Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I" president & CEO, awarded Indiana State Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne), Indiana House of Representatives majority floor leader and a partner at Bixler Insurance in Berne, with a citation recognizing his outstanding service as president of the National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) in 2020 and 2021. The citation was presented to Lehman (pictured left) in person by Big I Indiana CEO Steve Duff (pictured right).
“The Big 'I' is proud to honor Matt's dedication to the independent agency community through his excellent work as NCOIL's longest-serving president," Rusbuldt said. “His leadership in unprecedented times that led to his term extension has spearheaded encouraging progress on a variety of industry issues, including a model proposal regulating the use of certificates of insurance."
Lehman's dedication to public service started long before his NCOIL presidency. He began by being elected to the county council in his twenties, and his long record in the political arena also includes chairing the Big I Indiana Government Affairs Committee.
“Matt Lehman is one of the strongest advocates that we have for the independent agency system, not only in Indiana, but in the country," said Duff. “Indiana's insurance marketplace is among the strongest and most competitive in the country. This is due in large part to Matt's efforts over the last decade in his roles as House Insurance Committee Chair and now as the House Majority Leader."
“Matt transferred his pragmatic, inclusive, no-nonsense approach to legislating to his two-year term as president of NCOIL and helped guide that organization and our industry through the most tumultuous time that most of us in the industry have ever seen," Duff added. “The Big I Indiana is so proud of Matt and the path he has taken to become the strong leader that he is for our industry."
Lehman shared his perspectives on political involvement in the September 2020 issue of Independent Agent magazine. He joins a plethora of Big “I" members who are active in politics, including former Kentucky State Rep. Steve Riggs who served as NCOIL president in 2017.