The president of a Farmville, Va., insurance agency was named the 2009 PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year.

Scott M. Harwood Jr.

Scott M. Harwood Jr., president of Harwood & Sons Insurance, received the award from the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents for outstanding achievement by a young insurance professional. The award was presented during a luncheon ceremony on April 4 in Arlington, Va.

Harwood was honored for his many activities in support of professional insurance agents and his efforts to attract more young people into the insurance industry.

“Scott has given of his time as a volunteer leader of PIA of Virginia & D.C. serving on its board of directors, as a member of its executive committee and as president of his PIA affiliate,” said PIA National Vice President-Treasurer Brian Marino in a statement. “Scott has actively participated in PIA’s insurance lobbying at the state and federal levels.”

Harwood also presented information about careers in insurance at Longwood University’s School of Business and Economics and will be writing articles for the Automated Agency Report.

“Scott’s community involvement includes participating in his church’s medical mission to Honduras in 2007, and he’s going back again in 2010,” Marino said. “He is truly one of PIA’s outstanding young insurance professionals.”

During Harwood’s term as president of PIA of Virginia & DC, a school was established that is designed to take a young person from any background, industry or education level and have them finish as licensed agents with the equivalent of several months of agency experience. And a second school was established, a producer “boot-camp” in partnership with the National Alliance designed to get young producers onto the fast track of sales and building large books of business.