Andrea Ripley will serve as the 2025-26 Big "I" chair. (Credit: Big "I")
The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big “I”) installed Angela Ripley as it’s 2025-2026 chairperson at it’s Fall Leadership Conference on September 15. Ripley, owner and president of VW Brown Insurance Services in Maryland, is just the second woman to serve in the position.
She has over 25 years of experience as an independent insurance agent and has already held several other positions with Big “I”, including Government Affairs Committee chair and Board of Directors member. She also served as the Big “I” Maryland chair in 2014.
“Angela has demonstrated her dedication to the independent agency channel and Big ‘I’ members through decades of outstanding service to the association and the industry as a whole,” Charles Symington, Big “I” president & CEO, said in a release. “We’re grateful for her skilled leadership and experience as the Big ‘I’ continues to provide the tools and support members need for long-term success.”
The organization reports that Ripley’s focus during her tenure is on sustaining the independent agency system with education and strategic growth. She plans to prioritize programs that will make members more tech-enabled while also strengthening the availability of personalized service and relationship-building. She has also emphasized the importance of inclusion and collaboration among independent agents, and is working on a national initiative for women in the insurance industry.
“I am committed to continuing the important work of supporting agents through innovation, inclusion and advocacy,” Ripley said in a release. “I am honored to work together with Big ‘I’ state associations and members across the country to not only address today’s challenges but to build a future that’s resilient and full of opportunity.”
Other members of the Big “I” board installed at the fall meeting included Greg Sandrock, owner of The Cornerstone Agency in Tampico, Illinois, as Big “I” chairman-elect and Bryan Clinkscales, owner of Boone Ritter Insurance in Springdale, Arkansas, as Big “I” vice chair.
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