Stephen Howard

It is with great sadness that I must relay the passing of another dear friend and industry icon—Ross Hopkin, The Brokerage, Inc., Lewisville, TX.

Ross was born in New York, went to the University of Houston on a baseball scholarship and graduated in 1964 with a degree in Finance.  He began his insurance career as a group rep with General American.  After stints with Ranger and Blue Cross Blue Shield, which brought him to Dallas, he recognized the need to be able to offer the products of multiple companies and opened his own brokerage shop in 1976, with a typewriter, one group health insurance contract, and his wonderful wife Cheryl.

The agency grew to be a major force in the group and individual major medical market, added a life department in the late 1980’s and developed a long term care department in the 1990’s.  In 2001 he recast the agency with a focus on Medicare related products that would help the agency evolve into a national presence, capitalizing on opportunities presented in changing demographics and changing legislation.  Today, The Brokerage Inc. is a national marketing organization with 30 employees, many of them long term.

Hopkin had served on many insurance carrier and agency advisory boards, was one of the initial investors in The Marketing Alliance, and helped to build The Brokers Health Insurance Network and SubCenters. He was the 2016 recipient of the Billy Vogel Award from The Marketing Alliance, recognized as clearly meeting the award’s criteria of business acumen, sense of innovation, and above all integrity.

“I cannot say enough about what Ross meant to me both personally and professionally,” says Mike Smith, president of The Brokerage, Inc. “He was my mentor and like my second father.  He always operated with professionalism and integrity.  He had amazing intuition.  He was a great judge of character.  Our industry lost a great man.  Our staff at The Brokerage will continue to build upon his legacy and raise the bar in his honor.”

I met Ross almost 30 years ago as I was helping promote the fledgling Brokers Health Insurance Network. Our paths seemed to cross fairly often, and yet today I feel not nearly often enough. I knew him to be a great friend to many, a genuinely warm and caring person, a savvy businessman and a great ambassador for our industry. He excelled in making people feel special. Never in my experience did Ross meet me with anything less than a big broad smile, a warm chuckle and a raucous “Hey there Steve-o!” I’m really going to miss that.  [SPH]

In Memoriam

Sad news indeed from Dixon Wells—we’ve lost greatly impactful industry influencer Clint Janecek. For the last nine years Clint was the CFO of Dixon Wells LLC, a major regional BGA based in Birmingham, AL. As CFO, Clint was instrumental in bringing together the six geographically spread agencies that today constitute Dixon Wells. 

A serial entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Clint was among the very first brokerage general agents. He built his initial agency, Underwriting Services of Alabama, into a northern Alabama powerhouse. Chris Soniat, Dixon Wells SVP of Sales, Marketing, and Operations, who worked with Clint at Harrison James, describes him as, “A true visionary. Clint guided the firm towards a more sustainable future by spinning off the health business to focus on life insurance and, in 1993, merged with Insurance Marketing, Ltd.,  a New Mexico BGA owned by Ferrell Adams, forming Harrison James, LLC.  Together they built Harrison James into a national BGA, merging with or acquiring BGAs in Missouri, Mississippi, Colorado, Texas and Illinois.”  As a result of Clint’s vision the agency was so successful that they attracted a buyout offer from BISYS, a true brokerage juggernaut at the time. After negotiating the successful transition to BISYS (and a brief retirement), Clint became a financial consultant doing agency valuations on request as well as working with several carriers on distribution issues.

Clint saw the immense potential for helping consumers inherent in BGAs working together rather than against one another and, with other like-minded BGAs, formed the study group Brokerage Resources of America which evolved into BRAMCO—today one of the industry’s most influential and successful national marketing organizations.  Clint served as BRAMCO president, and later as treasurer for many years.  He was an active participant in NAILBA, the brokerage industry’s most important and prestigious association, and a consistent, enthusiastic attendee of their annual meetings from the early days of the group’s existence. As CFO of Dixon Wells Clint helped grow the organization into a top 10 agency with LifeMark Partners—also one of the industry’s premier marketing groups. At all stages of his career his insight into distribution was actively sought by many carriers.

Bill Conwell, owner of Conwell & Associates and Dixon Wells principal, remembers, “In 2008 I had started discussions about a merger with Grice Financial out of Charlotte, and of course we ran into roadblock after roadblock. After about a year of frustration it finally hit me that the perfect person to talk to was Clint Janecek, if only I could get him off his boat down at the coast. After the first day of meeting, Steve Grice told me the he was all in and wanted Clint to manage our merger.”

In December, 2009, Dixon Wells was formed and Clint formally joined the firm in January, 2010.  The rest is history. Three mergers and an acquisition later, Dixon Wells has seen double digit growth in almost every year of their existence and boasts offices in Birmingham, Charlotte, Columbia, Nashville, Dublin, Richmond, and Philadelphia—all managed by Clint.

Conwell adds, “Not only was Clint our CFO, he was the head of HR, technology, and operations. He will sorely be missed for all the things he did in the business, but even more as a dear friend.  Clint will be greatly missed by his many friends at Dixon Wells and across the industry. Our hearts go out to his family, especially his wife Sandee and their children Ginger and Will.”

I first met Clint in the early 90s as I hung on the coattails of my father. For 25 years I have known him as not only a passionate advocate for the brokerage industry, but as a great, loyal friend of the Howards and Broker World. As recently as this past November I remember his face lighting up with that wonderful smile as we exchanged pleasantries and he sincerely  asked about the health and happiness of my mom, complimented me on the magazine and offered his insight on the direction of the industry. Clint Janecek was truly a great friend to many as well as an irreplaceable asset to our industry. He will be sorely missed.[SPH]

My longest tenured daily companion is really slowing down. Jazzo (front and center on the May 2017 cover) is an 80 pound golden retriever/chow mix who has accompanied me through myriad highs and lows for the past 15 years with steadfast unconditional love. Bad hips, sore ankle joints and periodic weakness in his legs cause markedly limited mobility. He has significant difficulty getting up and down the few stairs between us and his still much loved walks, which now take about 30 minutes to traverse about half a block.  With increasing frequency he slips on the hardwood floors when my wife and I are away and can’t get up on his own, his struggles sometimes leaving him too fatigued to stand or walk without several hours rest.

To paraphrase Andrew Marvell: “At my back I too clearly hear, Time’s winged chariot hurrying near.”  And it sucks.

In our society, Kevorkian acolytes notwithstanding, we aren’t faced with the heartbreaking trauma of initiating and witnessing (yes, I believe that final comfort and companionship is owed for the love we’ve received) the euthanization of loved ones still conscious. Quality of life determinations are supplanted by degrees of self-reliance and the very real emotional, financial and physical toll on family members providing care in the home.

Not that long ago in people years, the prevailing misconception in our industry was that the entire financial weight of the long term care risk should be transferred to the insurance carrier for the longest conceivable lifespan of the insured, if at all possible, via stand-alone LTCI.  As is trumpeted herein monthly by one of my dearest friends, Ron Hagelman, ever-zealous long term care sage, the thinking surrounding the long term care dilemma for your clients not invited to Harry and Meghan’s nuptials has shifted from “Sit”…”Stay”…to a game of fetch—involving the collection and examination of a variety of your client’s assets to minimize the financial and emotional cannibalization of his offspring.  Social Security, LTCI, asset-based long term care, permanent insurance policy loans, care annuities, life settlements and reverse mortgages can all contribute to maximizing the quality of the level of care your client needs.  Ideally you helped your client amass some of the assets available, to your financial gain, and now it’s time to provide comfort to your client and his family by helping formalize the plan for care.

Ron strives to not only shift the mindset of LTCI producers, but to scratch persistently at the door of all insurance professionals to get them to recognize the urgent, perhaps unrecognized,  need of their clients to plan for the very real risk of a long term care situation and to take steps to help them while as many options as possible still remain.  It’s not about a Utopian life—it’s about the inestimable benefits of attaining the highest level of dignity and comfort possible in a difficult time through maintaining choice and minimizing the emotional and financial burden on one’s family.  

You are truly a Godsend to your clients when you can help orchestrate a plan that can maintain choice for your clients and their families as they move along the long term care spectrum. Less guilt and shame for delegation of caregiving duties to the best and most compassionate and personable home care providers. Attractive and vibrant assisted living facilities. Private rooms at nursing homes with spotless records, truly dedicated, attentive, compassionate staff and well-documented exceptional care.

Jazzo’s predecessor, a wonderful shepherd mix named Madison, passed away in her sleep one night after enjoying her evening half hour tour of the yards facing mine across the street and a loving scratching/petting session which she dutifully paid for with several licks on my nose. And somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler he broke even…[SPH]

By the time this no doubt Pulitzer-worthy column reaches your mailbox, desk, briefcase or commode, and thus your eyes, Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM) will be well underway.  And hopefully more than a handful of you will have made a determined effort to speak with your existing clients, and sought out new prospects, to impress upon them the critical need to protect what is almost universally their most valuable asset—their paychecks.

Many thanks to the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA) and President Carol Harnett as well as Clare Morin, CD&M Communications, for the wealth of information they shared to contribute to this column.  The CDA has prepared a new consumer awareness campaign The Crisis of Disability Coverage in America (http://realitycheckup.org/) that you would be well advised to share with all your clients who have yet to purchase disability income protection. The CDA also has a wealth of advisor resources (http://disabilitycanhappen.org/advisor/) to help you establish the need with your clients, reluctant or not. I found their Reality Checkup Media Kit particularly helpful, packed with useful information and sobering statistics (http://disabilitycanhappen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/The-CDA-RealityCheckup-Media-Kit.pdf).

Let’s take a look at some numbers (I hope you have your disability plan in place!):

• More than one in four of today’s 20-year-olds can expect to be out of work for at least a year because of a disabling condition before they reach the normal retirement age.
• At least 51 million working adults in the United States are without disability insurance other than the basic coverage available through Social Security.
• Only 48 percent of American adults indicate they have enough savings to cover three months of living expenses in the event they’re not earning any income.
• A 2014 study of consumer bankruptcy filings identified the following as primary reasons: Medical bills (26%), lost job (20%), illness or injury on part of self or family member (15%).

Worker’s Comp? Workers’ Compensation only covers time away from work if the disabling illness or injury was directly work-related. In 2016, only one percent of American workers missed work because of an occupational illness or injury.

Social Security? Nice fantasy, but the reality is terrifying:  From 2006 to 2015, only 34 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claimants had their applications approved—23 percent at the initial application stage and the remainder after a reconsideration or appeals process. It generally takes three to five months from time of application for SSDI benefits to get an initial decision and the backlog of appeals cases was more than one million in 2017, with associated processing time averaging more than 18 months. And lest we forget, the average SSDI benefit as of January 2018 was $1,197 per month or $14,364 annually—barely above the poverty line for a one-person household, and well below the line for a couple.

But disability income pays as soon as the elimination period is satisfied, sometimes as soon as 30 days.

In addition to the great folks at the CDA, there are resources available through the International DI Society (IDIS), which I urge you to join, (http://www.internationaldisociety.com), and Life Happens, (http://www.lifehappens.org/insurance-overview/disability-insurance/).

Disability Insurance Awareness Month is a wonderful initiative, but none of the industry organizations that embrace DIAM have the budget to inundate the national media with the call to action or plaster venues with PSAs during the NBA or NHL playoffs.  It’s up to insurance professionals like you to spread the message to clients and prospects, or even call your local news station to beg for a segment on paycheck protection.  In the arena of societal benefit, it surely beats the lady who shows you how to make decorative wreaths from toilet paper tubes and candy wrappers. 

Great friend Eugene Cohen, one of the industry’s greatest DI marketers and educators, believes that every month should be DI Awareness Month for the conscientious advisor.  I’m inclined to agree.  I urge you to use DIAM to begin a diligent review your book of business and reach out to your clients throughout the year to either do a disability insurance review with you or to urge them to meet with a trusted disability insurance specialist.

Your clients have paid for your home(s), your car(s), wardrobes, groceries, and all manner of “nice to haves” and “need to haves” for your family (including, one hopes, your own DI policy premiums).  Sally’s ballet and tap lessons. Jimmy’s GI Joe with the Kung Fu Grip. Private school?  College tuition? And what, exactly, happens to the financial plan you painstakingly helped your clients put in place when the income paying the premiums comes to a screeching halt due to an injury or illness? What happens to that family? Since you received your life and annuity commissions up front, what did they really pay you for in this scenario? I’m occasionally known to say, “Sometimes money just costs too much.” Cashing commission checks without urging your clients to protect their paychecks just could be one of those times. [SPH]

I am delighted to here announce that The Marketing Alliance (TMA) has named Maureen Mitchell, Innovative Underwriters, as the 2018 recipient of the Billy Vogel Award.  Maureen is the 12th person to receive the group’s highest honor.

The Billy Vogel Award is presented to individuals in the financial services industry who distinguish themselves through their business acumen, innovation and, above all, integrity.  The award is named for William E. (Billy) Vogel, the late president of the W. S. Vogel Agency, Inc. who exemplified all of those qualities.

TMA President and CEO Tim Klusas praised Mitchell at the award presentation, “This year’s Recipient is recognized for their business acumen, their innovative resourcefulness, and the integrity essential to work across many lines.”

Mitchell graduated from the College of Mt. St. Vincent in New York with a degree in English Literature. As a result of on-campus recruiting, she was one of three graduating seniors hired by New York Life Insurance Company as an underwriter trainee.  She worked at New York Life until 1979 when she joined William Penn.  Missing New York City, Mitchell moved to American Mayflower in 1980, where she was promoted into sales and never looked back.

In 1985, she re-joined William Penn and worked in upstate NY and New England for the next 5 years. When MetLife Marketing came looking for seasoned brokerage people, Mitchell grabbed the opportunity to gain experience and exposure, this time on a national scale. Klusas continued, “Maureen often mentions her times at these carriers fondly, including anecdotal stories about life as a new underwriter or traveling the Northeast meeting with various agents and general agents to get them to do business with her and her company.” Just last month I was fortunate enough to hear her relate how she parlayed her affiliation with her college to approach parish priests in small towns in upper New York to find the best insurance agents in their congregations.

By 2000 Maureen tired of life on the road and found the ideal opportunity at Innovative Underwriters that afforded her the ability to use skills she’d developed working with BGAs, serving first as vice president of sales and currently as vice president of strategic relationships. In her words, Maureen often says that she’s like Donny Brasco, “I worked with general agents so long that I became one.”

Klusas quoted one of Mitchell’s peers to describe just a few of Maureen’s many strengths, “Her experience, compassion and communication abilities are second to none. She is also a fantastic resource for information on products, the right people to approach on a problem or for introductions…if there is a way to make a case work or if you need a name, she’s your go-to person.  She suits the role very well down to her black patent crocs she is seen wearing around the office.”  Ample reasons that Mitchell was honored as the 2017 William Penn Paul Goodman Award honoree in recognition of her accomplishments.

I’m lucky enough to see Maureen regularly at the TMA meetings and know her to be a wonderfully friendly, welcoming and engaging person, as quick with a great story as she is to take time to help anyone who needs it with her wealth of industry knowledge and underwriting savvy.

I add my voice to many congratulating Maureen on a job well done and an honor well deserved.  Bravo! [SPH]

In Memoriam

I received an email from dear friend Art Jetter recently, titled simply “Taps.”

I’m sad to report that Gary William Glassford, age 76, passed away peacefully at home on February 1, 2018. Gary was president of the Glassford Agency, Inc., in Phoenix, AZ, since founding the agency in 1970. At the time of his passing Gary served as the secretary and was a founding director of The Marketing Alliance, Inc.  During his long insurance industry career, Gary served as President of the Scottsdale Association of Life Underwriters, the Secretary of Brokers Health Insurance Network, Inc., and the President of Sub Centers, Inc.

Gary Glassford was born on June 29, 1941, in Pittsburgh, PA, to James William and Alma Ruth (Dee) Glassford. His parents moved to Arizona in 1956, and Gary graduated from Scottsdale High School in 1959 where he was active in Student Government and an accomplished athlete. He then attended the University of the Pacific and graduated from Arizona State University in 1962 with a B.A. in Chemistry.

In 1966, while serving his country flying a low-level observation helicopter (OH-13) in a Hunter Killer Team with B Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam, Captain Glassford received the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, National Defense Service Medal, Bronze Star with V and 49 Air Medals. He was a Member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.

“He had courage mixed with a great sense of humor,” relates Jetter, “Gary flew a very dangerous mission every day.  The story goes that Gary was shot down three times and once lost his main rotor while hovering across a rice paddy tracking enemy. In each of those four instances, his unit maintenance officer picked him up. Years later, the maintenance offer moved to a nursing home near Gary’s home and Gary looked after his friend.”

A celebration of Gary’s life will be held on April 7 at the Scottsdale VFW. Donations in appreciation of Gary’s service with 1st Air Cavalry Division in Vietnam may be made to the Arizona State Veterans Home ATTN: Recreational Therapy, 4141 N.S. Herrera Way, Phoenix, AZ 85012.

I was fortunate enough to meet Gary and his wonderful wife Debby (who preceded him in passing) in the early days of The Brokers Health Insurance Network nearly 30 years ago.  I deeply appreciated their complete welcoming of me despite being little more than a clueless pup chasing my tail.  I loved sitting around with them swapping countless jokes–they each had a fantastic and enthusiastic sense of humor.

Later, I was privileged to pass many wonderful hours just listening as dear friends Gary, Art, George Williams (WWII P-40 pilot) and Ed Murray (Vietnam non-air-conditioned infantryman) swapped stories and good-natured jabs at TMA meetings.

“Gary was a selfless and dear friend to many,” remembers Jetter. I feel honored to have been one of them.[SPH]

I need to begin by offering an apology to National Western Life.  Through a computer error their submission for the January Carrier Forecasting Forum was inadvertently left out, as was their ad.  I’ve included their contribution in this issue and urge you to read the comments of their new Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Bruce Wallace, beginning on page 30, as well as look over their ad on page 39. [SPH]

The February issue suffers from a distinct loss, as columnist Charlie Gipple has been forced by his expanding role at North American Company to abdicate his throne as this magazine’s monthly sales success guru.  Charlie and I have grown a great friendship over the years as his expertise advanced his career from Genworth to Partners Advantage to his current position as resident sage at North American. I’m happy to report, however, that I underhandedly extracted from him a blood oath to continue to contribute to Broker World periodically before I “allowed” him to turn in his badge and gun. [SPH]

Working to create the visual masterpiece that is February’s continuation of photo coverage of the NAILBA Annual Meeting, I’m annually humbled and moved by the necessary reflection on the charitable donations happily given by the NAILBA family.  Not only do some exhibitors use this gathering to generate donations to causes that move them—as did Foresters Financial by donating $25 for every business card received to the Ronald McDonald House chapter in Puerto Rico to aid in hurricane relief—but literally hundreds of the attendees at each NAILBA annual dig deep with smiles on their faces (or occasionally feigned scowls when I’m putting the bite on them) to buy raffle tickets, or silent auction items, or fanatically overbid during the frantic live auction—all to benefit the NAILBA Charitable Foundation and the numerous charities into which it breathes extra life and hope.  And let’s not forget the generous donations of great carrier partners Legal & General America, Prudential and Mutual of Omaha, and stalwart marketing groups BRAMCO, TMA,, LifeMark Partners and NBA.

The mission of the NAILBA Charitable Foundation is to encourage volunteerism among NAILBA members and provide grant funds to worthy charitable organizations that serve to enhance the quality of life for those less fortunate, with a special emphasis on children.

In a time when competition for grant money is fierce, the NAILBA Charitable Foundation is dedicated to providing funds to small, well-run charities in the communities of members and corporate partners that may not otherwise have access to additional funding.

Through the generosity of NAILBA members and corporate partners in the past year, the NAILBA Charitable Foundation was able to distribute $230,000 in 2017 among 17 local charities and Life Happens. To make a donation to the NAILBA Charitable Foundation visit www.nailbacharitablefoundation.org/donate.

 Each year during one of the general sessions NAILBA shows a video presentation of all the charities that received funds during that year’s grant cycle, and I have yet to leave that presentation with dry eyes (and this year was certainly no exception). From the bottom of my heart I thank each and every one of you who contributed to the NAILBA Charitable Foundation, and NAILBA for allowing me to be a small part of it. [SPH] 

I am sad to report that December, 2017, marks the last planned appearance of a great friend, mentor and true industry giant, W. Harold Petersen, as a columnist in Broker World.  His plan—I assure you not mine.  Petersen International Underwriters stalwart Joe Russo has agreed to “pen” January’s column.  Disability Insurance Insights… will continue, albeit with a different industry sage, but more on that next month.

 W. Harold Petersen, or Harold, or Pete to many lucky enough to call him friend, was introduced to disability insurance at the age of 21, interrupting what had seemed a promising career in, not surprisingly, journalism following his education at UCLA.  The Los Angeles Times had offered him a position.  But you see, there was this girl…this truly wonderful girl… Harold had fallen deeply in love with Mary Jacqulyn Cecilia O’Meara, employed at that time by Mutual of Omaha, and she convinced him to interview for a job, which he did.  And he married her—the fantastic bundle of energy and joy many in the industry fondly know as Jacquie Petersen.

 But many may not be aware of the back story that fuels Pete’s passion for disability income insurance.  His family, like many, suffered through the great depression, and worse, a four year drought that cost them the family farm, farm equipment and a prized dairy herd.  His family was forced to move to a small rented house, “Little more than a chicken coop.”  They got by for awhile, but their ultimate financial undoing came with Pete’s father suffering  a severe bout of sciatica rheumatism that totally disabled him for many agonizing years. His mother kept them alive by growing fruits and vegetables in a small garden and by working as a domestic for a meager income.  Pete somehow earned enough to get through school and off to Los Angeles to live with his grandmother while attending UCLA, thanks also to a modest track and field scholarship.

 His father finally regained his health, got a job as a night watchman, and his parents,  always driven by determination, managed to save enough out of their earnings to buy acreage of farmland.  They eventually regained financial freedom.

 All the suffering and denial of his family could have been prevented by disability insurance, but no insurance agent ever told Pete’s father about it.  No social security or other social insurance then existed.  Pete had experienced the painful economic demise of his family, and hence vowed to help prevent similar experiences happening to other American families.

 After decades in the industry with an intense focus on disability insurance, Pete’s three sons joined him in business.  They found success selling to and serving insurance brokers and financial planners and eventually partnered with Lloyd’s of London, granted the esteemed status of Coverholder.  Today Petersen International Underwriters serves the DI needs of countless agents and their clients, finding adequate amounts of disability insurance for difficult cases by commingling traditional insurance with Lloyd’s plans and by working to make disability coverage available to nearly any occupation,  It is their mission to find disability insurance coverage for all persons earning an income.

 It has been W. Harold Petersen’s passionate duty for almost 70 years to open the eyes of agents and consumers to the fact that the fundamental building block in life is the ability to work and earn money, and when that is prematurely taken away all is lost.  Without an income, there is no way to pay for healthcare and health insurance, autos and auto insurance, houses and homeowner’s insurance, retirement, or death and its consequences.  Sometimes not even adequate food.  What can thoroughly replace the loss of ability to earn a living?  The answer is disability income insurance.

 Pete remains Chairman of the Board of Petersen International Underwriters, but intends to spend some time away from the office pursuing other personal interests—no doubt involving Jacquie and their many children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  If you have enjoyed his columns, or are perhaps inspired by his story, please email a quick note of thanks to him for all he has done as a champion of our industry—[email protected].

Pete, you and your family have been a blessing to me, and to Broker World, since our first meeting at an NAHU conference in the mid-80’s—and I can’t thank you enough. You’ll be sorely missed as a columnist, but, thankfully, still treasured as a dear friend.  Heartfelt best wishes to you and the truly wonderful Jacquie! [SPH]

Congratulations are in order for good friend Keith Hoffman, vice president, Disability and Corporate Benefits, NFP, and winner of this year’s W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the International DI Society (IDIS). The IDIS is an organization dedicated to growing the disability insurance industry through education, awareness, promotion of high ethical conduct of the membership and increasing the knowledge base of the agent, producer, company and carriers.  (If you write disability insurance as a part of your practice, I urge you to join the International DI Society.) This is the 13th year for this prestigious award, presented to the individual who has demonstrated a long term commitment to DI, has made a distinctive contribution in the industry and follows the ethical standards of the IDIS. Unselfish voluntary service is also a consideration in the selection process.  Keith Hoffman undeniably embodies all those qualities.

Keith received his bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, pursued a master’s degree in organizational communications from Florida State University, and worked for the top three disability insurance carriers before joining NFP in 2006. At NFP he is responsible for NFP Disability, a single platform providing sales and support services to all of NFP’s distribution channels. NFP is ranked Top 10 in Best’s Review of Top Global Insurance Brokers and has provided over 30,000 individual disability policies to corporate clients, including many of the Fortune 500, representing over $75 million of in-force premium.

In his 30+ years in the business he’s attended and spoken at conferences and seminars across the country, authored countless white papers and articles, and starred in a number of training videos. He has trained hundreds of agents and brought over 30 of them into the IDIS.

But his passion for the DI business isn’t at all defined by premium or commission dollars—it’s about the people he helps.  I see many at the IDIS conference compassionately dedicated to a craft that helps people in physical and emotional distress keep their homes, their lifestyles and their dreams of education for their children intact while dealing with the devastating effects of disability. And almost as an afterthought build a great life for themselves and their families. That’s Keith to a T.  But even in a conference full of excellent insurance professionals, his compassion for others, his dedication to the profession and his humble professionalism make him still stand out.

But that’s not even half of the story. His work to help others beyond the insurance contract are even more impressive if that’s possible.  In 2002, he was awarded the Unum Philanthropic Award for volunteering to train services dogs so that those clients he serves and many like them returning to work could have that much more comfort and assistance. Keith dedicates his time and knowledge anywhere he can—teaching financial literacy courses in his local school district, Girl Scout troops and the military. He has developed more than  one hundred hours of curriculum available for audiences from 2nd grade up through adults with distressed situations.

 In 2009, he was diagnosed with cancer and—after surmounting it like he does any challenge—he has gone on to serve on the board of directors for UsTOO, the largest educational and awareness non-profit for prostate cancer, and serves as a patient advocate for the fight against prostate cancer, both locally and nationally, for the Department of Defense through the Congressional Directed Medical Research Program.

Oh, and in 2014 he won swimming gold at the FINA Masters World Championship in Montreal.

Despite this wealth of accomplishment he remains happily humble until you ask about his family.  He puffs up and glows with pride when discussing his wonderful wife Terri, who is also in the insurance business, and his lovely daughters Olivia and Ava.  Congratulations to Keith, Terri and the girls for a job well done and a life well spent—in service to others and our industry.  You are richly deserving of our praise and the W. Harold Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award.[SPH]

“What a long, strange trip it’s been.”  – Grateful Dead

The first issue of Broker World was September/October 1980. Fifty-two pages, eight feature articles and 27 advertisers.  The predecessor of this column was simply titled “Welcome…:” and our illustrious founder and sage William Howard explained the decision to launch the first new insurance magazine for agents in 25 years thus: “Our decision to do so was based on the conviction that a factor already significant in the total marketing equation is destined to increase dramatically in importance during the years to come.  The name of that factor is brokerage.”  He continued, “At the present time consumer demands and inflationary pressures are both generating unprecedented diversity of product and, some believe, mandating greater efficiency in marketing than traditional systems afford.”

The lead editorial was by George G. Joseph, CLU, president, Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association, titled Brokerage Today And Tomorrow.  Other articles covered risk underwriting; a panel of experts predicting where life insurance marketing would go in the next decade, the direction of cash value life insurance, and increasing flexibility in life products; Retired Lives Reserve; the advantages of reaching impaired risk clients; a “moral risks” discussion; and an underwriting look at Epilepsy. Ads in the issue included Retired Lives Reserve products, small group, and impaired risk, impaired risk and impaired risk.

In November 1990 editor extraordinaire Sharon Chace reported on a speech by ACLI President Richard Schweiker to the 101st annual meeting of the Association of Life Insurance Medical Directors of America.  Schweiker spoke on the hot topics of the challenges of AIDS and the possible pitfalls of genetic testing. Our intrepid publisher discussed the merits of a BGA serving as many agents as possible and limiting involvement versus nurturing a smaller cadre of agents and providing, as nearly as possible, their every need in the business.  The conclusion? The very best went down both roads at once, attempting to gradually gain credibility, agent confidence and finally commitment through superior service.  Articles covered a variety of substandard and specialty risks in the life, international and disability markets; survivorship life and estate planning for the 90s; and a LIMRA piece outlining the industry’s growth over the past 50 years and eerily outlining where our industry would be in the next 50 years. Companies were advertising annuities with 9.25 to 9.5 percent first year yields or better with one time bonus up to five percent, universal life interest at 9.25 percent, a plethora of group health plans, and there were a bunch of impaired risk ads.

The November 2000 issue saw Ms. Chace announce the selection of two prominent NAILBA members to the LIFE foundation (now Life Happens) board, outlined NAILBA involvement and commitment to the Life foundation and espoused the benefits to both from their association.  Articles again predominantly explored health and impaired risk considerations across the spectrum from agent responsibility to lab results to carrier considerations. Ads featured annuity first year interest rates from 10 to 12 percent, equity indexed annuities, 30 year guaranteed level term, multiple variable product ads, a variety of LTCI ads from carriers who have subsequently exited the business, cigar or pipe as non-smoker…and many impaired risk ads.

November 2010’s underwriting articles focused on the importance of relationships in the impaired risk market, the importance of setting proper expectations, and the ways revamping underwriting and application processing can drive new opportunities.  Sharon Chace examined the beginnings of NAILBA in 1981-82 and the key role SUB-Centers (The Society of Underwriting Brokers) played in it’s formation.  Advertisers offered annuities with (gulp) 3.20 percent first year interest or 2.35 with a five percent premium bonus, indexed universal life, no lapse universal life, lifetime income benefit riders, tech advances creating ease of doing business with carriers, and ads from impaired risk specialists.

This November issue features articles on financial justification; the importance of field underwriting; medically underwritten SPIAs for financing elder care; living benefits to fund experimental cancer treatment; and the underwriting of settlements designed specifically for long term care.  (And this self indulgent stroll down memory lane.)  Ads include indexed annuities, fixed annuity with income rider, indexed universal life, variable life, whole life, term insurance, accelerated underwriting, living benefits, DI, contingency coverage, LTCI, asset-based LTC protection…and impaired risk.

So what’s the point?  Where exactly brokerage is heading is a topic best left for our industry’s sages rather than this silver spooner, but some questions beg asking:  Will our industry see significant recovery from nearly a decade of artificially suppressed interest rates that will allow carriers to again become more aggressive in product design and risk selection? Will SPDAs and SPIAs again enjoy something better than “Yes, but…” status?  Will carriers reenter the mostly abandoned markets of stand-alone LTCI and disability income?  Will our industry step up and re-develop a financially defensible way for brokers to specialize on the vastly underserved middle market and how? In what ways will the race to speed underwriting via tech advances affect the substandard market?  Is brokerage now becoming the dutifully welcomed, increasingly compliant, differently-mothered stepchild of the career system, where comparatively fewer producers means there are enough “just send us your healthy and wealthy” prospects to keep the dedicated more than busy enough to secure a very nice lifestyle and carrier boardrooms comfortable with easily defensible, increasingly conservative risk management?  Will the desire to place protection for the families of the impaired grey and fall away like my once-Prince-Valiant-like luxurious black locks?  Or will brokerage reinvent itself and make the dedicated pursuit to secure protection for all clients rich and not so…healthy and not so…again a challenging but exciting, rewarding, and satisfying lifelong career choice for a new generation of independent insurance producers?

For now, I just applaud each of the brave grey strands that cling to my scalp for another day.[SPH]

“Together, more or less in line, just keep truckin’ on…”