The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents' new president said she intends to work at raising the independent agent's profile and improving an industry reputation damaged by business practice scandals.

Donna Pile, the first woman president of the Alexandria, Va.-headquartered PIA, and managing partner of Lexington, Ky.-based A.G. Perry Insurance Agency, has plans to do a lot of traveling and hold meetings with agents and carriers during her one-year term as president, which began Oct. 1.

Foremost on her itinerary will be seeking to find ways to raise the profile of independent agents in both the carrier community and translate the good will customers hold for their individual agents into raising the reputation of the industry.

"[Independent agents] are totally dedicated to the people they serve," she said, noting that the recent contingent fee scandal has tainted agents who have followed the rules and were never implicated in the schemes in which big brokers rigged bids in exchange for fees.

Part of changing those perceptions will be a new branding campaign she believes will not only raise agent's profile with the general public, but raise the profile of agents in the minds of the carriers they represent.

The branding campaign, "Local Agents Serving Main Street America," will be introduced Dec. 1, explained Ted Besesparis, vice president of communications for PIA. Agents will be asked to join the new branding program for no additional fee as part of their membership.

Carriers will be asked to endorse the program through a cooperative advertising campaign, he said, but the association will not seek payment from the carriers for their involvement in the program.

"For our people this will create a wonderful buzz and will be wonderful asset for our members," said Ms. Pile.

The most effective way agents can go about improving their standing and the standing of the industry in the eyes of consumers is to improve the insurance IQ of their clients, said Ms. Pile. In her travels, she said she will encourage agents to be more conscious of doing the things that maybe they have taken for granted, which is making the customer understand that insurance is a legal contract.

"Insurance is a big hunk of a client's pay check," said Ms. Pile. "We need our consumers to understand what it is they are buying."

Agents, she said, must make educating consumers about insurance a bigger part of what they do. Many do it, she said, but in large agencies the education part of the personal lines side may tend to get lost in the shuffle of the insurance transaction.

She noted the important role customer service representatives must play in making sure these lessons are taught.

Within the industry itself, Ms. Pile said, the respect for agents needs to be raised both among themselves and carriers.

"[Independent Agents] work hard in their community and need more encouragement among them to say 'You are not just an insurance agent--you protect people's dreams.' The whole attitude needs to be changed," she remarked.

While customers do not view their agent with the same jaundiced eye they view carriers with, agents have been caught up in a lot of the industry's problems. Seemingly under attack with the elimination of contingent commissions through company settlements with attorneys general, agents should not feel discouraged.

"I want to encourage local Main Street agents and do not want them to be discouraged and believe they are not important," Ms. Pile commented. "We are pretty much the life blood of the insurance carriers."

As she goes about speaking with independent agent carriers, her aim is to see how they embrace the association's marketing campaign and work with them from there.

Her primary objective, Ms. Pile said, will be to make sure carriers understand and appreciate the role of the independent agent as the advocate for their client and to get the necessary support from carriers for that job.

"Our main goal is to serve the customer and our customer is the public," Ms. Pile observed. "We know we can do that well."

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PIA President Sees Mission In Raising Agent Profile

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