service

recognize the best of the best in NAIFA — those who have stellar performance and practice for a greater purpose. In 2020, over 1,200 NQA awards were presented for the aggregate work delivered in 2019.

“The hope this year is that we can really get the word out about the National Quality Awards,” Trotter said. In 2020, NAIFA worked with Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, Modern Woodmen of America, COUNTRY Financial, Securian, and Kansas City Life Insurance Company to offer NQA as an advisor incentive program to reward performance. “Just like with the overall NAIFA brand, too few companies and people are aware of what we do as an association,” Carawan explained. “We aim to change that this year in alignment with our 2025 Strategic Plan to increase brand amplification, member experience

The National Quality Award is open to all advisors and agents in the financial services industry to apply for the recognition. To be recognized in the NAIFA listing and receive the NQA certificate, however, you must be an active NAIFA member. The qualifications, database of award winners, and applications for the award can be found within NAIFA’s Talent and support membership growth. The National Quality Awards align with all three pillars of our 2025 Plan, and we are intent on growing the number of award recipients and providing the public recognition that they deserve within their NAIFA family, to their business network in which they work, and to consumers.”

To help spearhead the effort to raise awareness of the NQAs and increased adoption by agents, companies and agencies a new working group has been formed that includes Trotter of Ike Trotter Agency; Tassey (NAIFA-ME) of E.A. Scribner Insurance Agency; Laurie Adams, CFP, CLU, LUTCF (NAIFA-IL and loyal member since 1982) of COUNTRY Financial; and Past National President Paul Dougherty, LUTCF, FSS, HIA (NAIFA-MD and loyal member since 1999) of State Farm.

Development Center at tdc.naifa.org/ nqa. Applications are now open and will close September 30, 2021. Applications will reflect your work during the 2020 year. Recipients will be recognized in early December 2021 at the National Leadership Conference to be held in-person in Washington, D.C. See 2020 winners at tdc.naifa.org/nqa2020-winners.