"Out with the old, in with the new" doesn't apply at AAMGA—Assumption of AAMGA presidency represents transition rather than change 04/08

Special AAMGA Section

"Out with the old, in with the new" doesn't apply at AAMGA

Assumption of AAMGA presidency represents transition rather than change

By Phil Zinkewicz

Another year has passed for the American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA) and at next month’s annual meeting, current AAMGA President Tom Albrecht of The Barclay Agency, Montgomery, Alabama, will pass the baton to the incoming president, Euclid Black of the Henderson, Nevada-based Black/White Associates.

Asked how he feels about his year in office, Albrecht’s response is humble. “This association is not a one-person show,” he says. “I was blessed to inherit a financially sound organization, already well-managed with a fantastic board of directors and great committees. It’s not one person or one development that brings about welcome changes in the AAMGA. It’s a cooperative effort on the part of AAMGA presidents, past and present, an active board of directors as well as committees that work diligently to fulfill their assignments. All these things come together to make the AAMGA what it has become—a successful association that represents its members in so many ways.”

Albrecht says that, a decade ago, AAMGA polled its membership in a kind of “How’re we doin’” survey. “Our members responded that the AAMGA needed to take a proactive approach towards government affairs. AAMGA leaders heeded our members’ wishes and took the proverbial bull by the horns. Through the efforts of Bernie Heinze and his group and Jim Roe, who has chaired the government affairs committee, we are now recognized on Capitol Hill. Our activities in government affairs are important to our members, both on the federal level and on the state level.”

Albrecht says that the changes that have taken place at AAMGA are reflected in its annual meeting. “The annual meeting has become less of a social gathering and more of a networking opportunity,” he says. “Our members have a chance to meet with insurers and reinsurers as well as vendors and other MGAs. We still meet at resort hotels and bring our families because we relish the wholesome atmosphere that this suggests, but business is of primary importance.”

While Albrecht says he is proud of AAMGA’s accomplishments in recent years, he points out that there’s more to come. “We have created a new committee called Vision 2017, the purpose of which will be to project where the AAMGA will be 10 years from now. It is intended to help our members prepare for the future. The new committee will be composed of AAMGA members, of course, but also it will contain people from outside the association, such as excess and surplus lines carriers. I’m very excited about this new committee, and we hope it will be ready to appear at our upcoming annual.”

In addition to the new committee, Albrecht says that AAMGA will continue to work with the National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices (NAPSLO) on important issues where there is a commonality of interests between the two organizations. About 60% of AAMGA members also belong to NAPSLO. “We also intend to meet with executives from the Big ‘I’ to determine what issues we have in common,” Albrecht says.

Incoming President Euclid Black agrees with Albrecht’s views on what AAMGA has accomplished and where it’s going. He stresses education as extremely important in helping the association speak for its members. “I think we should use our resources to promote educational and vocational courses over the Web.”

To demonstrate further how the association stresses education, Black says that AAMGA raised an additional $1 million, over and above its current revenue, to donate to Georgia State University to establish an excess and surplus lines chair. “This will give more credibility to our own university and allow us to get more research done for us by the chair,” he says.

Referring to AAMGA’s relationship with NAPSLO, Black says that it is an opportunity to share educational activities and share information. “This is something that’s good for our members, and we see the relationship growing.”

Finally, Black echoes Albrecht’s views on the importance of AAMGA committees. “Our committee members take their work very seriously,” he says. “They are the backbone of the AAMGA. Our association has become what it is today because of the work of our committees.” *

The AAMGA section articles appearing on pages 86 through 96 were written by Phil Zinkewicz, a New York-based insurance journalist.