| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ’ S PAGE |
You Get What You Give
F or nearly twenty years I ’ ve served independent
agents across the country as part of the Big “ I ” national association . And now I join the KAIA to lead your organization in meeting the needs of our member agents across the state . I am thrilled to be here and honored to have this opportunity .
With each passing year my appreciation of the insurance industry and independent agents continues to grow . The insurance industry offers such a diverse set of career opportunities in the areas of sales , marketing , data analytics , workflow process management , legal services , investment management , technical writing , and technology development . The insurance industry is complex , challenging , and rewarding and it ’ s OUR INDUSTRY !
What makes being part of this industry and the Association so great are the people . I ’ ve met hundreds of agents across the country and they are intelligent , humble , and hardworking . Agents care deeply about the customers and the communities they serve and they strive to do what is best for their customers at every turn . That is not always the case in other industries .
I ’ m constantly amazed at the amount of energy and time the volunteer member agents devote to leading their Association . They spend hours traveling to and participating in meetings to provide strategic direction for the organization . Every volunteer agent that I ’ ve ever asked about why they devote so much time to the association has simply said , “ I ’ ve gotten way more out of the Association than I ’ ve ever given .” The relationships you build , the business contacts you make , and the information you learn make it being part of KAIA special .
Like many things in life , “ you get what you give ”. When it comes to maximizing the benefits of being part of KAIA this holds true – whether as a member or an Industry Partner . So I have several things I ’ d like everyone to do to maximize the value of their membership :
1 . Contact Information : Make sure we have accurate contact information , including current email addresses , for EVERYONE in the agency from clerical staff to producers . Effective communications take up-to-date data so we can make sure our message is reaching the right person . This
DAVID HULCHER KAIA Execuitve Director
will allow KAIA staff to be sure we are communicating with the right person to highlight applicable association benefits .
2 . Volunteer / Participate : There are numerous committees in which to participate on and the first step is getting more involved . Volunteering is not just for principles , anyone can get involved . Getting younger agency staff involved will help their careers blossom and their perspectives will help give direction to the future of our Association . Get your staff to a KAIA event so they can benefit from the networking .
3 . Keep Learning : While a factor , CE should not be the driving force behind your educational plan . CE is the minimum agency staff needs . Work with the Association to develop a long-term plan and consider getting a designation such as AFIS or CRIS . KAIA is an exclusive provider of these services .
4 . Stick Together : Ben Franklin said , “ We must hang together , or most assuredly we shall all hang separately .” We can achieve more together than we can on our own . Whether it ’ s having a strong voice with state lawmakers or a market-leading E & O program , embracing what KAIA has to offer can help us all achieve our goals .
I look forward to meeting all of you in the near future . Please be patient with me these first several months as I get my bearings . I would like to extend a standing invitation to all member agents and our company partners to visit the office any time . Just contact the office and we ’ ll get something on the calendar . Until then , your KAIA staff will be working hard day-in and day-out on your behalf . Thank you for your continued support .
4 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | JULY - AUGUST 2016 |