TriCounty Independent Insurance Agents Association Installs Officers and Directors for the 2014 – 2015 term

ALBERTSON, N.Y.—New officers and directors took the helm on June 5 during the Long Islandbased TriCounty Independent Insurance Agents Association annual installation dinner and awards ceremony. The gathering, held at the Fox Hollow in Woodbury, NY, set the TriCounty IIAA leadership for the 2014 through 2015 term. About 180 agents, company representatives, vendors and other members of the insurance community joined the festivities of this special occasion starting with a beautiful outdoor cocktail reception.

Frank Elorza of Club Agency Insurance Brokerage, LLC in Garden City, NY was installed as president of TriCounty IIAA by his mentor and long-time friend Stephen J. Folan of The Folan Agency. Additional officers and directors were installed by James D. Sutton, CPCU, AAI, CIC, Chair of the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York, Inc. (IIABNY). Those officers included Peter Phillips of Phillips Brokerage, Inc. in Astoria, who will assume the position of Vice President; Adam P. Erickson of Carlstan North Hills Agency, Inc., who was installed as Treasurer; and James G. Bastian of Advantage Partners, Inc., based in Astoria, will be the group’s Secretary for the new term.

The TriCounty IIAA also installed the following directors:

• Dean Aloia, Aloia McKinnon Insurance Brokerage, Brooklyn;

• Ron Brunell, CIC, B&B Coverage, Ltd., Valley Stream;

• Andrew Chong, HD Underwriting Agency, Inc.;

• Alex Giraldo, Club Agency Insurance Brokerage, LLC Garden City;

• Neil Levy, CPA, CFP of CBS Coverage Group;

• Christopher Wukovits of AAA of New York Insurance Services, Inc. In addition, awards were presented that evening.

• The Bob Morris Award – presented for commitment to the association and furthering industry professionalism – was awarded to Robert E. Mackoul, CLU who has served on the TriCounty Board of Directors for many years, including the position of the association’s president this past year.

• The Bob Morris Award – presented for commitment to the association and furthering industry professionalism – was awarded to Kathleen Lawler, AAI, CIC, Assistant Vice President for Education and Local Association Manager for IIABNY, whose office is located in Syracuse, NY. The association announced awards totaling $7,500 in scholarships this year. A $2,500 award went to Michael Beneventano

an exceptional student at St. John’s School of Risk Management , for surpassing specified criteria, including insurance related study and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. The 2014 St. John’s Education Scholarship Program was again sponsored by Safeco Insurance

and the award was presented by Safeco’s Downstate Territory Manager Ryan L. Brown.

Winners of two other $2,500 scholarships were announced and certificates were presented at their school’s awards ceremonies. Chelsea Hroch

a graduate of Farmingdale High School was the Joel S. Pollack Memorial Scholarship Award

winner for her essay on ‘recommended penalties for texting and driving’. Chelsea was chosen from a large number of submissions from high school seniors in the boroughs of Nassau, Queens and Brooklyn. The Stephen T. Dooley Community Service Award

scholarship went to Lindsey Haynes

a graduate from South Side High school in Rockville Centre, NY for outstanding community service during her high school years. Checks will be mailed to their chosen colleges and be applied to tuition and allied expenses.