June 2010: Nationally recognized workplace wellness expert Ron Z. Goetzel and Maryland State Health Secretary John M. Colmers topped the list of speakers and discussion participants at the recent Workplace Wellness Symposium.The event was held at the Westin BWI Hotel and hosted by IWIF, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield and the Chesapeake Region Safety Council. About 300 agents and brokers, as well as employers and others connected to the human resources industry, learned how the new health care reform legislation will affect employers and what health issues are adversely affecting workers’ compensation injury/illness claims, in addition to gaining information on the legal environment regarding workplace wellness and how a healthy workforce bolsters Maryland’s economic vitality.In addition to Geotzel and Colmers, other noted speakers included Dr. Richard Safeer, director of prevention and disease management at CareFirst; Tim Michels, EVP of claims for IWIF; and Don Walsh of Offit Kurman. Goetzel is director of Emory University’s Institute for Health and Productivity Studies and is the principal investigator for wellness programs administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control, and many of the nation’s largest employers. He reviewed how workplace wellness programs lead to improved employee productivity and health cost savings, citing specific examples.Topics covered during the symposium included an overview of the health care crisis in America, the importance of a healthy workforce to Maryland’s economic vitality, an overview of the new health care reform legislation’s impact on employers, insight on creating a workplace wellness program and measuring return on investment, the legal environment and workplace wellness programs, and health issues adversely affecting workers’ compensation injury/illness claims. In addition, several employers shared their workplace wellness success stories during a panel discussion.Photos are of speakers, panelists and attendees.

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GBS hosts health care reform panel July 2010: Group Benefit Services (GBS) kicked off its “Understanding Health Care Reform” educational seminar series in late July with a panel discussion and review of the health care reform law enacted in March.About 400 brokers, employers and carrier executives were on hand for the morning event, which was held at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Md.Bill Simmons, president of GBS, and Jim Ehrich, former president of ClientFirst, opened the morning with welcoming remarks and an introduction of Rodger Bayne, VP of marketing and product development at GBS and former CEO of ClientFirst. GBS and ClientFirst merged operations earlier this year. Bayne presented the morning’s first educational session, which provided an overview and outline of the demands and timeline that carriers, brokers and employers will be required to follow in the coming months and years, as well as some areas where more legislative clarity is required.Bayne was also part of a panel discussion of experts who provided insight into how the law will be enacted, employer responsibilities, health insurance exchanges, small employer tax credits and government involvement in shaping the new health care insurance climate. Other panel members included: Maryland Sen. Thomas “Mac: Middleton (D-Charles County); John M. Colmers, secretary of Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and Chet Burrell, president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.Corporate sponsors included DentaQuest and Transamerica Worksite Marketing.Photos are of panel members, sponsors and attendees.

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JUNE 2010: The Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland (IIAM) hosted its 73rd Annual Installation with a sold-out dinner event at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City.With a theme of “Trusted Choice--The Winning Hand,” IIAM hosted a daylong series of events that included a luncheon for 16 past association chairmen, including association presidents from 1964 to the outgoing 2010 president attending. Agents also attended a three-hour “Hot Buttons” P/C and L/H continuing education seminar presented by Vince Phillips of Phillips & Associates, Mechanicsburg, Pa.Following the afternoon events, agents and guests attended the annual Installation Dinner – which included presentation of several awards – and a casino night.Installed were officers for 2010-2011: Immediate Past Chairman Lars Olson, Olson, Inc., Gambrills; Chairman Bill Knobloch III, Knobloch Insurance, Manchester; Chairman-Elect Dennis Lawson, Wetzel & Lanzi Insurance, Lutherville; Vice Chairman Angela Ripley, V.W. Brown Insurance, Columbia; State National Director Michael McCartin, Joseph McCartin Insurance, College Park; Director-At-Large Terry Katz, HMS Insurance Associates; and G. Bradford Reeves, Past President Representatives. The officers were installed by Elmer Rhody, who is celebrating 63 years in the industry. Board members Rick Raley, John J. Darlington and Nancy Nicklow were also present. Outgoing Chairman Lars Olson was presented with a plague and gift for his service during the past year.In addition, several awards and recognitions were presented: Colleen Dunn of HMS received her commercial accredited customer service representative (ACSR) designation; Christina Robinson of Horenberg Insurance Services received her accredited advisor in insurance (AAI) designation and Amy Jack of HMS received her construction risk insurance specialist (CRIS) certification. The President’s Award for Outstanding Education Achievement was presented by Chairman Lars Olson and Sanjay Nangalia of award-sponsor Progressive Insurance, to HMS Insurance Associates in Hunt Valley.Photos are of attendees, officers and award winners.

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JUNE 2010 -- The Professional Insurance Agents of Virginia and the District of Columbia recently held its annual convention in Williamsburg, Va. Agents from across the state gathered for continuing education courses, a trade show and networking opportunities. Pictured are attendees and vendors.

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MAY 2010: The Maryland Association of Health Underwriters (MAHU) and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors of Maryland (NAIFA) hosted their 7th annual joint Maryland State Expo at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. The event featured a golf outing; awards dinner; continuing education seminars that dealt with topics such as disability insurance, pharmacy benefits, life insurance in financial planning, risk management, annuities , LTC and pensions; a legislative update featuring Acting Insurance Commissioner Beth Sammis; networking and a vendor trade fair. Among other awards presented at the annual All-Industry Awards Dinner were the following: Chris Wilson, BAHU Person of the Year; Steve Aquino, NAIFA-Carroll/Howard Agent of the Year; Alexis Tucker, GWAHU Agent of the Year; Paul Friedman, NAIFA-Greater Washington Legacy Award; Michael Garrity, NAIFA-Harford/Cecil, IFA-PAC Award; Bill Simmons, MAHU Hall of Fame; Jonathan Anders, MAHU Person of the Year. Photos are of award winners, sponsors and attendees.

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MARCH 2010 -- Paul Friedman, a long-time member and leader of the Greater Washington Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (GWAIFA), was awarded the First Annual Legacy Award (formerly Wilner Award), established by the association’s charitable foundation, GWFIFA. The presentation and luncheon were held at Congressional Country Club. Friedman, who is based in the Bethesda office of Vienna, Va.’s Signature Financial Partners/John Hancock Agency, was honored for his professionalism and community service. Friedman was surrounded by family – including wife Roz – in accepting the award. In addition, members of the Helping Hands Society who were recognized for their generosity during the luncheon event included, among others, Kevin Conley, Joe and Janice Davis, Keith Eig and Ron Jerro. Photos are of Friedman and his family, others who were recognized, and attendees/sponsors.

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MARCH 2010 -- The Annual Capital I Day was held at the Hilton Hotel in Rockville, Md., bringing together insurance agents and others from throughout the region. The morning session offered a View from the Top and how to survive the recession, led by Louise "Bebe" Canter of USI, that included Douglas W. Pera of Willis, Joseph S. Clabby of ACE USA, Mary Stewart of the Public Entity Risk Institute and Lorna M. Parsons of Victor O. Schinnerer & Co. The lunch speaker was Eric O'Neil, a retired FBI agent whose story was portrayed in the move "Breach." The afternoon sessions covered flood insurance led by Philp Rager; employment practices liability insurance led by Catherine M. Paladino and Deanna Beacham of Chubb & Sons; professional liability led by Stanley L. Lipshultz; and ethics led by Norris Gearhart. Photos are of attendees, speakers and others who took part in the event, which also included a trade show.

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MARCH 2010 -- A panel discussion on health care reform, held just hours after President Barack Obama signed health care reform into law, was sponsored by the Baltimore Association of Health Underwriters (BAHU) and the Greater Washington Association of Health Underwriters (GAWHU) in Columbia, Md. Participants included Dane Rianhard, BAHU president; Janet Trautwein, NAHU CEO; Mike Curran, EVP/CFO Medstar Health; Chet Burrell, CEO of CareFirst; John E. Fleig, UnitedHealthcare of the mid-Atlantic ; and Tom Grote, president, Aetna Small Group Capitol Region.

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MARCH 2010 - The National Capital Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP) recently hosted its 13th Annual Professional Night. The evening event, held at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Va., drew insurance and financial service professionals from throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. for networking with others in the profession. Keynote speaker for the event was Tucker Carlson, TV political commentator and journalist. Photos are of event attendees.

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JANUARY 2010-The Baltimore chapters of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) and the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP) held their joint annual education meeting recently at the Sheppard Pratt Conference Center near Towson. Among other professionals in attendance were Adele Zilber of Belman Klein Associates, and Greg Jachelski, principal of Financial Solutions Group.

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DECEMBER 2009-Brokerage Services International recently played host to a series of BSI Roadshows in Maryland and Northern Virginia for life insurance agents. Attendees received continuing education credits and heard product presentations from John Hancock and MetLife representatives. BSI staff involved in the event included Suzanne Sargent, Kathy Gabor and Jeanna Wolf. Pictured are of some of the attendees from the Linthicum, Md., event.

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November 2009: For the second year, the Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland has provided an opportunity for agents to connect with their lobbyists, regulators and legislators through the IIAM Legislative Summit. Held in the conference center of The Maritime Institute in Linthicum, the event included an ethics and disclosure presentation by Vince Phillips, a lobbyist and consultant with Phillips Associates in Pennsylvania; remarks from state Sen. Thomas M. “Mac” Middleton and Del. Roger Manno; a regulatory update from Maryland Insurance Commissioner Ralph S. Tyler; and a panel discussion on contractual compliance featuring Pat McHugh Lambert, Lauren Ades and Drake Zaharris of Hodes, Pessin & Katz law firm in Baltimore. Photos are of various attendees and speakers.

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October 2009: The NAIFA Baltimore Charitable Foundation held a reception at Libertore’s Restaurant in Timonium recently, to thank the original donors who created the foundation’s endowment in 1997. Project Chair Edel Blumberg, along with Ross Carozza, Foundation President Mike Leonard and Executive Director Melanie Morris greeted the NAIFA members who helped raise over $185,000 from 1997 to 2001. Original contributors in attendance included Emil “Buzzy” Budnitz, Jr., Chet Duke, Jr., Ross Carozza, Dick Patterson, L. John Barnes, Dennis Bauernschub, Edel Blumberg, Dave Derby, Haswell Franklin, Pamela Gilmour, Brian Hughes, Sanford Jacobson, Francis Kelly III, Charles Klein, Dan Konick. Sally Leimbach, Betsy Morrison, and Brian Walsh.Since the original endowment was formed, the foundation has spent more than $300,000 on community service projects including: The Hopkins Starbright Project, Thanksgiving in February, Habitat for Humanity, Children’s Hospital Christmas parties, Make A Wish, Ronald McDonald House, and the Central Scholarship Bureau. Charitable activities of the local chapter of NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors) began in1922, when George S. Robertson, who at the time was secretary treasurer of what was to become the Baltimore Life Underwriters Association, took presents to the Harriett Lane Children’s Ward at Johns Hopkins Hospital. That tradition has continued every year since.

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October 2009--The Maryland chapter of the CPCU Society recognized its 21 CPCU designees at its 57th Annual Conferment Dinner, held at the Sheraton-Columbia Inn in Columbia, Md. Five of the designees attended the event, where Maryland Insurance Commissioner Ralph S. Tyler and J. Howard Kucher, executive director of entrepreneurship programs at the University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business spoke to about 70 attendees. New officers, past presidents and the 2009 CPCU Champions were recognized. Photos of attendees, designees and others.

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OCTOBER 2009: The Greater Washington Association of Health Underwriters (GWAHU) held its 13th annual charity golf tournament in October at Norbeck Country Club. The event raised funds for CureSearch, also known as the National Childhood Cancer Foundation/Children’s Oncology Group. More than 90 golfers were greeted by beautiful weather and a pristine golf course, and treated to lunch and dinner. Tony Covington, director of corporate relations for CureSearch and former defensive safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks (also standout player for the University of Virginia Cavaliers), spoke to the gathering about the CureSearch organization. Photos are of golfers and other attendees.

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OCTOBER 2009 - The Insurance Roundtable of Baltimore held its 63rd annual F. Addison Fowler Fall Seminar at the Bonnie Blink Masonic Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md. The seminar featured several presentations, including “Focus on Fraud” by Carolyn Henneman, fraud division chief for the Maryland Insurance Administration; a look at the Defense Base Act with Hal White of Chubb & Sons; and a look at directors and officers liability by Cary Meiners of Travelers Insurance. Founded in 1946 by Fowler, the roundtable was conceived to help keep the insurance community abreast of changes and to provide a format to foster a monthly exchange of ideas between agents, carriers and support organizations. Pictured are attendees and presenters.

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JUNE 2009 -- The Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland installed its new officers for the 2009-2010 term at their annual installation dinner, held recently at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Md.
Lars Olson of Olson Inc. in Gambrills, Md., will serve as chairman of the agents’ association. Bill Knobloch of Knobloch Insurance in Manchester, Md., will serve as chairman-elect and Dennis Lawson of Wetzel & Lanzi Insurance in Lutherville, Md., is the new vice chairman.
The state national director for the new term is Michael McCartin of Joseph McCartin Insurance in College Park, Md., director-at-large is Angela Ripley of V.W. Brown Insurance in Columbia, Md., and G. Bradford Reeves was confirmed as past president representative.
Angela Ferguson of Brothers Insurance Associates in Westminster, Md., will serve as immediate past chair. The IIAM also appointed two new board members: Christopher Smith of The Barbour Group of Westminster, Md., and Rick Raley of Raley, Combs & Reeves.
The officers were installed by Elmer Rhody, who is celebrating his 62nd year in the insurance industry.
Former Baltimore Colts' running back Lenny Moore attended and signed autographs at the event.

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JUNE 2009 -- The Baltimore chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals held its annual meeting at the Baltimore Country Club June 3. The gavel was passed from outgoing President Nelson Hyman to Thomas Ogle Jr., both NAIFA members. Other officers for the 2009-2010 membership year are: Edward Soper Jr, president-elect; Kalen Baxter, vice president; and Adele Zilber, treasurer. New directors serving two year terms are Donald Arnold, Jeffrey Lang and Kelly Stahl. Directors remaining on the board are Jim Ehrich, Haswell Franklin Jr. and Michael Kitces.
The featured speaker was former Gov. Bob Ehrlich, who spoke on many local and national issues coming up in the Maryland General Assembly and Congress.

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MARCH 2009 - The National Capital Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals (SFSP) recently hosted its 12th Annual Professional Night. The evening event, held at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Va., drew insurance and financial service professionals from throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. for networking with others in the profession. Keynote speaker for the event was George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s This Week Sunday morning talk show, and former staff member in the administration of President Bill Clinton. Photos are of various attendees from the event.

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JANUARY 2009 - Alan Meltzer (left), CEO of The Meltzer Group, was congratulated for becoming Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company’s (MassMutual) “2008 Agent of the Year” by Stuart Reese (center), MassMutual Chairman and CEO, and Jim Van Eperen, CEO of The Washington Group of MassMutual. Meltzer has won the agent of the year award from MassMutual for 17 years. In 2008, Meltzer led the company in overall first-year commissions and life insurance first-year commissions, achieving this honor 16 times in his career.

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FEBRUARY 2009 - Members of the Baltimore chapter of the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors, the NAIFA Charitable Foundation, and about 50 friends and family were on hand to dedicate a NAIFA-sponsored Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity home to the Valeria Foster family Feb. 21, 2009. Members not only contributed financially, but also hammered nails, put in flooring, and other tasks, along with Ms. Foster, to make a home for the Foster family. "With the handicapped accessible ramp, I will no longer have to carry my son and his wheelchair up and down flights of steps each day," said Foster. This is the 140th completion for the Chesapeake Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and plan on completing 20 more. "These projects cannot be done without the 'sweat equity' and finances of fine organizations such as NAIFA-Baltimore", said Project Superintendent Ian Bukowski.

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MAY 2009 - Agents and brokers from all over Maryland gathered for the Maryland State Expo, co-sponsored by the Maryland Association of Health Underwriters and the Maryland chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and held May 20 at Martin’s West in Woodlawn, Md. Among the topics discussed at the day-long event, featuring an awards dinner, trade show and continuing education credits, were how to operate an insurance agency in the current economy and dealing with regulatory changes coming from Annapolis and Washington, D.C. Pictured are attendees, speakers, award recipients and trade show exhibitors.

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MAY 2009 -- Freedom Broker Services recently held its annual golf tournament to benefit the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, a group that helps soldiers injured in recent wars. The regional brokerage agency, with offices in Vienna, Va., and Towson, Md., had 52 golfers take to the course at the River Creek Country Club in Leesburg, Va. The event raised $2,500 for the coalition through a putting contest and other donations. Pictured (from left to right) are Lcpl. Joel Klobnak, Airman Laura Narvaez, Freedom Broker Services President Kevin P. Conley, and Specialist Robert "B.J." Jackson.

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MARCH 2009 - Keith M. Eig,a principal with Bethesda, Md.-based Greenberg, Wexler & Eig, was awarded the 2009 Bernard L. Wilner Award by the Greater Washington Foundation of Insurance & Financial Advisors March 19. The award is given annually to recognize insurance and financial service professionals who demonstrate high standards of professional conduct and service to their community. Eig began his insurance career in 1989 with Phoenix Home Life. In 1998, Eig began his affiliation with the M Financial Group, becoming partner at Greenberg, Wexler & Eig in 2003. A member of NAIFA-GW since 1990, he served as president in 2005-2006.

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