WHAT WE DO:
Host EPIC Social Events such as the Charity Corn Hole Tournament and Happy Hours
Volunteer with local charities such as Be An Angel, Houston Area Women’s Center, Kids Meals and IICF
Dedicated to help any insurance professional start or further their career
Our mission is to empower our young insurance professionals with education, inspiration and opportunities that provide a platform to help launch their career and gain success! Our education, marketing, events and complete structure is focused on the Young Insurance Professional.
We encourage more experienced colleagues to get involved with our cause as well, great leadership and mentors are always welcome! No age restrictions, our committee is a team of individuals working together for a common cause. Our team is like a family, come and be apart of it!
MEETING
Monthly meetings @ 2:30 PM via ZOOM For more info contact, ayla@iiah.org
NOV
2nd
COMMITTEES 2023 - 2024
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.
Charitable Projects/ Fire Poster
Vice Chairman: Sarah Beck
Education, I.T., CE
Chairman: Michelle Dennis
Vice Chairman: Katrina Masek
Houston Insurance Day
Chairman: Ashley Giglio
Vice Chairman: Nancy Euginio Vice Chairman: Matt Romano
Legislative
Chairman: Kyle Dean
Vice Chairman: Wes Kurtz
IMPACT
Chairman: Wes Kurtz
Recreation
Chairman: Amber Stevenson
Vice Chairman: Carisa Cole
Young Insurance Professionals
Chairman: Macy Bennett
Vice Chairman: Grant Pierce
PR/Media Matters
Chairman: Scott West
Social Media
Chairman: Daphne Clark
Vice Chairman: Cassie Shanks
Houston Insurance News
Chairman: Amy Weimer
Vice Chairman: Cassie Shanks
Even though the calendar says it is fall, we live in Houston and it is still 95 degrees as I write this message. Hopefully cooler temperatures are on the way.
Fall brings lots of activities for IIAH. Centennial golf, YIPS Cornhole, Centennial celebration, Pickleball and I could go on and on. They are all great events and thank you for supporting them with your time and sponsorships!
September also started our new fiscal year and with that we bring in new board members and a new Board President. Congratulations to Jason Knecht on being the 2024-2025 President. Thanks to Adam Harris for your service as President in 2023-2024. New board members include William Peachey, Kathryn Noser, Wes Weatherred, Faith Boren, Jesse Serna, Keaton Sumicek and Chris Dowling. Thank you for serving your industry as a member of the board of directors.
We are gearing up for a bigger and better Houston Insurance Day in February. As I write that sentence, it does not seem possible to be bigger and better than last year, but our wonderful committee along with Renee and Ayla have already sold more booths than this time last year, so they are well on their way. Please plan to attend as it is always the most well attended event of the year for IIAH.
As always, please let us know if you have anything else that can be added to make IIAH the best it can be! We are here to serve you!!
ANNUAL SPONSORS
Titanium Elite Sponsors
Imperial PFS
Burns & Wilcox, Ltd.
CRC Group
Vintage Underwriters
Platinum Partners for Excellence
Brown & Riding
RT Specialty
Texas Mutual Insurance
WSG Specialty Underwriters
Gold Patron Sponsors
Chubb
Jencap
Travelers
UFG Insurance Company
WRIGHT Flood
New Agency Member
Bryon Hugley Insurance
Golden Minds Insurance Agency
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jason Knecht
Susan Zipperer
Jesse Sanchez
John Collado
Ryan Beavers
David Wuthrich
Adam Harris
Chris Dowling
Tom Fitzpatrick
Chairman
Chairman Elect
Vice Chairman
Treasurer
Treasurer Elect
President & CEO
Past Chairman
Affiliate Liaison
Affiliate Liaison
Faith Boren
John Collado
Sam Houston
Dalton Humphries
Matt Leicht
Kathryn Noser
BOARD OF DIRECTORS STAFF
David Wuthrich
Renee Stager
Ayla Benavides
Deb McRae
Robert Oncken
William Peachey
Jesse Serna
Keaton Sumicek
Wes Weatherred
CHARITABLE BENEFACTOR
“To empower children and families through literacy and life skills.”
Literacy Now (originally known as Making It Better) was founded in 2006 with a vision to help children rise above their circumstances through tutoring, mentoring, and other services. Since its founding, our organization has grown from serving one school with 91 students to serving 2,500 children and their parents on 16 Houston and 4 Aldine ISD Title I elementary campuses and in multiple low-income community sites during the 2022-2023 school year. Literacy Now has empowered more than 24,000 children and their parents, and our impact continues to grow.
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
Jason R. Knecht
jason.knecht@carrollins.com
As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston (IIAH), I am both honored and reflective as the current Chairman and a third-generation insurance agent. This milestone offers us a unique opportunity to look back at our rich history while considering the future of our industry.
The insurance landscape has evolved dramatically since the founding of the IIAH. Over the past century, we have witnessed profound changes—from the rise of technology and data analytics to shifting consumer expectations and an increased focus on risk management in the face of climate change. Each of these developments has shaped our approach to providing security and peace of mind for our clients.
Today, technology plays a pivotal role in our operations. We are harnessing tools that allow us to streamline processes, improve accuracy, and enhance customer interactions. However, even as we embrace these advancements, the essence of our profession remains rooted in relationships and trust. As an agency with deep family ties to this industry, I understand the importance of maintaining a personal touch while adapting to the demands of a digital world.
This centennial year is not only a time for celebration but also a moment for reflection on our responsibilities as insurance professionals. We must continue to advocate for the values of integrity and service that have defined our organization for generations. It’s essential to foster an inclusive environment that encourages the next generation of agents to innovate while remaining committed to our core mission.
As we look to the future, I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead. Our industry is poised to tackle emerging challenges with resilience and adaptability. By working together and leveraging our collective expertise, we can ensure that the next 100 years are just as impactful as the last.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we embark on this exciting journey together.
STRAIGHT LISTING
Name, Address, Phone, Contact Email
FULL LISTING
Name, Address, Phone, Contact Email, and website address
PLATINUM LISTING
Name, Address, Phone, Contact Email, website address, and unlimited lines of business
PACKAGE LISTING
Name, Address, Phone, Contact Email, website address, unlimited lines of business, and company logo on the Calendar of Event page of IIAH site
By: Regan Ellmer
IMPACT is the Political Action Committee of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas. By contributing to IMPACT, you are supporting pro-business candidates who are looking out for agents’ interests in the Capitol. All of the money raised by IMPACT is contributed to candidates and campaigns that support the independent agent network
IMPACT Goal
Propose legislation that is in the best interest of our members and the independent agency system
Support legislation that provides consumer protection and preserves consumer choice
Oppose legislation that is harmful to our members
Increase awareness of IIAT issues among legislators
Support key legislators and candidates who align with our objectives
Provide important legislative information to our member
Raise sufficient funds to promote IIAT’s agenda in the Texas Legislature
Encourage our members’ engagement in the political proces
By all accounts, the Centennial Golf event was a huge success! Held at the Big Easy Ranch in Columbus, Texas and honoring the Brady family and BCH for all they have meant to Insurance golf in Houston, the 14 teams started off the event on Sunday afternoon with one of three activities: fishing, shooting or golfing. After a couple of hours having fun, everyone cleaned up for dinner in the lodge. The owner of the Big Easy Ranch, Billy Brown, is from Louisiana, so we enjoyed a great Cajun dinner! I can tell you nobody left hungry. After dinner, the group retired to the Bluebonnet Cabin for drinks, cigars, watching Sunday night Football on the big screen and a lively poker game! Some folks headed to bed early so they would be ready for golf the next day, while some night owls stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing poker! I can tell you a fun time was had by all that night!
Monday morning came too early for some and not quick enough for others. Breakfast was scheduled for 8 am, but we had one group of golfers who were up before the sun to get a quick round in at the Par 3 course!! Others had breakfast closer to 9! Monday turned out to be a beautiful day and all of the golfers enjoyed the “best new course in Texas and one of the best new in the United States.” Everyone got a tour of the new halfway house, called the Eagles Nest. As you can see from the pictures, it is a pretty spectacular place. Everyone decided to just have a fun day of golf, so there was no team competition. Some groups played their own balls, while other groups opted to play a scramble. After some lite bites and drinks during the wrap up ceremony, everyone headed home with a smile on their face.
As a follow up, I received numerous calls and emails to make this an annual event at Big Easy Ranch. So, if you are interested in doing this in the fall of 2025, please contact me so that I can get your name on the list!
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who made our 5th Annual YIPs Charity Cornhole Tournament a success! With 48 teams battling it out, the energy was incredible.
Congrats to our winners:
1st Place: CRC Group
2nd Place: XPT Specialty
3rd Place: McGriff Insurance Services
Your support helps us make a difference, and we couldn't have done it without all of you! Here’s to another fantastic year!
Worried About Cybersecurity? Start with Password Management!
Cybersecurity is complex with many hardware, software, and training solutions needed to make your business secure. But all the best security solutions are useless without secure passwords. Let’s consider the humble password: Boring? Annoying? Ok, yes, but good passwords are the foundation of good security. Often, we work with businesses that have great security solutions, but they’ve put little effort into ensuring their employees are using strong passwords. What makes a good Password?
Length – Should be at least 12 characters but longer is better.
Complexity – Combine upper- and lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters.
Unique – Never use the same password with different apps.
Avoid Simple/Common Phrases - Especially if they relate to personal things about you. No Sharing - Never share your password with other employees.
Length Beats Complexity!
A long password using common words is more secure than a shorter, more complex password. For a strong password you can remember, we recommend using a passphrase with just a little complexity. Ex: “house!ocean2Drivecat”
You should never write down or store passwords in a file on your computer. Excel spreadsheets and Word documents simply are not secure enough for storing passwords. Use a Password Manager!
There’s a simple truth that we all must accept: It’s impossible to follow all the requirements for secure passwords without a Password Manager. While the built-in password managers on web browsers are better than nothing, a business needs a centrally managed password manager. Business grade password managers:
Help users create secure passwords.
Allows MFA/2FA codes to be stored which can lessens the need for authentication apps.
The system identifies bad passwords and they’re easy to change.
Users can share passwords as needed, and you can track access to shared passwords. Management access to all passwords for all users. Management can revoke employee access to passwords. And much more!
Strong passwords are essential to quality cybersecurity, but too often they’re overlooked simply because it’s hard or annoying to manage them properly. Neglecting passwords can undo all your efforts to implement effective security.
The good news is proper password management is inexpensive and can drastically increase the security of your business. Even better, your experience is improved by reducing the need to create and remember complex and unique passwords once you’re familiar with the manager.
Saturday, October 19th, 2024 brought an end to our year of Centennial activities with the Centennial Celebration at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
A wonderful evening was had by all that attended. It was a two-part celebration evening. Some of our members enjoyed time with their families by touring and enjoying the different exhibits that the HMNS has to offer. I saw a lot of kids, both young and old, enjoying learning something new about their planet that evening. The second part of the evening featured an elegant, seated steak dinner with seating around the dinosaur exhibit area. Two hundred guests got to experience something that not to many people get to and what they will probably never get to do again and that is eat dinner with ancient dinosaur skeletons just feet away from you. I am happy to report that both our guests and the dinosaurs behaved themselves and there were no incidents!! Some of the lucky attendees got to enjoy both parts of the evening and not only got to spend time with their children looking at all of the exhibits, but they also got a once in a lifetime chance to eat with the dinosaurs!!
Thanks to all of our Insurance Agency sponsors as well as our Associate partners who provided the funds to allow for such a spectacular evening and one that will be talked about for the next 100 years. It was so fun to see so many past and present members of the IIAH board of directors participating in this event that concluded our 100th anniversary celebrations.
I overheard one of the participants say that “the dinosaurs were eating with the dinosaurs”, but all I saw were young people, either in spirit or age, having a wonderful time celebrating 100 years of the Insurance Industry in our great city of Houston.
Houston Insurance Day 2025 Celebrates The Power of Storytelling
February 19, 2025
As has been stated and memorialized, the Mission of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston, "To further the success of Houston area independent insurance agents through education, advocacy, networking, and community service."
The focus here, however, is on community service, arguably the most important of our mission in terms of recognizing our duty to give back to the community which has given and provided benefits to each agency represented herein. For years, in fact, since its inception, volunteering and community service have been an essential part of the IIAH fabric.
Although there are many stalwarts who have stepped up and represented the IIAH by giving of their time and energy to support numerous causes and philanthropies, including those listed below such as the Women's Home Cottage Shop, Kids' Meals, Brookwood, BIG Love, Citizens for Animal Protection, and the Ronald McDonald House, there are indeed countless other opportunities for our organization to serve and benefit the greater Houston community, both collectively and individually. The list below is an overview and example of the number of volunteers who have participated on behalf of these charities.
Further, and to demonstrate the power of volunteerism, on 6/13/24, 25 IIAH individuals donated their time to prepare and/or package food for Kids' Meals. I would suggest that those who participated clearly saw the value of this organization and proceeded to enhance its visibility by sharing their experience with others in their own agency. It is this type of effort that will expand the IIAH's visibility and footprint within the community.
For example, Kids' Meals is the only organization in the U.S. that provides free, healthy meals to Houston's hungriest preschool-aged children. Its mission is to end childhood hunger in Houston, as there are over 80,000 preschool-aged children who suffer from food insecurity. This is an organization that by its very nature demands that we as Houstonians work to prevent and ultimately eradicate childhood hunger. Word of mouth, volunteerism, community dominations, and participation have allowed Kids' Meals to expand its reach by the construction of a new facility that will more than triple the number of meals that will be delivered daily upon completion.
Past Projects
Brookwood Community | Poinsettia Sleeving
Literacy
B.I.G. Love Cancer Care
Citizens for Animal Protection
Most Recent Projects
Brookwood Fall Festival
Our members had a wonderful time volunteering at the Annual Fall Festival at Brookwood on Thursday September 05, 2024. Tawana Godwin, the Volunteer & Community outreach director quoted “You always have the most fun team of volunteers! They came with their huge smiles and big hearts READY to serve!” We are grateful to give back and partner with Brookwood on these projects. Join us in November for Poinsettia Sleeving
Ronald McDonald House
those we served.
We provided a delicious meal featuring Ragin Cajun's fried shrimp, catfish, jambalaya, and cornbread. Every bite brought comfort and joy to families during a challenging time.
Thank you for your time, effort, and compassion. Together, we’re creating a home away from home!
IICF Veterans Memorial Cleanup
A heartfelt thank you to the members who joined the IIAH team at the annual Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Veterans Memorial cleanup today at the Houston National Cemetery! Your dedication to honoring our heroes by cleaning headstones and raking the grounds is truly inspiring. Together, we made a difference and showed our respect for those who served. We appreciate each and every one of you for your time and effort. Let’s continue to uplift our community and support our veterans!
If your agency has a special interest in a charitable organization and would like to see its participation increase to include more groups and agencies, the IIAH would be very interested in such group and organization.
Thank you for your continued support of the IIAH and its philanthropic efforts
William Goldberg IN MEMORIAM
02/24/1941 - 09/04/2024
William Stuart Goldberg passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by his loving family and caregivers. William was born in Houston, Texas at St. Joseph Hospital on February 24, 1941, to Bernice Lipsey Goldberg and Harry Goldberg. He attended San Jacinto High School and was an active member of Cyrus Adler AZA. He started his college years at the University of Texas at Austin and made lifelong friends when he joined Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
After his service in the Air Force Reserve, he continued his education and graduated with a Business Degree from the University of Houston. While at the University of Houston, Willy married Lynn Rosenthal, started his career in the insurance business, and together, he and Lynn started their 60 years of loving marriage. William was well known in the insurance industry, not only for his business expertise, but also for his integrity, empathy and his infectious smile. His service to the community was well known, as he held many leadership positions in numerous organizations. At Beth Yeshurun Synagogue, he served as President of the Congregation, of the Day School Board and the Men's Club. He also served on the boards of Seven Acres, Israel Bonds, and The Houston Estate and Financial Forum. He was an ardent supporter of the Houston Cougars and could always be found at the football and basketball games, sharing his passion with three generations of his family.
William's greatest joy came from being with his family, whether at holidays with brothers and sisters in laws, nieces and nephews, or every Friday night sharing Shabbat dinner with Lynn, the children and grandchildren. He is survived by his loving wife, Lynn, his brother Floyd Goldberg (Charlotte), daughters Bonnie Winograd and Hayley Feldman (Marc), and grandchildren Nicole Winograd, Jake Feldman, and Aidan Feldman. A special thank you goes to his many devoted caregivers.
WHO HAS... THE LAST WORD
Keaton Sumicek
Where do you work?
Securance Corporation Agency
What
sound do you love?
Waves crashing on the beach
If you could paint a picture of any scenery, you’ve seen before, what would you paint?
The Harbor of Valletta in Malta
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
A Razor Scooter when I was 9 years old
If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
30 would definitely be the age! It was the age when I didn’t feel too old or too oung.
What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?
I was always at the wrong place at the wrong time, and continuously got in trouble for guilt by association.
What is something you learned in the last week?
To keep a positive attitude no matter the circumstance.
Weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Stuffat tal Bebbux which is the maltanese snail. Highly poisonous if not cook correctly!
What is your pet peeve in traffic?
Going slow in the left lane.
Do you have any hidden talents?
I can eat whatever I want and not gain a pound
What is your favorite flavor of jellybeans?
Jolly Rancher
What is your LEAST favorite electronic device?
My office phone
What is the longest car trip you have ever taken?
From Houston to Grand Forks North Dakota.
Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
They’re animals in my book so a little contradictory
Ninjas or pirates?
Pirates Dragon Ball Z
What was your favorite childhood television program?
Are you a collector of anything?
Nothing that I can think of. Less is more in my book!
At a movie theater, which arm rest is yours?
I go to the movies with my wife, so I don’t get an arm rest.
