Stromberger Receives Raymond Mauk Award

Ernie Stromberger, executive director of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT), received the prestigious Raymond Mauk Leadership Award from the Insurance Council of Texas (ICT). The award was announced July 18 at ICT’s Mid-Year Property and Casualty Insurance Symposium in Austin.

ICT presents the Raymond Mauk Leadership Award, its highest honor, each year at the symposium. The award recognizes those whose labor has made a significant difference in the business of insurance.

Stromberger was selected because of his many accomplishments as executive director of IIAT. His innovative work in the area of agent education and his leader-ship during the merger between IIAT and the Professional Insurance Agents of Texas highlight his impressive tenure in that position.

“Mr. Stromberger’s leadership skills as a manager and innovator were of lasting benefit to the business of insurance in Texas and made him an easy choice for this year’s award,” said ICT executive director Rick Gentry. “His vision and leadership have made IIAT one of the state’s outstanding trade associations.”

Stromberger is the fifth recipient of the Mauk Award, which honors former Texas Fire Commissioner and industry executive Raymond Mauk. In accepting the award, he thanked the volunteer leadership of the IIAT, many of whom were in attendance at the award ceremony.

During his 20-year career as head of one of the nation’s largest associations of independent insurance agents, Stromberger was a champion and advocate for the independent agency system, and as executive director he guided the development of IIAT’s E&O program. He retires from the IIAT post at the end of August.

Raymond Mauk enjoyed a long and distinguished career and held many positions of leadership within his company and industry organizations. Some 65 years ago, then Commissioner Mauk was convinced that fundamental change was needed to protect the insurance buying public and the integrity of the marketplace from the misapplication of rates and forms. After several years of hard work, he was able to convince both companies and agents to endorse the creation of the Texas Insurance Checking Office, an entity that has continuously served the Texas property and casualty insurance industry since 1935.