(DeWitt, New York, May 15, 2009) — A pioneer for women in insurance, an ambitious local insurance producer’s trade association, a dedicated association executive and a solutions-focused volunteer leader were among the recipients of honors given by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York last night. New York’s oldest producer organization gave the awards at its 2009 Leadership Dinner, held following its 127th Annual Business Meeting at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City, New York.
Acting for the final time in his capacity as IIABNY chair of the board, Neal L. Sullivan, CPA, presented the Chair’s Distinguished Service Awards, the association’s highest honor, to three individuals:
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Eileen A. Frank, CPCU, ARe, NASD, president of J.P. West, Inc., Manhattan. Frank, who represents the New York City metro area and suburbs on the IIABNY board of directors, is a past director of former IIABNY affiliate IAMAC and past director at large for IAAC, IIABNY’s member services division. She is the current chair of the Board Development and Accountability Committee and a current member of the association’s political action committee. Active in UNICEF and the United Negroes College Fund, she was the first woman to chair the Conference of Special Risk Underwriters and the first woman to head the National Insurance Industry Alliance. Because of her knowledge and experience with complex alternative risk programs and pricing structures, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America frequently asks her to be a spokesperson on national television programs. She has appeared as a spokesperson for Trusted Choice in national television ads. Very engaged in the New York political scene, she was primarily responsible for securing Gov. David A. Paterson as the keynote speaker for the 2009 Legislative Day (also known as L Day).
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David M. Gelia, executive vice president of United Insurance Agency, Inc. in Amherst, New York. Gelia served as director and officer of the Independent Insurance Agents Association of Western New York before serving as its president from 2005-06. He became an IIABNY director in 2007, joined the IIABNY executive committee in 2008, and is the association’s chair-elect for 2009-10. He currently serves as chair of the Direct Response Task Force and as a member of the Public Policy Management committee. He played an integral role in tackling the business challenges the association has faced in recent years. His advice and counsel on the Finance and Audit Committees helped the association make some difficult but necessary decisions to position it for the years ahead.
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Lisa K. Lounsbury, AAI, CAE, senior vice-president of IIABNY and president of IAAC. Lounsbury has guided the continuing evolution and development of IAAC and helped build an unprecedented high level of member service. Responsible for the human resources functions for IIABNY and IAAC, she has provided guidance and stewardship for the staff to make IIABNY a warm, family-friendly employment atmosphere. She has worked tirelessly to improve the association’s errors and omissions insurance program and built new business lines, including premium finance, employee benefits and a variety of other programs. A firm believer in continuing education, she has earned the Accredited Advisor in Insurance designation and, more recently, the Certified Association Executive designation. Sullivan made special note of the assistance she gave to him during his years on the board of directors and executive committee.
The association also bestowed the following awards:
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Douglas Katz of Jacob J. Katz Co. in Bardonia received the American Association of Managing General Agents Award. As chair of the association’s Technology Leadership and Advocacy Committee, Katz initiated and managed outreach to New York state agency management systems users groups, coordinating education and advocacy on behalf of independent agents. This resulted in better working relationships with these groups. To protect agencies from intrusive and contradictory insurer technology contracts, he worked to deploy supplemental contracts. He also initiated monthly calls with the Technology Committee to keep business on track and to identify new issues that need attention.
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The Independent Insurance Agents of Westchester County received the inaugural award for Local Association of the Year. IIABNY gave this award to recognize outstanding effort and accomplishments by a local association in the areas of enhancing the image of independent agents, planning and executing an outstanding local association meeting, legislative advocacy, increasing attendance at L Day, and establishing effective public relations. The Westchester association had the largest local association delegation at L-Day, increased the number of press releases issued, produced quarterly printed newsletters and monthly e-mail newsletters, held a meeting with a sell-out crowd at their annual “Education Day,” and established a Volunteer Firefighters Fund to grant scholarships to two children of volunteer firefighters in Westchester County.
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