May 2024 Member News
From the Executive's Desk
Welcome to spring/summer in Virginia! PIA volunteers and staff have been very busy this last month planning two of our major events.
Our annual Kimberley W. Harwood Memorial Golf Tournament, benefiting Special Olympics, was a super success! From the initial feedback, everyone had such a great time enjoying the weather and being out with friends, coworkers, and clients. We look forward to next year! A super huge shout out to our Philanthropy Committee: Shannon Springer & Christine Brown, Co-Chairs; Davis Bailey, Beth Sanford, Linda Walker, and Meg Kowar for the hard work. Special thanks to Kevin Kowar for organizing with the Hanover Golf Club and being a tremendous help with everything!
Our YPC group went to hit some balls at TopGolf as well this month; meeting new young agents is one of my favorite things about my job! I would like to encourage you, if you are under the age of 45, to join our YPC and get involved! We have some great volunteer opportunities with our Special Olympic Summer Games. If you're over 45, you are absolutely still welcome to join in on the fun and volunteer!
2024 Convention registration is open for sponsors/exhibitors/agents. The Trade Fair on Wednesday is free for agents, so send your agents to this for some face-to-face with our carriers! We have a great program ready for you at the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, and some MAJOR room discounts so please take advantage of these. There are a lot of rooms available if you have friends you want to share the discount code with, please do so. The discount code is: 0624PIA.
You will see two articles below about the change in our Education Committee Chairman. I want to take this opportunity to say a VERY special thank you to Cole Tucker for hanging out with me while I was in the Director of Education position. His passion for insurance and sharing his knowledge was, and always will be, inspiring. Cole is now PIA VA & DC National Director, and I can’t wait to see what he will do on a National level! Volunteers like Cole are what make the heart of PIA beat! Please contact any of our staff to learn more about how you can help serve.
Sheryl
Sheryl Chasse, CPIA
Association Executive
From the Education Committee Chair...
It has been my honor to serve as the Chair of the Education committee the past several years. During this time, we have seen our Education Department, under the leadership of Sheryl Chasse, increase in the quality and number of courses offered.
The committee worked diligently to ensure we offered new and relevant content to our members. As a group we sought to present original ideas and discover new sources of educational opportunities.
Personally, I know that I have made strong connections with the members of this committee and I will be sad to leave the role of Chair. However, I know that the capable hands in which this responsibility now rests will move the Education Department to new heights and strengths.
I appreciate all the support from the committee members, the staff of PIA VA/DC, especially Sheryl and now Charletta, and the membership at large. Without the general support of our members Education would not be successful. Keep taking courses from PIA VA/DC; expand your knowledge by participating in the many opportunities we have like CPIA, CISR, CIC or CRM.
I look forward to seeing you soon; hopefully in a class!
Respectfully,
S. Cole Tucker, Jr.
S. Cole Tucker, Jr. CIC, CRM, LUTCF
From the Incoming Education Committee Chair...
Greetings from Roanoke my fellow agents, carrier partners, and vendors! I love to finally be able to say, “fellow agents” having been a carrier partner all my career; being an agent gives me an opportunity to dig deeper into our association—which I plan to do.
First, as always, a moment of gratitude. Thank you so much to Cole Tucker, who has led the Education Committee for just under 100 years. We were fortunate to have been led by such a pillar of the national insurance industry. Thank you to Sheryl Chasse, who so ably kept the group together as a leader of the PIA for so many years! She is now being succeeded by Charletta Jones, who is already doing great work for our committee.
Education and continuing education are the core of our economically critical industry. Nothing happens in business or privately that insurance is not involved in. Because of regulation and sheer will to do what is right for our clients, we must get it right! Determine the wrong limit, and you are in trouble. Give improper counsel, and you are in trouble. Don’t do something that you should, and you are in trouble.
Our goal for this committee is to ensure that we support you through education to minimize that exposure. We also promise to keep your education experience relevant whether you have just passed the insurance exam, whether you have been “doing this” for a few years, or whether you have thrived for 40 years. One way to ensure that we keep our promise is to join the committee! Please contact me or anyone at the PIA office to learn more.
Finally, thank you for this opportunity to lead this group. Your input is needed and wanted.
James Simpson, PIAVADC Education Committee Chair
“I am going to sue you!”
We all hope that clients appreciate how hard agency staff works in providing a high level of customer service. Hearing “thank you,” “great job,” “your agency is the best,” and similar phrases can bring out some positive emotion and a tremendous degree of pride.
While it would be great to always hear these praises, the difference you make in a client’s life may not always be positive.
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