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President’s message By: LaVawn Coleman, Grange Mutual Insurance Company
It is hard to believe that 2009 is drawing to a close. As I compose this message to the OAMIC membership, I have no trouble whatsoever stating that 2009 has been “one for the record books.” The question is, from the OAMIC membership’s perspective, will these be considered “good records” or “bad records?”
If we look back slightly more than twelve months into late 2008, we see an incredibly tumultuous time in our country and Ohio. Remember September 2008, when Hurricane Ike devastated Ohio? We all knew the rainy remnants of hurricanes could impact Ohio, but few of us ever expected hurricane winds to make it this far inland.
Then 2009 brought us an ice storm in January and wind storms in February and June. Personally, I thought Hurricane Ike had blown over every weak tree and ripped off every loose shingle in Ohio – but I was wrong.
Overlay the natural disasters of 2009 with the man-made disasters such as the economic meltdown, taxpayer bailouts of those deemed “too big to fail,” plant closings, lost jobs, threats to include the property and casualty industry in financial services regulatory reform, H1N1, a “public option” for healthcare, and you begin to have a pretty strong argument that 2009 has been a year of “bad records.”
Personally, I choose not to look at it that way. As your current OAMIC president, I am impressed and encouraged by the way our industry has continued to be a stalwart amid these challenging times. Let’s face it, we sell a piece of paper and a promise – a promise that we will be here for our policyholders in their time of need. The claims arising from the natural disasters of the last several months have been handled by our membership without issue. Our companies have tightened belts and continued to focus on our customers. Through our partnership with NAMIC, the real threat of overarching federal regulation of the P&C industry seems to have been mitigated. Our companies continue to offer competitive affordable coverage to the consumers of Ohio and live to fight another day.
There is no question that the challenges our industry faced in 2009 will continue in the years to come. The way I look at it, OAMIC’s membership posted some terrific records over the last twelve months. I congratulate you and look forward to more “good records” in the future.
2010 OAMIC Convention set for Feb. 17-18
Plans are underway for the 2010 OAMIC Convention on Feb. 17-18, 2010, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Worthington, Ohio. Please mark your calendars now; we hope to see you there!
Online registration for convention participants is available at www.oamic.org/events/convention.htm.
Sponsorships and exhibitors are being sought for the 2010 convention. Information regarding sponsorships and exhibitors was distributed in October and must be submitted by December 15. Currently we have six sponsors and 10 out of 16 possible exhibitor slots filled. If you are interested in either, be sure to submit your sponsor and/or exhibitor information with your check by December 15 to ensure your 2010 participation. Exhibitor slots are filled strictly on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Welcome new OAMIC members!
The membership of OAMIC welcomes three new members to its ranks:
Capstone ISG – Virginia Beach, Virginia
IAS Claim Services – San Antonio, Texas
Rhino Claim Services – Indianapolis, Indiana
We hope you see you at all of our upcoming activities!
Would you like to win a Garmin GPS?
OAMIC currently is conducting an online membership survey. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. And those that complete the survey by December 15 will be entered in a drawing to win a Garmin GPS. Don’t miss your chance to speak your mind and be entered in the drawing.
Click here to take the online survey.
2009 fall seminar a success!
The 8th annual OAMIC/Ohio Insurance Institute/Bricker & Eckler seminar was held on October 22nd in Columbus, Ohio. Challenges Amid An Economic Storm was an appropriate theme for the 85 attendees.
LaVawn D. Coleman (OAMIC), Faith M. Williams (Bricker & Eckler) and Daniel J. Kelso (Ohio Insurance Institute) set the tone for the seminar with opening remarks. Next, Jeffrey J. Rieder (President, Ward Group) provided an overview of the economy and its impact on insurers.
Representing Bricker and Eckler, Robert H. Katz, Miranda C. Motter and Anne Marie Sfrerra shared their views on issues currently impacting our industry. They provided updates on tort reform challenges that affect industry and businesses, recent Ohio Supreme Court decisions, actions before Ohio’s General Assembly, recent focus and pending proposals by the Ohio State Bar Association and a brief outlook for Ohio elections.
During lunch, Jimi Grande (VP Government Affairs, NAMIC) discussed a barrage of issues being considered at the federal level and their potential impact on insurers and consumers.
The afternoon began with a panel of reinsurers expressing views on the outlook for the industry. Panelists included Gerard E. Finley (senior vice president, Munich Re America), Sue Johnson (senior vice president, GenRe) and Tommy Nason Kellogg (vice chairman, Berkley Insurance Company). Matthew T. Wulf (vice president & assistant general counsel, Reinsurance Association of America) served as moderator for the segment. Topics of discussion included capital availability, the overall state of the reinsurance market, mergers and acquisitions, catastrophes and new products that could emerge from reinsurers.
To wrap up the day, Vladimir Belo (Bricker and Eckler) provided information regarding employment law challenges as they relate to President Obama’s first 300 days in office.
Click here to view PowerPoint presentations provided by some of the speakers.
The 2010 fall seminar is scheduled for Thursday, October 21, 2010, at the Villa Milano in Columbus. Be sure to mark your calendars now!
A Call to Action!
Capitol Hill visits set for April 19-20, 2010
By: John Bishop, The Motorists Insurance Group
In these unprecedented and uncertain economic times, it is very easy for the uninformed to jump to conclusions in an effort to find ways to address perceived problems.
As a result of some notable significant failures of financial services organizations, it appears there are some in Washington D.C. who mistakenly believe the U.S. property industry needs more and different forms of regulation.
Those of us who are domiciled in Ohio have a great deal at risk if we become more directly under the control of a federal regulator in some form or fashion.
I strongly encourage at least one representative from each OAMIC member company to plan to participate in the upcoming April 19 and 20 OAMIC Capitol Hill visits to Ohio legislators, which is being coordinated by the Washington NAMIC office.
Please register online at www.oamic.org/events/congressional.htm to make reservations to participate. If you have not been to the nation’s capitol recently, the NAMIC staff provides all the assistance necessary for a meaningful visit.
If we do not take the time and effort to tell our story…how can we expect others to do it for us?
2010 OAMIC Golf Classic to be held June 16, 2010
The 2010 OAMIC Golf Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, June 16, 2010, at the Wooster Country Club.
Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. and the lunch buffet starts at 11:30 a.m. on the patio. A shot-gun start golf scramble begins at 12:30 p.m. Dinner will be held at the conclusion of play (about 5:30 p.m.) on the patio.
There will be opportunities for full sponsorships as well as hole sponsorships for this event. And, of course, door prizes are always welcome. Information will be distributed to past and potential future sponsors in late winter or early spring.
About OAMIC…
Purpose:
- To bring together its members in a mutual concept
- To develop and maintain cooperation among its members, other insurance associations and organizations
- To take an active role in the education of its members and the insuring public for which the membership serves
- To work in all matters that are beneficial to the membership of this association
Membership:
Insurance companies incorporated under the laws of the state of Ohio are eligible for full membership in the association.
Insurance companies not incorporated under the laws of the state of Ohio, industry-related insurers, service organizations, corporations or other associations are eligible for associate membership in the association.
2009 - 2010 Officers/Directors
President
LaVawn Coleman, Grange Mutual Insurance Co
President-Elect
James R. Silver, Pike Mutual Insurance Co.
Vice President
Rod Stapleton, Celina Mutual Insurance Group
Secretary/Treasurer
Blaine E. Budd, Washington Mutual Insurance Assn.
Past President
Dave Tschantz, Wayne Mutual Insurance Co.
Board Members
John Brooks, Buckeye Insurance Group
Blaine E. Budd, Washington Mutual Insurance
LaVawn Coleman, Grange Mutual Casualty Group
Susan Haack, The Motorists Insurance Group
Kevin Rall, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group
Mary Jane Rodgers, Perry County Mutual Fire Co.
James R. Silver, Pike Mutual Insurance Co.
Rod Stapleton, Celina Mutual Insurance Group
Dave Tschantz, Wayne Mutual Insurance Co.
Jonathon Younker, Woodville Mutual Insurance Co.
Administrative Staff
Daniel J. Kelso, OII President (dank@ohioinsurance.org)
Kathleen B. Strawn, OII Director, Member Services (kathys@ohioinsurance.org)
Mitchell A. Wilson, OII Vice President Public Information & Education (mitchw@ohioinsurance.org)
Calendar of Events
Feb. 17-18, 2010 | OAMIC 131st Annual Convention | DoubleTree Hotel | Worthington, Ohio |
March 24, 2010 | Central Ohio Insurance Education Day | Villa Milano | Columbus, Ohio |
April 19-20, 2010 | OAMIC Capitol Hill Visits | L’Enfant Hotel | Washington, D.C. |
June 16, 2010 | OAMIC Annual Golf Classic | Wooster Country Club | Wooster, Ohio |
Oct. 21, 2010 | OAMIC/OII/B&E Fall Seminar | Villa Milano | Columbus, Ohio |
Feb. 16-18, 2011 | OAMIC 132nd Annual Convention | DoubleTree Hotel | Worthington, Ohio |
Feb. 15-17, 2012 | OAMIC 133rd Annual Convention | OAMIC 133rd Annual Convention | Worthington, Ohio |
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