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

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

Russell and his brother George are the third-generation ownersof TheRussell Agency, LLC, an independent insurance agency located inSouthport, 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 PIAis that being an independent insurance agent is an excellent careerchoice for young people,” Russell says. “It is exciting, fun, andcan be very lucrative. Plus, independent insurance agents are onthe cutting edge of technology. It's a great life.”

Russell graduated from the University of Georgia with aBachelors of Business Administration in Risk Management andInsurance with an Agency Management track before beginning hisprofessional career at The Russell Agency.

Since then, Russell has held a number of positions. From 2005 to2007, Russell served as President of the Southern ConnecticutChapter of the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU).In 2009, he was chosen as the Professional Insurance Agent of theYear by The Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut (PIACT)and served as president of PIACT.

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In 2010, he was named the National Professional Agent of theYear by PIA National, “honored for his contributions to theinsurance industry, the independent agency system and to his PIAcolleagues, along with his commitment to education, involvement incommunity 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 theSouthport Merchants Association. Before his career in insurance,Russell spent the late 1980s and early 1990s working at The ComicStrip in Manhattan as a professional stand-up comedian.