Kelly Norris Named Executive Director for Northeastern PIA

Kelly Norris Named Executive Director for Northeastern PIA

Kelly K. Norris, CAE, has been named executive director of the Glenmont, N.Y.-based Professional Insurance Agents associations of Connecticut, New Hampshire New Jersey, and New York State, and their affiliated organizations. She succeeds Diane Fowler who retired January 1st and is latest in a long line of PIA executives in the role starting with Don Gardner (with PIA 1971-1984) and including Jim Reed (with PIA 1975 2005)Ken Bessette (with PIA 1984–2012)and Ms. Fowler (with PIA from 1978 to January 1st 2014).

The role is a unique, inasmuch as it covers several states’ associations grouped regionally, where many associations are organized by individual states. Each of the PIA affiliates are managed by PIA Management Services, Inc., the umbrella corporation that manages 11 organizations, including Young Insurance Professionals and the Professional Insurance Wholesalers Association. It is among the nation’s strongest producer organizations by itself and serves thousands of independent agents, brokers, wholesalers and industry providers.

Ms. Norris has served as deputy director of the PIA associations for 15 months and met with industry leaders and PIA members familiarizing herself with the role’s particulars.

“Kelly is a seasoned and experienced association executive, who has undertaken progressively greater responsibility for our organization since she joined us,” said CEO Mark LaLonde, CPIA, CIC, AAI, of PIA Management Services. “Her two decades of experience as an association manager and her knowledge and understanding of this business is a valuable asset to PIA and its members.”

Ms. Norris joined PIA in 2012 as the organization continued to execute its perpetuation plan, after serving as executive director of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers for 14 years and executive director of the New York State Consumer Finance Association prior to that. Since 1991, Norris has been a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Empire Society of Association Executives.

She is a graduate of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in political science and a concentration in business administration. She obtained her Certified Association Executive designation in 2005 from the American Society of Association Executives. She resides in Rensselaer, N.Y.