KIA&B 2018 Vol. 23 No. 6 | Page 4

| PRESIDENT’S PAGE | The Year Ahead Key points of focus for my time as KAIA President. ver the years, I’ve seen just how much we as a community can strengthen one another in this industry, and I’ve been impressed by how much KAIA has done to help foster that. KAIA does a great service to our members, and I’ve personally formed a lot of great relationships and good friends through my involvement. The association has always been a vital advocate for independent agents of all sizes, and I feel privileged to help continue that legacy as I take on the role of KAIA president for the next year. O Here are just a few key areas of focus for my presidential term: • POLITICAL ADVOCACY During my term, we will continue to be staunch advocates for our members in all regulatory and legislative bodies, making sure that our Government Affairs committee is active. We want to understand what our members’ needs are so that we can continue to evolve to meet those needs and challenges. • Agency Services Corporation of Kansas (ASCK) I’d like to continue to evolve ASCK to provide market access to our members so they can take advantage of the organic growth opportunities available to them. KAIA members can access a number of personal and commercial markets through ASCK and the Big “I” at www.ASCKUS.com • KAIA Industry Partners We want to make sure we deepen our relationships with our industry partners and connect our members with them. KAIA’s Industry Partnership Program offers exceptional year-round exposure to companies 2 across Kansas. Without our Industry Partners, we wouldn’t be where we are today. LEE GLEASON KAIA PRESIDENT • Education In my capacity as the Vice President of Sales at KFSA, I’m constantly on the move, visiting with customers and carriers, as well as leading our sales team. At KFSA, busy as we are, education is one thing we don’t have to stress about, thanks to KAIA. The association has helped us develop our employees through high quality education. We always take advantage of the association’s education offerings, from in-house E&O courses KAIA has done for us to designation offerings. I’d like to find new ways to bring high-quality education that not only meets member needs but aligns with KAIA’s financial interests. • Young Agents With changing demographics in the insurance industry, involvement from next-in-line emerging leaders is critical. One of the best ways to help develop your young agents is to get them involved in the Young Agents of Kansas so they’re interacting with their peers. That engagement makes them feel truly part of this industry, and it’s amazing how much they learn and grow together. The Young Agents have an excellent leadership team and continue to find ways to Engage, Empower and Evolve. It’s an honor to spend the next year as your KAIA President. I have grown so much from the relationships developed through KAIA, and I’m confident that together we will continue to grow as an association, as we also continue and develop the next generation of leaders for both the association and our agencies. KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | November - December 2018 |