From Your President

Matt Swallows presented by

I hope Spring is off to a great start for each of you across the state. Springtime in Tennessee is a beautiful time of the year, yet it is also a time of severe weather that touches every part of the state at one time or another. From high wind and extreme rain events to hailstorms and tornados, agency principals and staff have all have had moments when they mobilized to aid clients impacted by severe weather. It was not all that long ago when we experienced a major tornado and subsequent damage in my hometown of Cookeville and the Upper Cumberland Region. It is at moments like this when professional independent insurance agencies and their company partners deliver on the promise of insurance at a time when it is needed most. In the aftermath of major weather events, it is frequently the inflow of insurance claim dollars paid to insureds that supports local economies as they rebuild. We should all be proud of the important role we play in helping our clients and communities recover from these extreme weather events.

A key point I want to focus on centers around value. Specifically, value that membership in the Insurors of Tennessee can deliver to members. Through your membership, you have access to a valuable set of products and services that can help propel your agency forward and keep your agency competitive in an ever-changing marketplace.

Membership provides access to personal umbrella insurance, flood insurance, and home business insurance. To learn more, please reach out to Stephen Holmes at 615.515.2609 or by e-mail at sholmes@insurors.org. Stephen has many years of underwriting experience and deep expertise in the products we offer and can be of great assistance to you. In addition, you can gain access to Big “I” Markets to round out your agency's existing product offering.

Another significant value of your membership is the full range of insurance education and professional development products offered by and through the Insurors of Tennessee. Education and professional development are the keys to differentiating you and your agency in the marketplace and essential to provide your clients with the professional guidance they need to navigate the complexities of insurance and risk management. The simple truth is that professional insurance education and the development of expertise is the engine that drives success in the most successful agencies. The Insurors of Tennessee is the premier source for insurance education and professional development in Tennessee. Be sure to see page 48 for upcoming education opportunities. You can also visit www.insurors.org for more information. Our Insurance Education Specialist, Teresa Durham, has substantial experience and knowledge to help support the education program in your agency. Please contact Teresa at 615.515.2607 or by e-mail at tdurham@insurors.org.

Another important and impactful component of your membership, centers around the advocacy efforts conducted by your association to support a healthy and competitive insurance marketplace in Tennessee. These efforts benefit the independent agents across the state, insurance company partners and the citizens of Tennessee. A competitive marketplace ensures superior products and competitive prices are available to our clients. From Capitol Hill in Nashville to the halls of Congress in Washington D.C., critical advocacy work is being conducted at this very moment. Trey Moore, who serves as our Govern- ment Affairs Consultant is actively representing our interests in Nashville along with the support and guidance of members of the state legislative affairs committee. At the national level, members of the Insurors of Tennessee along with our leadership are preparing to attend the Big “I” Legislative Conference in Washington on April 26-28, to meet with our elected leaders and make certain they understand the position of this association and our members on pending legislation. From a macro perspective, the time, effort and financial resources we spend on legislative affairs and advocacy efforts in both the near term and long term are vital to the ongoing health of our industry.

The capstone to the many services the Insurors of Tennessee provides are the events the association offers each year including the Agency Growth Conference, Young Agents gatherings across the state, Women in Insurance (WINS) meet-ups, education opportunities and the Insurors of Tennessee Annual Conference. These events further extend the services we provide, offer opportunities to network, build relationships and share experiences. For many, these events are one of the most consequential elements of membership.

If you know of an agency in your community that is not a member of the association, please reach out to them and extend an invitation to join. Please refer them to www.insurors. org or Jake Smith at 615.922.6204 or jsmith@insurors.org. Let’s grow our association in 2023 in celebration of our 130th Anniversary! u