PUBLISHER’ S NOTE
LET US HELP COVER YOUR AGENCY written by Dave Hulcher
I’ ve had the pleasure of working with the Big“ I” Professional Liability Program for nearly 30 years. From creating new coverage features based on the changing needs of agents to the development of risk management resources to help agents avoid E & O claims and better serve customers, I’ ve done it all and I’ m passionate about all things agent E & O coverage.
Our E & O program has withstood the test of time and represents the gold standard of what an association program should be – an exclusive, market-leading program providing value to members while creating revenue that supports our mission. I’ d like to share my sincerest gratitude for those members that trust us to write this critical coverage through the association. For those members that may not utilize our program, we would welcome the opportunity to review your current coverage and offer a competitive alternative.
We often receive questions from members regarding what limits are appropriate for my agency. Historically, there isn’ t much guidance written on this topic so in this edition of the magazine I had the pleasure of diving back into my E & O roots to share some of the factors agencies should consider in determining limits. In addition, we reviewed member data to provide some real-world limits benchmarking based on agency gross annual premium size. We hope you find this information valuable and would encourage you to reach if you’ d like to have a deeper discussion or have us review your current E & O policy form to see out it compares. There are number of quality E & O forms in the marketplace, and some that may be a bit lacking, but we are happy to help you navigate the agent E & O landscape.
Enjoy this edition of the magazine and please know that KAIA has your back!
Stay humble, kind, and thankful,
2 KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER
KIA & B
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2026 • VOLUME 31 No. 1
OFFICERS OF KAIA President: David Vogel | dvogel @ provalueins. com President-Elect: Brock Elliott | brock @ elliottinsurancegroup. com VP / Treasurer: Bryce Hundley | bryce @ hundleyinsurance. com Secretary / Assistant Treasurer: Scott Strickland | scotts @ cacu. com National Director: Jo Erin Stuteville | joerin @ elliottinsurancegroup. com Immediate Past President: Bryan Schmitz | bryanschmitz @ sbsins. com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Zone I Director: Cristi Werth | cwerth @ ruraltel. net Zone II Director: Chris Bohrer | cbohrer @ wic. insurance Director-at-Large: Rob Fisher | rfisher @ fumainsurance. com Director-at-Large: Natalie Magill | natalie. magill @ imacorp. com Director-at-Large: Russell Winn | russell @ winninsurance. com Director-at-Large Christine Teagarden | christine @ trulyins. com Director-at-Large William Rowlen | bill @ fhins. com Young Agents Chair: Jordan Crow | jordan. crow @ ipfs. com
KAIA STAFF & CONSULTANTS Chief Executive Officer: Dave Hulcher COO / General Counsel: Beth Smoller Vice President of Finance: Shannon Bower E & O Program Administrator: Barb Wise AVP of Prof. Dev. & Marketing: Karlyn Raleigh Director of Marketing: Valerie Gardner Director of Business Development: Patrick McCoy Membership Engagement Specialist: Ruth Wright Office Coordinator: Barb Cobuluis Acct. Managers: Valerie Dunnam & Carolyn Rouse KAIA Lobbyist: Dan Murray