Awards, New Officers Featured at Texas Big ‘I’ Conference

Among the highlights of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas’ 109th Annual Conference and Trade Show held recently in Houston were the election of new officers and the presentation of awards to outstanding agents and association members.

Robert W. Hempkins, founding principal of Hempkins Insurance, Denison, was sworn in as president for 2006-2007. Hempkins previously served as IIAT’s president-elect, as vice president, and as a member of the board of directors.

Garry Kaufman of Galveston Insurance Associates, Galveston, was elected incoming vice president. In addition to being a successful agency principal, Kaufman has been an IIAT director and most recently served as chairman of the Trusted Choice Advisory Council. He has also served as president of his local insurance association. Kaufman was named IIAT Young Agent of the Year in 2003.

Hempkins and Kaufman begin their terms Sept. 1.

Bill Harrison Jr., immediate past president, was appointed State National Director of IIAT, a position formerly held by Lee Loftis, who joined IIAT as director of governmental affairs earlier this year. Harrison is president, Coleman Company Insurance, a Brown & Brown Inc.-owned agency in San Antonio.

IIAT also elected four directors during the conference.

Elected to fill three year terms were: Curtis Fendley, Paris; William Morriss, Texarkana; and Bob Shepard, Harlingen. Elected to fill the one-year unexpired term of Garry Kaufman who was elected vice president was Bryan Shofner of Lubbock. All four begin their terms Sept. 1.

Douglas Sanford president and co-CEO of the Sanford Agency, Lubbock, was named winner of the 2006 Drex G. Foreman Award, IIAT’s highest honor.

Presenting the award to Sanford, current IIAT President Randy Reynolds said it “recognizes exceptional contributions to the association, the Independent Agency System, the Texas insurance industry and local community. No one deserves it more than Doug.”

The award is named for Drex Foreman, who served as executive director of IIAT for 30 years.

Kenneth Threlkeld, founder of Threlkeld & Company Insurance, Tyler won the first Paige Eiland Award for voluntary political action.

In making the presentation Frank Swingle, chairman of the IIAT IMPACT regional vice presidents and incoming IIAT president-elect, said Threlkeld “is and has been for years among the largest contributors to both state and national PAC funds. He is always a participant in our state legislative day in Austin. He has not in my memory missed a national legislative conference in many years and, as a matter of fact, he often brings staff with him to this expensive meeting to help work the Hill.”

On hand for the presentation were State Representative Craig Eiland, son of Paige and Elaine; Elaine Eiland and other members of the Eiland family.

The new Paige Eiland Award was established to recognize the long hours spent and hard work done by independent insurance agents working with federal and state legislators. Eiland was a politically active member of IIAT. In addition to long service as a regional vice president for IMPACT and his work with state legislators, he served on national committees to improve the federal crop insurance program preserving the role of independent agents in that program.

Greg Wassberg, Crockett Insurance Service, Crockett, is the first recipient of the new André Juneau Award recognizing the IIAT Young Agent of the Year.

Wassberg has served on IIAT young agent committees, advisory councils and on the planning committee for the Young Agents Retreat plus other events. He also serves on carrier advisory panels and farm mutual chapters.

The Young Agent of the Year Award was renamed the André Juneau Award to honor one of this association’s and the industry’s most influential and successful professionals. Juneau, a senior vice president of Nieman Hanks Puryear in Austin, and former president of IIAT, died this past February after battling cancer. He was 47.

Kelly McCoy, senior commercial accounts manager at McQueary Henry Bowles Troy in Dallas, also was honored at the conference as the IIABA Accredited Customer Service Representative of the Year.

“Kelly joins a select group of only three previous National ACSR winners from Texas,” said David VanDelinder, presenter of the award and IIAT executive director. McCoy was automatically entered in national competition as IIAT ACSR of the Year in 2005.

The three previous national winners from Texas are: Marion Harlow, Armita Quiroga and Michelle Martinez.

Topics Texas Agencies Training Development