KAIA: 100 Years of Serving Independent Agents 2021 | Page 61

Chapter 10 : 2010s

The decade began amid a global financial crisis and subsequent international recession dating from the late 2000s . The resulting European sovereign-debt crisis became more pronounced early in the decade and continued to affect the possibility of a global economic recovery . Economic issues , such as austerity , inflation , and an increase in commodity prices , led to unrest in many countries . Shifting social attitudes saw LGBT rights and female representation make substantial progress during the decade . Information technology progressed , with smartphones becoming widespread . The Internet of things saw substantial growth during the 2010s due to advancements in wireless networking devices , mobile telephony , and cloud computing
• January 6 , 2010 was a sorrowful time for the association and the insurance industry when Larry Magill died . He was the executive vice president of the association . Larry was very well respected for his vast knowledge of the insurance industry in Kansas and across the nation .
A Senate Resolution No . 1824 was presented in honor of Larry . Larry started his career with KAIA in August 1980 as vice president following the resignation of Jim Wallace . Larry resigned after 15 years to go to the national association and ran its for-profit operations . He returned to KAIA in June 2000 as the executive vice president . Larry had worked in the insurance industry for over 40 years . The KIA & B January / February 2010 magazine was in tribute to Larry .
The Rural & Small Agents ’ Conference was in Salina on January 26-28 , 2010 at the Ramada Inn . The theme for the conference was “ Extreme Makeover Agency Edition .” The conference was renamed the “ The Larry Magill Rural & Small Agents Conference ” in honor of Larry , who started the event in 1989 . Speakers included : Irene Morrill , Jerry Milton , Charlie Matejowsky , Cyd Alloway , and Sonja Wood .
• The Kansas Legislative Day was held on February 24 , 2010 . Wes Bissett represented IIABA . Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger was a speaker . Kansas Insurance HB2563 , Kansas Insurance Score Act , was passed during that session .
• Kerri Spielman , acting director of KAIA , was officially named executive director on February 24 , 2011 . Her experience in the insurance industry and her knowledge and contacts in the Kansas Legislature had proven invaluable . Kerri was hired as government affairs director in October 2006 by Larry Magill .
• As of September 1 , 2011 , all independent agent members were considered Trusted Choice Agents .
• KAIA received two proposals from architect firms and had chosen Swerdt Design . Construction was scheduled to begin on June 1 , 2011 and be completed by January 2012 . The second floor of KAIA building was remodeled as an education and meeting center . January 2012 saw the completion of the state-of-the-art education center . It featured technology such as smart boards , program recording , and live-streaming capability . Two additional conference rooms comprised the same cutting-edge technology as the education center . The room could be divided with a soundproof partition that allowed two events to happen simultaneously . It could be set theater style to accommodate up to 200 people . It also featured a fully-equipped kitchen , several beverage stations , reception area , and multistall bathrooms .
The Board of Directors named the education center in honor of Larry Magill . The Larry Magill Education Center held a ribbon-cutting and open house for the dedication on June 10 , 2012 . All members , company representatives , insurance department , friends , and family were invited .
• It was announced in the November / December 2012 issue of the KIA & B that Kansas was elected to host the Trusted Choice Big “ I ” National Championship in 2015 . It was the nation ’ s largest junior golf
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