Chair of the Board's Message

DIVERSITY: DOING OUR PART

My two-year term as chair of the board is nearing its end (later this summer). With that in mind, I’ve been reflecting on the recent accomplishments of our agents’ association. One of the strategic initiatives that I’m most proud of is IA&B’s commitment to recruiting and educating diverse new talent.

This entails the late 2023 creation of a new position – IA&B Director of Career Services, a full-time recruiter – and the January 2025 launch of the Insuring Careers Certification Program (ICCP), a point of entry into the insurance industry that prepares newcomers to be successful agency contributors.

Industry perpetuation has been a hot topic for years, and I’m ecstatic that we’re moving the mark and recognizing the importance of incorporating diversity – diversity of experiences and backgrounds, ethnicities and races, education and ages.

This issue of Primary Agent sheds light on ways that all of us, in our individual agencies, can improve our outreach to diverse communities, for hiring and for prospecting. On the next page, read Don’s Discussion for insights on using translation and interpreting services to reach underserved populations. Then in the cover interview, hear from Jude Tuma, owner of IA&B Member Agency A to Z Insurance, on his agency’s commitment to serving Latino and other minority communities. And on page 12, learn how “blind hiring” strategies can help you build a more diverse team.

To succeed at recruiting diverse new talent and building teams that better reflect and serve our communities, we need to play the long game. And I’m confident that if we’re all on the same team, striving toward the same goal, we will win.

Until next time,Sarah Brown, CIC, CRM, AFISChair of the Board