Dan O'Leary is one of the giants in the surplus lines insurance community. As president of Shelly, Middlebrooks, and O'Leary, Inc., he has headed up one of the most successful firms in the state. Recently, O'Leary's son and daughter obtained their surplus lines licenses, making Conner and Erin the third generation of O'Leary's to serve in the company. In January, O'Leary started a two-year term as chair of the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office's Board of Governors. What follows are his first comments on the FSLSA and the state of the industry as printed in the FSLAO's Advisor.
As I reflect upon this past year, I am proud of the accomplishments of the FSLA. Challenged with continually improving services and creating innovative solutions, the service office utilized technology to deliver quality, accurate, and timely services and products. Of the many achievements accomplished by the service office in 2005, two of the most notable included the release of the Surplus Lines Information Portal and the completion of an Emergency Response Vehicle.
The release of the Surplus Lines Information Portal (SLIP), an electronic web portal, came at the close of 2005. A great deal of time and effort was expended in the development and implementation of SLIP as a program that will aid member agents in the management of their surplus lines records.
Lessons learned from prior hurricane seasons lent themselves to the exploration and development of better catastrophe assistance by the service office for the surplus lines industry. The purchase of a custom-designed Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) provided the service office with the ability to better serve member agents and their customers following 2005's Hurricane Wilma.
I also congratulate the 2005 Board of Governors for their dedication, direction, and the valuable contributions that added to the success of the service office. I thank our 2005 Chairman, Larry Stowe, for his leadership of the FSLSO Board of Governors, who worked closely with the service office, to further the growth and enhancement of services and products.
I extend my sincere appreciation to Tom Enright, who completed his tenure with the Board of Governors. He will continue to be a representative of this industry through Enright & Wilson, Inc. His efforts contributed to the success of the service office and his leadership and professionalism will be missed. We welcome Steve Finver of Continental Agency of Florida to the board and look forward to Steve's experience and knowledge.
I also want to recognize and thank Ed Wojchick who also completed his term on the board last year. Ed will continue to support Florida's surplus lines industry as he takes on a new leadership role as president of the Florida Surplus Lines Association. R.C. Chaffin of SeaCoast Under-writers, Inc. joined the board of governors midyear in 2005 to fill Ed's position, and will continue to serve on the board; his understanding of the industry and expertise makes him a welcomed addition.
Finally, I must commend FSLSO Executive Director Gary Pullen and his staff for their previous successes. They have met the demands and challenges set before them in order to provide a level of consistent service so deserved by our members and Florida's surplus lines insurance industry at large. Together, we will continue to push for quality services and programs, making way for another successful year for your Florida Surplus Lines Service Office.
