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AAMGA Special Section Spreading the word AAMGA Communications Committee reaches out to broad audience By Phil Zinkewicz In today’s realities of uncertainty and emerging risk exposures, insurance professionals like you want reliability, creativity, continuity and service they can trust. The times demand tried and tested expertise—forged by a heritage of professionalism and integrity. Since 1926, members of the American Association of Managing General Agents have earned the respect of their customers and the trust of their markets by delivering positive results. Those observations appear at the beginning of the new AAMGA brochure, which will debut at this year’s annual meeting in May. The brochure was produced by the association’s Communications Committee, with input from other committees. Tony Glotzbach, committee chairman, says that creating the document has been a “long-term project.” Glotzbach, who is president of United Brokers, Inc., New Albany, Indiana, says the brochure is designed to attract new members by highlighting the diversity of AAMGA membership and the services that the association offers its members. The brochure describes the association’s educational opportunities, such as continuing education credits and designations that can be earned through the AAMGA University. In addition, the brochure emphasizes the association’s determination to keep abreast of regulatory and legislative developments that affect its members. Glotzbach comments on the breadth of AAMGA membership that is shown in the brochure. “The AAMGA’s 290 managing general agents write over $23 billion in direct written premium each year in all 50 states,” the brochure points out. “In their association with other members, comprising the top domestic and international insurance and reinsurance companies, captive insurers, brokers, Lloyd’s and the London Market underwriters, premium finance, document imaging, law firms, technology experts, third-party administrators, state stamping and surplus lines offices and other insurance professionals, AAMGA members are brought together by complementary experience, offerings and needs. They work together each day to improve the opportunities that disciplined underwriting, innovative risk management and supporting services can provide.” Says Glotzbach: “The primary function of the Communications Committee is to elevate awareness of the AAMGA, not just among managing general agents but also insurers and reinsurers and other segments of the industry that comprise our business services membership. We are charged with getting the message across to the public, the press, regulators and legislators that the association’s members pride themselves on their expertise.” There are several ways in which the committee accomplishes its charge, according to Glotzbach. “We write articles, press releases, reports and we contribute to trade media articles, answering the questions of the media. Whenever we have an opportunity to get that message across, that’s what we do.” In addition, says Glotzbach, the Communications Committee maintains a database that lists AAMGA members who specialize in specific areas such as contractors, transportation, directors and officers liability, malpractice and so on. An event that the Communications Committee will be publicizing shortly is the establishment of a new award at the AAMGA. “We decided we needed to have a formal way of recognizing our more active associate members and business service members,” says Glotzbach. “So, at the upcoming AAMGA annual meeting, an organization that fits either into the associate member category or the business services category will be honored with a special award. This will be an annual occurrence. Our committee will report on this event, as well as noting achievements of association members and business services members who have excelled in such areas as advertising and design of new technology.” Another task that comes under the Communications Committee’s bailiwick is spearheading a move to establish a “direct line of communication” with colleges and universities around the country where insurance is part of the curriculum. “We intend to work through the Under Forty Organization (UFO) to communicate with these college students who may be interested in careers in insurance so that we can explain what the excess and surplus business is and how it works,” Glotzbach says. “In this way we hope to increase membership in the association.” * |
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