In addition to providing a premier networking and meeting venuefor member firms, the 2015 NAPSLO Mid-Year Leadership Forum—set forFeb.23-25 in Miami—will also offer attendees insights into animportant issue facing many insurance-industry leaders.

The challenge of effectively recruiting bright new talent intothe E&S industry is daunting. The question of how to not onlyrecruit and train the next generation of leaders, but also how tomaximize their potential within an organization, are mountingconcerns for many firms. NAPSLO Mid-Year Leadership Forum attendeeswill hear from an expert in how to best leverage the strengths of amulti-generational workforce during the event's LeadershipSession.

Kim Lear, director of content at BridgeWorks, will deliver thesession's keynote address. Lear is a strategist who providesresearch-based solutions for leaders looking to understand thevarying needs and desires of each generation in today's workforce.By doing so, she helps leaders bridge gaps among generations inmany organizations.

Members also will learn effective ways to harness the power ofthe millennial generation as they enter the workforce and become animportant piece in the succession-planning puzzle. After Lear'saddress, attendees will learn on-the-ground insights from a panelof NAPSLO wholesale broker and carrier leaders from variousgenerations who encounter these generational divides in their ownbusinesses.

In addition to this session planned for the Mid-Year LeadershipForum, NAPSLO provides members with tools to help address thischallenge.

Our Career Awareness and Internship programs are first steps inthat process. The NAPSLO team and members of the Career Awarenessand Internship Committee work to educate students at universitiesacross the country about career opportunities in the E&Sindustry. During 2014 these volunteers presented to more than 2,000students on 25 college campuses. These programs make students awareof career opportunities in various facets of the industry andincrease their understanding of the unique characteristics thatmake the surplus lines segment interesting and rewarding as acareer path.

Additionally, during these visits students learn about NAPSLO'sinternship program, an important step for many in beginning asuccessful career in the E&S business. Since 1981 the NAPSLOInternship Program has annually awarded paid summer internships tocollege students interested in an insurance career.

NAPSLO hosts 15 interns, who spend nine weeks with our memberfirms getting hands-on training to learn all aspects of the surpluslines insurance industry. We know that this experience is criticalto helping young, energetic students elect to enter the E&Ssegment of the business, and it's mutually beneficial as internhost companies also gain access to these talented young people.

Aside from the challenge of building and managing themulti-generational workforce of today's world, NAPSLO also activelymonitors state and federal legislative issues that impact surpluslines as part of our effort to maintain the health and strength ofthe industry. Our Board of Directors continues to focus on keylegislative issues including an ongoing effort to help clarify thedefinition of private flood insurance, the reauthorization of theTerrorism Risk and Insurance Act and passage of legislation toenable the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers.These and other legislative issues will be a focus of NAPSLOleaders during 2015 and at the Mid-Year Leadership Forum.

I hope that NAPSLO members will plan to join us in Miami inFebruary, as we look to provide new information to members abouthow to sustain our industry into the future and work collectivelyto integrate professionals from all generations into a workforcethat will help the E&S industry continue to innovate fordecades to come.