The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) has a new president.

Timothy G. Russell, CPCU, of Southport, Connecticut began his one-year term as President of the PIA on Oct. 1, 2017, and he will be serving through Sept. 30, 2018.

Russell and his brother George are the third-generation owners of The Russell Agency, LLC, an independent insurance agency located in Southport, Connecticut. Timothy joined The Russell Agency in 1994, where he concentrates mainly on commercial insurance.

“One of the messages that I want to deliver as President of PIA is that being an independent insurance agent is an excellent career choice for young people,” Russell says. “It is exciting, fun, and can be very lucrative. Plus, independent insurance agents are on the cutting edge of technology. It's a great life.”

Russell graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance with an Agency Management track before beginning his professional career at The Russell Agency.

Since then, Russell has held a number of positions. From 2005 to 2007, Russell served as President of the Southern Connecticut Chapter of the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU). In 2009, he was chosen as the Professional Insurance Agent of the Year by The Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut (PIACT) and served as president of PIACT.

In 2010, he was named the National Professional Agent of the Year by PIA National, “honored for his contributions to the insurance industry, the independent agency system and to his PIA colleagues, along with his commitment to education, involvement in community affairs and overall success.”

Russell has long been active in civic groups in his community, as well, serving as president of the Fairfield Rotary Club and the Southport Merchants Association. Before his career in insurance, Russell spent the late 1980s and early 1990s working at The Comic Strip in Manhattan as a professional stand-up comedian.

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Timothy G. Russell begins term as new PIA president

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