Register for the May Meeting at Embassy Club Downtown
WTOT?
What's the one thing? CPCU Society Leadership Council President and Chair Troy Baldwin asked us this question at the Leadership Summit in April. What's the one thing you can do to be more effective, to achieve your goals? As it relates to CPCU, my one thing is making the Iowa Chapter a strong, vibrant chapter with programming that exceeds our members' needs. This doesn't happen alone, the Iowa Chapter has an amazing board dedicated to serving our members and we have you, our members.
As we break for the summer, our programming will continue with a Professional Development event focused on Diversity and Inclusion in June and our Annual Golf Outing to raise money for the Blank Children's Hospital Fire Safety House. The Fire Safety House provides a hands-on learning experience for children to learn what to do in the event of a fire. You can read more about the fire safety house here.
If you are a golfer, I hope you join us and if you aren't a golfer, you are always welcome to join us for dinner. Also, this summer The CPCU Society and The Casualty Actuarial Society are hosting a joint Underwriting Collaboration Seminar in New Orleans June 26 - 27. It promises to be a great educational event. You can learn more about that event at: http://www.casact.org/underwriting/.
The board will meet in August for our 2019 planning meeting. Here is where we need your help, what is your one thing?
- The one thing you wish we did as a chapter but we don't?
- If you haven't been to a meeting recently, what is the one reason why?
- What is the one thing you wish we would keep doing?
- What is the one thing that would cause you to be more involved?
- What is the one thing that would make your membership more meaningful?
I am interested in your feedback on how we can improve as a chapter and provide value to you. Please email me your comments at [email protected].
Finally, congratulations to Kevin Seward. Kevin is a Past-President of the Iowa Chapter and just finished his term as Chapter Governor. It was announced at Leadership Summit that Kevin has been nominated to the Leadership Council for a three-year term beginning in 2019. The Leadership Council is responsible for strategic decision making to guide The CPCU Society forward. All dues paid members will have the opportunity to vote for Kevin during annual elections later this year, be on the lookout for this email. Congratulations Kevin!
]]>Register for April 2018 Meeting
Happy April! This month, a few of the chapter officers are travelling to Baltimore for the CPCU Society Leadership Summit. This is a great event where volunteer leaders at the local and national level meet to network, attend business meetings, learn about running volunteer organizations, and attend sessions on technical insurance topics. While there, I will be presenting in my role as the Chair of the Personal Lines Interest Group on how to lead an interest group, create value for members, and collaborate with chapters. Now, if you are like some CPCU Society members, you are thinking...interest groups, what are those?
Interest groups are a group of professionals with an interest in a specific discipline or functional area of the insurance industry and help members connect with like-minded professionals. The Society has 14 interest groups including claims, underwriting, loss control, and reinsurance. You can find a complete list of interest groups here. As a benefit of your CPCU Society membership, you can join one or all of them depending upon your interests. Interest groups are responsible for much of the content you see from The Society including webinars, articles in Insights, and seminars at the annual meeting. The interest group committees are responsible for coordinating these efforts and are made up of CPCU Society volunteers. For those looking to be more involved, volunteering on an interest group committee is a great way to be involved, deepen technical knowledge, network, and build leadership skills. You can sign up to volunteer here.
Have you been receiving emails from something called the Agent and Broker Interest Group and wonder why? Well, if you haven't designated your primary interest group, you likely have been assigned to the Agent and Broker Interest Group by default. To receive communications from the interest group that interests you most, you need to go into your profile and designate your primary interest group. To do so, log in to www.cpcusociety.org and select "interest groups" from the drop-down menu under your name in the top right corner. Then select one primary interest group and as many secondary ones as you want - it's that easy!
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions on interest groups or how to get involved.
- Stephanie Wells, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
]]>Register for the March Ethics Meeting at EMC
I've always loved March, it is when we see the end of winter and the arrival of spring. I associate spring with a time for new growth and opportunity, renewal and the promise of new beginnings. It is a hopeful time after a long, dark winter.
For CPCUs it is also Ethics month, a time to affirm our commitment to leading ethical lives. As insurance professionals, CPCUs, and members of society, we should always strive to act in the highest ethical manner. As a CPCU we are bound by the CPCU Code of Professional Conduct which includes placing the public interest above our own, aspiring to raise the professional and ethical standards of the insurance and risk management profession, and assist in improving the public understanding of insurance and risk management.
The CPCU Society website has some great resources on Ethics, which you can find here.
The Iowa Chapter exists and is able to provide activities and programming thanks to our all-volunteer board. We are always looking for individuals interested in getting more involved with CPCU. We currently have openings on the board for the website development committee, Diversity Chair, and photographer. If you are interested in any of these openings - please let me know, we'd love to have you join us!
Finally, we are trying a new format for the ChapterGram this month by incorporating it into email. Let us know if you like this change or prefer the old format.
- Stephanie Wells, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
]]>Link to February 2018 ChapterGram
Register for February 2018 Chapter Meeting
I hope everyone had a great January! Our year kicked-off with a presentation on the use of technology for loss control by Paul Samson. Paul discussed the advances in technology aiding the insurance industry in loss prevention, including cameras in vehicles to monitor driving, thermal imaging to detect the source of water leaks, and wearable technology to prevent workers’ compensation injuries before they happen. If you will be at the Annual Meeting in San Diego, Paul will present a longer version of this presentation – make sure you check it out! You can also read an article from Paul in the Fall 2017 CPCU Society Insights Journal on this topic.
Our February meeting is February 15th at the Des Moines Botanical Center. The speaker is Rex Butler who will speak on a topic that is both personal to him and having a major impact on society today – opioids. According to the CDC, more than half of all drug overdoses in the United States involve opioids and deaths from prescription opioids have more than quadrupled since 1999. Rex will discuss how this epidemic impacts workers’ compensation insurance. It promises to be an engaging and informative meeting; I hope you will join us.
Did you know as part of your Society membership you have access to complimentary webinars? All the webinars are recorded, so if you can’t attend live, you have access to all the past webinars on The Society website. The webinar topics include both technical insurance and professional development. For example, some of the webinars you can access include “Navigating Office Politics”, “The Additional Insured Illusion…and Other Feats of Contractual Risk Transfer”, and “Challenges of Risk Management in the Sports and Entertainment Industries.”
The February webinar is presented by the Personal Lines Interest Group. Rob Olson with IRMI and Rick Walsh with Motorists Insurance Group will discuss smart-home technology and why your home may be smarter than you. It is on February 22 at 1:00 pm CST. You can register for the webinar online.
]]>Register for January 2018 Chapter Meeting
Happy New Year! As we begin a new year, it is a time of looking forward and making goals for the year to come but it is also a time for reflection on the past year and all we have accomplished. In looking back, I want to take a moment to thank Adam Haugerud for his years of service to the Iowa Chapter and The Society. Since earning his CPCU in 2009, Adam has served our chapter as New Designee Chair, Director of Community Involvement, and gone through the chairs (Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President, and President). He has served The Society as a member of the New Designee Task Force and just completed a three-year term as the chair of the task force. Adam will continue to serve our chapter for the next year as Immediate Past President and moves on to a three-year term as Chapter Governor.
With Adam coming in as Chapter Governor, this means our current Chapter Governor, Kevin Seward’s term is ending. Kevin is another individual who has spent many years serving our chapter and The Society. Kevin is a Past-President of the Iowa Chapter (2007-2008), and serves on both the Diversity Committee for The Society and the Board of Ethical Inquiry for The Institutes. Thank you, Adam and Kevin for all you’ve done for our chapter and The Society.
As we look forward to 2018, I would challenge you to try something new with CPCU. Perhaps it has been several years since you have attended a meeting- join us for one this year. Maybe you always attend the meetings- try sitting at a table with people you don’t know, bring someone who hasn’t been to a meeting or a new designee with you. Take an opportunity to join us at one of our social events, good works events, or volunteer to help on the board. Whatever it may be, we hope to see you this year. You can always find all our events on the website, https://cpcu-iowa.org/. The board works hard each year to plan programming that is relevant, interesting, and fun for our members. This year we will kick-off our programming with Paul Samson of Berkley Ag speaking on the use of technology for risk control.
A reminder, if you haven’t paid your 2018 CPCU Society dues, please do so today. You can do so by going to the CPCU Society website, logging in (top right corner), and selecting “Pay Dues Now” which is in the white box to the right of announcements. You can also call The Society’s Member Resource Center at 800-932-2728. Paying your dues supports the events the Iowa Chapter puts on during the year. In addition, it gives you access to monthly webinars on technical insurance topics and leadership skills, the quarterly technical journal InSights, discounts on CE and Institutes materials, access to updated CPCU course information, and more. You can learn more about membership benefits here.
I hope to see you at our January meeting on the 18th at Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston/Urbandale.
- Stephanie Wells, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
“Celebrate endings, for they precede new beginnings.” J Lockwood Huie
]]>Register for the December Meeting
Happy December All! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Now the countdown to the holidays and New Year’s, and, for many of us, trying to use the last few days of vacation before we lose them!
Regardless, before you know it, it will be 2018. This year has been great for our chapter and I have thoroughly enjoyed my term as President as well as serving various roles on the board over the last 8 years. There are so many people I would like to thank, but need to call out a few. First, Wade Sheeler, who I actually met in Denver while receiving my CPCU designation. He introduced me to National Leadership and then followed up at I-Day to introduce me to the local board and ask if I would serve. Thank you, Wade, for kick starting my CPCU service Journey! Everyone should be inspired to do the same as Wade and help get others involved.
To my fellow Board members, thank you for such a successful year. You keep this chapter strong with your dedication to CPCU and our local insurance industry. This is no easy job and you do it with energy and passion!
And no thank you would be complete without thanking Ted Lussem. Ted, you have been an inspiration to me and thousands of others. You encouraged me to step up to the Executive Board and have been a great sounding board throughout the years. If I am able to make 1% of the impact you have on our chapter, I will be proud.
Another I-Day is in the books, and it was great if I must say. Thanks again to Stephanie Wells and all those who made the event such a success. It was amazing to have so many people from National in attendance and ending with a surprise birthday party made it even more special. I continue to be amazed at our ability to get such high-caliber speakers at this event and others.
Our final meeting of 2017 is at the Wakonda Club on December 12, at 3:30 pm. Our speaker is Travis Green, Program Chair for DMACC’s Computer-Aided Design Department. Travis will be discussing 3D printing. This event will close with a social cocktail hour.
As always, I would like to end with a call to action, well maybe two. First, get involved and volunteer. If not with the CPCU Chapter (although I hope you do), then chose something meaningful to you in your community. The power of one can make a difference. Second, as you think about your New Year’s resolutions, try and make a professional goal, too. I think a great goal would be to attend all of the 2018 chapter meetings!
One last thank you, and that is to all of you! Without our members, there would be no Iowa CPCU Society Chapter. May you all have a safe and wonderful Holidays and an amazing 2018!
- Adam Haugerud, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
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The Grinnell Sub-Chapter celebrated its 30-year anniversary with an open house in September. It was attended by many current members and retirees.
Each year, the Grinnell Sub-Chapter raises money to assist a local fire department. This year the Grinnell Sub-Chapter of the Iowa CPCU Society Chapter donated $712 to the Sully Volunteer Fire Department on October 27, 2017 to assist in purchasing a CPR mannequin. The money was raised by selling badges for a possibility of a day off through random draw.
From left to right: Tony Van Wyk (Sully Fire Department), Loren Vos (Secretary/Treasurer, Sully Fire Department), Christy Bellinger (Grinnell CPCU Sub-Chapter President), Suzie Arment (Grinnell Sub-Chapter Vice President) and Peg German (Grinnell Sub-Chapter Secretary/Treasurer)
LAST CALL for tickets to the annual I-Day event on November 2 at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport. It is not too late to purchase your tickets and attend this year’s unprecedented event. This event is full of great speakers, the induction of the 2018 Chapter Officers, and the conferment of the 2017 New Designees. Also, as previously announced, Officers from the National CPCU Society will be sworn in for 2018. We will finish with a reception celebrating our chapter’s 65th anniversary and allow for plenty of networking with your peers and Society Leadership. Click on this link for more information and to purchase your tickets by Sunday, October 29.
Our final meeting of 2017 is at the Wakonda Club on December 12th, at 3:30 pm. Our speaker is Travis Green, Program Chair for DMACC’s Computer-Aided Design Department. Travis will be discussing 3D printing. This event will close with a social cocktail hour.
It is getting close to the start of the holiday season and my favorite season, Fall. The scenery is constantly changing and the colors continue to amaze. But what I like most about this time of year is that Thanksgiving is near! The time for food, family, friends, and for many of us, football! And even though we should practice it all year long, it is one of the few times during the year that we all think about what we are thankful for and let those we care about know how they impact our lives.
I have a lot to be thankful for this year, especially with my growing family. But, I would be remiss to not express how truly thankful I am for the experiences I have had, and relationships made, throughout my journey so far with the CPCU Society. These past nine years have brought me to many new places around the country, but more important are the amazing people I have gotten to know in our local insurance industry. As my term nears its end this year, I am looking forward to my next opportunity as Chapter Governor for our chapter, as well as the Cedar Valley and Quad Cities Chapters. It will also be nice just to relax and enjoy all of the benefits the Iowa Chapter provides.
Thank you to all who have helped me along the way and made this a wonderful experience. As we wrap up the 2017 year, we are finalizing the 2018 board structure. If you are looking at getting more involved, please reach out to me or any of the board members. This is a good way to keep up to date on our industry, as well as obtain great leadership experiences. This chapter relies on your willingness to volunteer and we greatly appreciate any and all involvement.
Again, thank you for your continued support and have a happy Thanksgiving!
- Adam Haugerud, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
]]>Link to the October ChapterGram
Register for I-Day (November 2, Airport Holiday Inn)
Happy Fall everyone! I hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather. This would typically be the newsletter where we provide updates from the annual meeting. But, as many of you know, the annual meeting in Orlando, FL had to be cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. Being the main event for the CPCU Society, this decision was not made lightly and the 2017 New Designees will be recognized next year in San Diego. Due to this cancellation, I am very excited to announce the Iowa Chapter has been selected to host the swearing in of the new National Officers! This will take place at our I-Day and will be a great way to meet Society Leadership.
Hurricanes, along with many other natural disasters, have impacted vast areas of the United States and the Iowa CPCU Society Chapter would like to help with a donation, and call upon our members to help as well. With funds that would have been used at the annual meeting, the Chapter will match all donations from members, up to $2,000 for a combined donation of $4000 total. Also, The Society is doing a matching campaign up to $25,000 so your $1 will count for $4!!! If we collect the entire $2,000 this will end up being an $8,000 donation! Funds will be accepted at the October 19th chapter meeting. If you would like to send a check, please make the check out to American Red Cross and send to the following address by October 25th:
IMT Insurance, Attn: Jeff Wilson, 4445 Corporate Drive, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Please use this as an opportunity to make your dollar go even further. Note, money must be collected by the Chapter in order to receive both matches and we have a short turn-around to get a check sent to The Society.
Our next meeting is on October 19th at 11:30 am at the Sheraton West Des Moines. Speaker Brian Hemesath, Managing Director for Global Insurance Accelerator will be talking about how his company fosters innovation in the insurance industry by supporting startup companies. Also during this meeting, we will vote on approval of the following Officer and Director nominees for 2018:
- President – Stephanie Wells
- Vice President – Chris Murphy
- Secretary – Jeff Wilson
- Treasurer – Brad Soma
- Director of Internal Operations – Abby-Jaye Dawson
- Director of Communications – Dan Mulcahy
This meeting is followed by I-Day on November 2nd at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport. This event is full of great speakers, the induction of the 2018 Chapter Officers, the conferment of the 2017 New Designees, and will finish with a reception celebrating our chapter’s 65th anniversary.
More details on this and all meetings, as well as links to the registration, can be found on our website. Our Grinnell Sub-Chapter just had their 30th anniversary and had a great meeting to celebrate the milestone. Ted Lussem and I drove to Grinnell Mutual on September 20th to attend. It was great to see the members of the sub-chapter, along with so many retirees who were invited back. In fact, three of the original founders were in attendance! Congratulations to the Grinnell Sub-chapter and here’s to another 30 years! Keep up the great work and thank you for all you do. And thank you to all of our members for a continued great 2017. I look forward to seeing you at our remaining events!
Adam Haugerud, President, Iowa CPCU Society Chapter
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