NAPSLO's incoming president, John Wood, believes his firm, Specialty Risk Associates, "is positioned in a great place" to take advantage of insurance opportunities emerging from an awakening economy.

On a national scale, the broader excess and surplus lines market is also positioned in a great place to meet some challenges that have confronted it in past years--in part as the result of efforts of NAPSLO executives and committee members, including Mr. Wood.

Addressing the challenge of reforming a conflicting set of state laws now applicable to multistate placements of surplus lines insurance, NAPSLO Executive Director Richard Bouhan recently testified before the Senate Banking Committee.

"What's so encouraging is that NAPSLO was invited to be among very few industry representatives to testify. We had a seat at the table," said Mr. Wood.

While Mr. Wood highlighted Mr. Bouhan's role, along with the efforts of NAPSLO's Washington lobbyist and members of the current legislative committee, the incoming president himself helped pave the way to Capitol Hill when he participated on the association's legislative committee in 2003 and 2004.

"I got involved because I had a need to give back to the industry. The industry has been good to me. I have a passion for it," he said. "I was not thinking I would make any huge contribution, but if everyone chips in a little, that creates a successful organization."

Mr. Wood's contribution when he served as co-chair on the legislative committee was large enough to prompt NAPSLO to honor him as one of three recipients of the Presidents Award at the October 2003 annual meeting in San Diego.

Mr. Wood--along with co-chairs Andrew Frazier of Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Western World Insurance Group and Lawrence Wesson of Dallas-based U.S. Risk Insurance Group--received the award to recognize their work in developing a set of nine regulatory principles adopted by NAPSLO's board.

"It came down to a situation where we needed to know what we were trying to accomplish," he said, noting there was a lot of legislation being proposed, and the committee felt NAPSLO needed to ask: "'Where do we draw the line in the sand? What do we let slide, and if something crosses that line, what do we go after to make sure we protect our members the best way possible?"

The principles--advocating state-based regulation, freedom of rate and form for surplus lines, as well as uniform tax and licensing, among other goals--were intended to provide a road map to future boards.

While receiving the award was an unexpected highlight of Mr. Wood's NAPSLO tenure to that point, what happened next "was just unbelievable," he said. In February 2004, he accompanied Mr. Frazier, Mr. Bouhan and NAPSLO's 2004 president, James Griffith, on a trip to Capitol Hill to "spread the word about NAPSLO."

"It was E&S 101," he said, recalling the session with members of the House Financial Services Committee. "A lot of people didn't know who we were. In many ways, that formed the groundwork" for what's happening today, he said.

Looking ahead to his term as president, Mr. Wood hopes to continue adding value to the membership by supporting the work of NAPSLO's committees. "Whether you're a small, medium or large member, there should be value in our organization."

"From my perspective, NAPSLO is an organization that belongs to the members. We take that seriously. We try to serve the needs of the members," he said.

For example, in addition to legislative efforts, NAPSLO has several committees helping member firms with "the huge challenges of staffing and educating a new generation" of E&S professionals, Mr. Wood said, highlighting the work of the Internship Committee (which he once served on), the Education Committee (responsible for the NAPSLO schools), and the new Career Awareness Committee.

The new committee is working on a number of projects to improve outreach to the students and young professionals--promoting the surplus lines industry as a potential employment option, he said.

At his own firm, Mr. Wood said "word of mouth" has been the best way that he solicits candidates. "We lean heavily on our reputation and professionalism to get people in. We try to have the kind of culture where someone can come in, we give them the necessary training to do the job, and we try to let them do the job," he said.

"Education is something that's never ending," he added, noting that his firm conducts its own classes on technical coverage issues and client care, and also takes advantage of course offerings from the NAPSLO schools and AAMGA University.

(Specialty Risk Associates holds the CMGA designation from AAMGA University, which is awarded to an entire agency that meets and maintains specified education requirements on an annual basis, including a minimum of eight hours of AAMGA education per employee. AAMGA events are open to members of NAPSLO and members of the King of Prussia, Pa.-based American Association of Managing General Agents.)

"We try not to just keep doing the same things every day," he said. "We look forward, try to be progressive, to educate our employees and create a unique, challenging environment."

Mr. Wood was proud to report that the business seemed challenging enough to coax two special young people--one with an accounting degree and another with a degree in construction management--to join the ranks of E&S professionals at his firm.

Referring to his two sons, Mr. Wood said he did not push them into the business but believes they chose to follow his career path based on stories of successes and failures--and descriptions of the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship--he shared over the years.

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