WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3 - Donald C. Evans of Ash, N.C., was honored today with the Bernard J. Burns Award, bestowed annually upon the agent or broker making the most significant impact on fundraising efforts for InsurPac - the political action committee (PAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA).
Evans is vice president of Coastal Insurance & Realty, Inc. in Shallotte, N.C., and president-elect of the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC). As North Carolina InsurPac chairman, Evans guided his state to all-time InsurPac records with 307 total donors for a total contribution of $34,145—eclipsing last year’s total by nearly $12,000.
The award is named after Bernard J. Burns, the founding father of InsurPac and a past president of IIABA. The honor was presented to Evans during IIABA’s 27th Annual National Legislative Conference.
“Donald worked tirelessly to carry out a formulated fundraising plan that involved educating and engaging all of North Carolina’s leadership,” explained William F. Hofmann III, CPCU, CLU, AAI, CIC, LIA, chairman of the InsurPac Board of Trustees, as he presented the award to Evans. “The leadership then developed PAC teams in each of North Carolina’s districts, divided up the agencies within each district, and asked the team members to educate and engage those agencies.
“Donald’s innovative philosophy and dedicated efforts paid off with record-setting contributions from North Carolina—funds that provided a significant boost to InsurPac during a key legislative period and election cycle for independent agents and brokers everywhere,” Hofmann added.
Evans has worked at Coastal Insurance & Realty for his entire 28 years in the insurance industry. He has served on IIANC’s Board of Directors, Legislative Committee, Beach & Fair Plan Committee and Finance Committee.
“InsurPac and IIABA commend Don’s outstanding leadership in North Carolina,” Hofmann said. “His fundraising prowess enabled InsurPac to provide significant financial support during the critical 2002 elections to several outstanding congressional candidates who share the business philosophy and interests of independent agents and brokers.”
InsurPac raised the bar nationwide in 2002, achieving its all-time high for money raised in a single year. Independent agents and brokers throughout the country voluntarily contributed a record total of $453,996.78 to InsurPac last year, eclipsing the 2001 total by more than $27,000. InsurPac also broke its previous record for money raised during a two-year election cycle. InsurPac raised $882,210.67 in 2001-2002, an increase of more than $200,000 over the previous election cycle.
InsurPac was established in 1975 to complement IIABA’s legislative programs. The largest PAC in the property-casualty insurance industry, InsurPac serves an important function for IIABA’s government affairs program by providing a cohesive voice for independent insurance agents and brokers in the nation’s capital.
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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