ACSR SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

IIABA offers four scholarships toward ACSR Designation

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 10, 2006—The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), in close cooperation with the National Association of Insurance Women International (NAIW), has established a new scholarship program to further promote and assist insurance agents’ and brokers’ commitment to excellence.

During NAIW’s upcoming annual convention in June 2006, IIABA and NAIW will award the following scholarships toward the IIABA’s Accredited Customer Service Representative Designation (ACSR) at NAIW’s annual convention:

·         One full scholarship to take all classes required to earn the ACSR personal, commercial, or life/health designation

·         Three scholarships to take one ACSR personal, commercial, or life/health class

“We are thrilled to be partnering with NAIW to offer their members and our own association members the opportunity to continue their education and gain valuable technical and professional training,” says Madelyn Flannagan, IIABA vice president of education and research. “The ACSR Designation is an important one—it promotes and recognizes the professionalism of customer service personnel in the insurance industry.”

The recipients of these scholarships will benefit by gaining critical professional development skills, improving their customer service tactics, retaining accounts, and reducing their agencies’ E&O exposure.

Applicants must be current and active members of the NAIW in good standing, must work at an IIABA member agency, must be employed full-time, and in the insurance industry for at least one year. Applicants must intend on completing and achieving the ACSR Designation within three years or taking the ACSR class within one year, and expect to continue their career for the next three years in the insurance industry. Applications must be postmarked no later than April 1, 2006 and can be obtained at www.independentagent.com or at the NAIW site at www.naiw.org.

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.