HIN 6th Edition 2021-2022

Young

SPOTLIGHT

COMMITTEES

are what breaths life into our association. With 9 active committees there are at least 100 people actively serving the association with their unique skills. We are always looking to put your skills to use to further drive the association’s mission forward. No matter what your skills are, or what you are passionate about, we likely have something of interest to you. The end result is to better the industry we all serve. Join a Committee today and become part of the mission.

2021 - 2022

Charitable Projects/ Fire Prevention

Chairman: Tasha Stolte

Vice Chairman: Sarah Beck

Education, I.T., CE

Chairman: Michelle Dennis

Vice Chairman: Katrina Masek

Houston Insurance Day

Chairman: Ashley Newton

Vice Chairman: Nancy Euginio

Legislative Chairman: Kyle Dean

Vice Chairman: Mickie Comiskey

IMPACT Chairman: Mickie Comiskey

Membership Chairman: Jane Rhode

Recreation Chairman: Amber Stevenson Vice Chairman: Carisa Cole

Young Insurance Professionals Chairman: Derek Pierce Vice Chairman: Grant Pierce

PR/Media Matters Chairman: Scott West

Social Media Chairman: Daphne Clark Vice Chariman: Cassie Shanks

Houston Insurance News Chairman: Amy Weimer Vice Chairman: Cassie Shanks

Greetings,

I can’t believe it is already the end of October! Where has the time gone? As my accountant friends say, the numbers don’t lie! Any I sure hope that they are correct. We had a record September luncheon with over 150 people in attendance! How wonderful it was to have a room full of friends to hear what Cassie Brown, Texas Department of Insurance commissioner, had to say.

Please make this a tradition and come to the November lunch honoring our charity partners. Our Fishin with a Mission also had record numbers! We had 16 teams for our one day event in Rockport. Thanks again to all of our sponsors and those that drove down to fish. I know that everyone had a great time and the food from Ragin Cajun is always worth the drive. We had representatives from all three of our charity partners, Brookwood, Mission K-9 and First Responders fish with us. BIG thanks to those who sponsored them to be there! John, our blind/autistic fisherman from Brookwood was back again this year. If you have not met John, you are missing a real fuzzzzzzzzzzzy treat!!!

Our YIPS Cornhole Tournament is also setting record numbers! As of the time I am writing this, we have 60 teams signed up to throw! That is awesome and I know that everyone involved deserves a big pat on the back. We also had a record number of sponsors and money raised for charity. Keep up the greatwork YIPS!

I am looking forward to the end of 2022 with our November luncheon, Nutcracker and our annual Holiday party in December. I think that COVID is in our rear view mirror as they say, especially considering the numbers for the three events that I discussed earlier. And judging by the number of calls that Renee and Ayla have been getting about HID, I expect the 2023 HID event to be the biggest and best ever! Enjoy the cooler weather and as always, Renee, Ayla and I are here to make YOUR association better, so please let us know what we can do to make that happen!

Wuthrich

IIAH Executive Director

What’s Been Happening in the UHD Insurance and Risk Management Center

UHD Insurance and Risk Management Majors and Professor Attend the Houston Marine & Energy Insurance Conference

For over 50 years, the Houston Marine & Energy Insurance Conference (HMEIC), formerly known as Houston Marine In surance Seminar, (sponsored by Marine Insurance Seminars, Inc.) has attracted the top talent in the marine and energy insurance and admiralty law industries and has become the pre-eminent meeting place for the global marine and energy insurance and legal communities. Held annually in Houston, Texas, the world’s leading energy hub and an essential port for global shipping, the annual three-day Conference offers networking opportunities, continuing education requirements and keynote speeches that attract a wide array of marine and energy industry professionals. (www.houstonmeic.com)

Each year, the HMEIC graciously offers scholarships to UHD Insurance and Risk Management majors and to an IRM pro fessor. This year, the conference was attended by Dr. Pamela Hurley, Bryan Alvarado and Jose Meneses. A few of their comments are as follows:

Bryan Alvarado – “The HMEIC provided a unique experience that will guide me and my career into doing work that will push the drive to net zero. Learning about the new energy and marine technology that is emerging was rather shocking and exciting! It was all new information, from rising battery energy storage systems to offshore wind farms to costly sequestering technology. Attending this conference made me realize how big the push for renewable energy truly is and how I can be a factor in it becoming true. It also made me realize that I am slack ing in my knowledge of emerging technology, which will affect my life and career. Now it is time for me to read more about how renewable energy can help the world reach its goals. I am excited about what the next HMEIC has in store for me!”

Jose Meneses - “Recently, I had the honor and privilege of attending this year’s HMEIC. This opportunity allowed me to gain a better understanding of the complexities of marine insurance, as well as gain a further grasp on how the energy industry is looking towards a more environmentally friendly future. My time at the conference opened my eyes to a wide world of possibilities of future employment opportunities within this field, and I now hope to continue to explore the endless opportunities that are available within this sector of the insurance industry.”

Having the opportunities to attend conferences, luncheons and other industry events is one of the many bene fits of the fully-online UHD BBA in Insurance and Risk Management program. For more information about the program, please visit the IRM website, www.uhd.edu/irm, or contact Priscilla Oehlert at oehlertp@uhd.edu or 713-226-5552.

Texas Association of First Responders

The Texas Association of First Responders is an all-volunteer organi zation created in 2007; to assist Law Enforcement Officers, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Personnel injured in the line of duty. Our mission is to honor those who serve our communities and ensure the safety and wellbeing of our citizens. Since 2007, TAFR has distributed over $350,000 in funds to assist 106 injured First Responders.

One of our charitable benefactors

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Our September monthly meeting offered a pre-presentation social at Hous ton Racquet Club featuring cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. The Atlanta CPCU Chapter hosted a virtual joint meeting featuring a dynamic and timely live panel discussion on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) , which Houston and Dallas members attended virtually. Precious Norman-Walton served as moderator and panelist included Dr. Brad Gronke, CPCU, Elisa Stampf, and Rena Strohmeier, CPCU.

Favorite venue, Houston Racquet Club, will once again host our chapter’s annual Conferment Ceremony and Luncheon in its grand ballroom on Thursday, October 20th at 11:00 a.m. and will include a pre-event cocktail mix & mingle followed by the recognition of those dedicated professionals who met the rigorous academic, ethics and professional practice requirements to merit invitations to join the Society in 2022. New Designees being conferred at this year’s ceremony include:

The chapter will also recognize the company whose leadership demonstrated the greatest efforts in encouraging and supporting its employees to earn the CPCU designation and join the local Houston Chapter by providing financial and intangible resources and support to their employees.

Jason Jimenez and James Morrison with Shyield spoke on Cyber Risk: You are the Weakest Link for our August monthly luncheon meeting. Many novel new threats and how to pre vent being a victim of cyber attacks were discussed.

Spirits and hors d’ oeuvres started the afternoon social session with the assist from HRC’s Bartender Extraordinaire Fernando to members and guests Jana and Kevin Boykin, Beverly Ezenta, Rebecca Demby, Emily Haluska and Vicki Treadville.

As we move toward the end of 2022, I find myself reflecting on the vast changes that have occurred in our country, throughout world and in our industry. There have been many trials and tribulations for many people, and I’m very thankful that this career continues to provide stability and purpose in my life. As we look forward, I’m honored to serve as president if IIAH for the next 12 months and want to thank former president Jim Drew for providing a great roadmap to move forward.

Our executive committee, board and staff have several ambitious goals we hope to accomplish this year. Specifically, IIAH is looking to develop partnerships with local high schools and universities to give stu dents hands on experience and opportunities to enter our industry and provide a workforce for the future. As a former educator this goal is near and dear to me. We will need the help of all members to make that happen, and more information will be coming soon. Education reform is also a goal as we look to provide more practical and informative classes for all agency staff. Furthermore, Executive Director David Wuth rich is constantly looking for opportunities to increase IIAH’s presence in our communities and advocate for our members and all independent agents.

David, Renee and Ayla have also done an excellent job of planning a full schedule of events in the coming months and need your support and attendance to give IIAH the resources to complete these goals, as well as give generously to our charitable partners. As always, we welcome your input and suggestions to make IIAH the best insurance association in the country.

In closing, I want to thank each of you for being a member of IIAH and hope to see you at the next event.

TAKE POLL

AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT

Keystone was founded in 1983 by four independent agents, knowing that they would be stronger if they worked together. That premise is what drives us today.

Keystone’s mission is simple: bolster the independent agency spirit. Throughout its 19-state footprint, each agency is independently owned and operated. As a network, Keystone is 90% owned by its agents, and 10% owned by its staff – giving our agents the freedom and flexibility to influence how and where its network grows. As the 2022 #4 rated partnership of independent insurance agencies by Insurance Jour nal, our industry expertise, relationships we’ve created and curated, and distribution network of the high est-performing insurance agencies are our strengths.

Our independent agencies benefit from the intellectual capital sharing of our community and national resources they can source locally to their clients. When faced with an intricate claim, risk management need, or desire to add more solutions for your clients, you are backed by hundreds of agents across the country and Keystone’s in-house consultative experts to walk you through it.

Keystone has spent the last 39 years investing in services requested by our members to address their needs in this ever-changing industry. From Organic Growth to

to Risk Management and much more, our 200+ employees are committed to serving our independent agency members.

We only align with best-in-class agencies to offer services for best-in-class clients. Our agents bring collective expertise across numerous industries from main street businesses to multi-state operations. This expertise, combined with our premier carrier relationships and in-house solutions, provides an added level of service not easily found elsewhere.

What could be more fun than enjoying a day of fishing and networking with insur ance professionals to raise dollars for our charitable benefactors? The Houston As sociation of Insurance Agents Charitable Foundation (HAIA) and IIAH hosted its 3rd annual Fishin’ With a Mission tournament in Rockport, Texas, on October 13-14, 2022. This 1-day guided, catch-and-release fish ing tournament has 2-anglers per boat fishing for Speckled Trout and Redfish in one of three divisions - artificial, live bait, or fly-fishing. Anglers, guides, charitable bene factors, and insurance professionals kicked off the event with cocktails, dinner, and fishing guides meeting at the Saltwater Pa vilion on Rockport Beach Park with the fa mous Ragin Cajun catering. Sixteen teams launched out of Cove Harbor Marina, Conn Brown Harbor, and Goose Island State Park on October 14th with picture-perfect fish ing weather! With the new iAngler Mobile App, anglers could report and measure their catch in real-time with lines out of the water at 1:30 PM. The awards luncheon, with Ragin Cajun providing seafood, was wrapped up with the awards presentation.

Brookwood Community

John Boone (resident of Brookwood) and David Dubois Mission K-9 Brett Balcreak and Bill Maurer and Chucky the Dutch Shepherd who stole our hearts Texas Association of First Responders Karen & Eddie Lopez

As we close another chapter on this tour nament, we leave you with some trivia we have learned in hosting this event these past years - no Yellow or Bananas on the boats! Why, you ask? It is the most wellknown and universally practiced super stition in the fishing community. It simply means the ship is cursed and could bring no fish, bad weather, or mishaps. Most of the time, though, bananas are just attribut ed with bringing general misfortune to the boat and everyone on board. In the early sailing days, bananas came onto ships as cargo, and that cargo had the potential to house the Brazilian wandering spider (the venomous spider), which brought on death. So, the moral of the story is that we will never have yellow shirts or bananas on our boats!

The Texas Legislature regularly tweaks insurance rules, policies, and protocols. Some of these changes benefit independent insurance agencies; some threaten them. IIAT’s mission is to defeat bad bills and pass good bills into law.

It’s a simple goal that requires complex work. But our members’ input and our more than 120 years of experience continues to produce legislative success. Members further strengthen our legislative voice through donations to our PACs (IMPACT & InsurPac).

September LuncheonSeptember Luncheon

WOW!!! That is all I can say to describe the September IIAH luncheon at Maggiano’s. We had over 150 people at tend and it was SO much fun to see everyone. And let me tell you, people noticed!! We were fortunate have Texas Department of Insurance Commissioner Cassie Brown as our guest speaker. She covered a variety of issues facing our industry in the coming years.

She is a wealth of information and o fered to help our local agents in any way that she could. She is always available to help, just send her an email or call and she will get you an answer! I join the board in thanking you for attending! It makes a big difference in the energy level of the room. Our new President, Jason Nybakken outlined the four items that he would like to see accomplished during his term: Education/Job facilitation, Networking/ Building relationships, Charity fundraising , Making IIAH more visible in the community.

These are lofty goals, but with your assistance, we can do great things this year for your association. I look for ward to finishing 2022 on a strong note with our Novem ber luncheon and our annual Holiday party. Again, thanks for making the September luncheon a record setting one and please come and continue the momentum at the November luncheon.

The Young Insurance Professional’s 3rd Annual Charity Corn Hole Tourna ment was one of the best events we’ve hosted. We had over 60 teams par ticipate this year to help raise over 16k for our wonderful charitable partners, The Brookwood Community, Mission K-9 Rescue and Texas Association of First Responders. The battle of the boards took a little longer than expected with so many insurance professionals competing for the prize, but we did have three victorious teams.

1st Place with Chubb Brian Drew and Anthony Mershad

2nd Place with RT Specialty Lucian Rawlings and Bobby Nowell

3rd place with Hotchkiss Spencer Starkey and Ethan Stremmel

A huge thank you to each and everyone of our sponsors who make this event possible and helped raise a record number for our charities. Our Young Insur ance Professionals committee worked so hard to make this event a success so a huge thank you to all of them. We can’t wait to see you next year for an event with a bigger turnout! Save the date for October 2023. Thank you all again for the support and generosity!

Martha Matamoros & Brandon Sargent of Craig & Leicht

Martha Matamoros

I have been in the industry for 9 years, of which 6 have been in surplus lines. I started as a Renewal Underwriter in Personal Lines and then made the switch to Commercial Lines- I enjoy underwriting both lines. Insurance never ceases to amaze me because of the continuous change in the market. That is why I hope to stay in the industry for a while longer evolving into a better underwriter each year.

Sargent

I got started in insurance at Bass Underwriters in 2006. I’ve always enjoyed underwriting, because whether it’s a new market or product line, changing guidelines, or even just a unique submission, there’s always something new and interesting to learn about.

IN MEMORIAM Talmon John Vice

Talmon was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend to many. He was a native of Loreauville and a 2008 graduate of Catholic High School of New Iberia and the University of Louisiana at Monroe where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in risk-man agement. Thereafter, he joined the CRC Group as a casualty broker specializing in oil & gas, environ ment, and construction. He was a member of CRC’s Houston, TX team for the past eight years. Talmon loved his career at CRC and treasured the relation ships that he established industry wide.

Talmon was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunt ing, fishing, and golfing and was often spotted strolling Weston in their new neighborhood. He was so excited to recently return home to sportsman’s paradise with his family. Talmon was gifted with a servant’s heart and was a God fearing man. He was a 2018 ACTS brother of St. John Vianney in Hous ton. He had a kind and genuine spirit, a heart of gold, and an infectious smile that will never be forgotten.

Treasuring the memory of Talmon include his wife, Grace LeLeux Vice; his son, Weston John Vice; his expected daughter, Ivy Louise Vice, due in February 2023; his parents, Timothy John Vice and Monique Tauzin Vice all of Youngsville, LA; his brother, Scott David Vice and his fiancée’ Jessica Caudill of Bir mingham, AL; his paternal grandparents, John and Dot Vice; his mother-in-law Nanette Sorrel; his fa ther-in-law, Christopher LeLeux; his brother-in-law, Matthew LeLeux; his sister-in-law, Catherine Nguyen and her husband Thai all of New Iberia; his aunt and godmother, Sandy Vice; his uncles, David Tauzin and Tommy Vice and wife Alexis all of Houma, LA; his goddaughter, Genevieve Arena of Beaumont, TX.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grand parents, David Tauzin and Yvonne Voisin Tauzin Judice; and uncle and godfather, Mark Tauzin.

Upholding the honor of pallbearers will be Scott David Vice, Stephen Holloway, Jacob Quinlan, Will Quinlan, Nick Sapienza, Joey Arena, and Keith Richardson.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Jacob Tauzin, Nich olas Vice, Luke Tauzin, Andrew LeLeux, Jason Doerle, and Cade Pellegrin.

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WHO HASWHO HAS THE THE LAST WORDLAST WORD

Where do you work?

Brady, Chapman, Holland & Associates

What sound do you love?

A river in the mountains

If you could paint a picture of any scenery you’ve seen before, what would you paint?

The butte in Crested Butte, Colorado

What was the first thing you bought with your own money?

NFL football team pencils

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

52 is working for me

What is your pet peeve in traffic?

People that can’t drive because they’re too busy looking at their phones

Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m still waiting on those to show up Grape

What is your favorite flavor of jellybeans?

What is your LEAST favorite electronic device?

My desktop computer when it’s not cooperating

What is the longest car trip you have ever taken?

Houston, Texas to Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Can’t help you with that one

Ninjas or pirates?

What was your favorite childhood television program? What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

I’m sure it was because I was not following directions

What is something you learned in the last week?

You never stop learning in this industry!

Weirdest thing you have ever eaten?

Rattlesnake

Arrr, pirates!

Dukes of Hazzard

Are you a collector of anything?

All things hunting

At a movie theater, which arm rest is yours?

It depends on who is sitting next to me

Kevin Comiskey