FIWT Stays Focused on Education, Networking

The Federation of Insurance Women of Texas holds its 57th annual convention in San Antonio October 3-7. True to the number one objective of the organization-education-the FIWT convention will offer members the opportunity to attend up to 13 hours of continuing education classes that address a wide range of subjects.

FIWT brought on a new executive director, Robbie Cranford, June 1. A long-time member of the group, Cranford spent 30 years in the industry as an agent before taking up the reins of FIWT.

The organization currently boasts around 1,000 individual members plus 81 industry members. Cranford said there are 25 local associations across the state and the 26th will be voted in at the convention. The professional status of members runs the gamut from CSRs, to claims specialists, underwriters, vice presidents and agency owners.

FIWT works closely with other professional insurance organizations to educate industry professionals and elevate industry practices. For instance, the group has five liaisons to Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) that work directly with the agent association.

This year’s convention opens with a golf tournament Oct. 3 at San Antonio’s Pecan Valley Golf Club. The body of the event convenes Oct. 4 with two classes on flood insurance. Friday’s keynote speaker, Phyllis Van Whye will present “The Star Within,” and classes covering e-insurance and soft selling are scheduled. Classes wind up on Saturday with an E & O seminar and a two-hour session on liability in mold cases, among others.

Education key for outgoing president
At the October convention, Toni Campbell, the current president of FIWT, will pass the leadership gavel to Judy Walker, FIWT’s president-elect.

In an interview with IJ Texas, Camp-bell, who is regional marketing manager with The Combined Group, spoke of the group’s mission of education, a mission she wholeheartedly believes in. Campbell said she spent a lot of time traveling around the state during her tenure as president, promoting the free education that FIWT offers its members through the local chapters. Campbell also spoke to groups such as IIAT and the Texas Surplus Lines Association, drumming up their support and involvement in education programs.

One development Campbell is particularly proud of is the origination of two ACSR classes developed by Paul Martin of IIAT specifically for FIWT. Though originated for FIWT, the classes are now offered to other insurance groups.

FIWT provides an average of 13 hours of continuing education classes twice per year-at the mid-year meeting and at the annual conference. “Licensed agents need 15 hours per year and we provide them the opportunity to get those,” said Campbell.

For Campbell, another highlight of her year was the opportunity to hire the new executive director, Robbie Cranford. “It was fairly easy to do this time because she came from within the organization,” said Campbell. “She has been with FIWT for 22 years. She’s a past president and comes from an agency background.”

“The year as president is spent taking care of organization’s business,” said Campbell. “Presidents usually accomplish their goals two years before and two years after their presidency, as president-elect and past
president.”

Campbell added that she expects to continue working as past president to accomplish her education goals. Among other things, Campbell hopes to begin working with local colleges and agents’ associations to develop insurance educators to teach in high schools. “The industry needs a base of young people to draw from and young people aren’t learning about insurance,” said Campbell. “We need a way to nurture teachers. Companies used to do it, but no companies are doing that training right now.”

President-elect links success with support
To FIWT president-elect Judy Walker, “the biggest thing with FIWT is the support we get from our members. It’s such a great support system and that’s what I want people to know.” As such, Walker’s number one goal as president-getting the agency force back into the organization-is reflected in the slogan: “FIWT Network: Our Link to Success.” And as president, Walker hopes to spread that message and “spur enthusiasm among agency personnel.”

“The primary mission of FIWT is to encourage education, to reach people in agencies and companies, to offer the opportunity to network-on education and insurance and news,” said Walker. She added that networking throughout the state and communication between friends who share the same vision are special bonuses for members of FIWT. “I have a big territory and there are few places that I go that I don’t know someone in FIWT. If I have a problem, I can always call on those friends,” said Walker, a marketing representative.

Walker said the main focus of the president-elect is membership. Over the past year, she has concentrated on keeping in touch with local associations, coming up with ideas for increasing membership, and taking action on those ideas. Her hard work will pay off at the convention when members seat the new local association.

“As president-elect, I followed Toni around a lot,” Walker added. She also took responsibility for projects-educational projects like the new classes-prepared FIWT books for board members and developed a presidents’ workbook for local organizations.

Like Campbell, Walker is “very, very involved in education.” She taught the first class FIWT developed and originated with IIAT, on commercial fire rating. “I taught the class at the convention, at mid-year meeting, and at other outside opportunities,” said Walker. “One of the biggest accomplishments that I’m most proud of is that class. The first time I taught it we had prepared for 25 people and we had 64. We didn’t have enough books and other things—but it’s been a fulfilling opportunity.”

Walker added that one of the best things that happened to her after one class, was when “a woman came up to me and said, ‘five years ago, seven years ago, I didn’t understand a thing. And I’ve learned a lot, but today you taught me things that I needed that I didn’t know—you shined a light on things.'” Still, Walker admits she’s not yet at the level she’d like to be with teaching and is eager to do a lot more.

And another class is in the works-maybe one on general liability, maybe on another topic-that Walker anticipates taking to local associations. She said the new class will be a more technical class-it will focus on CSRs and technical issues. Walker noted that the technical issues are essential because even those who don’t do the actual rating still need to know how it’s done, adding, “it’s good for them to have that information.”

FIWT came into existence in Dallas in 1944 when a group of insurance women invited representatives from organized Insurance Women’s Clubs in Texas to meet and form a professional association. At that meeting, 275 insurance women from 20 cities in three states met, and delegates from organized clubs of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio unanimously voted to launch FIWT. They also adopted a constitution and by-laws, and elected officers.

At the installation of the first group of officers, FIWT established its guiding principles, asking each officer to pledge:

• To build and maintain greater efficiency through study and practice.

• To establish acquaintances with women having mutual interests through social and business meetings.

• To collectively participate in a worthwhile manner to the civic betterment of the community.

• Through unselfish service, to seek to elevate the standards of the insurance
profession.

The association serves the entire state and is not associated with any national organization. While it is now open to men, independent agencies, direct writers, standard as well as excess and surplus insurance companies, adjusting firms, and insurance support services companies, the standards established at those initial meetings remain in place. Educating its members, and the industry as a whole, still tops the list of the FIWT’s priorities.