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

| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S PAGE | Thank You KAIA Industry Partners We Can’t Do It Without You DAVID HULCHER KAIA Executive Director ur Leadership and Development Conference was held in October and we welcomed KAIA’s new leadership with President, Lee Gleason, being installed along with welcoming new Executive Committee member, Jo Erin Stuteville from the Elliott Insurance Group to lead KAIA. We appreciate the work that Scott Strong put into making fiscal year 2018 one of much progress. In this edition of the magazine you will see a recap of the L&D Conference which honored a number of individuals that made significant contributions to the insurance industry in Kansas. But, I also want to take the opportunity to make sure we recognize the companies that participate in KAIA’s Industry Partner program, for without their generous support we would not be able to serve our members in the same capacity we do today. O For 2018, KAIA was supported by 46 company partners that have raised their hand as leaders to support the independent agents of Kansas. Our IP program provides multiple benefit levels offering increased visibility to partners and enhanced ways to connect with our members. Growing our Industry Partners program continues to be a strategic goal 4 for KAIA. With less than 20% of our associations revenue coming from membership dues, the support of our industry partners is critical. Since I’ve been at KAIA, I have seen firsthand how the Industry Partners program has benefited companies and our members through mutually beneficial networking opportunities, increased brand recognition and deepening relationships. This year, staff will continue to share our objectives with our Industry Partners and focus on understanding as much as we can about our partner’s strategies and annual goals so we can assist them in working closely with independent agents in Kansas. We are currently in the process of soliciting commitments for our 2019 Industry Partner Program, and I would ask you to reach out to our current partners and say thank you for all of their support. I’d also ask that if there are carriers that you work with that are not participating in the IP program that you reach out to Joan Sutton at joan@kaia.com and share a contact with her. We are excited to include sponsorship of the Young Agents of Kansas in this year’s list of benefits. KAIA is blessed to have such strong Industry Partners and loyal members. KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER | November - December 2018 |