The Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut announced the newly elected officers and Directors at the organization’s annual convention held last week at Foxwoods Casino and Resort, Mashantucket, Conn. PIACT members also heard an inauguration speech from newly elected president Robert Gyle IV, CIC, a “second generation” president concerning the “importance of young professional involvement in the insurance industry.”
The bulletin announced that the following officers will lead PIACT in 2003-2004:
President: Robert Gyle IV, CIC, of Brookfield. Gyle works as a commercial account manager for Davidson Insurance Services in Danbury, a division of the John M. Glover Agency in Norwalk.
President-elect: Jeffrey Parmenter, CIC, CPCU, ARM, of Portland. Parmenter is a principal with S.H. Smith & Co. Inc. in West Hartford;
Vice president: Joseph Bishop III, CPIA, of Branford. Bishop is vice president and secretary of Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. in Hamden;
Vice president: John DiMatteo, CFP, of Bethany. DiMatteo is president of A.A. DiMatteo Insurance Service Center with offices in Trumbull and Bethany;
Secretary: James Goodman, CIC, CPIA, of Shelton. Goodman is president of Goodman Insurance Inc. in Shelton;
Treasurer: Christopher Wilson, CIC, of Bristol. Wilson is general manager for C.V. Mason & Co. in Bristol.
James Pascarella, CPCU, of Hamden, will serve as immediate past president. Pascarella is president of Orange Insurance Center Inc. in Orange.
The PIACT also announced that four Connecticut insurance agents were elected to serve three-year terms on the organization’s board of directors, as follows:
— Joseph Bishop III, CPIA, of Branford. Bishop is vice president and secretary of Associated Insurance Agencies Inc. in Hamden. Since joining PIACT in 1989, Bishop has been active in association affairs, serving as vice president in 2002-2004 and treasurer in 2001-2002. He is vice president of the Association Programs Committee and is a member of the Southeast and West Advisory Councils and the Executive/Budget and Finance Committee. He is an active past president of PIACT’s Young Insurance Professionals organization, a premier association for professional development in the insurance industry.
— Brian Schmitt Sr., of Shelton. Schmitt is president of Curtiss, Crandon & Moffette Inc. in Trumbull. Active in the association, Schmitt is a member of PIACT’s Southeast and West Advisory Councils. He is also a member of the Association Programs Committee.
— Christopher Wilson, CIC, of Bristol. Wilson is general manager for C.V. Mason & Co. in Bristol. Wilson has been active in association affairs serving as chairperson of the Member/Consumer Relations Committee. He is also a member of the Northeast Advisory Council. Wilson was elected treasurer of the association for 2003-2004.
— Nathan Shippee of Bolton also was elected to the board for the first time to serve a three-year term. Shippee is executive director of Connecticut Healthcare Insurance Services in Wallingford. Active in his community, Shippee is chairman of the Trinity Covenant Church in Manchester
Gyle’s experience goes back 15 years. His father, who served as PIACT president in 1993-1994, urged him to get involved with the Connecticut Young Insurance Professionals, “a decision he never regretted.”
In his address, Gyle offered unique wisdom and experience gained by growing up within the industry. He highlighted many of the issues and moments that have affected the independent insurance agent in the last five years, including Sept. 11, Y2K and the use of credit reports to buy insurance policies. He also commented that despite predictions about the demise of the independent agency system, the industry is more prosperous than ever.
“Through all the mergers and acquisitions, hard market cycles, and shifting of our companies’ appetites for new business, we have always survived,” Gyle commented. “However, PIACT’s commitment to the agents doesn’t start at the top down. As in the agency system, perpetuation is critical.” He stressed that to sustain this commitment, newcomers to the field need to take an active role and become involved, which will allow future generations to benefit from their knowledge and expertise for years to come.
Topics Agencies Connecticut Market
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