InVEST Names Three New Board Members

InVEST, an insurance industry classroom to career education program founded by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”), named three new members to its national board: Joey O’Connor, vice president of Insurance Underwriters Ltd.; Richard E. Dinger, president of Crescenta Valley Insurance Agency; and Michael Emery, manager learning services for Liberty Mutual Agency Markets.

O’Connor is a Trusted Choice insurance advisor for Insurance Underwriters Ltd. in Metairie, La. He serves as treasurer of his local association, the Independent Insurance Agents of Greater New Orleans and was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana (IIABL). At the national level, he has served as the State of Louisiana Young Agents chairperson, on the National Young Agents Committee, and on the Best Practices Committee for the Big “I.”

Dinger is the president of Crescenta Valley Insurance in La Crescenta, Calif. He has long been an active member of his community and in 1999 former U.S. Rep. James Rogan, R-Glendale, asked him to testify in Washington, D.C. before the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary in support of the Small Business Liability Reform Act. In April of 2003, the Big “I” presented Dinger with the InsurPac Young Agent of the Year Award. In February 2009, he was installed and served as president of the Independent Insurance Agent and Brokers of the West (IBA West).

Emery is manager of learning services for Liberty Mutual Agency Markets in Boston, Mass., and responsible for training and talent management initiatives for employees and agency partners. A major emphasis of his work is developing and implementing solutions to filling the talent pipeline for both the carrier and independent agency communities. Emery joined Liberty Mutual in 1998 and has held a variety of positions in management, organizational and professional development.

“Continuing growth and success of the InVEST program is critical not only to the future of the independent agency system, but to the insurance industry as a whole,” says Robert Rusbuldt, Big “I’ president & CEO.

Founded in 1970 and based in Alexandria, Va., InVEST promotes insurance education in order to attract individuals to pursue a career in the insurance industry.

Source: Big “I”, www.investprogram.org

Topics Agencies Market Training Development