ALEXANDRIA, Va., Sept. 29, 2010 —The National Young Agents Committee (YAC) of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or the Big “I”) presented its most prestigious annual award to the Young Agents Council of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents, Inc.
“In recognition of their outstanding efforts on behalf of the independent agency system to cultivate and inspire the next generation of industry leaders, the Big ‘I’ is proud to announce that the Young Agents Council of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents is the Outstanding Young Agents Committee of the Year for 2010,” says David Daniel, the 2009-2010 Big “I” chairman and president of Daniel & Eustis Insurance in Baton Rouge, La.”
“The Young Agent Committee awards recognize the outstanding efforts made in the areas of political involvement, membership development, communications, state committee project and young agents meeting and the committee’s promotion of the independent agency system,” says Andy Beauchamp, Big “I” National Young Agents Committee chairman and vice president of the Morrison Galliher Agency in Muncie, Ind. and its parent company, Beauchamp McSpadden in Warsaw, Ind.
Six 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 North Carolina, Inc., for outstanding achievement in promoting young agent participation in the legislative process.
Outstanding Young Agents Meeting Award: The Young Agents Committee of Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West, 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 Georgia, Inc., for outstanding achievement in a state committee project that benefits the community, the insurance industry, and/or the independent agency system.
Outstanding Membership Development Award: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois, 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 Indiana, Inc., for outstanding achievement in maintaining a communications campaign dedicated to young agents.
Outstanding First-Time Award: The Young Agents Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Idaho were presented with the new award which recognizes the outstanding efforts of a committee who has not submitted for a young agents award in the last three years.
Daniel presented the awards at the recent 2010 Young Agents Leadership Institute in San Francisco. 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.
The Big “I” National Young Agents Committee (YAC) encourages young agents – those under 40 years of age or with less than five years experience in the industry—to network, learn and get involved at all levels of the independent agency system.
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, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products. Web address: www.independentagent.com.
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