NEW DIVERSITY CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCED
Tim Manaka to chair Diversity Task Force
NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2005—At today’s 4th annual Big “I” Diversity Luncheon, Tim Manaka, of FIA Insurance Services, Inc. in Pasadena, Calif., became the Diversity Task Force’s new chairperson.
“I take this opportunity very seriously,” said Manaka. “This is a great honor, and a big challenge. If we all work together, there is so much we can accomplish,” continued Manaka.
The luncheon allowed agents and brokers the unique opportunity to share experiences, insights and ideas while learning how others deal with comparable challenges.
Big “I” President-Elect Alex Soto, of InSource Inc. in Coral Gables, Fla., spoke at the luncheon. He discussed his experiences growing up in a new culture and challenged all Diversity Task Force members to more actively recruit. Soto also encouraged agents and company partners to educate potential association members to all of the organization’s benefits.
The Diversity Task Force is a cooperative industry group comprised of Big “I” agents and brokers, members of groups representing Latin-American, African-American and Asian-American agents, and eight leading insurance companies charged with fostering a profitable independent agency force that reflects, represents and capitalizes on the opportunities of the diverse U.S. population.
Also at this year’s luncheon, the Diversity Task Force distributed its recently unveiled Diversity Toolkit. The Toolkit, underwritten by task force company partners, is a step-by-step guide for state associations to use in recruiting and retaining new members. The booklet and CD, Building Membership from Untapped Markets, focuses specifically on recruiting from ethnic groups and emerging markets.
Agents and company representatives from the Diversity Task Force’s industry partners—Aetna, AIG Agency Auto, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, CNA, The Hartford, MetLife Auto & Home, Safeco Insurance Company and St. Paul Travelers—were all in attendance.
The Big “I” Convention features nationally recognized speakers, such as “America’s Mayor,” Rudy Giuliani, who revitalized New York City during his tenure (1993-2001) and inspired his city—and the nation—to come together and move forward in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The convention also features insightful continuing-education workshops, numerous networking events and the largest trade show in the insurance industry.
Founded in 1896, the Big “I” 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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