Broker Words

In Memoriam

I am saddened to relay the passing of an extraordinary man and, although behind the scenes perhaps, certainly a building block of the brokerage business—Charles D. “Chuck” Rumbarger, the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies’ (NAILBA) first executive director,  passed away in January after a series of illnesses.

Shortly after leaving NALU (now NAIFA) in 1982, Rumbarger founded an association management firm (Association Management Group – AMG), and NAILBA was the first client of that firm—managed by AMG until becoming a self-managed association in 2002. Although Chuck had turned over the reins of NAILBA by that time, he remained involved and interested in NAILBA’s success.  His dedication to NAILBA for all those years resulted in his being named the 1999 Mooers Award recipient, an honor he highly prized but humbly accepted.

Shortly after receiving NAILBA’s (and the brokerage industry’s) highest honor, Rumbarger penned a letter delivered to this publication and addressed to NAILBA members and the brokerage industry.  In it, he said:  “Having recently sold my company and experienced several other life altering events, I have been reflecting on what things have really mattered over the 60 years I have been given.  Among those things has been the opportunity to associate with people like YOU.  People who have ‘hung in there,’continued to ‘show up’ and remained positive forces in organizations like NAILBA.  YOU are truly my heroes.  Your living of life, as ordinary or as flawed as you may think it has been, is an inspiration to me.  You have made organizations and lives better than you found them.  Thank you.”  That’s just a tiny example of the character of Chuck Rumbarger.

Current NAILBA CEO Jack Chiasson remembers his dear friend: “Once I got the job, Chuck was never more than a phone call or an email away, and never refused any of my requests for advice or counsel.  We met regularly for lunch, and he helped me to navigate the ins and outs of my first CEO position – board and volunteer relations, financial management and governance, strategic planning, staffing, legal issues, whatever – all the things that any association executive deals with on a day-to-day basis. I couldn’t have done it without him, and I will miss him terribly.”

Rumbarger served his country in the Air Force as an air policeman in the Philippines during the build-up of the Vietnam War and subsequently in Washington, DC, rising to the rank of Sergeant.

He often reached out to help others, such as anonymously buying dinner for a tired policeman or struggling family. He served in organizations which focused on the needs of underserved children, led boy scouts at a jamboree as a young airman in the Philippines, and when a parent of young children he was also a foster parent. As a retiree Chuck was a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer and provided professional guidance to nonprofit organizations such as Child Life Council. Of particular interest during his last years was supporting outdoor experiences for wounded warriors through Freedom Hunters.

Rumbarger was also deeply committed to the NAILBA Charitable Foundation, and his actions truly embodied the mission of the Foundation:  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 honor of Rumbarger’s impact on NAILBA and our industry, the NAILBA Charitable Foundation will be awarding a one-time grant (the Rumbarger Grant) to a charitable organization that Chuck would have supported. If you are interested in contributing funds to this grant in his memory, please contact Kathy Allison, 703-383-3072 or kallison@nailba.org.

“Personally, Chuck has been a mentor, a role model, and – most of all – a friend over the years,” said Chiasson, “What YOU do every day is a result of the efforts that people like Mike Flynn, Mende Lerner, Doug Mooers—and Chuck Rumbarger—as well as many others put in all those years ago. I hope you join me, both in mourning the loss and in gratitude for the service of this wonderful man.”

Amen, Jack.  Thank you, Chuck. [SPH]