(DeWitt, New York, May 15, 2009) — Insurance agent Lane S. Rubin led the list of officers elected yesterday by members of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc. New York’s oldest insurance producer trade association installed Rubin as chair of the board at its 127th Annual Business Meeting, held at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City. Members also elected and installed new regional and district directors for the 2009-2010 term.
Rubin, managing member of Excel Coverage Group, LLC in Westbury, is a former IIABNY Regional Director. He chaired IIABNY’s Insurance Training Center Task Force, which oversaw the development of the ‘Essentials’ for Customer Service Representatives curriculum, a first-of-its-kind training solution for independent insurance agencies and brokerages. An active participant in the association's government affairs work, he has attended industry legislative conferences in Albany and Washington, D.C. He has been active on a number of insurance company advisory boards and is a past president of the Nassau County Independent Insurance Agents Association.
In his acceptance speech, Rubin laid out priorities for the next year. Reflecting on his work on the training center task force, he said, “One of the biggest challenges confronting our industry today is recruiting new talent.” To improve communications between IIABNY and its members, he pledged better use of technology and face-to-face contact. He called on IIABNY to educate members on how to use Web 2.0 technology in their businesses, and he acknowledged the struggling economy. “When times are difficult, it is even more important that we work together to help us all get through this period and to protect and make our industry even stronger.”
Other officers elected and re-elected to IIABNY’s executive committee for one-year terms included:
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David M. Gelia, executive vice president of United Insurance Agency, Inc. in Amherst, New York, elected chair-elect;
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Christopher A. Brassard, CIC, executive vice-president and director of Ten Eyck Group in Albany, New York, elected secretary-treasurer.
IIABNY members also elected and re-elected the following regional directors to two-year terms:
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Sean L. Hickey, ARM, senior vice-president of Rose & Kiernan, Inc. in East Greenbush, New York to represent the state’s Capitol District and areas north;
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William J. Oliver, CIC, chief executive officer of The Partners in Vestal, New York to represent the central and western parts of the state;
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R. Todd Rockefeller, vice-president of DeRosa, Rockefeller, Sohigian & Werdal, Inc., Harrison, New York to represent the New York City metro area and suburbs; and
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John J. Schwab, AAM, president of Niagara National, Inc. in Buffalo, to represent the central and western areas.
Richard Longueira, AAI, vice-president of Petrocelli Group, Inc. in Flushing, New York won a two-year term as a member representative on the Nominating Committee, which evaluates candidates for leadership positions and makes recommendations to the membership.
Earlier in the day, the IIABNY board of directors elected Rick Morgan of Rick Morgan Consulting, Broomfield, Colorado, to a one-year term as a director-at-large. The board also re-elected Wesley Bissett, president and founder of the Bellemore Group, LLC in Washington, D.C and Baltimore, to a second one-year term as director-at-large.
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