IIAA Awards Smith, Ga. Assn.

NU Online News Service, April 12, 12:18 p.m.EST?Ronald A. Smith, a past president of the IndependentInsurance Agents of America and current chairman of its StateGovernment Affairs Committee, yesterday was presented with theassociation's highest individual government affairs honor--theSidney O. Smith Award.

The presentation to Mr. Smith was made during the Alexandria,Va.-based IIAA's 26th Annual National Legislative Conference inWashington.

IIAA and the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia give theSmith Award each year to an individual agent or broker for his orher "outstanding service to their peers and the nationalassociation in the field of government affairs," the associationsaid.

Stanley O. Smith, the award's namesake, was an IIAA pastpresident and Georgia agent "who was instrumental in focusing theassociation and its members on legislative advocacy," IIAAsaid.

Ronald Smith is president of Smith, Sawyer & Smith, Inc., aRochester, Ind.-based independent agency.

"Ron has expertly led IIAA's state government affairs effortsduring an era of unprecedented marketplace changes and regulatoryreforms in the states," said IIAA Government Affairs CommitteeChairman Robert E. Fulwider.

"This flurry of activity has come in the face of an incredibleamount of pressure from federal lawmakers. Yet through it all, Ronhas provided steady leadership and unwavering commitment to worktoward accomplishments that serve the interest of his colleagues,the industry and consumers," Mr. Fulwider said.

During Mr. Smith's stewardship, IIAA spearheaded the developmentof the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' ProducerLicensing Model Act.

IIAA characterized him as a "pivotal player in the negotiationswith the state regulator group and the development of the proposedmodel bill," which the IIAA said "subsequently spawned enactment oflicensing reform in 40 states, a streamlining of the licensingprocess that has made it easier for agents and brokers to securelicenses in multiple states."

In his role as State Government Affairs Committee chairman, Mr.Smith serves as the IIAA's liaison to the NAIC, the NationalCouncil of Insurance Legislators, and several other statepolicymaking organizations.

Mr. Smith has testified before the U.S. Congress numerous timeson industry concerns, including agent licensing, insurance productspeed-to-market reform, and the future of insurance regulation. Healso heads IIAA's Future One's State Government Affairs Task Forceand Agent Advocacy Fund.

He is charman for IIAA's Communications/Branding Task Force,helping direct introduction the association's new consumermarketing brand?"Trusted Choice."

Also during the meeting, the Independent Insurance Agents ofGeorgia was presented with the Maurice G. Herndon NationalLegislative Award in recognition of its "outstanding governmentaffairs achievements in 2001," noted IIAA.

Awarded annually by the IIAA and the Professional IndependentInsurance Agents of Illinois, the Herndon Award is bestowed upon"the state association whose legislative achievements the previousyear on behalf of IIAA and its members have been deemed mostoutstanding," the groups noted. The award is named after the formerhead of IIAA's government affairs operation.

The Georgia association was honored for its "effectiveness inrepresenting its members' interests before the state's legislatureand department of insurance, and the active role it takes in IIAA'soverall government affairs program and InsurPac--the association'spolitical action committee," IIAA noted.

A "key success" in 2001 for the Georgia association and itsmembers, according to IIAA, was the adoption of the Producer ModelLicensing Act, which establishes licensing reciprocity fornonresident agents and brings the state into compliance with theGramm-Leach-Bliley Act's agent licensing reform provision.

In addition to their state-level successes, the Georgiaassociation was lauded for its "highly active and effectivegrassroots members, who have built strong relationships with theircongressional representatives and uses those ties to lobby theirlawmakers on important agent issues throughout the year and duringthe National Legislative Conference."