Date: February 24, 11:30 AM
Location: IMT Insurance (or virtual) – 7825 Mills Civic Pkwy, West Des Moines
Speaker: Commissioner Doug Ommen
We will get insight from Commissioner Ommen on major initiatives within this legislative session, Big Data, and the insurance industry's response to the recent derecho storms.
If you have paid your 2022 CPCU Society dues, your registration is complimentary. If you have not paid your dues, it is $25.00 to attend. You can pay your dues by visiting https://www.cpcusociety.org/ or contacting member resources at (800) 932-2728.
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Greetings CPCUs!
For many of us the start of the year is a time to make plans for the coming year and reset. We make New Year's resolutions to improve our eating habits, move more, read more, etc. However most of us fail to stick with those resolutions as January transitions into February. One of my goals for 2022 was to do more reading which I have done well at incorporating into my days in January. One day this year that might even include picking up the Insurance Data and Analytics text I ordered before the pandemic started.
How are you doing with your goals and resolutions for 2022? If you are looking for ways to reach your professional goals in 2022 the Iowa Chapter is here to help you! Are you looking for leadership opportunities? We have volunteer positions open on the board. Are you looking for continuing education? Make a commitment to attend our monthly Chapter meetings (the cost is included in your Iowa Chapter annual dues). Maybe you're looking for opportunities to help others reach their professional goals - the CPCU Society has a mentor match program to help connect you with a mentee to share your knowledge and experience. The pandemic has also opened up additional opportunities for you to participate in virtual meetings hosted by other CPCU Chapters across the United States and abroad. Check out the event calendar compiled on Interact to see what's out there. Remember that even if you fell short of sticking with your resolutions in January each day is an opportunity to start again.
Our Chapter had a successful January meeting at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. Major Mark Stine from the Iowa State Patrol joined us to share updates on traffic safety around the state of Iowa. Did you know the State Patrol has issued more than 1,000 tickets each year to drivers going more than 100 MPH over the last 2 years? Please join us later this month at IMT to hear Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen address the Chapter. If you aren't able to attend in person, a virtual option will be available.
We hope to see you in-person or online!
Sara VanWyk
Iowa CPCU Society Chapter President
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Jennie LeGates, CPCU, CPIW was presented the annual P.R.I.M.E. (Personal Recognition Involving Mutual Endeavors) by The Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa (MIAI) at their annual meeting on November 15, 2021. She served as Executive Director of MIAI from September 2014 until she retired in January 2021. Jennie (right) received the award from the Association President Alan Mahaffey (left in the photo).
Have an accomplishment, promotion or award you'd like to share with your fellow CPCUs? Email them to [email protected].
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Brook Jeffus, CPCU
Territory Manager- Alternative Distribution Firms
Nationwide Insurance
My name is Brooke Jeffus, I attended Iowa State University for my BA in Marketing and then my MA in Organizational Leadership from the University of Arizona Global Campus. I will be forever thankful for company-sponsored tuition reimbursement programs as I was able to apply funds to both my MA and CPCU! I work for Nationwide Insurance. I started in 2009, and I began my current role on the 10th of this month. I am a Territory Manager within our Alternative Distribution space. I manage production and profitability for agencies that go to market with a focus on insurtech capabilities. This is a bit of a new world for me as I spent the last five years managing our National Partner firms in more of a traditional agency space. I look forward to the new challenges and learnings!
Why did I pursue my CPCU? If we are being honest, my dad, (Alton “Jeff” Jeffus), is probably the biggest reason. He has been on the Iowa CPCU Board and has been very involved over the years. The network of friendship and support that he built was something I look forward to as well. Other than that, I’ve always enjoyed learning and feel that development is an integral part of everyone’s professional journey. I was lucky to have friends and leaders at work that have also completed the CPCU and were cheering me on the whole way.
Studying for the CPCU has assisted in gaining a holistic view of insurance. While I handle personal lines now, in my previous role I was responsible for commercial, farm, and financial lines. The CPCU exams gave me a glimpse into the different business units and allowed me to have better conversations with my agents. From a business perspective, it taught me even more about our industry as a whole and gave insights on where the industry has been and is going. This information allowed for deeper conversations with my agents – allowing me to be a true business partner.
While studying for the CPCU exams, the Institutes have great tools. I utilized the chapter and comprehensive tests to help gauge my knowledge on the topics. If we are being completely honest, 540 did make me a little extra nervous, so I also downloaded the CPCU SMART QuizMe app so I’d have a giant bank of test questions on hand whenever I had a little down time. Now what to do with all of my free time? I plan on relaxing! I hope to do some traveling this year when the weather gets a little warmer. I also enjoy giving back to my community – so I look forward to serving on the CPCU Iowa Board as the Candidate Development Chair, continuing to serve as the Vice President of the Valley Youth Running Club, and being a committee member for The Beacon’s Cake Gala in Des Moines.
I do hope to attend the November 2022 In2Risk event San Francisco – hope to see you there!
Fun Fact: Over the Covid era I decided to finally get a passport for the first time! The only current use I have planned for it is for a wedding toward the end of the year – so I’d welcome any suggestions for “must visit” travel locations! Ireland would probably be at the top of my list right now.
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Name: Lori Myers
Hometown: Bettendorf, Iowa
Alma Mater: Iowa State University
Employer: Farm Bureau Financial Services
Title: Strategic Portfolio Manager
Insurance Designations: CPCU, AIC
Have you achieved any certifications, awards, or degrees? Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (CLLSGB), a great program that focuses on trimming expenses and waste from your companies processes and operations.
How long been a member of CPCU? 2016 (Hawaii!!!)
How as your involvement with CPCU influenced your career? Being involved with the Society has expanded my professional network connecting me with other driven insurance professionals wanting to make a difference in our field. My involvement has provided me greater industry knowledge and has provided me with opportunities to become a better leader.
What’s something about you that not many people know? We have a lake home in the Lake of the Ozarks. I spend as much of my summer as possible there. It is my happy place.
What’s the last book you read (personal or professional)? Ha! Personally, over winter break, I tasked my son to earn his boater’s license so he can start driving me around the lake legally. I found myself reading the majority of his textbook, brushing up on the rules and regulations of being on the water!
Words you live by: Your daily practices shape who you are, if you want to make a change in your life, change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.
I truly believe this…the healthy make healthy decisions every day, the organized plan and review their “to dos” daily and so on. Appropriate words for this time of year as we make or break New Year’s Resolutions.
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March Chapter Meeting
Date: Wednesday March 23, 11:30 am
Location: St. Kilda – 333 5th St., West Des Moines
Speaker: Nataliya Boychenko Stone, MBA, CEBS, Client Executive, EB/Shareholder at Holmes Murphy
Topic: Trends in Employee Benefits: We are learning continuously as businesses have been adjusting to COVID pandemic and modifying employee packages post pandemic. During this session we will discuss what changes we are seeing in the marketplace, employee engagement, compliance updates, recruitment challenges, remote work landscape and emerging employee benefit solutions. We will also discuss three take away steps to improve your benefit offering.
April Chapter Meeting
Date: Tuesday April 12, 11:30am
Location: Des Moines Botanical Garden – 909 Robert D. Ray Dr., Des Moines
Speaker: Nicole Gunderson, Managing Director of the Global Insurance Accelerator
Topic: The Global Insurance Accelerator is a Des Moines based, business accelerator designed to foster innovation in the insurance industry. Nicole will share the GIA’s mission and purpose, their successes over the years and introduce some of the insurtech startups participating in the 8th year of the cohort. You will hear from the startups sharing their perspective and experiences participating in the cohort
May Chapter Meeting
Date: Wednesday May 11, 12:00pm (noon)
Location: Zoom
Speaker: Rita Williams-Bogar, MBA, CPCU, ChFC, President & CEO at Personal Development Solutions, LLC
Topic: Protecting Your Ethics. The environment in which we work and conduct business presents professionals with a number of potential ethical challenges. The remote environment has further compounded this fact. Join us to discuss a few of these challenges and come away with actions to mitigate them.
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