Will E. Watt, chief executive officer of Rust, Ewing, Watt & Haney Inc., Texas City, was named the winner of the 2001 Drex Foreman Award at the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas convention in San Antonio.
Watt has served as president of both his local agents’ association and the IIAT. He also served IIAT as chairman of the boards of the IIAT Insurance Agency and the IIAT Services Company.
His insurance industry service has been accompanied by service to his community. In 1993, he was honored by the Texas City/Lamarque Chamber of Commerce as Business Person of the Year. In 1995, he received the Howard O. Payne award from Hitchcock State Bank for hiscontributions to the economic growth and development of his community. He was honored in 1997 as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation.He and his wife Wanda have two children.
This award, the association’s highest honor, recognizes an IIAT member for exceptional contributions to the Independent Agency System, the Texas insurance industry and local community. The award is named for Drex Foreman, who served as executive director of IIAT for 30 years.
Bryan Shofner Named IIAT 2001 Young Agent of the Year
Bryan Shofner, vice president of Shofner & Associates Insurance Agency, Lubbock, was named Young Agent of the Year by the IIAT at its annual convention.
After pursuing insurance studies at Baylor University, Shofner joined the agency in 1986. He achieved his Accredited Customer Service Representative designation in 1993.
Shofner has been a longtime member of his local, state and national independent insurance agents associations, serving as president of the Lubbock Association of Insurance Agents, chairman of the Lubbock Big I Day Golf committee and as chairman of the IIAT Independent Insurance Agents Junior Classic committee.
In his community, Shofner serves on the board of the Community Health Center and has been active in many other business, sports and school district programs. He and his wife Diane have two sons.
To be eligible for this award, candidates must have demonstrated service to the industry, professional trade associations (local, state and/or national) and community in a manner that would be considered exceptional for a person under 40. The award is given for career service and is not limited to activities during the past year.
The award is sponsored by the IIAT and Travelers Property Casualty.
Peggy Meiske Named IIAT ACSR of the Year for 2001
Peggy Meiske, ACSR, Texas Insurance Agency, San Antonio, was named IIAT ASCR of the Year by the during the association’s annual convention.
Meiske holds the ACSR designation in personal lines. A 23-year veteran of her agency, she currently serves as a customer service representative and supervisor of the personal lines department. In addition to her work for the agency, Meiske has served on The Hartford’s Advisory Council, was selected as Traveler’s High Achiever in 2000 and is a leading fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
The ACSR of the Year award recognizes the outstanding accredited customer service representative among IIAT member agencies. Meiske now is automatically nominated for the National ACSR of the Year Award, presented by the Independent Insurance Agents of America.
In addition to the recognition for superior performance, Meiske also wins $1,000 sponsored by Myron F. Steves & Co., Houston, and free travel expenses and free registration to IIAT’s Annual Convention courtesy of IIAT.
Ken Kapelka Installed as IIAT President
Ken Kapelka of Insurance Associates of the Southwest, Houston, was installed as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas for 2001-2002 at the IIAT annual convention.
Kapelka has been a partner with Insurance Associates of the Southwest since 1996 when the enterprise was formed as the result of mergers. He has been a principal in the independent agency system since 1979. He holds a degree in insurance from the University of North Texas.
Kapleka was president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Houston in 1994-95 and has served on numerous professional advisory boards at the local, state and national levels.
Other officers installed were president-elect André P. Juneau, Neiman Hanks Puryear, Austin; vice president Jim Berger, Insurance Alliance, Houston; and secretary-treasurer Ernest Stromberger, IIAT executive director. The new officers’ terms begin September 1.
IIAT also elected three directors to the association’s board for three-year terms: James “Buck” Bovenzi, Hilb, Rogal & Hamilton, Amarillo; Robert Hempkins, Hempkins Insurance, Denison; and Randy Reynolds, Texas Associates Insurors, Austin.
Joe Blackshear Jr., Rust, Ewing, Watt & Haney Inc., Texas City, will complete the remainder of Berger’s term as a director.
Other board members include: Rick Bondurant, Agents Insurance Services Inc. Fort Worth; Tim Collins, Sunbelt Agency, El Paso; William E. “Bill” Harrison Jr. Coleman Company Insurance Services Inc., San Antonio; Joe McMullan, Joe W. McMullan Insurance Agency, Bandera’ Don Rowe Sr., Dickey, McGann & Rowe Inc., Electra; Don Medlin, Scarbrough, Medlin & Associates Inc., Dallas (immediate past president); and Douglas Sanford, Sanford Insurance Agency, Lubbock (state national director).
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