Greater Los Angeles CPCU Chapters Host All Industry Day

(left) Andrew Zagrzejewski, CPCU, San Gabriel Chapter President, Farmers Insurance. (right) Betsey Brewer, CPCU, Society Regional Governor, Aon Risk Services.	(left to right) Keynote Speaker Dr. Benjamin Zycher, Earl Butler, CPCU, South Coast Chapter President, David Keleher, CPCU, All Industry Day Chairman and Los Angeles Chapter President, Farmers Insurance.
(Center) Society Governor Betsey Brewer, CPCU presenting the Rie Sharp Memorial Award to James Armitage, CPCU.	Keynote Speaker Dr. Benjamin Zycher delivering his address.

The four greater Los Angeles Chapters (Los Angeles, South Coast, San Gabriel and El Camino) of CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters) recently hosted All Industry Day at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City, California on September 13.

This special annual event, attended by members of the property and casualty insurance industry, was presided over by All Industry Committee Chairman and Los Angeles Chapter President, David Keleher, CPCU, Farmers Insurance.

Five seminars held throughout the day covered such timely insurance subjects as Distribution in the 21st Century, Global Insurance Underwriting, Employment Practices Liability, Agent/Broker Financial Responsibility and Rental Car Coverage.

During the luncheon, a surprised James Armitage, CPCU, was presented with the coveted Rie Sharp Memorial Award by Betsey Brewer, CPCU, Society Governor for the Western Region. This award, presented annually at All Industry Day, recognizes those individuals whose lifetime achievements have set them apart because of their outstanding leadership and exceptional service.

Armitage began his career in 1978 with Aetna Casualty and Surety as a commercial underwriter and then moved to the agency side in 1981. He founded Arroyo Insurance Services in 1986, the same year he received the CPCU designation. During his illustrious insurance career, he became well known in state and national levels as he held various leadership positions in the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Pasadena and IBA-West. Currently, Armitage serves as National State Director for IIAA (Independent Insurance Agents of America). Among his charitable activities, he is an active member and leader in his parish and is past president of the Serra Club of Pasadena. Armitage graduated from USC and resides in San Gabriel with his wife, Nancy and their sons.

Other luncheon participants were San Gabriel Chapter President Andrew Zagrzejewski, CPCU, Farmers Insurance; Los Angeles Chapter President Elect James Brown, CPCU, Allianz Insurance; and South Coast Chapter President Earl Butler, CPCU.

Following lunch, the keynote speaker was Dr. Benjamin Zycher, senior economist at Rand and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute in Washington, DC. He spoke on the parallel between the leftwing assaults on the property casualty industry in the late 1980’s and what is happening now. Dr. Zycher is an expert in the fields of public finance, voting behavior, industrial organization and econometrics. Among his publications, are “Defense Economics” and “OPEC” in the Fortune Encyclopedia of Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from UCLA.

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