When Target Markets Program Administrator Association (TMPAA) announced the creation of its Certified Programs Leader (CPL) designation 2 years ago, the intention was to build an educational program (Target University) around the most critical elements for program administration success. The designation was to provide a vehicle that recognized individuals who, through education and experience, demonstrated an expertise in programs business. That goal was realized at TMPAA's 12^th annual summit, where nine members were awarded the first designations—the first of its kind.

CPL recipients are: Greg Thompson, chairman, THOMCO; Kim Ayala, president and CEO, Landscape Contractors Insurance Services; Joseph Peloso, vice president; Penelope Thomas, assistant vice president; Michael Bachman, underwriting specialist and Deborah Francis, assistant vice president of Liberty International Underwriters; and Jeffrey Gauthier, senior vice president; Carolyn Miller, divisional vice president and Julie Roberts, senior production underwriter, Great American Insurance Company.

Developed through the TMPAA board and committee members as advisors, the core program consists of 12 courses:

Mergers and acquisitions
Strategic thinking and planning
Actuarial
Marketing
Underwriting
Contracts
Claims
Risk management
Systems and operations
Leadership and ethics
Finance and accounting
Program submissions

Applicants for the CPL designation must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in the insurance industry and 2 years in a program leadership position. There are currently 101 individuals enrolled in some stage of the online interactive program, said Ray Scotto, TMPAA executive director. All coursework is online; cost is $50 per course for TMPAA members.

The coursework is valuable not only for professionals seeking a CPL designation, but as a training tool for agency and insurer staffers new to program business, and brokers with books of business looking to explore the possibility of program development, Scotto said. One of the association's core missions is to promote best practices in program business. “The CPL, along with TMPAA's agency Best Practice designation, is another important tool for us to accomplish that objective,” he said.

For long-time TMPAA member Kim Ayala, president and CEO of Landscape Contractors Insurance Services Inc. in Fresno, Calif., the real benefit of the CPL designation is the ability to share the information gleaned from the coursework. “It gives a snapshot picture of everything we go through to put together a program,” she said.

Ayala started pursuing the designation a month after last year's official rollout. Individual courses can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours to complete. The courses provide online testing and sample quizzes along the way, making the program very user-friendly and practical, she said.

Additionally, because insurers were instrumental in developing the CPL program, having the designation enhances a program administrator's reputation within the carrier community, Ayala said.

For more information about the TMPAA CPL program, go to targetmarkets.com or contact Ray Scotto, Executive Director, at 877-347-5700 or ray.scotto@targetmkts.com.

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