The Big I Virginia Fall 2021

FALL 2021
THE BIG
VIRGINIA
THE MAGAZINE FOR INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS

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©Copyright Employers Mutual Casualty Company 2021. All rights reserved.

FALL 2021
The Big I Virginia is a publication of the
Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia
8600 Mayland Drive, Richmond, VA 23294
Phone: 804.747.9300 / Toll-free: 800.288.IIAV (4428)
Fax: 804.747.6557 / E-mail: members@iiav.com / Website: iiav.com
INSIDE
6 Message from the Chairman of the Board Priscilla Hottle
10 Message from the President & CEO Robert N. Bradshaw Jr.
12 Message from the State National Director Michael Funkhouser
13 Platinum Partner Focus: Shenandoah Mutual
14 2022 Partner Program
15-20 2020 Virginia Property & Casualty Insurance Marketplace
Summary
21 A Question of Value: Data Privacy as Growth Opportunity? Absolutely!
23 Staff Profile: Getting to Know Don Bragg, CPCU, CIC, CPIA, IIAV
Director of Membership and Marketing
24 Get Involved in an IIAV Committee
26 Word Search
27 FEMA Sends Out Update as NFIP’s Risk Rating 2.0 Implementation
Nears
27 Save the Date Young Agents Conference
28 IIAV Convention & Tradeshow October 24-26, 2021
29 I Don’t Put my E&O with Just Anyone
30 Podcasts Worth a Listen
32 Cybersecurity for Small Business
36 Thank You 2021 Partners
37 Reimagining Your Workplace: Hybrid Work
THANK YOU ADVERTISERS
8 Amerisafe
amerisafe.com
40 Applied Underwriters
auw.com/us
22 Berkshire Hathaway GUARD
Ins
guard.com/apply
31 Bloss & Dillard Insurance
Managers
bloss-dillard.com
7 Builders Mutual Insurance
BuildersMutual.com
3 EMC Insurance
emcins.com/wholesalers
9 Harford Mutual
HarfordMutual.com
5 Iroquois Group
iroquoisgroup.com
For more information on advertising, contact Eric Johnson
Blue Water Publishers, LLC / 9406 N. 107th St., Milwaukee, WI 53224
414-708-2059 / fax: 414-354-5317 / eric@bluewaterpublishers.com
2 Jackson Sumner & Associates
jsausa.com
30 JenCap
JencapGroup.com
11 Keystone Insurance Group
keystoneinsgrp.com
38 Penn National
PennNationalInsurance.com
39 SIAA
IIAV IS AN ORGANIZATION DEVOTED TO
PROMOTING, ENHANCING, SERVING AND
ASSISTING INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS.
The Big “I” is a trademark owned by the Independent
Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (“IIABA”), and is
being used with the permission of IIABA.
IIAV Staff
Robert N. Bradshaw, Jr., MAM
President & CEO
rbradshaw@iiav.com
Cell (804) 929-4134
Teri Chester
Executive Secretary/
Receptionist
& Membership Coordinator
tchester@iiav.com
Joe Hudgins, CPCU
Technical Consultant
jhudgins@iiav.com
Cell (804) 929-4138
Bonnie Joyce
Senior Insurance
Administrative Assistant
bjoyce@iiav.com
Linda Loving, CIC, AISM, AIAO
IIAV Chief Operating Officer
& VFSC Executive Vice President
lloving@iiav.com
Cell (804) 929-4133
Susan E. C. Perkins
Membership/Education
Coordinator
sperkins@iiav.com
Bonnie J. Warren,
ACSR, CPIW, DAE, RPLU
Insurance Account Executive
bwarren@iiav.com
Vera Wooden
Insurance Account Executive
vwooden@iiav.com
Donald W. Bragg,
CPCU, CIC, CPIA, MBA
Director of Membership
& Marketing
dbragg@iiav.com
Melanie DeCola
Insurance Account Executive
mdecola@iiav.com
Debbi Little
Director of Professional
Development and Programs &
Executive Director for VAIA
(804)747-6557
dlittle@iiav.com
Nicole McAllister
Director of Communications
(804)747-6557
nmcallister@iiav.com
The Big I Virginia is a publication of the Independent Insurance Agents
of Virginia and is published quarterly by Blue Water Publishers, LLC. The
Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia, Inc. reserves the right in its sole
discretion to reject advertising that does not meet IIAV qualifications or which
may detract from its business, professional or ethical standards. IIAV and Blue
Water Publishers, LLC do not necessarily endorse any of the companies
advertising in the publication or the views of its writers. The publisher cannot
assume responsibility for claims made by advertisers, content provided by
the editor, or for the opinions expressed by contributing authors.
4 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
PRISCILLA HOTTLE
phottle@hottleinsurance.com
CHANGES COMING IN CYBER INSURANCE UNDERWRITING
www.istockphoto.com / sarayut
As the new Chairman of IIAV and a big proponent
of quoting and selling cyber coverage on
every piece of new and renewal business, I was
pleasantly surprised when Bob Bradshaw, President of IIAV
asked that my first article to our Virginia agent community
be about cyber.
Ironically enough, I have had the distinct honor of being
a trailblazer with cyber claims and most notoriously one
of the first agents to have a large Social Engineering or
Fraudulent Deception incident that involved one of my
VIP accounts. Thank goodness we had enough coverage,
crossing two lines of business, to take care of the loss but
to say it was a stressful situation … well, that goes without
saying.
Our good friend, Steve Robinson, National Cyber Practice
Leader for RPS, has written many fantastic articles about
the marketplace, coverage availability and claims. His
most recent article, just hot off the press, addresses the
current changes taking place in the market and I am happy
to share portions of this article with you below:
“There are many words to describe the state of the market
at this point, many of which contain four letters and special
ch@r@c+er$ to make them suitable for print, but we are
6 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021
also witnessing a maturation process that is needed to
ensure the long-term viability of cyber insurance coverage
offerings. Changes in underwriting requirements are
coming very, very quickly.”
MFA or the Highway
“If there is one acronym that agents and brokers selling
cyber insurance need to familiarize themselves with right
now, it is MFA. We like how the National Institute of Science
and Technology (NIST) explains MFA in simple terms: “MFA,
sometimes referred to as two-factor authentication or 2FA,
is a security enhancement that allows you to present two
pieces of evidence — your credentials — when logging
into an account. Your credentials fall into any of these three
categories: something you know (like a password or PIN),
something you have (like a smart card), or something you
are (like your fingerprint). Your credentials must come from
two different categories to enhance security — so entering
two different passwords would not be considered multifactor.
“As of this writing, nearly all insurers are now requiring,
or will soon be requiring, MFA to be in place for remote
access to all sensitive information in order to qualify for a
Continued on page 8 >>

Whether it’s the voice in your head
or the one right beside you,
Builders Mutual is always there,
at work with you.
BuildersMutual.com

cyber insurance policy — new or renewal.
“While this represents a change in requirements from
insurers, and could mean an additional burden of
process and cost to thousands of insureds, the path to
implementing MFA is not as complicated, or expensive,
as many would think. In fact, in many cases, the software
platforms currently in use by insureds already have an MFA
component available for no cost. For those who do not,
it is possible to implement MFA for costs as low as $3 per
employee-per month. To put into context, the average
SME insured (Small Medium Enterprise) could drastically
improve their ability to thwart ransomware attacks on their
business by implementing MFA for less than the cost of the
deductible on their cyber insurance policy. For a business
with 10 employees, this translates to $360 per year. They
spend more than this on their coffee.
“While no single IT security process, patch or software is a
silver bullet for preventing 100% of cyberattacks, insurers
have identified MFA as being among the most effective
risk management tools for preventing ransomware attacks.
Research from both Microsoft and Google suggests that
MFA can block over 99% of account compromise attacks.
Thus, we are seeing the requirements from virtually every
insurer. For those insurers that do not require MFA, they are
utilizing scanning technologies and in-depth underwriting
to determine if insureds have compensatory controls in
place to make them insurable in today’s environment.
They are also looking for additional foundations of cyber
hygiene, such as Endpoint Protection and Response
(EDR), solid backup procedures that segregate or ‘air gap’
backups of critical and sensitive data from the primary
network (i.e., in the cloud), and regular employee training
that involves phishing simulations.
“The challenge among us: reports suggest that only 57% of
global businesses are using MFA now. Bottom line is that in
order to make cyber insurance available, insurers need to
know their insureds are taking deliberate, meaningful steps
to protect their systems. MFA is now to cyber insurance as
sprinkler systems are to commercial property insurance: a
must-have.” — Steve Robinson
We are thrilled to have Steve providing us with a cyber
update at the IIAV Convention Oct. 25th at the Virginia
Beach Marriott. Please join us to hear Steve and all our
fantastic speakers during the IIAV Convention Oct. 25-27.
Go to www.IIAV.com to register for the convention and
book your room!
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8 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

PRESIDENT & CEO
ROBERT N.
BRADSHAW, JR., MAM
rbradshaw@iiav.com
ANNOUNCING VIRGINIA SPECIFIC P&C
MARKETPLACE REPORT
We were pleased when the IIAV Board of
Directors authorized us to engage a data
analysis company to create a Virginia specific
P&C Marketplace Report. The source of most of the data
presented comes from A.M. Best and its financial suite.
A.M. Best obtains the data from the annual statements
filed by each domestic insurance company with its state
regulator. It’s fascinating data but generally needs to be
culled and adjusted to get to usable state specific data.
The IIAV or Virginia specific information takes standard
report, classifications and calculations made available by
A.M. Best and adds custom data extractions from their
systems to arrive at what is intended to be an insurance
agencies perspective on data from insurer annual reports.
This is the first time — that I’m aware — that this data
specific information has been provided to Virginia
agencies. In this magazine you will find reports:
• Virginia Summary: Premium and distribution by line of
business (LOB)
• Loss ratios by LOB
• Average growth rates by LOB
• Top nine lines of business: Five years of premium,
penetration, loss ratios and top insurers
• Independent agent penetration: Five-year trends by
LOB
• Average commissions: Major LOB
• Surplus Lines: Surplus lines utilization and top LOB’s
written
• Fire and allied lines breakout
• Policy dividends breakout
• Appendices with information on data sources,
approaches, and definitions
• And more …
While the data in this magazine provides good information
for the majority of our members, it is not the complete
www.istockphoto.com / yucelyilmaz
report. If you would like to see the complete report, please
feel free to contact me and I’ll send to you.
Again, we are not aware that this information has been
aggregated for Virginia only and are excited about the
opportunity to bring this information to you as a true
and usable analysis of the P&C market in the state with
comparative data of the independent sector to the captive/
direct writer sectors.
We also look at this type of service and information
as “value added” membership service that would be
enormously expensive and time consuming for individual
agencies to generate themselves and clearly not available
by other means or organizations. YOU — the IIAV member
— are receiving this information FIRST.
#Weserveyoufirst
Robert N. Bradshaw, Jr., MAM
President & CEO
10 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

More than a network,
we’re a community.
There are many reasons why independent agencies turn to Keystone, but you might ask what makes them stay?
Keystone is more than just a network - we’re a community. Our goal is to strengthen independent agencies
by bringing them together for peer-to-peer collaboration, industry expertise and access to national resources.
Together, we’re making each other stronger and keeping clients better protected.
That’s how independence works better together!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Michele Bicknell
570.473.2148 | mbicknell@keystoneinsgrp.com
keystoneinsgrp.com
keystoneinsgrp.com
©2020 Keystone Insurers Group ®. All rights reserved. This does not constitute an offer to sell
a franchise in any state in which the Keystone Insurers Group franchise is not registered.

STATE NATIONAL DIRECTOR
MICHAEL F. FUNKHOUSER
mikehm@shentel.net
BENEFITS IN DATA ANALYTICS BUT DON’T FORGET
THE HUMAN ELEMENT
Data Analytics. Big Data. Predictive Analytics.
Cognitive Computing. It seems we can’t pick up a
trade publication today without reading an article
on any or all of the above.
I’ve now become “that guy.” You know the old, crochety
dude who says “well back in my day, I could give someone
their auto quote without looking at the manual. Get off my
lawn with your newfangled predictive modeling!”
For you “youngins,” we didn’t always have a comparative
rater, and we actually had to quote from a (gasp) paper
manual! Sure, it was an arduous process, but it forced me
to truly listen to my customer for their wants and needs.
As I became more experienced, by the time I had finished
interviewing my client, I knew exactly which company
would serve them best. That’s not the case anymore.
Sometimes I think the human and relationship elements
have been taken out of underwriting and pricing. Every
company will tell you what their target market is and where
their “sweet spot” lies demographically. They will also tell
you that there are billions of pricing points depending on
the risk characteristics. After interviewing two separate
clients with similar risk profiles, one would think the pricing
would be similar with a given company. That is simply not
the case anymore.
Now don’t get me wrong. I believe actuarial data. I believe
that predictive modeling has helped companies achieve
profitability. I believe it has helped them in risk assessment
and identifying trends that have aided them in preventing
losses before they happen, rather than compensating for
them later. I’m certainly not asking for the termination of
predictive modeling.
My problem with it is the removal of the aforementioned
human element. Try explaining to a customer why his
premium went up after he removed a vehicle from his auto
policy. Try explaining to a widow why her premium went
up after her late husband was removed from her policy. Or,
try explaining to a customer why their premium went up at
renewal and the underwriter cannot offer an explanation
due to the proprietary nature of black box underwriting.
From an actuarial standpoint, it may make sense. From
INSURANCE
FRAUD IS A $40
BILLION A YEAR
DRAIN ON OUR
INDUSTRY, AND
THE ECONOMY.
a common-sense standpoint, it makes none. In real life,
this causes distrust of the agency and the industry for the
consumer. That’s a tough pill for me to swallow.
But, for all of my negativity, Data Analytics in insurance
are here to stay, and believe it or not, I say “Good!”
Sometimes one just needs to vent a little. I truly see more
benefits than detriments, especially in claims management
and fraud detection.
Insurance fraud is a $40 billion a year drain on our industry,
and the economy. According to an article on ForMotiv.com
on 2/13/2021, “By crunching data collected by behavioral
biometrics and behavioral analytics software, companies
can correlate user behavior against past customer records
to detect fraudulent activity and suspicious behavior
patterns.” This is the kind of analysis we can all get behind.
I still believe this is a relationship business first and
foremost. As agents, we are in the unique position of
developing relationships with both our customers and our
companies. Companies and agents need to work together
to balance the actuarial reality of Big Data, and the real-life
relationships with our mutual customers.
12 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

This month, Randy Jones, Corporate Secretary and Claims
Manager, shares his insights on Shenandoah Mutual.
How long has your company been in
business?
Established February 1876 (145 years).
What is your company’s vision or mission
statement?
As a mutual company, we strive to do everything for the
benefit of our policyholders. We continue to update and
build our services to assist the policyholders’ needs in
this ever-changing society that we live in today.
How has Shenandoah changed through the
last year and half during COVID-19?
With the exception of closing down the home office
to walk-in customers, we were able to continue to do
business as usual. We made changes for our employees
to work from home, if needed, but otherwise we were
able to keep the daily workload at a normal pace so we
had no issues with being overwhelmed.
How do you encourage diversity in your
organization?
We have leaders and managers that understand and
promote the company’s values. We strive to make
everyone feel not only included but also comfortable in
expressing themselves within the company.
What makes Shenandoah standout from the
competition?
We are a mutual company that is policyholder owned,
therefore, as a mutual company, we exist for the benefit
of our policyholders not shareholders. We continually
look for ways to help our clients find coverages that the
larger companies do not wish to do.
Why does Shenandoah choose to Partner
with IIAV?
We want our company to be known around the state
amongst the independent agencies as being a great
option for placing coverage for their clients. We provide
a lot of options for coverage along with great customer
service and claims handling. We are proud to say you will
always be able to speak to a person, not a machine, when
contacting our company. Our underwriters and claim
personnel are always willing to help.
FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 13

2022 PARTNER PROGRAM
GROW YOUR
CONNECTIONS
& BRAND
AWARENESS
Empowering Our Partners
Distinguishing you from the competition
and providing opportunities for you to
connect with industry decision-makers
across Virginia
Education
Demonstrate your
commitment to industry
education, technical
information, and
legislative advocacy.
Marketing
Provide your company with
more consistent branding
and name recognition
throughout the year.
Support
Invest in the future of the
independent agency system
and solidify your position as
a leading industry supporter
and advocate.
HELP YOUR 2022 INVESTMENT FLOURISH
By becoming an IIAV Partner, you distinguish yourself as the trusted
choice of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia. Reap the maximum
rewards from your investment! Rather than sponsoring a single event as an IIAV
Partner, you benefit from consistent branding, name recognition, and extensive
exposure to Virginia Independent Agents throughout the year.
Don Bragg, Director of Membership
dbragg@iiav.com
804.747.9300
www.iiav.com
8600 Mayland Drive
Richmond, VA
08.21

FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 15

16 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 17

18 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 19

20 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

A QUESTION OF VALUE
DATA PRIVACY AS GROWTH
OPPORTUNITY? ABSOLUTELY!
David J. Dillon
John Horace is a business growth guy. It could
be revenue, retention or agency value — as
long as the numbers are increasing, he has
some swagger.
John is the Sales & Marketing leader at a midsize
Virginia insurance agency, focused on
delivering new growth opportunities.
He usually has no interest in regulations or
compliance discussions that affect his agency.
If you want to see his face contort, start going
into depth on compliance or regulatory
topics.
However, he does pay attention to factors that
may impact his prospects and clients. If there
is potential opportunity in the regulatory
mess, he does pay attention. John is always
looking for an opportunity to add value for prospects and
clients and differentiate from competition.
The data privacy regulatory dominos have been falling,
first with the European GDPR in 2018, then California
initiatives, and recently the Virginia Consumer Data
Protection Act of 2021 (CDPA), and the Colorado Privacy
Act. However, John has paid more attention to the “so
what?”; the implications of these regulations for marketing
and sales than the details of the regulations themselves.
While comforted by the broad exemption for financial
institutions in the new Virginia CDPA, he is aware that a
similar exemption in the California law is not as broad.
Therefore, businesses competing nationally or in multiple
states will likely try to meet the highest bar, which is
California.
But as John thought about it, he realized that even
if the regulations never applied to his agency, the
external reality for his business will likely change as
consumers and businesses respond to the regulations.
This realization made John consider how customer and
consumer expectations would evolve and wonder how his
competition may pivot due to privacy regulations.
While regulatory risk to the agency is likely minimal
due to the exemption for financial institutions, John
acknowledged that reputation risk could potentially be
www.istockphoto.com / Lucy2014
significant. There are many examples of this from the
cyber security world. He wondered about the impact on
hard-earned trust and loyalty if they do not handle data in
a responsible and transparent way.
John did not want to think about the potential impact a
data privacy event may have on agency valuation, since
value is typically a function of cash flows and risk.
John’s thoughts shifted to his commercial insurance
prospects and clients. Some of the larger clients may have
obligations under the Virginia CDPA. For others, data
privacy may be a reputation risk exposure that they are
not even thinking about yet.
As John considered the potential impact on prospects
and clients, he noticed an article about data privacy that
a fellow IIAV member had forwarded. The article attempts
to simplify data privacy by highlighting that the privacy
regulations define a basic set of individual rights and
organizational responsibilities that must be observed.
John didn’t see any confusing technical stuff in the article.
It all seemed pretty clear — things like providing notice,
obtaining consent, and consumer choice. As he reviewed
the article, John started to feel like most of this privacy
stuff was relatively easy to understand, and potentially
something about which the producer team could use for
meaningful risk discussions with clients and prospects.
Continued on page 22 >>
FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 21

The article included an attachment
entitled “Data Privacy Canvas – Threat or
Opportunity?”
The Data Privacy Canvas is a one-page summary of basic
questions, practices, regulations, and approaches to data
privacy. John appreciated how it provided a potential
structure for discussions about data privacy risk with
clients and prospects and provided a “cheat sheet.”
John reviewed each of the twelve blocks on the Data
Privacy Canvas. There were several terms he didn’t
recognize, but most of it was at a level that every member
of his agency team could relate to. He began to consider
how to use the Canvas for prospect and client discussions.
Encouraged at the prospect of finding a timely topic with
the potential to add value for prospects and clients and
differentiate his agency from competitors, John started to
think of data privacy regulations in a new way — as an
opportunity rather than an obligation.
New Questions to Consider
• In what ways will consumer expectations be changed
by what is going on with data privacy, and how might
that impact prospects and clients of your agency?
• In what ways may existing agency competitors
change their approach because of the data privacy
regulations, and how could that affect your agency?
• Is this an approach that can position your team to add
value for clients and prospects, and differentiate from
the competition?
Actions to Take
• Regardless of whether you are subject to, or exempt
from, the Virginia CDPA, use the Data Privacy Canvas
to review what data you have and how it is being
managed, shared and stored.
• Review the Privacy Policy currently available on your
website. What does it tell you about your agency? Is it
written in a legal or marketing voice?
• Review the privacy notices located on the websites of
your top five prospects, top five clients and top five
competitors. Discuss the findings among the agency
leadership team.
David Dillon is a licensed property & casualty agent and
an IIAV and Big I MD associate member as owner of
Watney Insights Network, Inc. His focus is growth; helping
independent insurance agencies grow so they can thrive.
To learn more visit WatneyInsights.com or contact Dave at
703.785.9440 or ddillon@watneyinsights.com.
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22 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

STAFF PROFILE
GETTING TO KNOW DON BRAGG, CPCU, CIC, CPIA
IIAV DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING
What is one thing on your bucket list?
When I retire, I want to take a trip across the United States
and visit as many of the National Parks as possible.
What is your favorite …
Food?
It would be a toss-up between a nice thick steak and baked
spaghetti with lots of meat sauce and any kind of dessert.
Movie?
I like movies based on historical events like “A Beautiful
Mind,” or total fantasy like “The Wizard of Oz.”
Book?
How long have you been in the industry?
I have been in the insurance industry for 44 years. I started
as an Underwriting Trainee at State Farm in 1977.
What do you at IIAV?
I am the Director of Membership and Marketing. I love
what I do because it is a great work environment. We are
a small staff, but everyone works as a team to accomplish
whatever is needed.
I read mostly self-help/motivational books but for pleasure
I like pure fantasy books like “Lord of the Rings” and “Star
Wars” or historical novels.
Music?
I love most music, but my favorite is Classic Rock such as
Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Eagles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
What do like most of your job?
There is always something new to work on and it allows
me to do what I love the most and that is work with agents
and their staff.
Tell us about yourself!
I enjoy learning new things! I am a student of all things
insurance. I have my CPCU, CIC, and CPIA
What is something people would be surprised
to learn about you?
I love sports, especially the Olympics and outdoor activities
such as kayaking and biking. I have been a runner all my
life. I qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic trials in 1974
but did not go due to an injury. I also do photography and
was a wedding photographer for seven years.
FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 23

Get Involved
IN AN IIAV COMMITTEE
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Monitors current state legislative,
regulatory, and political activity proposals
for the association and proactively explores
legislation that provides a more favorable
insurance marketplace for agents and the
insurance buying public. Makes
recommendations regarding the
association’s support or opposition to
specific legislative proposals at both the
state and national levels.
CONVENTION
This committee serves as the advisory
committee for establishing plans for the
convention agenda, including speakers,
entertainment, guest programs,
sponsorships, and hotel activities. This
committee will be working on the 2022 and
2023 conventions in Virginia Beach.
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Creates strategies to assist IIAV
staff in growing membership,
retaining members and
increasing association
engagement among agency
members
YOUNG AGENTS
Empowers young insurance professionals
to be leaders by providing opportunities for
personal development, building lasting
relationships and gaining valuable industry
experience. Expands young agents’
industry knowledge and enhances their
skills to help their agencies evolve
and grow.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Develops and implements a strategy
for professional development and
networking of members through IIAV’s
education and conference offerings.
Provides suggestions for relevant,
timely subject matter of interest to
IIAV members, including
recommendations for
instructors/speakers for education
courses and programs. Provides input
and recommendations regarding
logistics (location, agenda, and
speakers) and content for IIAV events.
US KNOW HOW YOU
LET
LIKE TO GET INVOLVED !
WOULD
( 8 0 4 ) 7 4 7 - 9 3 0 0
M E M B E R S @ I I A V . C O M
WHY JOIN A COMMITTEE ?
New ideas for your own agency. Networking with other agents and owner. Be the first to know about
association and industry news. A chance to weigh in on new services and programs that members want and
need. The ability to shape the future of our industry. These are just a few reasons why independent agents
across the state choose to get involved on a IIAV committee. Joining a committee is a terrific opportunity for
new and experienced agents to learn more about the association and help direct how the association can
best serve member agencies like yours.
Most committees meet two or three times per year either at the IIAV office in Richmond, by conference call
or in conjunction with IIAV events.

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DOES YOUR AGENCY REALLY HAVE SUFFICIENT CYBER COVERAGE?
It's possible your current business insurance will NOT cover the
subsequent expenses that arise from a cyberattack.
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FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 25
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WORD SEARCH SEARCH
N N Y H Q W P S Q S A F E K A U Q H T R A E Z G Y J G M B P
P D H V T T E R O F E G I N S U R A N C E H R N E K C K O S
Z Y C B H P X N I Z L G S C I T Y L A N A C K M F R Q E N F
M K W J C X H G H V P O G N J I U H P P S U S O S H Y R Y N
X T L T S O N P F J A G O V I V V D Q R B V I I O Q C F X O
I S T D N Z K C H G E T I D Y H L I E Z A R R T Q K Y R S I
L L A W E R I F Y I T R E B R X A N V N K U R A U F B Y H T
O P D R R F G J X J G U V A X A W I H O L M E R B Z E G P A
K M F T Y X A I T I J G E M U O T V G D U H B S D O R P X S
V M D Q R N Z V N N V Y P Q E T F I D I X S Y S M F S T U N
T P G D H G X I Y U W B I M P L O N M H V O C O T L E L R E
I I E Y G E A J I C A E O O R R R E Z D E G Y L T A C X M P
R F E L L I M H G K Z H G Y D I R H J W H W B C O W U F Z M
S K I X L I A B I L I T Y K S P E R B S E S W G A K R Y L O
W K P A S S O C I A T I O N I A S I E N L Q X W U E I X U C
H M V E E K B O K X X D R L O I M S D I Y R I L I K T X A S
E C K N I D N V D I G I T A L R I A N N J X A S B C Y T U R
O Z O I I L H E A Y Z K V J D W L E E D L C A I A A E N M E
Q S E R G L Y A C Q Z F I W H L S F C P I F P S D M N W V K
B R D A C I A O V Z T R D A I O T A B R E Z N T V R O C I R
O E I M A R A Y Q K P S H E F H D N E G X X Y X E M H M B O
P K D D W E H J R X Z W D B E Y C M U S W D U N R F J K T W
A O N N L P E A L I V L U N J V M A N Y Q S P T U S A K F H
G R I A G I G Q X U I S E F U O R S N O I T U B I R T S I D
E B F L W T I Y F N I I R W C D I E P L F R I W Q F F V I T
N L J N B L V R E N K L A N O I S S E F O R P R I K E N B Q
T P C I N U I S E E C A L P T E K R A M C P E L S P M M M N
Z M H G Z M Y S D A I Q S K O G M L Y Z U A A Y V M T J Z L
W X S W R V S V Q X F T F G Q D B N W Q A S P D Z E H Q O I
U N C F B T A H V G F P I N D E P E N D E N T H G X I W E S
WORD LIST:
AGENT
ALLIEDLINES
ANALYTICS
ASSOCIATION
BROKER
COMMERICAL
CYBERRISK
CYBERSECURITY
DIGITAL
DISTRIBUTIONS
EARTHQUAKE
FIREWALL
FLOOD
HOMEOWNERS
INDEPENDENT
INLANDMARINE
INSURANCE
LIABILITY
LINESOFBUSINESS
LOSSRATIO
MARKETPLACE
MULTIPERIL
PREMIUM
PRIVATEAUTO
PROFESSIONAL
SAFEGUARD
VIRGINIA
WORKERSCOMPENSATION
ANSWER KEY:
26 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

FEMA SENDS OUT
UPDATE AS NFIP’S
RISK RATING 2.0
IMPLEMENTATION
NEARS
By Wyatt Stewart
FEMA recently sent out a notice
to Write-Your-Own (WYO)
insurance companies stating that
they anticipate that quoting and policy
issuance for Phase 1 of Risk Rating 2.0
policies — policies effective Oct. 1,
2021, or later — will be available starting
on Monday, Aug. 16.
This is a slight delay as FEMA had
previously said WYO insurers would
be able to begin quoting for policies
beginning on Aug. 1.
Continued on page 28 >>
FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 27

THE BIG “I" BELIEVES
THAT RISK RATING
2.0, IF PROPERLY
IMPLEMENTED, HAS
THE POTENTIAL
TO IMPROVE THE
NFIP EXPERIENCE
FOR AGENTS AND
CONSUMERS
Although quoting and policy issuance has been delayed,
the rating engine website went live on Aug. 1 for users
to test their connection. FEMA also noted they will
communicate when the rates may be used for quoting and
when policy issuance can begin.
As reported in the News & Views e-newsletter throughout
the year, Risk Rating 2.0 is FEMA's new pricing methodology
for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Despite
the quoting delay, it is still scheduled to be implemented
on Oct. 1.
All new policies effective on or after Oct. 1, 2021, must be
issued under Risk Rating 2.0. Existing policies renewing
with effective dates between Oct. 1, 2021, and March 31,
2022, can renew under the legacy rating plan or renew
their policy under Risk Rating 2.0. All existing policies with
renewal dates on or after April 1, 2022, will be renewed
under Risk Rating 2.0.
The Big “I" believes that Risk Rating 2.0, if properly
implemented, has the potential to improve the NFIP
experience for agents and consumers, but emphasizes that
the rollout of the program will be critical in determining
the success of the effort.
As FEMA continues to provide more information regarding
Risk Rating 2.0, the Big “I" will continue to provide members
with updates in the weekly News & Views e-newsletter.
Wyatt Stewart is Big “I" assistant vice president of federal
government affairs.
28 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

Melanie DeCola: mdecola@iiav.com
Bonnie Warren, ACSR, CPIW, RPLU : bwarren@iiav.com
Mayland Drive
8600
Virginia 23294
Richmond,
I Don’t Put My E&O With Just Anyone…
Robert F. Iocco, CIC, CPA
President, Trustpoint Insurance
I co-founded our agency in 2006 with a passion to bring big insurance service
to small and medium businesses. “Every business is big for its owners and
employees and deserves full attention from those providing it goods and
service.” I understand the importance of placing our agency’s E&O with a
high-quality/stable carrier and an experienced servicing staff that will listen to
your needs and help find solutions to address your insurance coverage
requirements at a competitive price. IIAV/VFSC has the markets and
professional insurance staff our agency requires.
IIAV, through its subsidiary VFSC, has been providing Agency E&O coverage in Virginia for over 50
years with strategic carrier partnerships specifically designed with the needs of Virginia insurance
agents in mind. This means, you have options. Exclusive access to Swiss Re/Westport gives
clients free resources from the E&O Happens Risk Management Website. Additional access to other
markets, both Admitted and Non-Admitted, allows us the freedom to advocate for you with a variety
of carriers and to help you find options to address your insurance requirements.
As an agency leader, you want the most comprehensive and reliable errors and omissions (E&O)
coverage to protect your livelihood and your future. With VFSC’s variety of professional liability
markets, you’ll have top-quality coverage, competitive pricing, and local support from our
experienced staff. We don’t want to just sell you a policy – we want to work with you to find
solutions and provide the resources and support you expect and deserve.
CONTACT ANY MEMBER OF OUR EXPERIENCED AND FRIENDLY INSURANCE DEPARTMENT TODAY!
Linda Loving, CIC, AISM, AIAO : lloving@iiav.com
804-747-9300
www.iiav.com
Vera Wooden, AINS, AIS: vwooden@iiav.com

PODCASTS WORTH A LISTEN
The Insurance Dudes
Publisher: The Insurance
Dudes: Craig Pretzinger &
Jason Feltman
The Insurance Dudes,
Craig Pretzinger and Jason
Feltman, help Insurance
Agents, Loan Officers,
Realtors, and other business
owners and entrepreneurs shift their focus to building
their businesses by showing ways to work on and not
in their businesses. The dynamic duo provide insights
into marketing, hiring, train, and motivation, which all
entrepreneurs will find valuable.
Insurance Covered
Publisher: RPC – Law firm
Welcome to Insurance
Covered! The podcast that
looks at the inner workings
of the insurance industry in
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format. Each week we explore
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from across the market. Whether you’re an industry veteran
or new to the insurance world we’ve got you covered. This
podcast is a survivor’s guide on what’s going on in the
market. A quick and easy way to keep up with the latest
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topics, from MGA’s to reinsurance, all in under 30 minutes.
The Insurance Guys Podcast
Publisher: Scott Howell & Bradley Flowers
The Insurance Guys podcast is dedicated to agents by
agents. Scott Howell and Bradley Flowers discuss all
aspects of becoming an insurance agent and give real life
examples of their experiences in all aspects of hiring, sales
and the day-to-day reality of running your own successful
insurance agency.
The Connected Insurance
Podcast
Publisher: Agency Revolution
Presented by Agency Revolution,
the Connected Insurance Podcast
provides weekly opportunities for
listeners to
dive deep into
the trends affecting insurance agents
and brokers today and to gain proven
strategies and tactics for agency
growth. Our hosts facilitate thoughtful
panels and 1:1 conversations with a
variety of prominent thought leaders,
with a focus on how to streamline and
drive operational efficiency for your
independent agency through the
intelligent use of technology.
www.istockphoto.com / Feodora Chiosea
30 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

Agency Nation Radio
– Insurance Marketing,
Sales and Technology
Publisher: Agency Nation
– Insurance Marketing and
Technology Strategists
Agency Nation is the leading
digital publication helping
insurance professionals dominate marketing, sales
and technology in the modern marketplace.
Insurance Happy Hour
Publisher: Becky Schroeder
& Laird Rixford
Change in the insurance
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industry news and trends,
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Agency Intelligence
& The Agency
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AI Podcast Network is your
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FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 31

THANK YOU 2021 PARTNERS
Platinum
Gold
Silver
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Berkshire Hathaway GUARD
Central Insurance
EMC Insurance Companies
First Benefits Insurance Mutual
Goodville Mutual Casualty
Bronze
Jencap Ins Services Inc
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Method Insurance
Penn National
Peoples Premium Finance
Sagesure Insurance Managers
State Auto Insurance Co.
The Landin Companies
West Bend Mutual
Zenith Insurance Co.

REIMAGINING
YOUR WORKPLACE:
HYBRID WORK
By Paige McAllister, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Operating your business in the current COVID
world with the relaxing of COVID restrictions
across the country requires considering what
your future workplace will look like. According to a
survey conducted by Forrester Research, while only 10%
of companies offered remote work options prior to the
pandemic, going forward more than 70% plan to offer
fully remote or hybrid work arrangements.
An equally important factor in the structuring of the
workplace will be how employees want to work. According
to a FlexJobs survey, 96% of employees would like some
form of remote work arrangement. The primary reasons
for their desire to remain remote are their continued
concern about COVID-19 safety as well as their concern
with having less flexibility and less work-life balance.
Secondary reasons employees want to keep a remote
work arrangement are due to the cost savings and their
not having to commute. In fact, remaining remote is so
important that 27% of surveyed employees are willing to
take a pay cut to continue their arrangement and 58%
are saying they would look for another job if they cannot
continue with some sort of remote work arrangement.
What does this mean? It means that, while you may be
uncertain about the need to offer some remote work
arrangement, not offering something may result in
valuable employees leaving you in a job market which
is very employee friendly. And who are the companies
finding candidates to accept their positions? The ones
who are offering remote work.
While weighing options for your workplace, consider
some of these thoughts:
COVID is not gone yet. With a large unvaccinated
population and the once-again increasing percentage
of COVID cases due to the Delta variant, no one should
act like everything is “back to normal.” As long as there
is a chance someone can contract COVID-19, employers
must take actions to prioritize the health and safety of
their employees. This may mean offering reasonable
accommodation to those who are at high-risk or who
legitimately cannot get the COVID vaccine. If an employee
is still staying isolated in fear of contracting COVID, then
offering a remote work arrangement may be necessary.
EMPLOYEES SHOULD
BE CONNECTED WITH
THEIR MANAGERS AND
CO-WORKERS SO CREATE
REQUIREMENTS FOR
SCHEDULED AND IMPROMPTU
COMMUNICATION USING
PHONE AND VIDEO CALLS,
NOT JUST EMAIL.
But if they are eating in restaurants, going to the movies or
sporting events, and traveling on vacation, you have more
of an argument to require some in-office work.
Changes to policies and work arrangements can be
temporary or become regular practice. As with any policy
or practice (except employment-at-will), employers should
always reserve the right to modify or rescind an agreedto
arrangement based on company needs. This allows
employers to try a new arrangement while not being
committed to it if circumstances such as poor performance,
lower COVID rates, need for more in-office manpower, or
financial impacts change in the future.
Most employees do not expect a fully remote schedule
but would prefer a hybrid arrangement to always working
in-office. By having some days each week that they do not
need to commute or face the disruptions in the office,
employees can balance their face-to-face needs while
having time at home to concentrate on their productivity.
If you cannot have a fully remote workforce, look into
hybrid options. This could be having employees stagger
their workweek with certain days in the office with the
rest at home. Most companies have certain positions that
cannot work remotely but that does not mean you should
not try to offer a partially remote option for those positions
that can.
Continued on page 38 >>
FALL 2021 THE BIG I VIRGINIA 37

Avoid falling into the “presenteeism” trap of valuing the
work of employees in the office more than the work of
those who are remote. Instead, create realistic performance
expectations for every employee regardless of where they
work and hold each employee accountable. Someone
being in the office does not mean they are working harder
or more effectively than someone who is remote. You
can learn more about presenteeism in our video found at
https://bit.ly/2TV7cUg.
Focus on availability for remote employees as you would
attendance for in-office employees. Require remote
employees to be available during certain days and times
so they can be reached by clients and co-workers. But
also allow some freedom when possible as long as their
work is being done. If they are not available and/or are
not producing, talk to them about their failure to meet
expectations and then offer options such as increasing
their in-office time or reassessing how their tasks are done.
Create effective communication methods for all employees.
Employees should be connected with their managers and
co-workers so create requirements for scheduled and
impromptu communication using phone and video calls,
not just email. Most remote employees do not need to talk
to their manager more than a couple of times a week but,
since each employee is incentivized differently, you may
What do you expect from
your insurance carrier?
✓ An accessible management team that really knows
you and your agency
✓ Consistency in underwriting
✓ A dependable and fair approach to claims handling
✓ Local knowledge and presence in your markets
✓ A carrier that listens and responds
Visit us at www.PennNationalInsurance.com to find out how
you can become an agent with big opportunities for growth.
need to create different plans to interact with each one.
Establish policies to define expectations and requirements.
Your policies should cover the issue, use, and return
of company computers and laptops, the protection of
company and client information, network security, expense
reimbursement, time-tracking for non-exempt employees,
and ergonomic work areas to reduce Workers’ Comp
claims.
If you are hesitant, consider asking those who move to
remote work to offer a concession. Employees who value
remote work may be willing to take a reduction in pay,
benefits, or perks. While not effective in a fully remote
workplace, it may help balance morale in a company where
some employees must work in the office.
Set different in-office policies for vaccinated and
unvaccinated employees. Follow the guidelines of the
CDC, OSHA, and most states by allowing vaccinated
employees to forego masks and social distancing while
still requiring it of the unvaccinated. Require employees
to prove they are vaccinated or else require them to follow
the policies for the unvaccinated. Please note: This is not
requiring anyone to get vaccinated or submit proof of
vaccination but rather offering a mask-less option for those
who can prove they are vaccinated.
Everyone had to be flexible when
everything shut down. The best
approach going forward is to remain
flexible since COVID-19 is still
impacting employees in various ways,
some of which are unexpected and
cannot be planned for. Understand
if a family need arises which requires
more working from home as that
accommodation is probably better
than having to find a new employee.
If you have any questions as
you structure or restructure your
workplace, reach out to us at Affinity
HR Group. Visit our website to learn
more about our services or connect
with us at contact@AffinityHRGroup.
com or 877-660-6400.
Paige McAllister is Vice President
for Compliance – Affinity HR Group,
Inc., IIAV’s affiliated human resources
partner. Affinity HR Group specializes
in providing human resources
assistance to associations such as
IIAV and their member companies. To
learn more, visit www.affinityHRgroup.
com.
38 THE BIG I VIRGINIA FALL 2021

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