Another Kind of Hero

For those of us who are fortunate enough to know Dave Isenberg, this story will not surprise you as he is always one to put others before himself, and to use his life’s experiences to selflessly assist those who may benefit from it. A veteran of the insurance industry for nearly 50 years, David recently retired as President of D.C. White Agency, a division of the Lancer Insurance Group. He began his career in insurance with Consolidated Insurance Group, where he learned the insurance business. In 1978, he became President of D.C. White Agency in Long Beach, N.Y. In addition to his duties at D.C. White, Mr. Isenberg served as President of PIAof NY in 2002-03 and served on virtually every committee at the association including the PIA Political Action Governing Committee. David is secretary of PIA Management Services Inc., the umbrella corporation that manages the Glenmont, N.Y.-based Professional Insurance Agents associations of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire. At the recent and hugely successful Professional Insurance Agents Association’s Long Island RAPconference and trade show held at “Leonard’s of Great Neck” in Great Neck, NY, David deservingly received his second Distinguished Insurance Service award from PIANY. Leave it to David, who has served our industry for almost 50 years, to turn an award meant to honor him and all he’s done into an opportunity to do good once again for others. His speech didn’t leave a dry eye in the packed ball room, and focused on his own struggles with dyslexia and hyperactivity, and was an appeal to helping children with learning disabilities so that they might be successful like him. “As a kid no one would have considered me to be a candidate for success. I could not learn to read. Today there is a name for my problem. Back then, my parents and teachers had no idea that there could be a neurological reason why I could not read. They assumed I was either lazy or stupid or both. Things didn’t improve much when I got to junior and senior high school. Reading was still a problem but in addition I could not concentrate. Back then you were considered a problem student and not only didn’t get special help but were placed in classes where learning was not the objective. The teachers just wanted to keep the disruptive student from disturbing the other students. At some point during my junior year, the learning process seemed to come into focus. I graduated at the bottom 25 percent but was able to pass the entrance exam at Hofstra. Things changed drastically during my four years at Hofstra. Not only did I earned a BBA but registered a 3.4 grade point average. Following college I entered the insurance industry. So why am I telling you this now?  I suspect you all know there is a frightening increase in developmental and learning problems among young children, especially boys. I am here today as proof that children with these challenges can be successful. The tools that are available now, were not available to me and I got through. Today the understanding of the “mind discon nect” and the professional help available makes the chance of success more attainable. One out of every 44 males in the United States is suffering from some form developmental issue, with reading or learning disabilities. Some of them are obviously more severe than others. What I want to leave you with is this: If you have a child with developmental and learning problems, hug them as hard as you can, tell them you love them and get them the best professional possible. That’s what I do with my eight- year old grandson. That’s how I will measure my success.” David is certainly a class act by far, and it is no surprise that he would take limelight meant for him and shine it on something so serious that affects so many of us. Per Steve Shapiro, Chief Operating Officer of D.C. White, “Working with an industry icon such as Dave Isenberg was both an honor and a privilege. I will never be able to repay Dave for all he has done.  He is a true professional and we are all fortunate to have had the opportunity to work so closely with him.” Jen Berger, District Manager at D.C. White had this to say, “Having worked with David for 15 years, I can say from my heart that Dave’s generosity of spirit and knowledge is unmatched. I am a better person for knowing him and am certain there are countless people in and outside of the industry that feel the same.” While we all wish Dave the best in his retirement, I know his work to help kids with learning disorders and developmental disabilities will keep him busy. Thank you, Dave, for all you have done and for all that you will do. Also at PIA RAP, where nearly 500 independent agents and other industry professionals gathered for the day, Al Caputo, partner and Vice President of Marketing and Personal Lines for Buckingham Badler Associates Inc., received the Louis A. Morelli Memorial Award. PIANY presents the award, which is given in memory of PIANY’s honorary director Lou Morelli, each year to an individual in the insurance industry who has fostered a strong working relationship with agents and brokers, and who has exemplified a commitment to professionalism and service. “It gives me great pleasure to present this honor to a very deserving individual,” said Long Island RAP Chair Michael Cracco. “Al’s dedication to the industry is commendable.” Mr. Caputo began his insurance career in 1980, working for the Empire Allcity Insurance Group, serving in various capacities in the marketing department. He managed a public transportation division and later, a wholesale general agency division with the agency. Active in PIANY, Mr. Caputo has played an important role in the insurance community. He is a member of PIANY’s Metropolitan Regional Awareness Program and serves on the associations New York City Advisory Council. He also is a member of the board of directors for the Council of Insurance Brokers of Greater New York and serves on the Legislative Committee and the Dinner Dance Committee. David Delaney, President of Lancer Insurance Group, was the keynote speaker at the event luncheon. Speaking on the current economic climate in our country and its effect on the insurance industry, Mr. Delaney said, “There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence today about prices going up and the market getting hard. We don’t see it in our world. Some of you may see it in the worlds that you live in, but in the world of the commercial automobile business and the small property business … we’re not seeing anything meaningful going on. So, I think that what we’re looking at is for at least another three years–and I actually think it’s going to be longer than that … to flush out of this industry the amount of capital that we need to flush out to have any kind of meaningful turn.” Mr. Delaney stressed the importance of providing top-notch service to policyholders in order for one’s business to thrive. “Intermediaries have been in trouble for 20 years. … It’s got nothing to do with the insurance business per se. It’s Wall Street, it’s the music business, my God, even the post office is getting squeezed out.… I think that in the insurance business you’re going to find more pressure on intermediaries in general. … Are they going to disappear? Absolutely not. Many of them provide extraordinary value and extraordinary expertise, but the ones that don’t have got to be careful because if you’re not doing that, if the only reason you exist is putting the customer together with the manufacturer because up until now they couldn’t find each other–well, those days are over. Everybody can find each other now. You’ve got to make sure you’re doing something real special if you’re in the middle of it.” Another exciting insurance event that I attended this month was the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (also known as the Big “I”or IIAABA) Legislative Conferenceheld at The Grand Hyattin Washington, D.C. In addition to extremely interesting and educational seminars, and exciting evening programs such as the “InVest” casino night fund raiser, we were addressed by some of the nation’s most influential legislators, such as Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.); Rep. John Barrow (DGa.) and Rep. Aaron Shock (R-IL). Per a statement from the Big “I”, Senator Thune and Congressman Barrow delivered keynote speeches at the legislative conference breakfast which occurs just prior to the association’s annual Big “I” Day on Capitol Hill. Every year, approximately one thousand agents and brokers visit Capitol Hill offices to lobby members of the House, Senate and their staffs on issues that directly impact independent agents and consumers. The lawmakers weighed in on numerous top issues including health care, election year politics and the economy. Agents asked the lawmakers what they thought would happen to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the constitutionality of which is under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sen. Thune said that while he “Can’t predict how it’s going to come out,” he thinks the court will find the individual mandate to be unconstitutional by a narrow vote, based on the court’s past decisions where they had “taken the side of individual liberty when they looked at these issues.” The individual mandate is the lynchpin of the law, he said, “Because if they decide to kill off the individual mandate and declare it unconstitutional, then for all intents and purposes, it’s sort of a house of cards after that.” Similarly, Congressman Barrow said if he “had to bet the farm,” he would predict that the court would strike parts of law, such as the individual mandate, and leave the rest intact. “What worries me is if we carve out parts of it, we could have something that Congress never intended as being the law of the land,” Mr. Barrow said. “It would be the worst of all possible worlds.” Regardless of whether or not the court upholds the constitutionality of the law, Sen. Thune said health care will be a huge issue in this year’s presidential election. “Both sides are going to be trying to win the argument with the American people about how best to deal with the health care issue,” he said. Sen. Thune said lawmakers need to come together to rein in government spending and craft policies to promote economic growth and boost domestic energy production to change the direction of the country. “If you look at where we are today, we need to get the country turned around—or we are heading for a train wreck,” Sen. Thune said. In addition, lawmakers also need to enact comprehensive tax reform, including simplifying the tax code and creating solutions for S corporations and limited liability companies, corporate structures often used by agencies, that end up paying at a higher individual tax rate because they’re considered pass-through entities, he said. “That’s why this debate about the individual tax rate is so important,” Sen. Thune said. “Everybody seems to think that that just affects the rich in this country, but what they don’t realize is how much of small business income is actually paid at those higher rates, the individual rates.” He said he thinks that Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate front-runner, will be elected president this fall over incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama. “People in this country—when they are concerned about their economic futures and when there is a lot of anxiety about pocketbook, bread and butter, kitchen table issues—are going to be looking for a different direction,” he added. While many believe Sen. Thune is on the short list of vice president contenders, when asked whether he would end up being Romney’s running mate, he said “I don’t expect to be there.” Instead he anticipates he will ultimately be “in the Senate, hopefully working with a new president to take on big issues.” “In order to solve big problems, you’ve got to have presidential leadership,” he said. Also during the conference per an IIAA statement, Mort Kondracke, FOX News political analyst and senior editor for Roll Call, and Fred Barnes, FOX Newspolitical analyst and founder of the Weekly Standard, offered political insight on a range of issues. Bob Rusbuldt, Big “I” President & CEO, moderated the political panel. The state of the economy over the next six months will play a pivotal role in this fall’s presidential election, said the two political analysts who gave opposing predictions of who would win the contest. Mr. Rusbuldt asked the commentators to give their presidential prediction: either Democratic President Barack Obama or likely Republican challenger Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. Mr. Kondracke said he is “not happy” with either candidate, but predicted Democratic President Barack Obama would remain in the White House, saying he could “defend himself on the basis of what he’s done” against Mr. Romney, who he thinks “doesn’t relate to people.” Yet that doesn’t mean it would be an easy victory. He said he expects the economy will worsen between now and the election, particularly the European financial crisis that will have “ramifications for the U.S. banking system.” “My guess is that the world is back in crisis and Obama will suffer from it,” he added. Mr. Barnes picked Mr. Romney over the incumbent president, saying his policies promote government spending over private investment, which would better spur economic growth and job creation. “I don’t think Obama can dodge the fact that his record is out there,” he said. After the election, federal lawmakers will have to resolve several financial issues, including deciding on expiring Bush-era tax cuts, the size of Medicare reimbursements and whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, Mr. Kondracke said. The end-ofyear deadline for dealing with the issues is a result of elected officials on both sides kicking “all the important cans down the road,” Mr. Kondracke said. “My guess is that they’ll push it down again,” he added. In the meantime, the Supreme Court’s expected decision on the constitutionality of the health care law—viewed as Obama’s signature achievement—could also affect the outcome of the election. “If it’s struck down that will be hugely harmful to his reelection chances,” Mr. Barnes said. There are still challenges for Romney, who was governor when Massachusetts passed its universal health care law, Mr. Kondracke said. “What I want to see is Mitt Romney come up with is his alternative to Obamacare,” he said. “He says he’s going to repeal it, but he doesn’t talk about replacing it.” For additional info on this year’s event or on the IIAA, please visit www.independentagent.com One more item of a personal nature that I would be remiss if I did not mention is actually a note of appreciation to all of you who read this column, whether you are a first time reader or long time fan. This month is my 4th anniversary as the author of “Face To Face”, and it has certainly been an honor and a pleasure to share my thoughts every two weeks or so with you. Over the years I have received so many notes, phone calls, and face to face compliments, criticisms, and suggestions by so many of you, and I thank you so very much for that. Please continue to keep those cards and letters coming, as writing this column about this thing of ours is certainly my pleasure. Thank you! Well, until next time when we will talk about Buffalo “I” Day and a few other events, “Ciao for now!”