Dewinda Ford Gets CSR Of Year Award

Dewinda A. Ford of the Bramlett Agency Inc. in Ardmore, Okla.,has received the 2003 National Outstanding CSR of the YearAward.

The Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives andthe Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, both in Austin,Texas, selected Ms. Ford from a field of 42 state winners.

After five finalists were chosen from this field, a blue-ribbonpanel of four judges evaluated the finalists based on theirindividual contributions to the insurance community and thestrength of their essays written on the topic, “How CSRs FindSuccess Using Five Essential Service Skills.” Judges includedNational Underwriter Publisher and Editor-In-Chief SamFriedman.

Ms. Ford, a commercial lines manager customer servicerepresentative with 38 years of insurance industry experience,serves The Bramlett Agency as vice president and officemanager.

Ms. Ford recently celebrated her 30th anniversary with theagency. In addition to her work activity, Ms. Ford has been amember of the Lone Grove City Council for six years, with one yearas mayor.

She also does volunteer work with the Oklahoma 4-H organization,her church, the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. Ms.Ford is a former Ardmore, Okla., Insurance Woman of the Year.

Ms. Ford, in her essay, defined the five important areas ofservice as “making our clients feel special, creating a bond oftrust, providing a certain level of service, extending productknowledge and developing strong producer/company/co-workerrelationships.”

Ms. Ford receives a cash award of $1,000, a gold and diamondlapel pin, and her name will be inscribed on a sculpture onpermanent display at National Alliance headquarters. A scholarshipwill be awarded to her employer, The Bramlett Agency Inc., forparticipation in any National Alliance program.

In addition to Ms. Ford, there were four national finalists:Jacqueline Cameron, SWBC Insurance Services, in San Antonio, Texas;Peggy Fletcher, Charles Crane Agency, in St. Louis, Mo.; Elaine M.Slate, Holmes Murphy & Associates, in West Des Moines, Iowa;and Ann C. Tharp, Collins Insurance Agency, in New Albany,Miss.

The Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives andthe Society of Certified Insurance Counselors are affiliated withThe National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research inAustin, Texas.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property &Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, August 4, 2003.Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serialpublication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as anindependent work may be held by the author.