WASHINGTON, D.C., April 27, 2011 — The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers (the Big “I”) yesterday awarded Bob Fulwider with the Woodworth Memorial Award, the highest honor the association bestows on one of its members, at the Big “I” Legislative Conference & Convention.
The Woodworth Memorial Award recognizes the meritorious and outstanding contributions of an independent agent or broker to the national association, to his or her Big “I” colleagues and to the insurance industry.
“We can think of no one who better exemplifies selfless commitment, leadership and total dedication to the Big ‘I’ and the independent agency system,” said Mike Donohoe, Big “I” chairman in presenting the award quoting Iowa’s executive director, Bob Skow. “He is also well- known for his dedication to education and mentoring others in the insurance industry.”
Fulwider is principal and president of the Ray Wuestenberg Agency, Inc. in West Liberty, Iowa, and the Fulwider Agency, Inc. in West Branch, Iowa. He also is president of Bob Fulwider and Associates, a life-and-health financial-planning agency in eastern Iowa.
Fulwider has been very active in the Big “I” at the national and state levels since starting his career as an independent agent in 1973. He is a past president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa (IIAI) and the only two-time Agent of the Year in IIAI history (1983, 1990) and was inducted into the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame in 2003. Nationally, he is past Big “I” chairman. He is also past chairman of the Big “I” Government Affairs Committee, the association’s Crop Insurance Task Force and has led several other committees. He also is served as a director on the national association’s board.
The Woodworth Award was established in 1925 in memory of C.H. Woodworth of Buffalo, N.Y., the second president of the association. It is awarded annually to the Big “I” member who best demonstrates outstanding service benefiting independent insurance agents and the entire 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 approximately a quarter of a million 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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