The Insurance Education Institute (IEI) of Indianapolis, Ind., and The Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education of Columbus, Ohio, said they have arranged to merge.
Under their agreement the groups said they will combine effective Jan. 1, 2008. Their newly formed Griffith Insurance Education Foundation, they said, will provide risk management and insurance education programs and resources to students, teachers and public policymakers.
The mission of the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation is to become the premier organization supporting the study and teaching of risk management and insurance and encouraging young people to pursue careers in these fields, it was explained.
“This merger gives us the opportunity to expand the outreach for our existing education programs and provide the focus and resources necessary to create new ones,” said Barb Baurer, IEI chair and Chief Operating Officer of Country Insurance & Financial Services.
He said the organizations “are excited about the growth and expansion potential as we move forward with our joint mission. Most importantly, the merger will allow us to provide even more value for our sponsoring companies by encouraging high school and college students to consider careers in the insurance and risk management fields.”
The organization said it has three primary initiatives for its first year:
o Create a certification program in high schools and community colleges to prepare students for further study or careers in the insurance industry.
o Introduce a professional certification program for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) that provides a curriculum for member legislators to earn credits toward a professional designation
o Provide new education programs and resources for high school teachers to introduce risk management and insurance concepts to their students.
“The IEI and The Griffith Foundation each have a legacy of excellence in insurance education. Their combined resources enable us to extend the reach of our public policymaker education programs and continue to expand our insurance education programs for high school teachers and their students,” said Dave Washburn, Griffith Foundation chair.
“The creation of The Griffith Insurance Education Foundation positions us to become a leader not only in risk management and insurance education but also in insurance career development,” added Mr. Washburn.
A single board will be formed from the existing boards of the two organizations. Don Rebele, president of The Griffith Foundation for Insurance Education, will serve as president and chief executive officer of the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation. Headquarters will be located in Columbus, Ohio. Larry Forrester, the previous IEI president, retired July 31.
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