Alabama Independent 2018, Issue 2

2018 - Issue 2 

AIIA Young Agents host 

Excalibur Education Foundation 

9th Annual 

Clay Shoot 

with proceeds to Capps/Calhoun 

Excalibur Scholarships

2 Alabama Independent | 2018 Issue 2

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2018 Issue 2 | Alabama Independent 3

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alabama 

INDEPENDENT 

CONTENTS 

37 

2018 • ISSUE 2 

10 20 

4 2018 First Step Sponsors 

7 Letter from the AIIA President, W. Haig Wright II, CIC 

8 Letter from the AIIA EVP, Bill Sager, CIC 

10 9th Annual Clay Shoot Recap 

16 Young Agents Chair Report, Todd Roberts, CIC 

18 Young Agents Summer Conference Registration 

20 22 Ways to Make the Right Reputation 

23 Save the Date: Pat Owens 19th Annual 

Big I PAC Golf Classic 

24 Avoiding Operational Pitfalls – An ‘Every Day’ Plan 

26 Is There Personal Lines Coverage for Sexual Misconduct? 

30 Ted’s Tablet 

31 2018 Fall Education Conference & Trade Fair, Oct. 17 

32 Education Calendar and Webinars 

34 Industry News 

38 Seen & Heard 

39 Welcome New Members 

Alabama Independent Insurance Agents, Inc. 

141 London Parkway 

Phone: 205-326-4129 | Fax: 205-326-3086 | www.aiia.org 

Executive Vice President: Bill Sager, CIC 

Editor: Michelle McKee 

LEADERSHIP & STAFF 

AIIA OFFICERS 

President: Haig Wright, CIC 

Jasper 

President Elect: Steve Sprayberry, CIC 

Sylacauga 

Secretary/Treasurer: Michael Vance LUTCF, 

CPIM, CPIA 

Huntsville 

State National Director: Jeff Grice, CIC 

Jasper 

Immediate Past President: 

Jeff Hogg, CPIA, CLCS 

Tuscaloosa 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

District 1 

Larry Crosby, CIC - Brewton 

C. Todd Thomas - Montrose 

District 2 

Steve Mullis, CPIA - Montgomery 

W. Keith Nobles, CIC - Wetumpka 

Jean Ann Rittenour-Donley, CISR, CIC, CPIA, 

CPIW - Montgomery 

Ray Smith - Deatsville 

District 3 

John H. Dark, CIC, AAI - Alexander City 

Boyd McGehee – Talladega 

District 4 

Steve Hoggle, CIC - Guntersville 

Josh Goe, CLCL – Madison 

District 5 

Kelly Aday - Lexington 

Susanne Grimwood, CIC, CISR - Huntsville 

Connie Waldrip, CISR - Huntsville 

District 6 

Russell Greenhalgh, CIC - Birmingham 

Mary Hall - Birmingham 

Bill Jacka, Jr. - Birmingham 

Margaret Ann Pyburn, CPIA - 

Birmingham 

Joni Holt, CIC, CPCU - Birmingham 

District 7 

Kevin Myrick - Tuscaloosa 

Lin Moore - Tuscaloosa 

Young Agents 

Todd Roberts, CIC - Homewood 

Past President 

Jere Peak - Selma 

AIIA STAFF 

Executive Vice President: 

Bill Sager, CIC 

Director of Education: 

Ted Kinney, CIC, CPCU, ARM, CPIA, AAI, 

AU, CRIS, AINS 

Director of Communications & 

Member Services: 

Michelle McKee 

Director of Education Administration: 

Tangerie Underwood, CISR, CPIA 

E & O Administrator: 

Carol Hunt, CPIA 

Accounting Supervisor: 

Irene Smyly 

Director of Meetings & Events: 

Nancy Crowe 

RLI Administrator: 

Tangerie Underwood, CISR, CPIA 

Printing & Mailroom Coordinator: 

Waymon McIntosh 

Office Manager: 

Sarah Walker 

ADVERTISER INDEX 

2 AGC Alabama 

comptrustagc.com 

8 Allstar Financial Group 

allstarfg.com 

3 Applied Underwriters 

auw.com/us 

28 Berkshire Hathaway 

Guard Insurance 

Companies 

guard.com 

5 Centauri Insurance 

centauriinsurance.com 

9 FCCI 

fcci-group.com 

7 Genesee 

geneseeins.com 

17 Iroquois Group 

iroquoisgroup.com 

38 M.J. Kelly Company - 

Alabama 

mjkelly.com 

39 SIUPREM 

siuprem.com 

40 Southern Insurance 

Underwriters, Inc. 

siuins.com 

15 Summit Consulting 

summitholdings.com 

22 The National Security Group 

nationalsecuritygroup.com 

16 Tower Hill Insurance 

thig.com 

PUBLICATION INFORMATION 

The Alabama Independent is the official magazine of the Alabama 

Independent Insurance Agents, Inc. Association (AIIA), and is 

published quarterly by Blue Water Publishers, LLC. AIIA does 

not necessarily endorse any of the companies advertising in this 

publication or the views of its writers. AIIA reserves the right, in 

its sole discretion, to reject advertising that does not meet AIIA 

qualifications or which may detract from its business, professional 

or ethical standards. 

The publisher cannot assume responsibility for claims made by 

its advertisers, content provided by the editor, or the opinions 

expressed by contributing authors. 

For information on advertising, contact Eric Johnson, Blue Water 

Publishers, 414-708-2059 or eric@bluewaterpublishers.org. 


W. Haig Wright II, CIC 

AIIA President 

Spring is finally here and that brings us even 

closer to our upcoming Annual Convention 

this summer! The convention will be held 

at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama, 

June 24-26. We believe this year could be 

one of our best one’s yet and are thrilled to 

report that rooms are rapidly filling up. 

I encourage you to register soon and 

reserve your accommodations for the 

event. We have added rooms and already 

requested additional rooms for registration 

as well. Nancy Crowe said, “We’ve never 

been booked this far ahead in the 18 years 

I’ve worked here!” Our association staff will 

continue to focus on this event, and we are 

excited to see all of you there. 

Thank you to everyone 

who has accepted the 

call to help lead our 

association and make 

it stronger. We serve 

a wonderful industry 

that truly gives back to 

our communities, and 

I feel fortunate for the 

opportunity to have 

served. 

As always, please let me 

know if there is anything 

that I can do for you or if 

there is anything our association can do for 

your agency. 

During the convention we will be voting to 

eliminate certain standing committees, such 

as the Past Presidents Committee, Trusted 

Choice Committee, and Small and Rural 

Agents Committee. However, 

we will always have the option to 

appoint an ad hoc committee in 

the future as needed. 

In additional news, our Executive 

Committee is working out an 

arrangement to extend Bill 

Sager’s role as Executive Vice 

President for 2019. We are 

grateful for Bill’s work, as well as 

the entire association staff that 

should be commended for their 

awesome work. They do a great 

job for us. 

See you at the Grand Hotel in June! 

All the best … 

Haig 

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up by Bill Sager, I feel we made 

improvements in our policies, 

processes and procedures this 

year. Many thanks go out to 

our Associate Members who 

have continued to support our 

Association and many of these 

Associate Members increased 

their level of support to help us 

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Bill Sager, CIC 

AIIA Executive Vice President 

As 2018 rolls along so 

do our activities and 

events. Our Young 

Agents completed 

another successful 

legislative conference 

in Montgomery. The 

opening night reception 

sponsored by The 

Sheffield Fund was 

a successful time of 

visiting with lawmakers 

in a relaxed setting. 

The following morning 

our attendees hosted 

the gubernatorial candidates in a forum 

that allowed the conference attendees the 

opportunity to hear the candidate’s platform 

as well as the opportunity to discuss 

specific topics with an individual candidate. 

Thank you to Matt Sims, the young agent 

legislative chairman, for helping to organize 

the event and also serve as the emcee. 

Education Opportunities 

Many of you may not be aware we have 

put into place some additional on-line 

continuing education opportunities. On our 

website they are listed as AIIA Webinars. 

We are utilizing instructors you know – 

Ted Kinney, Lisa Worley, Earlie Simmons 

and Frank Millsaps. The information on 

courses will be on the website. All of the 

courses will provide 3 hours of CE. 

Legislative Action 

The 2018 legislative regular session came 

to an end after the legislators utilized 26 

of the allotted 30 days. With this being an 

election year, the session started earlier 

to allow the elected officials time to take 

care of the State’s business and then hit 

the road campaigning. There were several 

bills that can have a direct impact on our 

membership. In April, I sent each agency 

FIND ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS IN ONE PLACE 


a summary of each of the new laws. I 

hope you found it helpful. I have the final 

versions of the bills that passed and can 

send it to you 

upon request. 

All in all I think 

the session was 

positive … but 

as we hear often 

(and sometime in 

a joking manner) 

the best action 

taken is the 

action to adjourn 

(sine die) the 

session. 

Big I PAC 

Your Big I Political Action Committee has 

been active during this campaign season. 

The committee appreciates your support 

over the years as the PAC’s resources have 

continued to grow to allow us to support 

business-friendly candidates across our 

state. A quick reminder that our PAC has 

two main ways it raises funds … the first 

Your AIIA staff continues to try and 

bring you the support you need to be 

successful in your business. We try to 

utilize our resources to maximize the 

impact of programs and services to 

touch as many members as possible. 

is through the dues collection process 

as each agency has the opportunity 

to contribute as you submit your dues 

to AIIA…and 

second by 

supporting the 

Pat Owens 

Big I PAC Golf 

Tournament 

held every 

September. We 

look forward to 

your continued 

support. 

Working for 

Your Success 

Your AIIA staff continues to try and bring 

you the support you need to be successful 

in your business. We try to utilize our 

resources to maximize the impact of 

programs and services to touch as many 

members as possible. We value your 

input and comments. Your support is 

appreciated and critical to our success. 

Your customers. 

Our promise. 

FCCI Insurance Group has been insuring businesses and doing what we say 

we’ll do for more than 58 years. We partner with our agents to provide expertise 

in underwriting, risk management and claims handling that help businesses 

thrive and face the future with confidence. 

Trey Stone, CIC 

Managing Director, Underwriting 

Alabama Branch Office 

205-423-6117 

General liability • Auto • Property • Crime • Workers’ compensation 

Umbrella • Inland marine • Agribusiness • Surety 

Coverage available in 19 states and D.C. © 2018 FCCI 




9th Annual 

Clay Shoot 


Excalibur Scholarships 


EXCELLENT WEATHER 

CONTRIBUTES TO MAGNIFICENT 

CLAY SHOOT 

You couldn’t have asked for better weather during our 9th Annual Excalibur Education Clay 

Shoot. Each year, agents and company reps gather on the third Friday in April to network 

and raise money to provide college students majoring in Insurance or Risk Management 

an opportunity to earn a $2,500 Capps/Calhoun education scholarship. The winners of 

these scholarships are then invited to our Young Agents Summer Conference to mingle 

with their future peers. The success of this event has been tremendous over the years and 

this year was no different. 

The event at Selwood Farm hosted 18 teams including two ladies teams. Fellowship 

began early with a BBQ luncheon from Good Ole Boys BBQ/Whiskers. After registration 

was complete, Dell Hill from Selwood gave the group their gun safety meeting and around 

1p.m., the teams of four were out on the course and ready to shoot. Teams started to 

trickle into the pavilion around 4 o’clock that afternoon to enjoy pizza and door prizes. 

AND THE WINNERS WERE... 

First Place Team: Randy Jones & Associates 

Shirl Dollar, Chuck Cranford, 

Steve Carver and Evan Jackson 

SECOND Place Team: The Sheffield Fund 

Todd Roberts, Jeremy Gladrosich, 

Casey Bentley and Kevin Myrick 

BEST SHOOTER 

Chuck Cranford with Randy Jones & Associates shot 99 out of 100; when asked what happened to that 

one shot…he just smiled!! 

Players were encouraged to participate in the Cotton Ball Drop at Station #12 for a chance to win a 

half-day Quail Hunt. This year’s winner was Casey Bentley with Rux Carter Agency!! 


TEAMS & 

INDIVIDUALS 

Alabama Public Auto Insurance Agency 

and Southern Insurance Underwriters 

Jason O’Rear, Mike Files, Derrell Winter and Buddy Lambert 

Berkley Southeast Insurance Group 

Walter Crye, John Starr, 

Will Starr and Clay Smith 

Birmingham IIA and National Security Group 

Kacey LeBlanc, Jerry Dubose, 

Kendall Carbonie Gann and Alexandra Fordham 

Birmingham IIA 

David Wainwright, Brian Smith, 

Charlie Howell and Tom Powers 


Hunter Finch, Stephen Hilson 

and Steve Mullis 


Warren Rock, Roger Schonemann, 

Matt Abernathy and Russell McMillian 

Johnson & Johnson Casey Fernandez, George Boohaker, 

Russ and Adam Greenhalgh, Caro Manning, 

John Dark, Scott Cawthon and Jeremy Henderson 


McGriff, Seibels & Williams 

Clint Provost, Zach Morgan, 

Johnny Radcliff and Spencer Ware 

Assured Partners and the Starke Agency 

David, Taylor & Anthony Peel, 

Jessica and Justin Summerlin 

Risk Placement Services 

Ashley Wright, Austin Kennedy 

and Robin Crawford 

ServPro of Birmingham 

Blake Palmer, Kent O’Rear 

and Jeremy Brittain 

Souders Underwriting Group and Troy University 

Ben Biser, Patrick Henderson, 

Blake and Hunter Souders 

TheZenith 

Jon Buck, Ken Kennamer, 

Todd Lawson and Paul Burnett 

Service Guarantee and Surety 

Co., James Burger, and Southern 

Access Capital, John Petrusnek 

and Wilson Holifield attended but 

are not pictured. 

Tuscaloosa IIA 

Charlie Bailey, Beeson Partlow 

and Thomas Humber 


THANKS TO OUR 

EVENT SPONSORS! 

DOOR 

PRIZES 

Lunch Sponsor: McGriff, Seibels & Williams 

Cart Sponsor: The National Security Group 

Shot Gun Shells: Mark Calhoun 

Shot Gun Sponsor: Excalibur Education 

Foundation 

Best Shooter: Tuscaloosa Independent Insurance 

Agents 

Winner Awards: Tuscaloosa Independent 

Insurance Agents 

Snacks & Reception: The Sheffield Fund 

Volunteers: Norman Barfoot, Kay Hall, Neal 

Langford, Nichole Marcum, Brenda McNeill, Christy 

Pender, Joanne Reed, Vannessa Smith 

AFCO / Prime Rate Premium Finance Co. 

Alabama Insurance Management Services/AIMS 



Genesee 

Gulfstream Property & Casualty Insurance 

HICI/ Haulers Insurance Company, Inc. 

Insurance Marketing Association of Alabama 

Progressive 

Steve Sprayberry 


STATION 

SPONSORS 

Alabama Public Auto Insurance Agency 

Alabama Retail Comp 

Alabama Self-Insured Work Comp Fund 

AlaCOMP 

Anchor Pardue Insurance 

ATA Comp Fund 

Cobbs Allen 

Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates 

Genesee 

Great American Insurance Company 

HICI/Haulers Insurance Company, Inc. 

Lacy Grice Insurance Agency 

Progressive 

Service Guarantee & Surety Company 

Souders Underwriting Group 

South Shore Insurance Underwriters 

Southern Insurance Underwriters/Siuprem 

Stead & Fuller 

Thames Batré, Ltd. 

WorkersFirst CompFund 

TheZenith 


Todd Roberts, CIC 

Chair Report 

The Young Agents 

of Alabama are off 

and running in 2018! 

March and April were 

extremely busy, from 

planning speakers 

for the Young Agents 

Summer Conference, hosting the clay 

shoot, attending the National Legislative 

Conference, and taking care of business, 

life has been pretty hectic. 

National Legislative Conference in our 

Nation’s Capital was held April 18 – 

21. Young Agents from 37 states were 

represented. The National YAC held a 

silent auction in a program called “YAC 

Gives Back” where all attendees of the 

conference had an opportunity to bid on 

really nice gifts. They auctioned off iPad’s, 

GoPro cameras, jewelry, trips, the list 

goes on. All items were donated so all the 

proceeds will go to fund the National Invest 

program. Invest is a program where high 

schools implement curriculum for students 

to learn about insurance, how insurance 

works, and all the careers associated 

within the insurance industry. The program 

is taught by teachers in the school and by 

insurance professionals who donate their 

time to speak to students about their job 

and their day-to-day activities. It also gives 

Protection your 

commercial clients and 

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Since our founding in 1972, Tower Hill Insurance has 

been protecting properties in the Southeast. We offer 

Commercial programs through our admitted carrier, 

Tower Hill Prime Insurance Company. 

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Call 800.509.1592 or visit 

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MAXIMIZE 

your Agency’s 

PERFORMANCE 

OPTIMIZING MARKETS 

MAXIMIZING REVENUE 

EQUALS 

A Network of Strong, 

Resourceful, 

Successful, 

Independent 

Agencies 

PROVIDING RESOURCES, 

FLEXIBILITY & INDEPENDENCE. 

With a little help from 

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To learn more about how Iroquois 

could further strengthen your 

agency, contact Perry Grant at 

(205) 910-5961 or 

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interested students the opportunity to intern 

with insurance companies and agencies in 

the community. The Invest Program is getting 

the word out about our industry and educating 

students about great career opportunities. 

The National Conference is not only a time for 

Young Agents, but a time for insurance agents 

and brokers from every state to hear from 

Big “I” Leadership about the issues pertinent 

to our industry and where we stand on these 

issues. We take these talking points to the Hill, 

meet with our elected officials and express the 

concerns we have and how certain bills could 

affect the insurance marketplace. The Alabama 

group couldn’t meet with all our Congressman, 

but effective meetings with their chiefs of staff 

were held and our concerns about the flood 

bill set to expire July 31st were heard. Senator 

Richard Shelby is always happy to meet with 

our group and we had a nice, and as always 

entertaining, time with him. We even had 

the opportunity to briefly see and speak with 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions. 

The 9th Annual Excalibur Education Foundation 

Sporting Clays Event was held Friday, April 20, 

at Selwood Farm in Alpine. If you’ve been to 

this event before, but missed it this year, you 

missed a Chamber of Commerce day for the 

weather. Not a cloud in the sky, a nice breeze, 

truly a day that will bring this year’s participants 

back again. Eighteen teams participated and 

we even had one shooter miss a perfect score 

by one shot; 99 out of 100 is not too shabby 

on a course set up like Selwood. We are 

looking forward to awarding a record number 

of scholarships this year to deserving students 

entering the field of risk management from this 

year’s proceeds. 

If you haven’t already put it on your calendar, the 

Alabama Young Agents Summer Conference is 

July 26 – 28 at the Hilton Pensacola Gulf Front. 

Educational seminars will be held Friday and 

Saturday morning, followed by round tables 

where agents have a chance to meet and 

interact with the companies they do business 

with. The world-renowned Molly Ringwald 

Band will once again be our Friday night 

entertainment. Wear your best ’80s’ attire and 

join us for a night to remember. 

Just because you don’t think you are a Young 

Agent, if you are Young at Heart, you are 

invited. See you in Pensacola! 

www.iroquoisgroup.com 


2018 ANNUAL YOUNG AGENTS 

SUMMER CONFERENCE 

July 26 – July 28, 2018 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 

Thursday, July 26 Registration Desk Opens 2:00p 

6:30p Welcome Reception & Dinner 

Friday, July 27 Registration & Continental Breakfast 7:30a 

8:00a – 9:30a Grp A: Pre-Sale Activities: Acquiring Clients - Joey Giangola 

Grp B: Post-Sale Activities: Client Retention – Jason Cass 

9:45a - 11:15a Grp B: Pre-Sale Activities: Acquiring Clients - Joey Giangola 

Grp A: Post-Sale Activities: Client Retention – Jason Cass 

11:30a – 12:30p Company Roundtables 

(Breaks: 9:30a-9:45a & 11:15a-11:30a) 

Afternoon & Evening Lunch on Your Own/Cornhole Tournament//Dinner on Your Own 

9:30p – 11:30 p The Molly Ringwald Band 

Saturday, July 28 Registration & Brunch opens at 8:30a 

9:00a – 12:15p Technology Tools to Assist in Acquiring & Retaining Clients 

12:30p – 1:30p Company Roundtables 

(Breaks: 10:30a-10:45a & 12:15p – 12:30p) 

1:30p Lunch on Your Own – Cornhole Tournament on Beach 

7:30p Closing Reception & Awards Banquet 

All dress for YA Conference is resort casual (No jeans/t-shirts please) 

HILTON Pensacola Beach Gulf Front Hotel 

CALL: (850) 916-2999 FOR RESERVATIONS/GROUP CODE: YAG 

Run of House/Standard: $239/room/night – single/double 1-Bedroom Suite: $309 room/night 

Gulf Front: $249/room/night – single/double 2-Bedroom Suite: $325 room/night 

(Tax & SRIA Fees: 14.55% total (Subject to change) (Check-in: 4 p.m. Check-out: 11 a.m. 

HOTEL RESERVATION CUT-OFF DATE: June 24, 2018 

*Online reservations: www.hiltonpensacolabeach.com 

REGISTRATION FORM 

Please type or print clearly. 

First Time? ____ Yes ____ No 

____ Member Agent/Sponsor $150 ____ Associate Member-$250 (Not Sponsor-No Roundtable) 

____ Spouse/Guest Registration $150 ____ Kids 5-12 $ 60 (No fee Ages 1-4) 

____ Non-Member Agent $175 ____ Non-Member Company $300 

____ Roundtable Space & One Rep Fee $350 ____ Additional Roundtable Rep Fee/each $100 

AFTER JULY 9th ADD $50 LATE FEE TO REGISTRATIONS ABOVE. LATE FEE DOES NOT APPLY TO KIDS. 

Name: _________________________ Designations: ___________ Spouse/Guest Name:____________________ 

# of Children Attending: ______ Ages: ___________ Names: _________________________________________ 

Agency/Company Name: ______________________________________________________________________ 

Address: _____________________________Phone: __________ Fax:____________ Email_________________ 

PAYMENT INFORMATION 

A $35 processing fee for all cancellations will apply. No refunds after 07/20/2018 - No Shows: No refund/full fee billed. 

Check enclosed (made payable to AIIA) $ ____________ (Mail to 141 London Parkway, Birmingham, AL 35211) 

Credit Card Please charge my VISA/MC/AMEX $ _____________ 

Card #: ______________________________________________________________ Ex. Date: __________________ 

Name as it appears on the card: ____________________________ CVC______________ ZIP ________________ 

Authorized signature: _____________________________________________________________________________ 

► ARRIVING EARLY -THURSDAY, JULY 26 TH . IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY GOLF–CHECK BOX AND SOMEONE WILL CALL. 

Cell Phone No.:__________________________ 

► IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLAY IN THE CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT- CHECK BOX. 

Hotel Cut Off Date June 24, 2018. Hotel reservations must be made directly with Hilton Pensacola at (850) 916-2999 

Please return Registration & Payment to AIIA, 141 London Pkwy, Birmingham, AL 35211 - Or Fax: (205) 326-3086 


I will not accept policy changes 

from a third party. 





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WAYS TO 

MAKE THE RIGHT 

REPUTATION 

By John Graham 


It always comes as a shock 

to find out that others see us quite 

differently than we see ourselves. More 

often than not, it can be distressing, particularly 

at work. “I don’t get it. I’m not that way.” Maybe not. 

But it happens. And when it does, a bad rep can stick 

tighter than super glue thanks to word-of-mouth and the 

social media. 

In today’s highly competitive workplace, reputation makes a 

difference. Your competition can be down the hall, across the 

country, or 10 feet away. It can be someone who wants your 

customer or your job – maybe both. 

When it comes to your reputation, hoping for the best isn’t 

good enough. It leaves it in the hands of others. Your 

reputation needs to be shaped and managed so it 

reflects the way you want to be viewed. Here are 

22 ways to go about deliberately shaping 

how others see you: 

TAKE ON EXTRA WORK. Sure, you’ve got more than 

enough on your plate, so why pile on anything more? It 

lets you demonstrate your ability to shoulder a heavier 

load. And that doesn’t go unnoticed. 

MEET DEADLINES. “I didn’t have enough time,” may 

be the top excuse for failing to meet deadlines, as if 

something beyond our control intervened and caused us 

to fail. What really happens is that we run out of time – 

and that’s due to poor planning. 

COME UP WITH IDEAS TO IMPROVE SOMETHING. It 

isn’t that most people don’t have ideas; it’s simply they’re 

afraid to present them – what will people think? Maybe 

it’s stupid? Take a chance. You’ll be surprised. 

EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO SOMEONE WHO 

HELPS. We all get busy and move from one thing to 

another, and before we know it, several people have 

come to our aid. Just another day at the office. It shouldn’t 

be. Make it a point to say thanks. 

GIVE CREDIT TO OTHERS. It seems as if it diminishes 

us if we make a point to give a “shout out” to a co-worker. 

But just the opposite is true. It says we understand what 

it means to be a team player. 

PITCH IN WHEN SOMEONE IS OUT. Whether it’s taking 

messages, answering questions, or solving a problem, it 

says you have their back. It won’t be forgotten. 

ASK QUESTIONS. We’ve all been in meetings where 

stuff goes by that’s new, unclear or confusing. Ask a 

question. Don’t assume you’re the only one who didn’t 

get it. It shows you’re thinking. 

BE CAREFUL ABOUT COMPLAINING. When there’s 

nothing else to do, it’s complain time, particularly at 

lunch or after work. Complaining can be toxic and those 

who do it put their reputation at risk. 

WELCOME NEW CO-WORKERS. There’s a reason to 

be the first: first impressions are indelible and you will be 

remembered. 


GO OUT OF YOUR WAY TO HELP CUSTOMERS. Look 

at these as opportunities, not interferences. They’re 

memorable. Customers like to talk about 

the times when someone did something 

special for them. 

COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS 

FOR PROBLEMS. Avoid the 

natural instinct to hold back and 

play it safe: What if it doesn’t 

work out? Or, it’s rejected? 

Give it a try and you may be 

surprised what happens. 

OFFER SUGGESTIONS 

SO OTHERS DON’T TRIP 

THEMSELVES UP. “Would it 

be helpful to look at it this way?” 

or “Have you considered other 

possibilities?” Such questions can help 

rescue someone from stepping off a cliff, 

from making an unnecessary mistake. They 

won’t forget it. 

ADMIT IT WHEN YOU’RE WRONG. It’s easy to say, 

“Everybody makes mistakes” or “I’m just human” when 

we get something wrong. But passing it off is quite 

different from taking ownership and saying, “I was 

wrong.” Both impact one’s reputation. 

IF YOU SPOT A PROBLEM, PROPOSE 

A SOLUTION. Identifying problems 

is a popular workplace pastime. 

Coming up with possible solutions, 

not so much. One is seen as 

complaining, the other as being 

helpful. 

STEP BACK TO GET A 

BIGGER PICTURE. What’s 

going on right around us holds 

our attention, blinding us to the 

bigger picture, distorting our 

thinking, and causing us to react 

inappropriately. It helps to step back 

so we can see more clearly. 

PAY ATTENTION TO DETAILS. Nothing is 

more disruptive, embarrassing, and frustrating 

than the wrong address or price, a phone number that’s 

one digit off, a misspelling, or something that was left 

out. Reputations are made on accuracy; the opposite is 

also true. 

For Dwelling Fire/Mobile Home Insurance, put your trust in 

a company that has been insuring homes for over 50 years. 

National Security has provided competitive, affordable insurance to policyholders for over 50 years, 

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We are now accepting new appointments. 

Find out more by calling Sharon at 1-800-239-2358 x213 or visit nationalsecuritygroup.com. 

Elba, Alabama 


DON’T MAKE EXCUSES. It’s quite simple: the opposite 

of making excuses is taking responsibility. Either 

way, there’s a reward; one you want and one 

you don’t. 

AVOID HAVING SOMEONE 

REMIND YOU. Digital calendars 

and reminders should eliminate 

the need for someone to remind 

us. It hasn’t. The offenders are 

just more visible. 

THANK THOSE WHO HELP 

YOU. Although we may not 

admit it, there are many hands 

pulling up our bootstraps, 

not just our own. Be generous 

in expressing appreciation to 

everyone who literally gives you a 

hand. 

TELL SOMEONE WHEN THEY DO A GOOD 

JOB. Criticism comes easily, praise not so much. Most 

people benefit from less of the former and more the latter. 

WELCOME CHALLENGES. If all we know is what we’re 

doing now at work, we’re coasting. When we dare 

to step out of our comfort zone and take risks, 

we do more than just holding a job. 

SMILE MORE. A Penn State study 

found that smiling employees are 

more approachable, likeable and 

appear more competent, as well 

as more trustworthy, according 

to University of Pittsburgh 

researchers. 

When all is said and done, your 

reputation is what you make it. 

John Graham of GrahamComm 

is a marketing and sales strategy 

consultant and business writer. He 

is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” 

and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No 

Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him 

at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com. 


AVOIDING 

OPERATIONAL 

PITFALLS 

AN ‘EVERY 

DAY’ PLAN 

By Ellen McCarthy, 

Vice President at 

Swiss Re Corporate Solutions 

Reprinted from rms.iiaba.net 

E&O Happens Website 

Running a successful insurance agency 

is akin to putting together a winning 

sports team. You want to get the best 

athletes available and ensure that 

those players perform at a high level by 

implementing a well-conceived regime 

of skill development. 

But athletic prowess, by itself, is not enough. Nothing 

is more frustrating than seeing an undisciplined player 

get penalized during a game for failing to follow an 

established rule. In the sports world, these errors 

routinely end up changing the outcome of the game. 

Likewise, in the insurance arena an agency can have 

great producers and a solid marketing plan in place, 

but if key agency processes aren’t being followed, the 

resulting E&O claim can be quite painful. 

Consider the following: 

• An agency has specific procedures in place for 

the issuance of Certificate of Insurances (COI). Its 


manual provides that, if a COI is given for an additional 

insured, the agency must make sure the carrier is notified 

and that an endorsement is issued for the certificate holder. 

A well-respected CSR is faced with multiple COI requests 

and, due to a heavy workload, delays notifying the carrier of 

one of the issued COIs, then forgets to follow up. A lawsuit 

is filed against the certificate holder after an accident on 

a job site. The certificate holder demands a defense from 

the insured’s GL carrier, but the carrier declines to defend 

or indemnify because the certificate holder was not an 

insured. A claim is then made against the agency. Total 

Cost: $180,000 

• An agency is contacted by a customer for homeowners 

coverage. The agency’s manual requires that all files 

must have a completed application. The producer inputs 

information into the carrier’s web portal for a quote with a 

plan to update the inputted information as needed upon 

receipt of the application and the policy is bound. Several 

months later, a fire occurs and the agency cannot locate 

the application. The carrier pays the claim but then sues 

the agency on the theory that the agency failed to follow 

its own guidelines by not getting an application, insisting 

that it never would have written the policy had the correct 

information been relayed. At deposition, the producer 

has no choice but to admit that the procedure was to get 

the completed application before binding coverage and 

has no explanation as to the whereabouts of the missing 

application. Total Cost: $500,000 

• A producer procures coverage on multiple commercial 

properties for a longtime client. Subsequently, at the 

client’s request, the producer asks the carrier to remove 

property coverage for one of the properties as it was to 

be leased to a tenant. The agency has a best practices 

manual, which states there should be a deletion/reduction 

request in writing, but the producer did not get one (in 

fact, very rarely did this producer get anything in writing). 

A subsequent vandalism claim occurs on the property, 

which the carrier denies due to the lack of coverage. The 

client then brings suit against the agency for the uncovered 

vandalism loss and maintains that the property was 

supposed to have coverage. Total Cost: $470,000 

• An agency procures commercial auto coverage for a 

client whose principal is “John Doe Sr.” The agency 

manual specifies that an insured’s complete legal name 

must be entered on all applications. The application has a 

list of individuals who would be covered by a Broad Form 

Drive Other Car Endorsement. The producer lists “John 

Doe” as a covered person. Subsequently, the principal’s 

son and former employee, John Doe Jr., is involved in a 

car accident. He seeks coverage under the policy on the 

theory that he was covered as “John Doe,” The court 

ultimately agrees that, due to the “ambiguity” as to who the 

intended insured was, the carrier must cover John Doe Jr. 

The carrier pays its limits and then seeks this sum from the 

agency for causing the ambiguity. The carrier asserts that 

the agency violated its own guidelines in not using the legal 

name of the insured. Total Cost: More Than $1 Million 

While mistakes happen (after all, that is what insurance is 

for), there are simple ways an agency can reduce claims 

arising from procedural errors. 

• The “four eye” approach. Before any policy is issued, 

have another staff member do a review to make sure 

nothing was missed. Yes, this can be time consuming but 

the payoff can be substantial. 

• Random audits. Select a number of files to review on 

a periodic basis. Do not limit this audit to new or junior 

employees. We often see that the more senior staff 

members are the ones who forget to follow the rules. 

• Periodic refresher sessions for all staff members. 

While these can be dry and boring, try to make them more 

appealing. Try a “game show” type of approach in which 

“contestants” get prizes for answering questions correctly. 

This can be a great team building exercise as well. 

• Checklists. Have a checklist that is used every time, by 

every staff member – NO EXCEPTIONS. There is nothing 

more demoralizing for a staff member to find out that the 

rules only apply to certain people. 

• Workload management. Make sure that staff members 

are not overloaded. It is much harder to follow expected 

procedures when overburdened. That’s when all of us start 

cutting corners. 

• Audits. Retain an outside auditor to come and review the 

agency from top to bottom. While these do come with a 

price tag, pull out the Declarations Page of your E&O policy 

and compare the cost of an audit to having to pay your 

deductible on even a single E&O claim, not to mention the 

premium increase that could result from a serious claim 

and the loss of customer confidence. 

Procedural errors have proven to be just as costly as 

substantive mistakes, particularly when the plaintiff is able to 

highlight the agency’s failure to follow its own rules. In each 

of the examples above, the agency had good procedures in 

place and the agency principals were confident that those 

processes were being followed. It was only when a penalty 

flag was thrown, i.e., an E&O claim came to light, that the 

agency realized its rule book was being ignored. 

Legendary wrestling coach and Olympic gold medalist 

Dan Gable once offered a simple path to success: “If it’s 

important, do it every day.” He’s right. The ramifications of 

failure underscore the importance of having your team in full 

compliance with established agency procedures. Every day. 

Ellen McCarthy is a vice president and claim expert at Swiss Re Corporate 

Solutions and teleworks out of the Overland Park, Kansas, office. 

© 2018, Big “I” Advantage, Inc. and Westport Insurance Corporation. All 

rights reserved. No part of this material may be used or reproduced in any 

manner without the prior written permission from Big “I” Advantage. For 

permission or further information, contact Agency E&O Risk Manager, 127 

South Peyton Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 or email at info@iiaba.net. 


IS THERE PERSONAL LINES COVERAGE 

FOR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT? 

By Big “I” Virtual University Faculty 

QUESTION: There’s employment practices liability coverage for sexual misconduct 

or harassment in the workplace, but what if someone outside the work environment 

claims sexual misconduct or harassment? Can homeowners insurance or a personal 

umbrella address this? 

RESPONSE 1: A few high net-worth personal lines policies 

address this issue. 

RESPONSE 2: Probably not. Sexual misconduct is an 

intentional act that is not fortuitous and is therefore never 

an insured against loss. 

RESPONSE 3: The ISO HO policy excludes: “Bodily injury” 

or “property damage” arising out of sexual molestation, 

corporal punishment or physical or mental abuse. 

A personal umbrella may grant broader coverage, but most 

umbrellas today follow form, which means the exclusions 

in the underlying policy apply to the umbrella as well. 

Check the specific umbrellas available to your agency to 

see if any have broader language. 

For example, although my own personal umbrella does not 

include a specific Sexual Molestation exclusion, it of course 

still includes an exclusion for any intentional injury. It would 

be up to a court to define “intentional.” In the meantime, my 

policy would provide defense coverage. 

RESPONSE 4: Both the ISO HO and personal umbrella 

policies specifically exclude this exposure. The exclusion 

makes no reference to any particular “insured,” which 

means it is absolute: 

7. Sexual Molestation, Corporal Punishment Or Physical 

Or Mental Abuse 

“Bodily injury” or “property damage” arising out of sexual 

molestation, corporal punishment or physical or mental 

abuse. 

Sexual molestation is not a personal injury offense, either. 

I’m not aware of any personal lines coverage for this 

exposure. 

RESPONSE 5: Most likely only if exclusionary wording 

is poorly drafted. Policies generally exclude intentional 

losses, and courts have historically found that sexual 

harassment and molestation are intentional losses. 

If the insured is not the perpetrator, and there’s a Separation 

of Insureds clause, the insured may have coverage if the 


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policy provides bodily and/or personal injury coverage. In 

general, though, policies often include wording like the 

following to extend the exclusion to all insureds if any 

insured engages in an intentional act: 

Expected Or Intended Injury 

“Bodily injury” or “property damage” which is expected 

or intended by an “insured”, even if the resulting “bodily 

injury” or “property damage”: 

a. Is of a different kind, quality or degree than initially 

expected or intended; 

b. Is sustained by a different person, entity or property than 

initially expected or intended. 

However, this Exclusion E.1. does not apply to “bodily 

injury” or “property damage” resulting from the use of 

reasonable force by an “insured” to protect persons or 

property; 

If the perp isn’t an insured, there may be coverage if an 

insured is allegedly liable and the nature of the occurrence 

is covered. 

RESPONSE 6: An HO policy or PUP might provide defense 

until proven guilty, but many have added exclusions over 

the years. You’d have to review each form to determine 

whether it contains a specific exclusion. Also consider that 

willful acts and intentional acts are often excluded by the 

form or the insurance code. Sexual misconduct coverage 

denials often rely on those exclusions. 

RESPONSE 7: No insurance policy covers an illegal act. 

Take a look at an EPLI form—while it may provide defense 

for these acts, it will not pay if the person is found guilty. 

Likewise, an HO policy specifically excludes such a loss. 

There may be a case for defense cost protection based on 

the coverage grant in the Coverage E insuring agreement, 

but don’t count on it. It’s unlikely that such protection can 

be purchased. What carrier wants to insure an unlawful 

act, especially one so heinous? 

This question was 

originally submitted by 

an agent through the 

VU’s Ask an Expert 

Service. Answers to 

other coverage questions 

are available on the VU 

website. If you need help 

accessing the website, 

request login information. 

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Ted’s Tablet 

Q: 

QUESTION: When reviewing personal umbrella coverage/ 

limits, we are often asked: “How much is enough?” That’s 

a loaded question and difficult to answer. Are there any 

“rules of thumb” that could guide an agency’s response? 

Or is there a recommended way to respond that: 1) 

protects the agency and 2) encourages that client to think 

critically for themselves (about what that answer should 

be)? 

A: 

ANSWER: This is not a question you can answer. 

You don’t know how much they need until they need 

it. Respond with “how much can you afford?” or “how 

much are you comfortable with?” Give them several limit 

options, including the highest limit available from your 

carrier and then let them decide. If they want more than 

your carrier offers then you might have to go to the E&S 

market. 

Here are three examples of actual claims: 

• Babysitter left baby unattended in a walker – baby 

toppled the walker, hit her head and suffered brain 

damage – babysitter and her parents were sued – court 

awarded $11,000,000 

• Insured’s friend dove into an above-ground pool, 

struck his head and became a quadriplegic – sued the 

homeowner and the pool manufacturer – homeowner 

60 percent responsible/manufacture 40 percent 

responsible – court awarded $10,000,000 

• Insured hosted a beach party for their daughter – one of 

the attendees found a propane tank that appeared to be 

empty and threw it in the fire – it exploded and injured 

several guests – the insured was sued for $20,000,000 

for failure to supervise the party 

Q: 

QUESTION: We currently have a BOP written on our 

agency that includes Hired and Non Owned. We do NOT 

have a Commercial Auto Policy. 

We buy our vehicles through the agency but we insure 

them on our personal policy and name the agency as 

an additional insured. If we were at fault in a bad auto 

accident and we exhausted our personal auto and 

personal umbrella limits is there a chance that our 

Commercial Umbrella policy pick up any coverage for the 

agency if it were sued for any excess OVER our personal 

policies? 

Clearly the hired and non-owned auto from the BOP would 

NOT respond because the autos are actually owned by 

the business … we were just wondering if the agency 

could look to any other policy for coverage if it does not 

have a commercial auto policy? 

A: 

ANSWER: The way you’re doing this is not what I would 

recommend. A vehicle owned by the agency should not 

be on a PAP. It should be on a BAP. 

Does the PAP additional insured endorsement properly 

cover the agency’s ownership interest in the vehicle or just 

vicarious liability? ISO does not have an AI endorsement 

so I would be curious what the carrier is using. 

I always recommend that coverage should be based on 

ownership, not usage. How the vehicle is titled should 

determine the proper policy form. I don’t like using 

non-auto policies to cover auto exposures. I’m curious 

why you are handling this with a PAP. 

Since the autos are on a PAP, the Commercial Umbrella 

would not pick up that exposure. The agency, would not 

be covered since it owns the vehicles and there is no 

coverage in the agency’s name. Of course, you would not 

be covered by the Commercial Umbrella either because 

the umbrella covers the agency, not you. I don’t think 

the carrier would add the PAP’s as underlying coverage 

because they are not in the agency’s name. 

I would write a BAP in the agency’s name and list the 

autos there. I would also take the non-owned & hired 

auto coverage off the BOP and use either Symbol 1 

or Symbols 8 & 9 on the BAP. Also, be aware of your 

exposure for operating non-owned autos (e.g. autos 

rented or borrowed by you personally). If you, have a PAP 

(say for your wife’s car), that exposure would be covered 

there. You can also cover it on a BAP in two ways: 

1. List the three of you, as well as the agency’s name, 

as named insureds. The carrier should then add an 

Individual Named Insured endorsement. 

2. The other way is to add a Drive Other Car endorsement 

listing yourself and all family members. 

You probably don’t need these endorsements if you have 

a PAP available but it would give you additional limits. 


The Alabama Independent Insurance Agents 

Fall Education Conference 

& Trade Fair 

C o n t a c t N a n c y C r o w e n c r o w e @ a i i a . o r g 

f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n o n e x h i b i t o r s p a c e 

a n d r e g i s t r a t i o n ! 

J e f fer y G r a h a m 

D i r e c t o r o f A g e n c y D e v e l o p m e n t 

T r a v e l e r s I n s u r a n c e C o m p a n y 

Join us as we discuss such topics as: 

• Creating Your Sales Culture 

• Perpetuating Your Book of Business 

• Sales and Marketing Strategy 

October 17, 2018 

8:00am – 4:00pm 

141 London Parkway Birmingham, AL 35211

JULY 

EducationCalendar 

4 AIIA Office Closed for Independence Day 

11-12 CIC James K. Ruble Graduate Seminar – Point 

Clear, AL (NEW LOCATION) 

17 CISR Essentials of Life & Health – Huntsville 

18 CISR William T. Hold – Tuscaloosa 

23-27 P&C Licensing School – Birmingham 

24 E&O Road Map to Policy Analysis – Florence 

26-28 Young Agents Summer Conference – Hilton 

Pensacola 

SEPT. 

AUGUST 

8-10 CIC Personal Lines – Birmingham 

15 CPIA 3 – Montgomery 

15 Young Agents Committee Day 

16 AIIA Committee Day 

29 CISR William T. Hold – Birmingham 

30 CISR Essentials of Life & Health – Tuscaloosa 

5 CISR Commercial Casualty Exposures 2 – Mobile 

6 CISR Commercial Casualty Exposures 2 – Montgomery 

12-14 CIC Commercial Multiline – Birmingham 

18 CISR Commercial Casualty Exposures 2 – Huntsville 

18 Pat Owens Big I PAC Golf Classic – Prattville 

20 CISR Commercial Casualty Exposures 2 – Tuscaloosa 

26 CISR Commercial Casualty Exposures 2 – Birmingham 

PTAWebinars 

July 12 – Farm Property Coverages 

July 13 – Contractual Liability…Separating Fact from Fiction 

July 16 – Workers’ Compensation 

July 17 – E&O: Roadmap to Policy Analysis (Part One & Two) 

July 18 – Insuring Toys and Collectibles 

July 19 – It’s Not My Fault, Or Is It? – Liability Issues in Personal Lines Policies 

July 23 – Farm Vehicle and Equipment Coverages 

July 24 – Ethical Dilemmas…Making the Right Choices 

July 25 – Additional Insureds and Certificates of Insurance 

July 26 – Business Auto Coverages 

July 30 – Insuring Technology Exposures – Products, Property and Professional Liability 

For complete class listings and to see all AIIA Webinars, PTA Webinars and ABEN Webinars, visit www.aiia.org. 


DID YOU KNOW? 

AIIA is hosting LIVE Webinars! 

3 Hours CE – Member Rate $40 

June 11th 

Ethics-Who Needs ‘Em 

Lisa Worley 

June 14th 

Property Insurance Issues 2 

(Property Issues, Margin Clauses, Appraisal, Payment of Loss, Role of Adjusters) 

Earlie Simmons 

July 10th 

As Though I Don’t Have Enough to Worry About 

(Topics: Drones, Ride Sharing, Home-Sharing & Host Liquor Liability) 

Frank Millsaps 

July 13th 

CGL and the Contractor - Traps & Tricks 

Ted Kinney 

August 9th 

Introduction to Worker’s 

Compensation 

Ted Kinney 

September 13th 

Personal Lines Issues & 

Answers 

Ted Kinney 

November 8th 

The Insurance Agent’s Standard 

of Care 

(What is Your Legal Duty to Your 

Insureds?) 

Ted Kinney 

More topics and other 

opportunities to come, stay 

tuned!!! 

2018 2017 Issue 2 | Alabama Independent 33

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Safeco Insurance Appoints Debra 

Pooley As Vice President and General 

Manager for the Southeast Region 

Safeco Insurance announced that 

Debra Pooley has been appointed 

Vice President and General Manager 

for the Southeast Region. She 

replaces Carl Canales who has been 

named Vice President and General 

Manager for the Northeast Region. 

Debra, who most recently served 

as Regional Operations Manager 

for Safeco in Suwanee, Georgia, 

is a CPCU and CPA, and brings a 

wealth of experience to her new role. 

A Georgia native, she has worked 

extensively to support independent 

agents, and is a natural fit to lead 

Safeco’s field operations team in the 

region. 

“I am very excited about the insights 

and expertise Debra brings to this 

role and her commitment to helping 

independent agents win in the 

marketplace,” said John Mileski, 

Senior Vice President and Manager, 

Agency Field Operations at Safeco 

Insurance. “Debra will spend the next 

few weeks meeting with our agency 

partners, strengthening existing 

partnerships and forging new ones.” 

Before moving back to Georgia, 

Debra was the Director of Distribution 

for Liberty Mutual Business Insurance 

leading the state of Oregon and prior 

to that the Region Vice President 

directing the underwriting and 

territory manager teams. She also 

has served in a variety of roles in 

finance – including Chief Financial 

Officer for Ohio Casualty, a Liberty 

Mutual regional company. 

Throughout her career, Debra has 

demonstrated a commitment to 

giving back to the community through 

charitable endeavors, including 

playing an active role in Give with 

Liberty. She served on the Board of 

Directors for the Portland (Oregon) 

March of Dimes, and is a former 

board member for Kaya Children 

International, and the Great Miami 

Valley YMCA in Hamilton, Ohio. In 

addition, Debra served as Division 

Chair and Campaign Cabinet Member 

for ArtsWave, a Cincinnati area fine 

arts program. 

BAIP Holds 74th 

Annual Past Presidents 

Anniversary Luncheon 

The Birmingham Area Insurance Professionals celebrated 

their 74th Anniversary Luncheon at The Club on March 

14. Daniel Martin, Outreach Manager from the Greater 

Birmingham Humane Society, was the guest speaker. He 

spoke on the different types of Bulldog breeds and what 

gives them such a bad reputation. Those in attendance were 

Carol Kirby, Jackie Harbuck, Kathy Blake, Christine Pritchett, 

Dolores Garrett, Estelle Smith, Sharon Griffith, Silvia Wilkins, 

Hope Gardner, Grace Allen and Michelle McKee. 

BAIP is a local chapter of International Association of 

Insurance Professionals, which has been around since 1940. 

Our state has three local chapters located in Birmingham, 

Montgomery and Mobile. If you would like to join, please 

contact Sharon Griffith at 205-414-8100 for more information. 

She is the Birmingham membership contact and works at 

Cobbs Allen. 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

Greenhalgh Insurance 

Agency Celebrates 

Opening Of New 

Building 

After 81 years of business, Greenhalgh Insurance Agency 

celebrated the opening of its new building with a ribbon 

cutting ceremony on April 6. The building is located at 

3148 Cahaba Heights Road, Birmingham. The ribbon 

cutting was facilitated by the Vestavia Hills Chamber of 

Commerce. 

“The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Greenhalgh Insurance 

Agency marked the launch of a new phase for our agency. 

We are proud of our agency and staff, and proud to be a 

part of the Cahaba Heights community and Vestavia Hills,” 

said Russell Greenhalgh, president and owner. 

needs. We are taking a team approach to have the right 

mix of dedicated individuals who truly want to take care of 

our clients. This is our 81st year in business and we are 

grateful to be able to share this new phase and building 

with our clients, staff, and the insurers who make this 

business possible.” 

In order to provide clients with the most competitive 

products, Greenhalgh Insurance Agency represents 

many of the nation’s top-rated insurance carriers. The 

agency offers full-service personal insurance, commercial 

insurance, and surety services. 

Greenhalgh Insurance Agency 

first opened its doors in 1937 and 

is now a third generation familyowned 

agency. The agency was 

founded by Ted Greenhalgh, 

Russell’s father, in 1937. Russell 

went to work with his father, and 

continued the business after 

his father retired. The agency is 

co-owned with Russell by his son, 

Adam Greenhalgh. 

When asked about the agency 

moving forward, Russell explained, 

“This is a 30+ year dream in the 

making. Due to my son Adam’s 

desire to take our agency to 

the next level along with loyal, 

dedicated clients and staff, we are 

able to realize a dream come true. 

Our new office building is a better 

fit for our agency’s business plan 

to continue to grow, by protecting 

our clients with insurance products 

and services written through 

independent agency companies 

with continued focus on our clients’ 


INDUSTRY NEWS 

4th annual Troy RMI Golf 

Tournament Recap 

Left: L-R (Nathan Freese, Garrett Stansky, Kingston Hall, Jake Rakestraw, 

Meredith Durden, Malcom Messer and Troy Hidle) Top: L-R (Kingston 

Hall, Meredith Durden, Ed Duett, Douglas Dick, and Katie Lindsey) 

Troy University hosted their 4th annual 

Risk Management and Insurance 

Golf Scramble Monday, April 30th 

at Wynlakes Golf & Country Club 

in Montgomery. The weather was 

amazing. Everyone gathered for early 

for the box lunch, and then teams hit 

the course. While some were wishing 

“Par was their Friend” others, hit like 

Pro’s including Joel Usry with Great 

American Insurance / Property & Inland 

Marine Division who won the “closest 

to the hole” award. Mike Kreis with 

Kreis Insurance Agency, along with 

Dale Taylor, Joey Holley and Wyndell 

Stephens from BXS Insurance in Troy 

took home 1st Place again this year. 

All proceeds from the Scramble goes 

toward scholarships and funding the 

educational activities for all the RMI 

Students. Dr. Duett and his staff are 

always working to grow and improve 

their program in order to provide the 

best educational activities possible. 

For more information on the golf 

tournament or the Troy RMI program, 

contact Professor Dr. Ed Duett at 

eduett@troy.edu. 

MIIA Annual Spring Golf 

Tournament & Social 

Montgomery Independent Insurance Agents 

hosted their Annual Spring Golf Tournament 

& Social on May 10th at Wynlakes Golf & 

Country Club in Montgomery and it was a 

beautiful day for a golf outing. Although it 

was considerably warm, golfers were able 

to stay hydrated and take a short break to 

mingle with company representatives who 

had tents on certain holes. 

MIIA Board said this tournament and 

social was a time to give back to all their 

sponsors. Once the 13 teams came off the 

course, it was time to socialize with all the 

sponsors. Over 175 folks gathered in the 

ballroom to enjoyed nice cold beverages 

and buffet style appetizers. The Golf Pro 

tallied all the scores and President James 

Barber called out the winners. Then it was 

time for the famous giving out of the door 

prizes. Each person who attends the social 

is guaranteed a prize. 

Hats off to the Montgomery Independent 

Agents for another fantastic event!!! 

They would like to “thank” all their 

2018 sponsors. 

DIAMOND - $2,500 

ATA Comp Fund 

ServPro 

The Sheffield Fund 

Travelers 

PLATINUM - $1,750 

Aronov Insurance 

GOLD - $1,250 

Associated Insurance Administrators (AiA) 

One Beacon Inland Marine 

Palomar Insurance 

Sentry Insurance 

WorkersFirst Comp Fund 

SILVER - $1,000 

Alabama Home Builders 

Self Insurers Fund (AHBSIF) 

Alabama Retail Comp (ARC) 

Alabama Self-Insured Worker’s 

Compensation Fund (ASIWCF) 

AmWINS Brokerage 

Frankenmuth Insurance 

Harmon Dennis & Bradshaw 

BRONZE - $500 

AlaCOMP 

All Risks, Ltd. 

Argos Group/SteadPoint Insurance 

Group 

Assured Partners 

Builders Insurance Group 

CRC 

Donegal 

Genesee 

Great American Insurance Group 

Imperial PFS 

Johnson &Johnson 

North Point Underwriters 

Penn National 

Starke Agency 

Thompson Insurance 

36 Alabama Independent | 2017 2018 Issue 2

INDUSTRY NEWS 

Insurance Planning 

Services Disaster 

Bus Helps Tornado 

Victims 

Four years ago, Insurance Planning 

Services (IPS) purchased a school 

bus to respond to areas where help 

was needed. It was needed after an 

EF3 tornado tore through Jacksonville, 

Alabama, and the Jacksonville State 

University campus on March 19. 

According to Brad Young of IPS, they 

were on site within hours after the storm 

hit to help customers and provide for 

the community. They worked through 

the night and had the bus set up at 

daybreak to offer anything they could to 

citizens and students. 

They served over 750 hot dogs, 

provided thousands of drinks, 

snacks and wet wipes, and had 

charging stations for cell phones. 

Brad said, “While the destruction and 

displacement of families and students 

is horrible, it was so gratifying for our 

agency to be able to give all we could. 

The amount of donations dropped off at 

our office and to the bus from complete 

strangers was overwhelming. We were 

very blessed and thankful to be able to 

provide assistance.” 

Alabama Agents Visit 

Washington, D.C. 

Alabama Independent Insurance Agents were well 

represented at the 2018 IIABA National Legislative 

Conference held in April. Our group gathered with agents 

from all across the USA to meet with our respective 

Members of Congress on issues facing our industry. 

AIIA members attending the conference were Haig Wright, 

Steve Sprayberry, Michael Vance, Jeff Hogg, Jeff Grice, 

Mark Hughes, Jim Murphree, C.D. Denson, Jim Murphree, 

Todd Roberts and Bill Sager. 

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky and 

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer from Maryland 

addressed the conference attendees on the status of the 

115th Congress. Both gentlemen provided insights to 

the congressional activity and their expectations for the 

remainder of their session. 

Our attendees also heard from Brett Baier, Fox News 

Channel anchor and host of the “Special Report with 

Brett Baier.” He provided a very entertaining segment and 

excellent insights to the media’s approach to covering the 

political arena. 

Members of our group visited with Representatives Mo 

Brooks, Robert Aderholt and Mike Rogers. Meetings with 

the staffs of Representatives Terri Sewell, Bradley Byrne, 

Gary Palmer and Martha Roby also took place. Our entire 

group met with a representative of Senator Doug Jones 

followed by a meeting with Alabama Senator Richard 

Shelby and his staff. Several topics were discussed with 

the congressional members, including: reauthorization of 

the Federal Flood Program, which is set to expire July 31, 

2019; renewal of the Federal Crop Insurance Program, 

which is set to expire later this year; continuing support 

for insurance regulation to remain on the state level; the 

repeal of the “Cadillac Tax” on healthcare; tax reform; and 

cybersecurity. 

The 2019 IIABA Legislative Conference will be held May 7-9. 

If you have news you would like to share about your agency helping in the community, let AIIA know! 


SEEN&HEARD 

BIRTHS 

Congratulations to Jeremy Henderson of SanBuck, Inc. 

& wife Jade, along with son Banks on welcoming Lennon 

Josephine on March 15th, 2018. 

Congratulations to Coley Boone of AlaCOMP & husband 

Scott, along with daughter Lucy on welcoming Michael Scott 

Boone, Jr. on March 21st, 2018. 

Congratulations to Crystal Cleveland of Iron Mountain 

Insurance & husband Brent, along with Molly & Luke on 

welcoming Julietta Rose on March 21st, 2018. 

NUPTIALS 

Congratulations to Kendall Carbonie (AmWINS) on her 

marriage to Mr. Travis Gann. The ceremony took place 

at Red Gates/Kelly Creek in Odenville and they were 

surrounded by family and friends on March 17th, 2018. 

Congratulations to Chris Hoggle (Woodall & Hoggle 

Insurance Agency) on his marriage to Ms. Ashely Merrill. 

The ceremony took place at Birmingham Country Club in 

Birmingham and they were surrounded by family and friends 

on May 4th, 2018. 

Congratulations to Ashley Oden (Cobbs Allen) on her 

marriage to Mr. Patrick Guarino. The ceremony took place 

at Hoover-Randle Home and Gardens in Hoover and they 

were surrounded by family and friends on May 19th, 2018. 

Congratulations to Rebecca Borgini (daughter of Michael 

Borgini of JLT Re) on her marriage to Mr. Erik Sayger. The 

ceremony took place at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in 

Hoover and they were surrounded by family and friends on 

May 19th, 2018. 

RETIREMENTS 

Nancy White – Alabama Self-Insured Work Comp Fund 

Andy Locklin and Kinn Webb – Assured Partners of 

Alabama dba Clark Associates, Inc. 

Judy Payne – Starke Agency 

Cynthia Jones – USI Insurance Services 

M. J. Kelly Company-Alabama 

Wholesale Insurance Brokerage 

www.mjkelly.com . 800.873.8374 


username 

*********** 

Welcome New Members 

AIIA would like to welcome the following new members who have recently 

joined the association. Thank you for joining Alabama Big I! 

NEW AGENCY MEMBERS 

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS 

Davison Insurance Agency 

Derrick Davison 

Pell City 

Murfree Meadows, Inc. 

Doug Meadows 

Birmingham 



2018 - Issue 2 

Shoals Insurance Group 

Tim Palmer 

Florence 

AFS / IBEX a division of MetaBank 

Stamie Joanos 

Tallahassee, Florida 

9th Annual 

Clay Shoot 


Excalibur Scholarships 

Hodges Ford Insurance Agency 

Craig Ford 

Gadsden 

CNA Insurance Company 

Tim Moyniham 

Birmingham 

Pitman Insurance Agency 

Lee Turner 

Fairhope 

If you have news, we would love to 

include it in our next issue! Please 

send your press releases, photos or notices 

to Michelle McKee at mmckee@aiia.org. 

WEB- 

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SIUPREM is proud to be the Endorsed Premium 

Finance Partner of the Alabama Big I. 

To learn more, visit 

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call 800.925.2546 


SIU COMMERCIAL PROPERTY & CASUALTY DELIVERS 

THE TEAM ADVANTAGE 

FOR EXCESS & SURPLUS AND ADMITTED RISKS 

CARRIER ACCESS COMBINED WITH 

DEDICATED UNDERWRITING TEAMS, 

MAKE SIU 

THE DEFINITIVE COMMERCIAL 

P&C RISK SOLUTION FOR THE 

INDEPENDENT AGENT. 

SIU assigns every Independent Agency a 

dedicated team of Underwriters. This Team 

ADVANTAGE provides each agency with: 

• Personalized attention for every account 

• Unparalleled Service 

• Intrinsic Knowledge of the agency 

and agency needs 

The ultimate goal of the Underwriting Team 

is to create an environment of support, 

service and expertise that positions the 

Independent Agent to quickly and effectively 

meet the needs of the insureds. 

Commercial P&C Target Classes: 

• Contractors 

- Artisan 

- General 

- Roofers 

• Vacant Land 

& Dwellings 

• Restaurants 

(including liquor) 

- Bars 

- Taverns 

- Clubs 

- Caterers 

• Professional Liability 

- Errors & Omissions 

- Excess Professional Liability 

- General Liability 

• Habitational Dwellings 

& Associations 

- Apartments 

- Hotel/Motel 

- Rental Dwellings 

- Homeowners/Condo Associations 

• Lessor’s Risk 

- All Occupancies 

CONTACT 

US FOR 

MORE INFO 

678.498.4500 

800.568.1700 

WWW.SIUINS.COM 

SOUTHERN INSURANCE 

UNDERWRITERS, INC.

Alabama Independent 2018, Issue 2

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