December 2025 IIABL Newsletter

INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS OF LOUISIANA

LOUISIANAAGENT D E C E M B E R

MEMBERSHIP WHY YOUR IIABL MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

TOP LOBBYISTS THE HILL NAMES BIG ‘I’ LEADER AMONG TOP LOBBYISTS 2025

CHAPTERS IN ACTION IIAGNO PAST PRESIDENTS CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

2025

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IIABL STAFF Benjamin Albright Chief Executive Officer, President balbright@iiabl.com (225) 236-1357

Karen Kuylen Director of Accounting & Finance kkuylen@iiabl.com (225) 236-1353

Jamie Newchurch Director of Insurance Programs jnewchurch@iiabl.com (225) 236-1350

Kathleen O'Regan Director of Communications & Events koregan@iiabl.com (225) 236-1360

Karson Kyle Communications & Events Administrator kkyle@iiabl.com (225) 236-1351

Lyra Roberts E&O Administrator lyra.roberts@iiaba.net (225) 236-1352

LOUISIANAAGENT

TABLE OF

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CONTENTS FEATURED ARTICLES Why Your IIABL Membership Matters

06

The Hill Names Big ‘I’ Leader Among Top Lobbyists for 2025

9

Chapters in Action: IIAGNO Past Presidents Christmas Luncheon

11

Five Ways to Prepare Commercial Property for Winter

13

Automating the Mundane: 3 Tasks You Shouldn’t Be Doing Manually

17

Advertiser Index

21

Upcoming Events

22

18153 E. Petroleum Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Ph: (225) 819-8007 www.iiabl.com

WHY YOUR IIABL MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

In an industry shaped by legislation, regulation, and an increasingly challenging market environment, independent insurance agencies need strong representation and reliable support more than ever.

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana (IIABL) exists to advocate for independent agencies, provide practical education, and connect professionals across the state. That work is only possible through the collective commitment of our members.

As membership renewal season begins, now is the time to renew your support of IIABL or consider joining the association for the first time. Membership ensures your agency remains part of a unified voice influencing policy, strengthening the marketplace, and protecting the future of independent insurance in Louisiana.

Whether you are a long-time member or new to the association, renewing or joining IIABL is an investment in your agency and in the industry we share.

Renewing your IIABL membership is not just about maintaining access — it is about continuing the work that protects independent agencies statewide. Join or renew today and help strengthen the voice of independent insurance in Louisiana.

IIABL THE VOICE FOR

INDEPENDENT AGENTS MEMBERSHIP INFLUENCE INSURANCE LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY POLICY THROUGH A RESPECTED, CONSISTENT PRESENCE AT THE CAPITOL AND BEYOND.

CONNECT WITH AGENCY LEADERS, CARRIERS, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS SHAPING LOUISIANA’S INSURANCE LANDSCAPE. ACCESS EXCLUSIVE EDUCATION, MARKET ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES, AND MEMBER-ONLY RESOURCES DESIGNED FOR REAL AGENCY NEEDS.

FOR DECADES, IIABL HAS BEEN THE TRUSTED VOICE OF INDEPENDENT AGENTS — ADVOCATING, EDUCATING, AND STRENGTHENING AGENCIES ACROSS LOUISIANA. TOGETHER, WE PROTECT OUR PROFESSION AND POSITION IT FOR THE FUTURE.

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THE HILL NAMES BIG ‘I’ LEADER AMONG TOP LOBBYISTS FOR 2025 WILL JONES IA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

This article highlights The Hill naming Big “I” President & CEO Charles Symington a top trade association lobbyist for 2025, recognizing his leadership and the Big “I” government affairs team’s influence, credibility, and advocacy success for independent agents in Washington.

The Hill, a prominent Washington, D.C.-based political newspaper, has once again named Charles Symington, Big “I” president & CEO, among the top trade association lobbyists in the nation’s capital this year. The Big “I” was the only property & casualty insurance agents group recognized on the list for 2025.

In its announcement this morning, The Hill stated winners were selected from more than 1,800 nominations and “represent the industry’s savviest, most influential and well-connected advocates across Capitol Hill.”

“The Big ‘I’ is proud to see Charles recognized, once again, by one of the premier political outlets in the country,” says Angela Ripley, Big “I” chairman and owner and president of VW Brown Insurance Service in Columbia, Maryland. “Charles and our government affairs team have built an impeccable reputation in Washington for more than two decades. Their leadership ensures the Big ‘I’ remains the trusted, credible voice for independent agents and brokers. This honor is truly well deserved.”

“Being named on The Hill’s Top Lobbyists list again is an honor, but it’s really a testament to our team,” Symington says. “Led by Nathan Riedel, our outstanding federal government affairs staff works relentlessly on behalf of independent agents, particularly this year, securing major tax relief for our member agencies and state associations. Through their dedication and strong relationships, our issues remain front and center in Washington.

Their work is why the Big ‘I’ continues to be recognized.”

Congressional leaders regularly tap the Big “I” federal government affairs team for its political acumen for sitting on congressional steering committees, raising campaign dollars, hosting political events and strategizing to help members of Congress better serve their constituents and advance top issues. A vital component of the association’s advocacy efforts is InsurPac, the Big “I” political action committee, which continues to be one of the top agent and broker PACs and one of the leading small business PACs in the country.

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CHAPTERS IN ACTION

IIAGNO PAST PRESIDENTS LUNCHEON

IIAGNO was proud to host its annual Past Presidents Christmas Luncheon on Friday, December 12, at Metairie Country Club. The event provided a meaningful opportunity to recognize and thank the leaders whose service has helped shape the chapter over the years.

Past presidents were formally acknowledged and honored for their dedication to IIAGNO, and each was presented with a Christmas gift as a token of appreciation. The luncheon featured a lovely meal, drinks, and time for conversation, allowing members to reconnect, reflect, and enjoy fellowship in a festive setting.

The afternoon was a fitting way to close the year, celebrating leadership, service, and the strong foundation built by those who have served before.

Looking Ahead: IIAGNO Installation Luncheon IIAGNO now looks forward to its next event, the IIAGNO Installation Luncheon, taking place on January 23 at Muriel’s Jackson Square. This special event will officially install and honor the 2026 IIAGNO Board of Directors.

Guests will enjoy a beautiful meal and drinks while celebrating the incoming board on Muriel’s balcony overlooking Jackson Square, offering one of New Orleans’ most iconic views. The luncheon will mark an important transition for the chapter and set the tone for the year ahead.

With more events planned throughout 2026, IIAGNO is excited for what’s to come and looks forward to continuing to bring members together through meaningful programming and connection.

We hope you will join us in the new year — stay tuned for more IIAGNO events ahead!

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FIVE WAYS TO PREPARE

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR WINTER TRACEY GREENE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY PRACTICE LEADER THE HARTFORD

This article outlines why winter preparedness matters for commercial properties, highlighting costly storm impacts and urging independent agents to help businesses assess winter risks and create proactive plans to prevent damage, disruptions, and costly shutdowns before cold weather arrives.

As the season changes, now is the time for businesses to confront the harsh realities of winter. Freezing temperatures and unpredictable storms can disrupt operations, threaten facility integrity and endanger on-site employees.

Even businesses in Southern states should keep winter weather top of mind. Winter storms caused nearly $3.6 billion in losses in 2024, according to a report from the National Centers for Environmental Information, and a polar vortex lasting 13-16 days in 2021 caused $15 million in damages for companies in places like Texas and South Carolina.

Whether it’s an office building, commercial enterprise or manufacturing site, property is at risk from winter storm damage. However, a winter weather plan can help mitigate the risk of property damage, from burst pipes to a roof collapse.

Independent insurance agents should help commercial clients follow key steps to protect assets before the season gets underway. Here are five key components to a winter weather plan for commercial properties: 1) Assess the key winter risks. Severe weather is often a series of events with compounding effects. Heavy snow or freezing rain can cause ice dams, leaks and even a roof collapse. Snow followed by rain can exacerbate melting and lead to water leaking into a building, resulting in flooding. Trees, strained by ice and high winds, may fall on structures, vehicles, equipment and power lines. Additionally, power outages can stop heating systems, leading to water pipes freezing and bursting. Broken pipes can disrupt a business, requiring it to close for extended periods of time.

A basic plan for handling weather and business continuity can help minimize these types of property damage, their impacts on operations, as well as enhance the ability to restore and recover as early as possible. Once established, the plan should be reviewed and revised yearly.

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2) Prepare the property. Agents should encourage their commercial clients to walk through and inspect the entire facility and grounds to identify vulnerabilities, make repairs and arrange for preventive measures.

Before snow or other cold weather precipitation occurs, commercial property owners should: Make sure building roofs are in good shape and assess flat roofs and steep valleys for any chance of leaking or strain.

Install de-icing cables or mats where ice dams are known to form.

Trim tree limbs near the building so they don’t fall on power lines.

Mitigate flooding with proper drainage, and ensure gutters and downspouts are free of debris to allow water and melting snow to move freely away from the building.

Prepare outside storage with coverings, secure containment and a well-drained environment to prevent water damage.

3) Add sensor technology. One way to prevent plumbing from freezing is to add insulation and inspect heating systems to ensure they work properly. Another option is to add sensor technology.

Thermal sensors can be installed on pipes in areas where freezing is likely, setting up an alert system when temperatures approach a dangerous level. Water sensors add an extra level of safety by detecting leaks and notifying property managers to shut off the water, helping owners avoid a potentially catastrophic loss.

Remote monitoring systems can also help with security and track conditions on other critical process controls, such as water storage tanks and power loss.

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WINTERPROPERTY 4) Plan for power continuity. A utility service disruption, especially power loss, can lead to more than just freezing pipes. Temperature changes can affect sensitive products and technology—and a lack of lighting compromises safety and security, especially if the facility is closed.

Arranging alternative or temporary heating systems for the first 48 to 72 hours is an essential part of the weather plan.

Emergency power generators or battery energy storage systems can provide adequate power for employees to safely complete critical tasks, such as relocating susceptible goods or conducting an orderly shutdown of critical systems.

Property managers should also make arrangements for emergency mobile equipment, water pumps and fuel storage for generators. In addition, they should modify electrical services to accept adjunct power in advance of winter weather so they can more easily put plans in motion.

5) Share the plan. A plan works best when it is well-communicated and everyone understands their role. A comprehensive weather plan should address responsibilities for preparation, define triggers to activate aspects of the plan, and ensure essential equipment and materials are stocked and ready.

As the property manager monitors regional and local weather forecasts, it is important to implement a weather alert system for employees. Social media, text chains, and internal communications can notify employees of icy conditions, office closures, and other winter events that may affect their ability to enter or leave the property and their safety at work.

Maintaining a basic weather impact and business continuity plan can help minimize the effects of winter weather hazards and get business back on track. It can also be invaluable to work with an insurance carrier that can design customized loss control plans, so when events happen, recovery comes quickly.

AUTOMATING THE MUNDANE: 3 TASKS YOU SHOULDN’T BE DOING MANUALLY CASEY NELSON DIRECTOR OF CONSULTING CATALYIT This article explores how independent insurance agents can use automation to eliminate tedious tasks like policy comparisons and data intake, freeing up time to focus on client relationships, strategic advising, and growing their book of business without needing a large IT team.

Some parts of running an insurance agency are about as exciting as watching paint dry. Sure, the work is important, but does it have to be so tedious? No. No, it does not.

Automation is here, and it’s not just for the big-budget agencies with IT teams who speak in code. It’s for you, the independent agent who wants to focus on growing your book of business. Here are three everyday tasks you can automate right now to reclaim your time and sanity.

1. Policy Comparisons: Because Your Brain Deserves a Break You know the drill. A client sends over their current policy, and now it’s on you to compare coverage details, limits, and endorsements across multiple carriers. This often means opening way too many browser tabs, cross-referencing PDFs, and squinting at policy language that looks like it was written by a team of legal scholars.

Why do this manually when there are tools that can compare policies faster than you can say "exclusions and endorsements"? AI-powered solutions can scan, analyze, and highlight the differences between policies, so you don’t have to. This means you spend less time playing detective and more time actually advising your clients.

Who’s making this magic happen? Exdion, Patra, Powerbroker AI, and vBots are among the providers offering policy comparison solutions that take the headache out of reviewing policies.

2. Data Intake: Stop Chasing Clients for Basic Info Trying to gather information from clients to provide a quote is like trying to get a teenager to clean their room, painfully slow and full of excuses. "I’ll get to it later." "I lost the email." "Do I really have to fill this out?"

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Instead of sending multiple follow-ups, waiting days for a response, or translating a blurry photo of a declaration page they took from their car at a stoplight, you can use smart intake tools that streamline the process.

These platforms make it easy for clients to securely upload information, connect their existing policies, and fill out digital forms without the back-and-forth emails and phone calls. The result? You get clean, accurate data, and your clients don’t feel like they’re filling out mortgage paperwork just to get an auto quote.

Who’s got you covered? Salt, RiskAdvisor, Wunderite, and Canopy Connect provide solutions to collect personal lines data faster and more efficiently.

3. Service Requests & Endorsements: No More Phone Tag If you’ve ever played the "phone tag" game with a client who needs to update their policy, you know how frustrating it can be. You leave a voicemail, they call back while you’re on another call, you email them a form, they reply with another question… it can be brutal. By the time you get everything you need, their new teenage driver has already gone off to college.

Forms and AI-powered solutions can cut through this mess by letting clients submit service requests with all necessary details upfront. Instead of an endless loop of follow-ups, you get structured, complete information the first time. Clients are happy, your service team is happy, and you get to move on to something more important.

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AUTOMATING Who’s making life easier here? Gravity Forms, Jotform, Liberate, Sonant, and GAIL all offer ways to eliminate the endless service request chase.

Time to Work Smarter If you’re still completing these tasks manually, it’s time to rethink your workflows. Automating the mundane doesn’t just save time, it improves accuracy, reduces frustration, and lets you focus on what actually grows your business.

And if you’re wondering, "Will my clients be okay with this?" the answer is yes. They don’t want to play phone tag or dig through their email inbox, either.

So do yourself (and your agency) a favor, let technology do the heavy lifting.

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ADVERTISER INDEX COMPANY AF Group AmWINS Access Insurance Services, LLC Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Ins Cos Burns & Wilcox, Ltd. CRC Group Gulf States Insurance Homebuilders SIF Imperial PFS

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COMPANY Ironpeak LA Workers Compensation Corporation Lane & Associates, Inc. LCI Workers' Comp LUBA Workers' Comp Progressive RLI Stonetrust Insurance Wright Flood

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LOUISIANAAGENT

UPCOMINGEVENTS Event

Date & Time

Location

Registration

IIAGNO Installation Luncheon

January 23 11:30 am - 2:30 pm

Muriel’s Jackson Square

Online Registration

IIABL Women in Insurance Conference

April 9-10

Hilton Baton Rouge

Online Registration

IIABL Annual Convention

June 14-17

Hilton Sandestin

Online Registration

2025

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

PLATINUM LEVEL PARTNER

GOLD LEVEL PARTNERS

SILVER LEVEL PARTNERS

BRONZE LEVEL PARTNERS Accentus Insurance Group AFCO Credit Corporation | BankDirect Capital AF Group Allied Trust Insurance Co. AmTrust North America FCCI Insurance Group Foremost Insurance Group Gulf States Insurance Company

Homebuilders SIF Hartford Financial Services Group Ironpeak Jencap Insurance Services Liberty Mutual National General, an Allstate company Risk Placement Services - RPS Summit Consulting Wright Flood Updated 6/4/2025

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LOUISIANAAGENT

IIABL 2025-2026

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS CHAIRMAN, ROSS HENRY Henry Insurance Service, Inc. - Baton Rouge CHAIRMAN-ELECT, JOE KING MONTGOMERY Community Financial Insurance Center, LLC - Monroe SECRETARY-TREASURER, CHRIS HAIK Higginbotham Insurance Agency - Lafayette NATIONAL DIRECTOR, JOEY O’CONNOR Assured Partners - Metairie PAST CHAIRMAN, BRET HUGHES Hughes Insurance Services, Inc - Gonzales YOUNG AGENT REP, MICHAEL MOBLEY Moore & Jenkins Insurance Agency, LLC - Franklinton IASC REP, DAVID DETHLOFF Dethloff & Associates, Inc. - Shreveport ANN BODKIN-SMITH Thomson Smith & Leach Insurance Group - Lafayette MATTHEW DEBLANC Continental Insurance Services - Marrero CHRISTY DESOTO 1st Insurance of Marksville - Marksville DOMINIQUE DICARLO CROUCH Riverlands Insurance Agency - LaPlace ROB W. EPPERS Risk Services of Louisiana - Alexandria KARA GARZOTTO DJW Insurance Agency - New Iberia MATT GRAHAM Lincoln Agency - Ruston BEAU HEAROD Jeff Davis Insurance - Jennings CHARLES H. LEBLANC Bourg Insurance Agency, Inc. - Donaldsonville CRAIG MARTEL Insurance Unlimited of LA, LLC - Lake Charles LYDIA MCMORRIS Alliant Insurance Services - Baton Rouge EUGENE MONTGOMERY, III Community Financial Insurance Center, LLC - Monroe HARTWIG "ROBBY" MOSS, IV Hartwig Moss Insurance - New Orleans SETH OSTENDORFF Dethloff & Associates - Shreveport ROBERT LOUIS PALMER, JR. Insurance Underwriters, Ltd. - Metairie RANDY PERISE Blumberg and Associates - Ponchatoula ROBERT STONE Stone Insurance, Inc. - Metairie JEFF ZEAGLER McClure, Bomar & Harris - Shreveport