ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 2, 2009 —The National Young Agents Committee (YAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) presented its most prestigious annual award to the Young Agents Council of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents.
“The Big ‘I’ is pleased to announce that in recognition of its outstanding efforts on behalf of the independent agency system to cultivate and inspire the next generation of industry leaders, the Michigan Young Agents Council was honored as the Outstanding Young Agents Committee of the Year,” says Brett Nilsson, the 2008-2009 Big “I” chairman and senior vice president for The Buckner Company in Ogden, Utah.
“This award recognizes the outstanding efforts made by Michigan’s Young Agents in the areas of political involvement, membership development, communications, state committee project and young agents meeting, as well as the committee’s promotion of the independent agency system,” says Joey O’Connor, CIC, Big "I" National Young Agents Committee (YAC) chairman and vice president of Daniel & Eustis, LLC, in Metairie, La.
The runner-up in the Outstanding Young Agents Committee Award category was last year’s winner, the Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, Inc.
Five other national awards of excellence recognizing the leadership of Young Agents committees in state associations were presented:
Outstanding Political Involvement Award: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia, Inc. for outstanding achievement in promoting young agent participation in the legislative process.
Outstanding Young Agents Meeting Award: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, Inc., for excellence in providing and promoting an annual Young Agents meeting.
Outstanding State Committee Project: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana, Inc., for outstanding achievement in a state committee project that benefits the community, the insurance industry, and/or the independent agency system. Indiana picked up two awards this year.
Outstanding Membership Development Award: The Kentucky Young Insurance Professionals of the Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky, Inc., for excellent achievement in recruiting and maintaining Young Agents participation in association activities.
Outstanding Communications Award: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois, Inc., for outstanding achievement in maintaining a communications campaign dedicated to young agents.
Nilsson presented the awards at the recent 2009 Young Agents Leadership Institute in New Orleans. Representatives from the award winning states participated in a panel discussion to share their success stories with other state committee leaders. Attendees were also able to network with peers, Big “I” leaders and company representatives to develop valuable professional and personal contacts.
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation’s oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally. Its members are businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies. Independent agents and brokers offer all lines of insurance—property, casualty, life and health—as well as employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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