| PRESIDENT ’ S PAGE |
Change is good
Big Changes at KAIA
DUSTY DAVIS KAIA President
T he association has been experiencing some big
changes over the last several months . Before I get into those , I ’ d like to begin by thanking all of you who were able to attend the President ’ s Classic Golf Outing in May . The tournament and silent auction allow us to raise funds to support the Trusted Choice Junior Golf Classic for Kansas youth and by extension provide some education about insurance as well as the independent insurance agency system . We also had several agents , spouses and company partners enjoy the day by visiting an art studio , local winery and shopping . Your continued support of these events is invaluable .
The exec committee has spent many hours on the search process for the Executive Director ’ s position for KAIA . We received numerous resumes ’ from many highly qualified applicants . Our goal was to hire someone that has a strong insurance background along with association knowledge and advocacy skills . We want this person to be the face of KAIA and lead our association for many years . We hope to have an update on our new Executive Director very soon !
The association has been working on some exciting new partnerships that will enrich our member benefit package . Based on a survey that was conducted in January , it came to our attention that many of our members are in need of market access , particularly in the areas of dealer ’ s open lot , professional liability , and property . Your AScK and KAIA boards decided in March to move forward with a major market expansion within the for-profit entity , Agency Services Corporation of Kansas ( AScK ). You can read more about the events leading up to the expansion in the feature section of this issue , but I wanted to make sure to highlight some of the new programs we are offering . distribution team for equipment rental dealers . The ARA team is incredibly knowledgeable and will be a great asset to you in writing this kind of business . This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to re-visit relationships with the dealers in our areas .
You may also want to touch base with your local banks . Earlier this year , Topeka-based insurer of community banks , Kansas Bankers Surety ( KBS ), announced they will cease offering renewals to their existing banks beginning June 1 , 2016 . KBS played a dominant role in insuring the 271 banks within the state of Kansas and their exit has left a tremendous opportunity for agents to capitalize on their relationships and play a more significant role in helping their partner or local banks manage their risks .
AScK now has a market to provide the Professional and Property / Casualty lines most desperately needed by a community bank at this time of transition . Support is available for : Product education , coverage comparisons , marketing materials , assistance with strategizing / customizing quote proposals , phone conference calls with the bank , and attending in-field presentations .
In addition to these two specialty programs , you will be excited to hear that AScK has also found markets to meet the top member needs outlined in the previously mentioned survey . Again , you can read all about the market expansion in the feature section of this issue .
We continue to look for ways to improve the benefits and programs we offer to our members . Serving the independent insurance agents of Kansas to the best of our ability remains our number one goal .
In May AScK partnered with the American Rental Association ( ARA ), making KAIA members the
2 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | MAY - JUNE 2016 |