KIA&B 2016 Vol. 21, No. 5 | Page 4

| PRESIDENT ’ S PAGE |

What a year !

I t ’ s hard to believe that this year has passed so

quickly . It doesn ’ t seem that long ago that I was completely surprised by our entire ICI staff attending the Leadership & Development banquet in Wichita , when I became President . We ’ ve had a very exciting and challenging year to say the least . Anytime you lose someone in a leadership role people become worried about the state of the organization and any potential changes . ICI experienced this firsthand a year and half ago when we lost Tom . However , you take what you ’ ve learned from their leadership and stay the course . Our association was no different . Having a strong team on board allows this to happen . It was my role to keep the team moving forward while searching for the best possible candidate to replace Kerri . Change can also bring the best out in people … people recognize they must take their own initiative , find ways to improve , assist their co-workers and function as a team .
I am privileged and honored to have served as your Kansas Association of Insurance Agents President the past year . This experience has definitely made me a better person , and I ’ ve developed many great relationships over the years serving on the KAIA board . Being involved in the association allowed me to gain valuable knowledge and understanding of the ever-changing insurance industry and how it impacts our members in all areas .
I have several people that I would like to personally recognize that contributed in different ways to make this year remarkable . First I want to thank my wife Lisa … I learned this from Dale Chaffin at the Past President ’ s Dinner . Lisa supported me in many ways throughout the year , attending conferences , hosting several functions and being my sounding board . She always has the right thing to say and brings out the best in me .
I need to thank the entire ICI team . Having a knowledgeable and experienced staff in the office every day allowed me the time away to work on association
DUSTY DAVIS KAIA President
business . I also appreciate the great partnership I have with Ryan Murry and Lonnie Currier … looking forward to many more successful years with ICI .
I mentioned earlier the great staff we have at the association !!! They all pulled together to work through the transition process and continued business as usual . The KAIA staff is always there to assist our members with anything that comes their direction . They continue to look for new programs and resources that bring value and allow our members to operate more efficiently and effectively . Having a great staff like we do makes this association one of the best in the country .
I do want to brag about an few of the valuable resources and opportunities provided by KAIA :
• EDUCATION – KAIA has received the Diamond Award ( the highest level ) from national for our excellence in education . We offer numerous courses and continuing education classes throughout the year in all regions of the state , including online courses , the CIC & CISR designations and the AFIS & CRIS Designations . KAIA also provides Agent Licensing materials , E & O & Risk Management Training , Sales Training and Industry Specific webinars .
• EVENTS – The Rural & Small Conference is our largest event attended by over 600 members and company partners , the Leadership & Development Conference ( which we moved to Manhattan this year ) was very successful … and that ’ s coming from a Jayhawk ), the President ’ s Golf Classic – GOLF … do I need to say anything more ?, the Kansas Agent ’ s Legislative Day – updates on all our legislative issues and valuable time spent with your local legislators .
2 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | September - October 2016 |