Ron Verzone, CFP, CIC, CLTC, president emeritus of United Underwriters, Inc., Exeter, NH, and chairman of BSI, Inc., Germantown, MD, was named the 2012 recipient of The Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence. The annual award, NAILBA’s most coveted and prestigious accolade, honors distinction in brokerage and is bestowed upon an individual committed to furthering independent life brokerage as a distribution system who demonstrates an exemplary record of community service.
Verzone entered the insurance business more than 36 years ago as a manager for Mutual of New York. He joined United Underwriters in 1979, became a partner a few years later and eventually bought the agency.
In presenting the award, NAILBA’s Immediate Past Chairman Christi Daughenbaugh recognized Verzone as “a man of great service to many important causes.”
Verzone has served in a variety of leadership positions in the insurance community, including chairman of NAILBA. He is a member of the AALU and the national and local NAIFA chapters, General Agents and Managers Association, Boston Estate Planning Council, International and New Hampshire Associations of Financial Planners, and has been recognized in the Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.
Verzone is the founding chairman of The Marketing Alliance and was responsible for the organization’s national marketing arrangements. He was the recipient of that group’s 2010 Billy Vogel Award. Tim Klusas, president of TMA, said, “Ron is a rare leader who thinks nothing of giving everything and everyone his all but doesn’t expect anything in return. His example is prominent in every part of TMA.”
Verzone is an internationally recognized speaker on insurance issues ranging from impaired risk and legislation to estate planning and long term care. He is a frequent guest columnist for well-known business and trade publications and has authored “Guide to Underwriting the Impaired Risk,” which has been distributed worldwide. He has frequently served as a consultant for insurance companies as well as the Massachusetts Insurance Department.
For many years Verzone has been involved in raising funds for Muscular Dystrophy and The Jimmy Fund, which supports the fight against cancer at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Kathy Carlson, president of United Underwriters, said, “It has been my honor to work with Ron for so many years; both as my partner and my mentor. His many contributions to the insurance industry make him a well-deserved recipient of the Mooers Award.”
Jeff Mooers, president of H.D. Mooers & Co., Lafayette, CA, was presented the 2012 NAILBA Chairman’s Award at the recent NAILBA meeting in Orlando, FL. The award was created to recognize the efforts of a NAILBA volunteer who has performed “over and above the normal expectations during a chairman’s term.”
In presenting the award, Dexter Umekubo, 2012 chairman of NAILBA, said, “Jeff is an active participant on the editorial advisory panel and an avid supporter of the NAILBA Charitable Foundation…He has previously led the strategic communications committee and the marketing committee.”
Mooers is the third generation of his family to be in the insurance industry. His grandfather founded the agency. He is president of his local NAIFA chapter and a member of The Marketing Alliance. He founded the TYGERS, a group of second and third generation brokerage general agents.
