The Rough Notes Company presents 2008 Community Service Award 04/08

The Rough Notes Company presents

2008 Community Service Award

By Bob Bloss

Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity International and led it for 29 years, guided that philanthropic house-building organization to worldwide renown. When he returned to his Alabama and Georgia roots in 2005, he quickly rolled up his sleeves again and started a new building philanthropy—The Fuller Center for Housing.

One of The Fuller Center’s current projects attracted the immediate and continuing interest and strong support of this year’s winner of The Rough Notes Company’s Community Service Award: J. Smith Lanier & Company of West Point, Georgia.

The Rough Notes Company’s Community Service Award annually salutes an independent insurance agent, broker, or agency for their volunteerism and humanitarianism.

D. Gaines Lanier, chairman and CEO of J. Smith Lanier, represented the agency at the award ceremonies held in Indianapolis in March. He was presented with the engraved eagle sculpture awarded each year to the insurance industry’s Community Service honoree. Robert N. Kretzmer, Rough Notes’ Executive Director of the Community Service Award program, also presented a $5,000 check to the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project, Inc., the official name of J. Smith Lanier & Company’s designated charity.

“Every year we marvel at the numerous charitable works delivered by independent insurance agents and agencies throughout North America,” Kretzmer says. “Because of the growing number of worthy nominations we receive, we believe that this Community Service Award helps inspire the dedicated men and women within our industry to recognize the importance of community philanthropy in the cities and regions where they do business. J. Smith Lanier & Co. is a shining example.”

Headquartered in West Point on the eastern side of the Chattahoochee River that separates Georgia and Alabama, the Lanier agency has been in business since 1868. The Alabama towns of Lanett, Millard Fuller’s birthplace, and Valley are the other communities in the Chattahoochee Valley. Lanier specializes in commercial and personal property and casualty, claims advocacy, risk control, loss control, marketing, and executive liability. It also operates a financial services and benefits advisory division featuring group and individual benefits, executive compensation, and a direct reimbursement benefits plan; a surety division; and human resources consulting.

The firm, which has grown to 16 locations in six Southeastern states, was founded by the brothers W.C. and Lafayette Lanier when the business leaders returned from the Civil War to rebuild Greater Valley communities. Their small banking and insurance agency was named W.C. and L. Lanier. Over the next five generations a Lanier family member, including J. Smith Lanier and later his daughter, Edith, managed the family enterprise. Edith’s nephew, J. Smith Lanier II, bought the business in the early 1970s. Current Chairman and CEO Gaines Lanier joined the firm in 1976. Today the company, with approximately 600 employees, is one of America’s largest nationally-ranked insurance brokerages.

It would be no surprise to six generations of the Valley region’s citizens that J. Smith Lanier & Co. would be a leading participant in the drive to eliminate the area’s substandard housing. The company’s community consciousness reflects key elements of its mission statement: “… to glorify God by providing exceptional value, absolute integrity, and excellence … through corporate and personal participation in each of the communities we serve by providing our time, our talents, and our treasure for the betterment of life.”

“For several years we’ve demonstrated that J. Smith Lanier believes in giving back to the community,” says Gaines Lanier. “In addition to the Fuller project, we are a major contributor, organizer, and the title golf tournament sponsor for the Brain Tumor Foundation for Children. We sponsor various sports and cheerleading teams in the cities where we have offices and, instead of Christmas gifts to employees, we give our combined offices $50,000 for charities of their choices. We’re also happy to present substantial corporate donations for charities that our clients select for their communities, and we know that our employees contribute personally to charitable organizations and causes.”

One of those causes, of course, is the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project for which Lanier has been a major player. So far, Lanier’s West Point employees have pledged several thousand dollars. One way they do that is by donating $20 to purchase the option of dressing casually at the office on Fridays. Their slogan: “Wear jeans; build a house.”

Bill Scott is the president of the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project (CFCP) that was created in January 2007 with the ambitious goal of eliminating substandard housing in the Greater Valley region. Once a busy, productive center for textile manufacturing, the area’s economy has suffered a major setback in recent years. Mills were shut down when operations were moved offshore. As a result, thousands of textile manufacturing jobs were eliminated forcing a large number of residents to leave the Valley. Before long, several neighborhoods were virtually deserted. Vacant homes soon decayed into severe disrepair.

Enter the Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project. It’s patterned after Habitat for Humanity initiated by Millard Fuller in his adopted hometown of Americus, Georgia, in 1976. Habitat for Humanity provides decent, comfortable housing for some one million disadvantaged people worldwide.

The relatively-young Fuller Center for Housing is a faith-driven organization promoting collaborative and innovative partnerships with individuals and organizations. When Bill Scott learned of this new venture, he contacted Millard Fuller to explore how the Chattahoochee Valley rebuilding/remodeling initiative could tie in directly with Fuller Center for Housing. Very quickly a covenant—a formal, solid agreement—was signed. It has clearly met with great success in just its first 15 months. But before formalizing the transaction, one of Scott’s initial moves was contacting J. Smith Lanier & Co.

“I’ve known the Lanier family and the Lanier agency my whole life,” Scott says. “There is no more generous group of people. They’ve long been wonderful citizens and friends of our area. When I contacted them about our poverty housing plans, I didn’t immediately ask for funding. I was essentially interested in their thoughts and recommendations about the project, and I explained that our overall goal is building or rebuilding 500 homes to meet the housing needs of our region’s citizens. It was not long before the Lanier folks came back to me and offered to put up $150,000 in matching funds to get the program going and generate local enthusiasm. Lanier challenged the community, and we ended up with a $445,000 total. We built eight houses in 2007, and, in 2008, we expect to complete 14.”

J. Smith Lanier has committed to those 2008 efforts as well. The agency agreed to match, dollar for dollar, up to $200,000 this year, and is joined by three other area businesses in guaranteeing matching funds well in excess of $600,000.

Scott notes that “… through Millard Fuller’s numerous connections, more than 200 volunteers came to the Valley to help complete the first six new homes here . . . two in each of our three municipalities. Assisting local volunteers, the visitors included workers from colleges and universities—University of Cincinnati, Indiana University, and others. And we welcomed an energetic international group of young volunteers from 19 nations, among them representatives of the ‘Up With People’ organization that’s well known for its music programs and cultural exchange interfacing.

“We try to build a new house as quickly as possible,” Scott continues. “As a good example of that, and with the assistance of a cooperative weatherman, we put together a special ‘Homes for the Holidays’ effort. Officially, it was a kickoff to our 2008 project. We started from scratch on Thanksgiving Friday, and we dedicated the two new houses on December 20. That’s quite a Christmas present for two of our local families.

“Our project to provide affordable housing to qualified owners, and improving neighborhoods in our three communities, would not have been nearly as successful without the leadership of J. Smith Lanier & Co.,” Scott emphasizes. “Our area has severe housing problems, and the Lanier firm has been at the forefront of helping our community deal with these critical issues.”

Families interested in acquiring the improved housing must apply through the CFCP. Selection methodology is similar to that of Habitat for Humanity. A local committee carefully reviews all applications. Approved owners purchase their new properties with a modest, mutually agreed upon down payment. The Chattahoochee Fuller Center Project foundation arranges a pay-back program featuring “no interest, no profit.” CFCP takes back a 20-year mortgage on the housing.

As it has done for virtually a century and more, Lanier will again aim its community service efforts in several other directions this year. Next month, for example, the agency continues its proud tradition as title sponsor of the J. Smith Lanier & Co. Charity Golf Classic that benefits The Brain Tumor Foundation for Children, Inc. (BTFC). Brain tumors are the leading cancer cause of death in children. The foundation, now commemorating its “25 Years of Compassionate Service,” is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It provides emotional, social and financial assistance; education and information programs; scholarships; and funding for research.

Mary Campbell, the Brain Tumor Foundation’s executive director, recalls the Lanier agency’s initial connection with the golf outing: “Four years ago, agreeing to be our title sponsor, the Lanier people immediately stepped up to offer support in a huge way. Suddenly we had a whole team of Lanier employees to help plan an event that had previously fallen on the shoulders of just two of us at the Foundation. Lanier chose to be our title sponsor because they believe in our work. It becomes clearer to me every day that the management and staff of Lanier are passionate about their association with BTFC and our combined ability to make a difference in the lives of children and families who are suffering.

“Since becoming involved with our tournament, Lanier has encouraged its various insurance business associates to help support us. Our proceeds from the 2004 tournament totaled $78,000; the 2007 event generated $215,000. Clearly, that was a big help in enabling us to expand our services to include families in six additional southeastern states.”

Gaines Lanier looks forward to this year’s May 6 tournament at Chateau Elan Golf Club in Braselton, Georgia. “Each year since we’ve been involved,” he says, “our sponsors and the participants have helped raise record-high net profits. We hope this year’s will be another record-breaking tournament so that even more children afflicted with life-threatening brain and spinal cord tumors can be helped. When we took on the lead sponsorship, the Brain Tumor Foundation was facing some fundraising difficulties. Now, we are extremely proud to have our company’s name associated with what has become the premier charitable project in Atlanta.”

Recently BTFC recommended that J. Smith Lanier & Co. be considered by the regional Better Business Bureau as a recipient of the bureau’s prestigious Torch Award. Mary Campbell shares parts of her recommendation letter to the bureau: “I often speak with individuals associated with J. Smith Lanier & Co.’s management and staff. Invariably they express this common sentiment: ‘The people at J. Smith Lanier are wonderful. It is a great company and we truly enjoy doing business with them.’ My experience tells me that the Lanier company operates under the strictest principles of excellence, honestly, integrity and generosity.”

The Rough Notes Company is happy to report that the Lanier organization subsequently received the highly prized Torch Award. We extend hearty congratulations. The Better Business Bureau’s selection comes as no surprise.

J. Smith Lanier’s century-plus legacy inspires generation after generation of Lanier family members to continually raise their business’s bar. From the standpoint of its highly regarded reputation within the insurance industry, and the agency’s undisputed leadership and philanthropy that generate good will and improved living conditions in the Chattahoochee Valley and other communities where the company operates, The Rough Notes Company is delighted to honor J. Smith Lanier & Co. as its 2008 Community Service Award winner.

In late 2008, Rough Notes magazine will again publish qualification and nomination procedures for next year’s Community Service Award program. We invite you to recognize those independent insurance agents, brokers, and agencies that set high standards and contribute meaningful action for their communities’ philanthropic endeavors. The Rough Notes Company is honored to tell their stories. *

PAST COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

• Markham F. Rollins III of Tuckahoe, New York, speaks of the joy of giving back when he talks about Bridges to Community, which constructs safe housing for poverty stricken families in Nicaragua. Since he connected with Bridges to Community in 2002, Rollins has raised more than $500,000 for the organization, in addition to recruiting volunteers and leading or participating in 12 trips to build the cinderblock homes. Rollins is co-winner of the 2007 Rough Notes Community Service Award.

• Mark Williamson of Little Rock, Arkansas, has served on the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI) Foundation board since 1989. During that time he has raised some $550,000 and has enlisted other insurance professionals to volunteer on CARTI’s behalf. CARTI provides care to cancer patients as well as emotional and financial support to their families. CARTI patients are not turned away if they are unable to pay for their treatments. Williamson is co-winner of the 2007 Rough Notes Community Service Award.

• J. Douglas Reichardt of West Des Moines, Iowa, served as chairperson of the 2005 United Way of Central Iowa fundraising campaign. Under his leadership, the campaign brought in just over $20 million—a 9% increase over 2004.

• Jim McGovern of Belmont, California, was inspired by a personal tragedy in his own family to take action in the battle against blood-related cancers by establishing a “Walk for Ben” for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

• Harry Swimmer of Charlotte, North Carolina, runs a therapeutic horseback riding clinic for handicapped and disabled children.

• Jack and Jason Rua of Fall River, Massachusetts, raised more than $2 million for the local Fall River United Way annual campaign.

• Kenneth Felton of Vero Beach, Florida, recognized the need for after-school programs for children and researched, developed and opened the first Boys and Girls Clubs in Indian River County, Florida.

• Dick Lees of Pana, Illinois, raised enough funds to build an emergency room unit at his local hospital, which serves a tri-county area.

• Al Singer of Teaneck, New Jersey, helps feed thousands of children nationwide through his own program called People Against Children Starving.