PIANY Holds Annual Business Meeting

NU Online News Service, Sept. 15, 2:20 p.m. EDT?At its annual business meeting held this week in Delmar, N.Y., the Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc. urged its members to focus on the industry's three "I"s: image, issues and ideology.

"First, PIANY should foster the positive image of insurance agents," said T.J. Derella, the newly installed president of the group, in a statement.

Mr. Derella pointed out that some agents in the industry call themselves account executives, because selling insurance had a "negative connotation." But, he stressed, insurance agents are "the ones there when our neighbors need us."

"There is no reason to be embarrassed about our profession," Mr. Derella said. "At the time when others are looking to take advantage of customers, we are there with a check to pay for repairs after a catastrophe, to make sure families have means when providers are injured, to keep businesses going in the face of peril."

Mr. Derella also commented on PIANY's ongoing efforts to achieve legislation to fight auto insurance fraud, repeal absolute liability and introduce a negligence standard to the states' labor laws.

"We must maintain vigilance over labor law and auto fraud reform in New York state," he said. "In addition, we need to wrap our tort reform issues up in a bow for legislators, presenting the strongest argument possible to achieve the legislation we have worked so long to enact on these issues."

He urged group members to further support key lawmakers who advance PIANY's legislative agenda and to find cohesion within the industry to forward mutual interests.

At its annual meeting, PIANY also named Peter Demetriou, president of New Windsor Insurance Agency in Hempstead, N.Y., as the "Committee Chair of the Year." Mr. Demetriou was given the award for his work as chairman of PIANY's industry liaison committee.

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PIANY Holds Annual Business Meeting

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