WSIA Collaborates with Invest on Specialty Lines Curriculum

Ruth Crocker, WSIA senior manager, has been appointed to the Invest board.  

Alexandria, VA, February 2, 2026—Invest^SM, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit administered by the Big “I,” is proud to announce that it has collaborated with the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) to introduce a new curriculum chapter on wholesale and specialty lines, which will expand students’ understanding of this dynamic segment of the insurance marketplace and the variety of professional pathways it offers. The collaboration coincides with Insurance Careers Month, underscoring a shared commitment to raising awareness of insurance career pathways.

The new chapter introduces surplus lines insurance and its role in covering emerging, unique and high-risk exposures that fall outside the standard insurance market. Students will discover how surplus lines makes real-world activities possible, how the market is regulated and why it continues to grow as a key driver of innovation in the U.S. economy. Through real-life examples, career profiles and interactive learning elements, students gain exposure to surplus lines career paths while strengthening their understanding of risk management and insurance fundamentals.

Preview the new curriculum.

“WSIA is proud to partner with Invest in building greater awareness of the wholesale and specialty market,” said Vanessa Sims, director, talent and culture, at WSIA. “This collaboration reflects our shared belief that early education and engagement are key to inspiring students and preparing them for long-term success in the industry.”

Additionally, Ruth Crocker, senior manager, talent outreach and strategic relationships, at WSIA, has joined the Invest board of directors in partnership with WSIA’s Talent Engagement Foundation.

“We’re honored to welcome Ruth Crocker and the WSIA team to the Invest board,” said Whitnee Dillard, executive director of Invest. “WSIA’s leadership in developing talent across the wholesale and specialty market complements Invest’s mission to connect students with rewarding careers across all sectors of the insurance industry.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with Invest to highlight the variety of rewarding career opportunities within insurance and specialty lines,” Crocker said. “Our goal is to ensure students are exposed to these opportunities early, so they can make informed and empowered decisions about their future. This collaboration helps us open doors and spark curiosity that can shape lifelong careers.”

WSIA joins a long list of insurance companies and industry groups currently partnering with Invest, including: APCIA, Applied Systems; Chubb Insurance; CNA; Dryden Mutual; Grange Insurance, Hanover Insurance; HSB and Munich Re; The Big “I;” The Institutes; Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance; National General, an Allstate Company; Progressive Insurance; Selective Insurance; Travelers Insurance; Westfield; and Vertafore.

Learn more about Invest and how to get involved.

About WSIA Talent and Engagement Foundation

The Foundation was founded in 2020 to stimulate and attract a broad pipeline of talent for the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry.

The Foundation strives to:

• Provide education resources and programs designed to cultivate a culture for WSIA and its membership where all people feel supported and have what they need to succeed in the industry.
• Remove any barriers to enable all people to compete on a level playing field.
• Foster synergy with similar initiatives among all industry participants.

About WSIA:

The Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association is the only association serving the entirety of the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry. WSIA strengthens members’ competitive advantage in the insurance marketplace by promoting the market and value of wholesale distribution, protecting and advocating for an effective regulatory and legislative environment, supporting business through networking and enabling professionals with education, professional training and talent development opportunities.

About Invest

As a 501(c)(3) educational trust, Invest benefits from the support of numerous insurance organizations, hundreds of agencies, brokers, and volunteers. The program provides the insurance industry with motivated, talented, and intelligent professionals through a support structure of state associations, board members, national staff, teachers, and the many industry professionals who work in the field as classroom liaisons. Invest is proudly administered by Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. For more information, visit the Invest website.

About the Big ‘I’

Founded in 1896, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing more than 25,000 agency locations. Big “I” members are trusted insurance advisers who offer consumers all types of insurance—property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products—from a choice of insurance companies.