can greatly help speed up the learning curve as well .”
When asked about the about the insurance industry , Hulcher had nothing but positive things to say . “ The insurance industry is amazing , and I think not everyone understands how wonderful it is . There ’ s so many different facets and opportunities . You have the sales aspect , the legal aspect , claims , the actuarial side . It ’ s just a great industry .”
After a short time in the agency Hulcher was approached by someone at the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Inc ., and was offered a job to come onboard within their for-profit subsidiary . That was nearly two decades ago and that operation has grown from 7 people when he started to approximately 35 today .
When hired by the national association , he had the opportunity to first meet and work with former KAIA state executive Larry Magill . “ When I reflect on my career there was a critical point that put the wheels in motion to lead me to where I am today . I still remember sitting with Larry and Ed Armstrong discussing whether I would be a fit to manage the national E & O program which produced the largest amount of non-dues revenue for the association . Larry gave me the vote of confidence to help get me to where I am today and for that I will always be thankful .”
As part of the organization ’ s for-profit subsidiary , Big “ I ” Advantage team , Hulcher served as Director of Errors and Omissions Operations and , most recently , as Assistant Vice President of Agency Professional Liability Risk Management / BIA Risk Manager . He also worked on all facets of the Big “ I ” Professional Liability Program from the overall strategic management and marketing of the Error and Omissions Program to developing a risk management program aimed at reducing claims and helping members better serve their customers .
Hulcher played a crucial role in developing several industry-leading Error and Omission seminars and risk management tools , including the Big “ I ” Risk Management website , and the Big “ I ” Virtual Risk Consultant . He also served as contributing editor for IA Magazine - writing and managing content for the popular monthly “ E & O Know ” column . When he was approached for the executive director role , Hulcher says he wasn ’ t necessarily looking for the State Executive role .
“ I had always loved the opportunities I had been given at the Big I ,” he said . “ I worked with talented agent leaders and good people , and I enjoyed working with them . I loved the organization and didn ’ t really consider a change . But it was opportunity to further my career , and work with good people .
“ For me the most difficult decision factor was to leave my home state where we were close to loved ones and relocate the family . But ultimately , it was an opportunity to work with a great organization and with good people . I felt like I had experience and understand the association business and the insurance industry , so I started talking with members of the KAIA executive committee . I could tell these were very good people , and it just went from there . One of the things I really liked was it would allow me to get closer with member agents , and allow me to get more involved on a one-on-one basis .”
Just weeks into his new role , Hulcher says he ’ s excited about enhancing communications with members , deepening relationships with carrier partners and new initiatives , such as expanding market access programs to help members with their difficult and hard to place risks .
“ Everything we do is to support and better serve our members ,” he said . “ We advocate on their behalf and do our best to develop products and services to help them . I ’ m really excited about expanding the market access program to help agents with areas that are underserved . I want to make sure they have a good place to go for E & S market access .”
And while the association works to support agents , Hulcher said it also advocates for agencies and the industry - in the State Legislature .
As a recent example , during the 2016 session , state lawmakers discussed a proposal requiring Kansas school districts to purchase their insurance through a pool instead of through local agents . Fortunately , this issue died in committee but it could come up again .
“ This is really an important piece of legislation , and our members really need to come together in support against it ,” he said . “ By purchasing insurance through an independent agent , it offers schools a choice . They don ’ t get that in a pool .”
As he looks to the days ahead , Hulcher is enthusiastic about what the association can accomplish .
“ I hope to bring a positive energy to the organization , dayin and day-out ,” he said . “ We don ’ t want to just do the easy things for our members but we want to do the right things . I want our staff to keep that in mind every step of the way .”
18 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | JULY - AUGUST 2016 |