Keith Eig

An insurance professional known for giving to others was on the receiving end March 19, as the recipient of the 2009 Bernard L. Wilner Award.

Keith M. Eig, a principal with Greenberg, Wexler & Eig of Bethesda, Md., was given the honor by the Greater Washington Foundation of Insurance & Financial Advisors in recognition of his high standards of professional conduct and service to the community.

Eig joins a list of 61 other Wilner Award winners dating back to 1947, and 15 former recipients were on-hand as he received this year’s honor.

“It is very humbling to be on the same list with some of the legends awarded before me, past and present,” Eig told IFAwebnews.com. “I’m lucky and incredibly fortunate.”

In his acceptance speech, Eig thanked his family, many of whom attended the ceremony, for inspiring him and those who could not be there for raising him to give back to others.

Eig’s grandfather, Sam Eig, was a philanthropist in the Washington, D.C., area, whose name graces Interstate 370, a section of Interstate 270 between the District and Frederick, Md.

“To be recognized by your peers is really cool, but this is not about one person,” Eig said. “This is about this foundation and what we do.”

Eig began his insurance career in 1989 with Phoenix Home Life and was named Rookie of the Year by the General Agents and Managers Association’s in 1989. In 1998, he began his affiliation with the M Financial Group, becoming a partner in Greenberg, Wexler & Eig in 2003, specializing in individual insurance planning and life settlements.

A member of GWFIFA since 1990, he served as the organization’s president in 2005-2006, overseeing the merger with the suburban Maryland chapter and winning the prestigious Jack E. Bobo Award for Excellence.

Eig serves as a board member for GWFIFA, organizing the group’s annual golf tournament that has raised nearly $200,00 over the past five years.

Calling Eig “one of the most active members of our charitable foundation board,” William Haraway, the 2008 Wilner Award recipient, added that Eig “will add stature to the award and exemplifies all that it stands for.”

David A. Wexler of Greenberg, Wexler & Eig said his fellow principal at the firm gets to the heart of each matter, distilling each issue to a simple answer, or what he calls “Eig-ing it.”

“I’ve been working with Keith since 1988 and he always does the right thing for the right reasons,” Wexler said.

Principal Scott Greenberg added, “In our office, David is the brains, I’m the heart and Keith is the balance as he is both level-headed and pragmatic.”

“I wish we had more like him [in the industry],” Greenberg said. “He’s the epitome.”

This year’s Wilner Award luncheon, held at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., also featured donations to organizations, including For Love of Children, the Montgomery County Self Sufficiency Program and the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes. There was also a tribute to the late Quentin C. Aanenson, a noted World War II fighter pilot, 32-year insurance agent and former Wilner Award recipient, who died earlier this year.