Metro RAP Up

Welcome Back RAP! In a true New York sort of style, and for the second year since its return to Manhattan, insurance professionals from all around the greater New York City area gathered at the Professional Insurance Agents of New York State Inc.’s 2012 Metropolitan Regional Awareness Program, held Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan.

PIANY’s first event of the year exceeded everyone’s expectations with attendance of some 500 professionals turning out for one of the best events of this winter convention season. Metro RAP featured education courses about the latest ways that the insurance industry communicates with clients and colleagues, including a keynote address from Jill Griffin, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation, Starcom MediaVest Group. Ms. Griffin discussed real-world strategies and solutions for harnessing the power of social media and putting it to work for today’s agencies. Ms. Griffin also reinforced something that you and I have been talking about in this column for a few years now: “That social media is not just the way of the future, but a necessary activity now for any agency to be successful.” Kicking off her presentation with a YouTube video called “Social Media Revolution, (which may be found at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3SuNx0UrnEo) by Erik Qualman, Ms. Griffin urged the audience to “Get started, if you haven’t already”, and provided some excellent advice on protocol for micro-blogging media such as Facebook, Twitter and Yelp!, stressing the importance of engaging customers and prospects positively and proactively in the digital realm with some real life examples. “This is all about communicating, folks,” Metro RAP Chair F. Michael Conte reminded the Metro RAP crowd about the importance of joining the social-media trend. “You can’t ignore the importance of participating in the conversation.”

(By the way, if you’re not following Mike Conte on Twitter, do so, as his Tweets are not only informative, but sometimes hysterical!) During the luncheon ceremony, PIANY presented the prestigious Distinguished Insurance Service award to one of the industry’s most wellrespected veterans and two scholarships to rising stars. David Isenberg, who recently retired President of D.C. White Agency, a division of the Lancer Insurance Group as the pinnacle of a distinguished career of nearly 50 years, was awarded this coveted honor. The award recognizes an individual who has established a history of service, dedicated leadership and attention to the concerns of our members and their clients.

Dave is a past president of PIANY and a director of PIA Management Services, the umbrella corporation that manages the PIA affiliates of Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. He has served as chairman and director of the Excess Lines Association of New York, and as a member of the Professional Insurance Wholesalers Association. “David’s dedication to PIA has been remarkable,” said PIANY President Richard A. Savino, CIC, CPIA. “He is a well-known among us all as a friend and a leader; and it is my privilege to present him with this award.” Mr. Isenberg has served on nearly every PIANY committee, including the Education and Conference, Industry Liaison, and Nominations Committees. In 1998, he received the Louis A. Morelli award from PIANY and he was honored as the Council of Insurance Brokers of Greater New York’s Man of the Year, in recognition for all his work in the insurance industry. In 2010, PIA of New York recognized him at its joint annual conference in Atlantic City, and he received the General Agent Executive of the Year award at Metro RAP in 2007.

Thanking Mr. Savino and PIA for the honor, David encouraged the audience to stay involved with their association, and looked forward to the future. “I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of this industry for 50 years, a great industry,” Dave said. “In no small part has my career been  affected by the people I’ve worked with at DC White, my broker friends and my wife…. But, the success of my life is reflected by my children, and they show what I’ve achieved more than anything else.” Keeping with Metro RAP tradition, PIANY past President Shelly Kozel presented the Bernard I. Kozel Memorial scholarship, in memory of his father and the Arthur I. Moll Memorial scholarship, in memory of the PIANY and PIA National past president, to two PIANYmember employees: Jacqueline Gerbino, Personal Lines CSR with Kay Dina Insurance Agency in Marlboro N.Y., and Jennifer Nall, Customer Service Representative of Member Brokerage Service in Queens, respectively. Each winner received tuition to two Certified Insurance Service Representative seminars conducted by PIANY.

Metro RAP’s fast-paced and famed trade show and exhibition was the dynamic and congenial event that New Yorkers have come to anticipate. Nearly 100 exhibitors met with old friends, displayed their latest innovations, products and markets and made valuable new contacts to help each other’s business. Also at the conference Steve Anderson taught two education seminars: The morning’s presentation, “Maximizing Your Agency’s Internet Presence”, sponsored by ELANY, and approved for two continuing education credits in both New York and New Jersey. Participants joined Steve again in the afternoon for “Managing E&O Exposures in a 24-7 World,” also approved for three credits in both New York and New Jersey. In addition to these opportunities, some participants at Metro RAP took advantage of the monitored exam, which offered to complete a full 12 credits, applicable to all licenses as part of PIA’s popular self-study course, “Advertising, Rebating and Referrals: Staying Compliant When Designing Your Market Plans.” “We’re already making plans to build on the great momentum of this year’s show for next time,” said Metro RAP Committee Chair, Michael Conte. “The committee should be proud of this outstanding event and the showing of our New York Metropolitan Insurance Community.”

Special Thanks to this year’s MetroRAP Committee: Vice President Alan Plafker, CPIA of Member Brokerage Service LLC; Chairman F. Michael Conte, CPIA of Honig Conte Porrino Insurance Agency Inc.; Vice Chair Michael Demetriou of Demetriou General Agency Inc.; Anthony Aquilino of Regency Agency Inc.; Al Caputo of Buckingham Badler Associates; Joshua Edelman of GMAC Insurance; Eduardo Giraldo, LUTCF of Abetx International Brokers; Michael J. Honig, CIC of Honig Conte Porrino Inc.; Naomi Margolin of ArmadaCare; Renee A. McFadden, CIC; Distinguished Programs Group LLC; Monica Perkowski of Imperial PFS; Eugene Podokshik, CPCU, CRIS of Krauter & Company; Nancy Reiersen of Kingstone Insurance Co.; Paul Russo of Tower Group Companies; Frank Sala of Hicksville, NY; Richard Signorelli of Azby Brokerage Inc. and of course Honorary Member John Gallagher of Utica First Insurance Co. Well, that’s a RAP for today, and next time we’ll be talking about some other conferences and events in some neighboring states to the Big Apple.

Ciao for now!