsa / OKC)Ph: 918.742.8496www.rpsins.com

Specialty Insurance ManagersSpecialty Insurance ManagersPh: 800.888.0202www.simoklahoma.com

Swett & CrawfordPh: 405.740.8054www.swett.com

Westphalen Insurance Services, Inc.Ph: 800.777.7412Ph: 800.777.7412www.westphaleninc.com

Acton, Inc.Ph: 800.522.8041www.actoninc.com

Graham-Rogers, Inc.Ph: 800.456.8123www.graham-rogers.com

Jaeger + Haines, Inc.Jaeger + Haines, Inc.Ph: 800.632.0342Website Coming Soon!

Med James, Inc.Ph: 913.663.5500www.medjames.com

Midlands Management CorporationPh: 800.800.4007Ph: 800.800.4007www.midlandsmgt.com

MJ Kelly CompanyPh: 800.725.7211www.mjkelly.com

POLICY Fall2011 27

FEATURE

McDonaldshotascoreof284,fourunderpar,toclaimthegirlsdivisiontitleandbesttheclosestcompetitorbyninestrokes.McDonaldwaslastyear’ssecondplacewin-ner.Postonwonfirstplaceintheboysdivisionbyshootingascoreof282,sixunderparandbestingthesecondplacewinnerbyonestroke.

Inthegirlsdivision,TaylorTotlandofTintonFalls,N.J.,placedsecondwitha5-over-par293andEmilyHaasofNicholasville,Ky.placedsecondwitha10-over-par298.

In theboysdivision,AustinSmothermanofLoomis,Calif. came in second place at five-under-par 283 andTrevor Cone of Concord, N.C. placed third at a three-under-par285.

TheTrustedChoice®Big“I”NationalChampionshiphasproven tobea critical test formanyof today’s golfprofessionals. PGA andLPGA fields include numerouspastchampionsandparticipants,includingBillyAndrade,David Duval, Charles Howell III, Cristie Kerr, Candie

Kung,JustinLeonard,PhilMickelson,GracePark,CraigStadler, Bob Tway, Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods andFuzzyZoeller.

Trusted Choice®sponsors and supports the annualtournament,whichbeganin1969.Everyyear,morethan400agentshelporganizeandadminister thequalifyingtournamentsthatleadtothenationalfinals.Independentagentsdonatevaluable time,effortand, inmanycases,personalresourcestoconductsuccessfullocalevents.

Formoreinformation,visitbigigolf.com.

TrustedChoice®educatesconsumersaboutthebenefitsofusingindependentagentsandbrokersfortheirinsuranceneeds:choiceofcompanies,customizedpoliciesandadvo-cacysupport.TrustedChoice®istheconsumermarketingidentity for than13,000 independent insuranceagenciesand brokerage firms and 61 leading insurance compa-nies. Formoreinformation,gotoTrustedChoice.com.

Oklahoma’sFinestCullenStahlofLawtonandAnnaKimofBrokenArrowaccepttheOklahomachampion’strophiesfromIIAODirectorChrisTorresofOklahomaAgentsAlliance.StahlandKimwentontorepresentOklahomaatthenationaltournamentinAugust,alongwithEricKleinofPoncaCity,GarrisonMendozaofClintonandJuneTigertofYukon.

FEATURE

Hiringinternsallowsyoutolearnaboutanewcustomerbase,aswellaspickupsomenewskillsandtestoutpossiblehiresforthefuture.

28 POLICY Fall2011

EXECUTIVEDIRECTORInVEST

ASSOCIATEV.P.PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT&ONLINERESOURCESIndependentInsuranceAgents&Brokersof

America

DianeMattis,CPCU,AFIS,AIAM

InternInitiative

Thisyear,theoldestofthebabyboomersturns65. Each day, 10,000 Americans reach thismilestone.Whatimpactisthisgoingtohaveontheaginginsuranceworkforce—andwhatareyoudoingtorecruitthenextgeneration?

Howcanyoudevelopanon-boardingcampaignforyouragency?Itstartsbychangingthehiringmindset.

Foryears,independentagencyprincipalshavesaidtheywantedtohireonlyexperiencedinsuranceprofessionals.ThisphilosophyresultedintheescalationofwagesandcreatedasituationinwhichCSRsandproducersbeganhoppingfromoneagencytothenext.Inmanyinstances,agencieswerehiringonlysomeoneelse’sproblem.Thentheeconomytookaturnfortheworse,andsignificantlay-offsresultedinexperiencedpeopleoutofajob.Butnow,astheeconomystartstoimproveandyouconsiderhiringagainorreplacingretiredworkers,thinkaboutbringingayoung

persononboardwhocanlayafoundationforthefuture.A recent survey of Best Practice agencies indicates

that 40 percent of those are offering internships, andmanyaredevelopingcloserelationshipswiththeirlocalcollegeoruniversity.Twoadvantagesofhiringayounger,less-experiencedworkerarethatsheorheislikelytobeverygoodatmultitaskingandverytech-savvy.Millennials,thosebornbetween,approximately,1982and2001,canbequicklearners.Andwiththerightguidance,theycanbecheerleadersforyouragency.Millennialswantarewardingposition also connected with the community. Insuranceagenciesandcompaniesareaperfectfit.Internshipsareaperfectwaytobuildapresenceatyourlocalhighschoolorcollegeandgiveayoungpersonanopportunitytoseetheinsuranceindustryasapossiblecareerchoice.

Oneofthebenefitsofaninternshipprogramisthattheagencycanuseitasatrialrun.Yourstaffcangettoknow

POLICY Fall2011 29

FEATURE

students before thinking about hiring themas full-timeemployees.Youhaveachancetoseewhethertheyareagoodfitforyouragency’sculture.Andyoucanalsobenefit

fromtheirnewideasandmeaningfulworkcontributionsto your agency. Imagine an intern helping with themarketingofyouragencythroughtheeyesofayoungconsumerandprovidingassistancewithestablishingasocialmediapresence.

Oneagencyassignedaninterntovisitthehomesintheagency’spersonallinesbookthathadnotbeen

visited recently.The interndrove to thehomes, tookphotosandfoundexposuresthathadbeenaddedtothe

homesince itwasfirstwritten.An interncoulddo thisprocessonlinewithouteverleavingtheoffice,butwhatagoodcustomeroutreachtosendsomeone.Anotheragencyhadstudentsworkwiththemarketingmanagertohandleapplications to carriers and respond to carrier requestsfor additional information. This agency trained somespecifically to spotmissing or questionable information

GETGOINGWITHInVEST

InVEST, a school-to-work insur-ance program, teamswithhigh school and collegeeducators to provide auseful insurance curricu-lum for students.WiththehelpofInVESTliaisons(insurance professionals),students could have theopportunity for job shadowdays,internshipsorevencareersaftergraduatingfromInVEST.InVESTprovidesallmaterialsnecessarytolaunchyourfirstInVESTprogram, specifically created to appeal tothemillennial generation, including lesson plans,textbooks,activitiesandmore.Bestofall,it’stotallyfree.Formoreinformationvisitinvestprogram.org

JIMMY HOLLAND, MARKETING MANAGERP.O. Box 803143 • Dallas, Texas 75380 • www.patriotnational.com(972) 239-1458 • (800) 291-6846 • Fax (972) 233-3487

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FEATURE

30 POLICY Fall2011

onapplications.Workingwithcollegesandhighschoolsteachinginsur-

anceintheirclassroomscanmakeiteveneasiertobringan internonboard. InVESThelpseducators incorporateinsurancecurriculumintoexistingclassesandexposethestudents to insurance concepts and terminology. Thesestudents areperfect candidates for internshipsbecausethey already understand insurance basics. Some havegone on to two- or four-year colleges to continue theirstudies.Withareducedindustrylearningcurve,theycanassistwithentry-leveltasksandquicklybringvaluetotheagencyorcompany.

In addition, internships can serve as a powerful re-cruitingtool.AsurveyoninternshipsbyDrydenMutualInsuranceCo.from1995-2008revealedthatgivingyoungpeopleachancetoperforminalivejobsettinggavethe

internsachancetoimpressapotentialemployer.Mostofthoseyoungpeoplewhowereactuallyofferedjobsintheinsuranceindustryjumpedatthechance.

ThisstudyalsorevealedthatcombininginternshipswiththeInVESTprogramresultedinbetter-preparedstudents.Studentscomingfromnon-InVESTsourcesexperienceda jobofferrateofonly9percent (3outof34),whereasstudents coming from InVEST classes experienced ajobofferrateof49percent(21outof43).ThereisverystrongevidencethatwhenInVESTclassesarethesourceofinternships,InVESTisasignificantlymoreproductiverecruitingforce.

Howcanyouragencygetstarted?First,visitInVEST’swebsite,investprogram.org,toviewtheinternshipguideunder the Career Center tab. The guide will walk youthroughthemechanicsofsettingupaninternshipprogram.Theguidecoversbasicssuchasdevelopingajobdescrip-tion, establishing a mentoring program and conductingevaluations.Youwillalsofindsuggestedjobdescriptions,timelinesandresponsibilities.Whensettingupyourpro-gram,don’t forget theevaluationpiece.Evaluationsarecrucialtoyoungpeopleastheyprovideguidanceonskillsetstheycanworkonalongwiththeattributesthatcanmakethemsuccessful.

Onceyouhaveestablishedtheintern’sproposeddu-ties,postyourpositionontheInsuranceCareerCenteratinsurancecareercenter.org. Internship postings are free,andonceanopportunityisposted,InVESTnotifiesareaschoolswithinsurance,risk,orfinanceprograms.

AnotherwaytostartonthepathtorecruitingthenextgenerationofworkersistogetinvolvedwithalocalInVESTprogram,introducingyoutohighschoolorcollegestudents.Byvolunteeringtoguestspeak,beingpartofacareerpanelor attending a career fair, you will be helping studentslearnabouttheopportunitieswithintheinsuranceindustryaswellastheadvantagesofworkingforanindependentinsuranceagency. Inmostcases,studentshaveno ideaofthevarioustypesofjobswithintheinsuranceindustryandthemanybenefitsthatcomefrombeinginadynamic,changing,butsteadyindustry.

Somewillsaythereisplentyoftimeforindustryper-petuationandrecruitingthenextgenerationofworkers.Butwithourrapidlyaginginsuranceindustryworkforce,wecan’taffordtowaitanylonger.Putasuccessionplaninplacenowforyouragency.Tomorrowwillbeherebeforeweknowit.

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Platinum

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Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma

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GoldTaber Brokerage Services

Patriot National Underwriters Inc./Old Glory Insurance Company

Silver EMC Insurance Companies Chartis Insurance Columbia Insurance Group Safeco Insurance Midlands Management Corporation Republic Group of Insurance Companies Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Union Mutual Insurance Company Premium Financing Specialists Hartford Insurance Group National American Insurance Company Great American Insurance Company

Bronze M.J. Kelly Company Equity Insurance Company Specialty Insurance Managers of Oklahoma Swett & Crawford of Texas Cornerstone National Insurance Company Westphalen Insurance Services Farmers Alliance Insurance Companies Acton Inc. AMERISAFE Graham-Rogers Risk Placement Services, Inc. Triangle Insurance Company CNA Insurance First Guaranty Insurance Company

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Patriot National Underwriters Inc./Old Glory Insurance Company

Silver EMC Insurance Companies Chartis Insurance Columbia Insurance Group Safeco Insurance Midlands Management Corporation Republic Group of Insurance Companies Chubb Group of Insurance Companies Union Mutual Insurance Company Premium Financing Specialists Hartford Insurance Group National American Insurance Company Great American Insurance Company

Bronze M.J. Kelly Company Equity Insurance Company Specialty Insurance Managers of Oklahoma Swett & Crawford of Texas Cornerstone National Insurance Company Westphalen Insurance Services Farmers Alliance Insurance Companies Acton Inc. AMERISAFE Graham-Rogers Risk Placement Services, Inc. Triangle Insurance Company CNA Insurance First Guaranty Insurance Company

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FEATURE

Kansas-basedFarmersAlliancedevelopedacookbookfilledwithinsuranceagentsandemployee’sfavoriterecipesspecificallytoraisemoneyfordisasterrelief.ManyOklahomans’recipesareincluded.

32 POLICY Fall2011

FarmersAlliance

CookingUpaRedCrossDonation

Farmers Alliance President Keith Birkheadrecently presented the company’s $10,000contributiontoAmericanRedCrossrepresenta-tiveBeverlyMorlan,executivedirectorfortheMidway-KansasChapter.Birkhead,representing

thecompany’semployeesandindependentinsuranceagents,passedalongtheproceedsofthecompany’s2010cookbook,“HometownFavorites,”whichwascreatedasafundraiserfortheAmericanRedCrossDisasterReliefFund.

“OurFarmersAlliancefamilyismuchlikeanyotherfamily: We like to enjoy fun, food and fellowship, butwealso like tomakeadifference inourcommunities,”Birkhead said. “Through this cookbook project we’vehadtheopportunitytosharelotsoffunandfood,andbycontributingtheproceedstotheDisasterReliefFund,weknowwearehelpingtomakeadifferenceincommunitiesallacrossthecountry.

“It’s alsoappropriate thatwe support theRedCrossinthisway,sinceourcompanywasfoundedmorethana

centuryagoontheprinciplesofneighborshelpingneigh-bors.Weworkeverydaytohelpourpolicyholdersprotecttheirpropertiesandtheirfinancialstability,andthenweworktorestorethoseifthere’sbeenaloss.ThemissionoftheRedCrossisverysimilar,andwe’rehappytosupporttheireffortswiththiscontribution.”

The“HometownFavorites”cookbookfeaturesrecipesfrom insurance agents and employees across FarmersAlliance’seight-stateregion.Withnearly850familyfavor-itesinthebook,thisisagreatcollectionoftried-and-truemeals.Averylimitednumberofbooksremain.Formorein-formation,callFarmersAllianceat800.362.1075,ext.1103.

The Farmers Alliance Companies provide property andcasualty insurance through independent agents in aneight-state region.Foradditional informationabout thecompany,write toFarmersAllianceCompanies,POBox1401,McPherson,KA67460,call800.362.1075,orvisitthewebsite,fami.com.

Independent Insurance Agents of OklahomaPO Box 13490Oklahoma City, OK 73113

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Documents

Policy Magazine, fall 2011