ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, Sept. 12, 2016 – The InVEST program awarded Tammy Land, CIC, Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas (IIAD) executive director, with the Dach Award which honors an insurance industry volunteer who has made tremendous contributions in fostering the growth and development of InVEST. The InVEST program is a key driver to attract new talent to the insurance industry.
“InVEST is a team effort with great mentors and volunteers, like Tammy Land, who are the backbone of this critical program,” says Cindy Hower, InVEST board chair and president of Kellerman Insurance, an independent agency in Holton, Kansas. “InVEST is so critical for the success of the industry and financial literacy for our high school and college students and star volunteers like Tammy are instrumental its development. We are excited and proud to present the Dach Award to Tammy Land for her countless contributions and dedication.”
Land joined the IIAD team in 2011. In addition to her role as executive director, she also serves as the InVEST State Champion for Texas, where she shares ideas and information with peers within the state and nationally. Land also heads a volunteer committee within IIAD consisting of its members/associate members.
“Through Tammy’s tireless efforts and creativity, IIAD has made significant inroads working with Dallas area schools,” says John Losurdo, IIAD past president. “The list of her activities to promote InVEST within our community are countless. We are so proud to have Tammy on our team and thankful for her diehard commitment to financial literacy and promoting the InVEST program in the Dallas area.”
Among her many contributions to the InVEST program are: development of 12-week volunteer teaching schedule, facilitation of a Travelers Dallas Regional Office site visit, promotion of summer internships, fundraising for InVEST students, organizing meetings with industry leaders to expand InVEST, helping students with InVEST scholarship applications, and designing and implementing Woodrow Wilson High School Academy of Finance Expo/Boot Camp.
Land previously served as a senior marketing representative for Utica Mutual Insurance Company and as a claims adjuster for Safeco Insurance. Land has earned many professional and community awards including a 2013 recognition by the National Association of Professional Women and currently serves as president of the IES Board. Land, an Illinois native, earned a bachelor’s degree in clothing, textiles and merchandising from Oklahoma State University.
The Dach award, created in 1989, is named in memory of the program’s founder, Stephen Dach. Dach had a vision in 1970 to capture the attention of students at an early age to reveal the vast opportunities available to them in the insurance industry, which led him to begin what is now known as the InVEST program.
“The future of the independent insurance agency system and the industry as a whole depends on attracting new talent and InVEST is a critical part of this advancement,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I” president & CEO. “Our industry needs more professionals like Tammy Land to continue stepping up to train, inspire and teach the next generation of independent insurance agents and industry leaders.”
As a 501(c)(3) educational trust, InVEST benefits from the support of numerous insurance organizations, hundreds of agencies, brokers and volunteers. The program provides the insurance industry with motivated, talented and intelligent professionals through a support structure of state associations, board members, national staff, teachers and the many industry professionals who work in the field as classroom liaisons.
Founded in 1970 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, InVEST promotes insurance education in order to attract individuals to pursue a career in the insurance industry. Each year, the program prepares thousands of students for insurance-related careers with a hands-on curriculum taught in high schools, adult education centers and colleges. The high school curriculum is a business-education program that utilizes a hands-on approach which simulates an insurance agency and company operations to prepare students for various business careers and create more knowledgeable insurance consumers. At the college level, InVEST is an information-intensive curriculum of risk management and financial services. These courses provide students with a working knowledge of the basics needed to pursue careers in the insurance industry. For more information, go to www.investprogram.org.
Founded in 1896, the Indendepent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA or 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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