Calendar of events:

May 4
PIANY Long Island RAP
Crest Hollow Country Club | Woodbury, NY

May 25
Mid-Spring Reception
Single Cut Beer | Queens, NY

June 5-7
PIANY/PIANJ Annual Conference
Harrah’s Resort & Casino | Atlantic City, NJ

June 7
Fun Run to benefit Special Olympics NJ
Harrah’s Resort & Casino | Atlantic City, NJ

July
Rockland Boulders Baseball Game
Provident Bank Park | Pomona, NY

August 15
NY-YIP Golf Open
The Seawane Club | Hewlett Harbor, NY
Click here to register.

September 12
NY-YIP Casual Gathering/Trivia Night
Brown’s Brew Pub | Troy, NY

Were you there?

2016 Trivia Night

2016 Welcome Reception

2016 Buffalo New Year Reception

Welcome new members

Jessica Benedict
Pine Bush Agents
Pine Bush

Michael Bialokur
TriNet
Melville

Garrett Gioe
Jimcor Agencies
Montvale, NJ

Leslie Healey
Distinguished Programs
New York

Engi Kamel
Multi-Line Insurance Agency
Pelham, NY

Justin Kozak
Program Brokerage Corp.
New York

Jim Nolan
Erie Insurance
Malta

Samantha Orrange
Russell Bond & Co.
Buffalo

Nicolle Peterson
Foa and Son
Union City, NJ

Regina Petraroi
Member Brokerage Service
Briarwood

Matthew Schwartz
International Planning Alliance
Bloomfield, NJ

Earl Staring III
Liberty Mutual
Milan

Omri Stern
Omri Stern Inc.
New York

Sponsor spotlight:

Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc.

The premier trade association for the insurance industry, PIANY is dedicated to building the future for insurance agents throughout the state. Offering such member benefits as continuing education, networking, products, services and its Industry Resource Center, members can always Think PIA first for their businesses' needs. In addition, PIANY offers Creative Services, networking opportunities, and other tools to help agents grow their businesses. PIANY is affiliated with PIA National. If you are interested in becoming a PIANY member, click here or call (800) 424-4244.

Interboro Insurance Co.

Interboro is able to maintain exceptional customer service because of strong relationships with its brokers. By showing loyalty to its customers, the company is able to retain its policyholders and uphold the highest ethical standards. Founded in 1914 as an insurance company for New York City beer breweries, Interboro has always been an innovator in the industry. During prohibition, the company diversified its products into automobile, homeowners and other lines of insurance and today it celebrates its 101st year in business. For more information about Interboro Insurance Co., click here.

Lancer Insurance Co.

As one of the premier specialty commercial insurance companies in the U.S., Lancer provides a wide range of services for the commercial transportation industry. A privately held corporation with offices in five states, Lancer is consistently rated "A-" (Excellent) by A.M. Best. Lancer Insurance Co.’s commitment to community and social causes has helped build trust between the company, its policyholders and producers. Since its founding in 1983, Lancer has supported many programs financially within the places they do business. In addition, Lancer employees have contributed to the successes of these causes by donating their time, effort and money. To contact Lancer Insurance Co., click here or call (800) 782-8902.

The Main Street America Group

The Main Street America Group consists of nine property/casualty carriers. The flagship carrier of the MSA Group, NGM Insurance Co., started in 1923 as a mutual insurance company for Grange fraternity members in New Hampshire.  Now based in Jacksonvile, Fla., the MSA Group writes property/casualty insurance in 36  states, and surety bonds in 46 states and the District of Columbia. To contact The Main Street America Group, click here or call (800) 962-5515.

Member Brokerage Service LLC

Member Brokerage Service LLC is a division of Melrose Credit Union. It began in 2000, to provide all types of insurance and related services. It provides its clients with the best possible and knowledgeable personal service in order to protect them properly for a long-term relationship. Its experienced staff has many years of experience in the insurance industry and it has its own in-house claims department. There are no fees at Member Brokerage. To contact Member Brokerage Service, click here or call (718) 523-1300.

Morstan General Agency

Morstan General Agency is a privately held agency based in New York with additional offices in New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The company acts as a general insurance agency as well as a leading supplier of excess and surplus lines. Morstan is committed to the highest standards of quality and service in the industry and maintains its position as a leader in the general agent market. Providing service for small to midsize brokers with expediency for certain carriers or specific risks, Morstan represents many of the finest insurance carriers in the industry. For more information about Morstan, click here or call (516) 488-1517.

Parsons & Associates

Parsons & Associates is a third-generation, family-owned agency located in Syracuse, N.Y. The agency was founded in 1930 by John C. Parsons, the first agent to earn a Charted Life Underwriter designation in Syracuse.  Parsons & Associates was initially founded as a life insurance company, but has since expanded to include a variety of insurance needs. Parsons offers several professional liability services throughout New York state and serves over 250 agencies and brokers. For more information about Parsons & Associates,click here or call (800) 440-9932.

Did you know?

It’s the ‘Buy Button’ initiative or should we say ‘bind’ button

What’s the concept of the Buy Button? This industry-wide initiative led by PIA National is about working to educate agents and carriers alike on how technology can assist them in offering their online customers the opportunity to bind coverage, especially when their offices are closed. This concept does not remove the personal counseling that professional, independent insurance agents and brokers offer their customers, but it’s another demographic they can use to service their client’s insurance needs.

PIANJ National Director Keith A. Savino, CPIA, and CEO Mike Becker were interviewed recently by ACORD’s Bill Hartnett at ACORD headquarters in Pearl River, N.Y., about the concept of agents offering purchasing and binding capability on their websites. The Buy Button initiative, spearheaded by PIA, is being likened to earlier milestones in technology development in the insurance industry. Keep up to date on this issue in your PIA publications, including an article in the April edition of PIA magazine.

Some advantages of the Buy Button:

• empowers the agent to bind a policy 24/7, whether at the office or off site, during operating hours or after hours;
• helps you reach prospects and create a point-of-sale opportunity; in the office, on the phone, online, at the prospect’s location, etc.;
• enables producers and account executives to approach new business face-to-face: in your agency; at your clients’ office; via phone or email; and
• allows agencies to cross sell to existing customers who access your agency’s customer portal.

Technology Info Central

The “Buy Button” initiative is just one of the many technology-related topics available to PIA members through its member-exclusive Technology Info Central tool kit. Get cutting edge technology news, commercial download resources, results of our PIA Technology Surveys, vendor contacts, Real Time information and technology-related resource materials. You also have access to our two technology consultants: Steve Anderson, CIC, and Jason Hoeppner, CIC. To access PIA’s Technology Info Central, click here.

News

PIA comments on millennial hiring on NPR

The insurance industry has a lot of open positions, and it's scrambling to fill them. It's targeting millennials, but many simply don't consider insurance as a potential career—or think it's boring. More ...

NY-YIP and PIANY participate at PIA National FLS

Representatives from PIANY and NY-YIP attended the Federal Legislative Summit last week in Washington, D.C. During their time on Capitol Hill, PIA representatives talked with their legislators about health care and flood insurance. More ...

PIANY victory: Final state budget rejects Cuomo's wrap-up proposal

The final agreed-upon state budget rejected Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's wrap-up insurance proposal included in his Executive Budget proposal released in January that sought to circumvent the current prohibition against "wrap-up" insurance programs, with which the owner of a public construction project could impose a predetermined insurance program on the contractors. More ...

Assembly passes PIA proposal standardizing deductible triggers

The Professional Insurance Agents of New York State is praising the New York State Assembly's passage of a bill (A.7537-A, sponsored by Assemblyman Todd D. Kaminsky, D-20) late in March. PIANY sought sponsors and pushed for the bill, which would standardize the windstorm triggers for homeowners' hurricane deductibles. More ...

PIANY’s Long Island RAP

NY-YIP is hosting the Ice Cream Social at PIANY’s oldest Regional Awareness Program, Long Island RAP, May 4 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury, N.Y. Keynote speaker at the event is Marty Lyon, of the NY Jet’s famed NY Sack Exchange, currently ESPN’s New York Jets radio analyst. Join us there!

PIANJ/PIANY Annual Conference in Atlantic City, including the YIP Fun Run

The biggest insurance show in the Northeast is at a brand new location for 2016—Harrahs’ Resort and Casino in Atlantic City. June 5-7. The YIP Fun Run will take place, as always on Tuesday morning, continuing the tradition of friendly competition between NY-YIP and NJYIP to benefit Special Olympics. Registration is now open, see details here.

PIA National Names Ryan Von Haden 2016 Young Insurance Professional of the Year

Ryan Von Haden, partner and vice president of business accounts with TRICOR insurance in Madison, Wis., has been named the 2016 PIA National Young Insurance Professional of the Year. The award was presented April 8, 2016, by PIA National. More ...

Annual sponsors

Platinum

Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc.

Gold

Interboro Insurance Co.
Lancer Insurance Co.
Morstan General Agency
Parsons & Associates
Simon Agency NY
The Main Street America Group

Silver

AmTrust North America
Berkshire Hathaway Guard Insurance Co.
Member Brokerage Service
NYCM Insurance
Price and Price Enterprises/Melwain Surety Bonds
Skeele Agency
Utica First Insurance Co.

Bronze

Access General Agency
Iroquois Group
P.W. Wood & Son Inc.

Contributor

F.A. Scott Insurance Agency
Mutual Boiler Re
Scottish American