INSURANCE BARTENDER

“Avengers: Assemble!” is a famous line Captain America shouts during the movie “Avengers Endgame” (from Marvel comics) right before he leads all the characters into battle. How are the Avengers relevant to the IIAW let alone this article? Well, the team we have assembled at the IIAW are the superheroes our members never knew they needed, but they always wanted.

I must say that over the last ten years we have had several talented employees come and go, but the team we have now at the IIAW is special. This is one of the best group of individuals that I have had the opportunity to lead since I joined the IIAW in 2010. Each “insurance superhero” has a unique set of skills and professional experiences that lends itself to the success of our organization and fulfill its mission to help independent agents compete and win. I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to each of them, and provide some additional context into each of their superpowers. We are more than just an Association; we are our members’ strategic business partner and many of them call on us each day for help and we hope you will too (if you are not already).

Mallory is one of the leaders of the superheroes at the IIAW, and she is heavily involved in its operations. She is my right hand and helps oversee a variety of functions, but none more important than the Agency Solutions (risk management and consulting) arm of the organization. She is an expert at understanding agency operations and their employees, workflows, and procedures. She is an approved E&O auditor and has helped agencies all over the country stay out of trouble by mitigating claims. Her superpowers are teleportation and telepathy. She can assist agencies across the country, virtually or in person. She is where she needs to be when you want her to be there. Mallory takes pride in being available to help at a moment’s notice. She also has the ability to read minds and make people do as she wishes. Her experience has exposed her to many people and experiences. She knows a thing or two, because she has seen a thing or two. Agents are usually left routinely documenting their files which allows her to change the course of an agency’s trajectory of no longer being prone to having E&O claims or internal procedural mistakes. If you need any assistance with making improvements to your agency’s operations or in need of mapping out workflows, she is your superhero.

Kim has been with the Association for almost 10 years which makes her one of the wisest superheroes at the IIAW. Kim handles the accounting for the Association and is one of our resident experts at our Association and agency management systems. She is routinely called upon to help agencies clean up their books, to take over an agency’s bookkeeping functions or to help train new hires on the accounting functions of an agency management system such as PartnerXE, Applied Epic, TAM as well as Vertafore and Hawksoft. Her superpower is time travel and restoration. She can go back into time to restore some of the most complex bookkeeping mistakes. She has also used her time travel abilities to peer into the future to better assist agencies in projecting and preparing for their annual budgets.

Trisha is one of our superheroes who is called upon multiple times a day by numerous agencies to assist them with their E&O, EPLI, Data Breach or other insurance policies to help protect and defend their agencies. Her background (prior to the IIAW) was working for one of the county’s largest and most respected independent agents which provide her with unique insight into agency operations which allows her to assess and recommend the proper policies that are best suited to cover our members’ evolving needs. Her superpowers are replication and super speed. She can help agencies replicate, reproduce and remember what needs to be on an application. Her super speed allows her to work five times faster and do the job of multiple people. She is known far and wide for her amazing ability to help members understand the difference between policies, why they need them and the value of being a member of the Association. She protects our members most valuable assets - their people and their agency!

Evan assists our members, companies, and other Big I Associations with technology and operations. Evan routinely interacts with various insurance technology companies to stay up to date on the latest technology trends in the industry. He is also a vital member of Mallory’s team, working to help agencies improve their operations and mitigate potential E&O claims. Evan’s superpowers are shapeshifting and technology/technopathy (much like Iron Man). Evan is accountable for probably the widest array of responsibilities. He assists with many internal projects that help the Association stay one step ahead while helping agencies navigate the complexities of running a business by helping them find solutions and address problems. He can shapeshift into a multitude of roles if means being helpful to the person or the agency he is assisting. Evan uses his insurance and technology acumen to help all the Association’s business partners and members to be successful day in and day out.

Kaylyn is a marketing and public relations genius. She has the ability to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary and beautiful (visually and literarily). She can bring purpose to a photo and wit to your words. She helps bring the association to life through our publications and communications by finding creative ways to market our value proposition in a way that resonates with our members. She also puts her talents to use to help agencies find creative ways to tell their story. Her superpower is camouflage and persuasion. Her superpowers allow her to bring publications, videos, websites, and much more to life by visually blending themes and messages into visually appealing illustrations. This skill allows Kaylyn to gain someone’s attention and persuade people to take important actions such as attend events, purchase insurance and much, much more.

Andrea helps articulate the importance of being a member in the most prestigious insurance Association in the state. How does she do this, you may ask. Well, she used to be a member of the IIAW. Who better to help agents than another agent who understands them and their needs? Not every independent agency is a member, and those that are represent the very best that our industry has to offer. They are invested in their business, employees, and their communities. Andrea aligns our members with the right tools and resources to help them run a successful business so they can be superheroes in their own communities- protecting and insuring the American dream. Looking for an answer to a complex question or problem? Look no further for Andrea is here to help. Ensuring our members get a return on their membership investment is what she does best. Andrea’s superpowers are persuasion and x-ray vision. Thanks to Andrea’s extensive experience as an independent insurance agent, she has the ability to connect with agents on a deeper level and see right through the trials and tribulations that keep them up at night. She brings solace and peace-of-mind by providing agencies with the right advice and counsel. She is even known for her powers of persuading members to renew their dues.

Diana works in the shadows. Never seeking attention but playing the role of the unsung hero. Facilitating continuing education classes and filing credits so agents can continue to sell insurance. Without her agents throughout Wisconsin may not be able to sell insurance. While that might be a stretch, in addition to being the insurance education expert, she also helps coordinate our insurance pre-licensing classes and she serves as the go-between the association, its education providers, members and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. Her superpowers are agility and invisibility. She can traverse the insurance education landscape quickly and easily, which allows her to seamlessly assist our members with any of their insurance-learning needs. Oftentimes she may appear to be invisible (because she does most of her communicating via phone or email), but she is very much available and ready to assist our members with any education questions or needs.

Misha is responsible for the Association’s government and regulatory affairs. He works vigorously to ensure our members’ interests are advocated for and defended in the halls of the state capitol and in the office of the insurance commissioner. His superpowers would be mind control and immortality. One could say he has had so many legislative successes that he possesses some type of mind control over legislators. Considering he has successfully navigated and survived state politics for the last few decades, he must be immortal.

Josh serves as the Association’s general counsel. He helps the Association and its members navigate the complexities of the law as it pertains to all the various aspects of our businesses. He has also been called upon to assist with the Association’s government and regulatory affairs activities from time to time as well. Typically referred to as the smartest man in the Association (Not to be confused with the Dos Equis “Most Interesting Man in the World”). Although people tend to have a hard time telling them apart as Josh lives a very similar life. Just kidding, he has three kids! Josh’s superpowers would be clairvoyance due to his ability to gain information through extrasensory perception and intangibility because nothing ever sticks. Yes, he is that good.

As for me and my superpowers, well that is to remain a mystery! What good superhero goes around telling everyone of their superpowers?

I am thankful I get to lead this group of insurance superheroes. I get to see day in and day out the difference they make in this industry and in the lives of our members. We all take great pride in the work that we do. If I can leave you with one piece of advice, a call to action of sorts, let it be this: If you have a question, a problem or an opportunity, please make the IIAW your first call. As you can tell, we have a wide array of professionals with a variety of experience that stand ready to assist you no matter what you are facing. We are here to serve you, and we look forward to helping you at every step along the way.

“It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me!” - Batman

CEO of IIAW

• 1 oz. Cherry Vodka • 1 oz. Blue Curacao • 2 oz. Sprite • 1 oz. Coconut Vodka • 1 oz. Grenadine • Simple Syrup • Ice • Gold Sanding Sugar • 2 Small Plates • Shaker • Cocktail Glass 1. Set out two small appetizer plates. One one of the plates, pour out about 1 tablespoon of simple syrup. On the other plate, add the sanding sugar. 2. Take your cocktail glass and dip the rim of it into the syrup and then into the sanding sugar. Set the glass aside while you prepare the cocktail. 3. Fill your glass with ice (small chunks work better than larger ones. 4. In a shaker, add the vodkas and grenadine and shake it like you’re Superman. 5. Pour the mix into your glass. 6. Add the Blue Curacao and Sprite to your shaker and shake vigorously again. 7. Pour the blue mixture slowly into the glass, pouring it straight down the center to achieve the layered look. 8. Garnish your Superman Cocktail with a fun straw. Enjoy!

Photo and recipe courtesy of thismamaslife.com

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