New Non-Profit Supports Insurance Education in Texas

A group of Texas-based insurance industry professionals in late May announced the launch of a new non-profit group, the sole mission of which is to support insurance education in the state of Texas.

The Texas Risk and Insurance Professional Society (TRIPS) is directed by Dr. Brenda Wells, formerly of the University of North Texas. The charity has already generated $18,000 in scholarships for Texas students majoring in insurance during its first year of operation.

The board of directors of TRIPS includes Jack Gibson of the International Risk Management Institute, Gerald Ladner of State Auto, Ron Patterson of the Ron Patterson Agency, Chris Hilton of Pinnacle Reinsurance, and Monte Stringer of US Risk. Wells serves as chair of the board.

Wells, a faculty member at UNT for 17 years, joins the faculty of East Carolina University this summer, but continues as an active agent in Texas and returns to the state often.

A group of TRIPS beneficiaries from University of North Texas (UNT), along with Dr. Wells, attended the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas conference and trade show in San Antonio June 3-5, to publicize the new charity and hopefully generate support for future TRIPS activities.

The Ron Patterson Agency and the IIA of the Rio Grande Valley sponsored the students’ trip to the IIAT event.

Several schools were invited to participate in the field trip to the IIAT conference, and/or have their program literature distributed at the TRIPS booth in the convention exhibit hall. Although resources for the fledgling non-profit are still limited, TRIPS welcomes opportunities to support insurance programs around the state, or partner with industry members that want to become involved in supporting insurance education.

“It was clear from our visits with industry professionals that TRIPS has a very promising future in the insurance community,” said Wells. “There is a very high demand for new talent in the industry, as agents and company executives approach retirement age. Those five students were absolutely bowled over by the warm welcome they received from the industry.”

College senior Marcus Cantu, of University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas, commented, “The trip was an amazing opportunity and I wish more of my classmates had the resources to attend. By this time next year I hope to have found some new sponsors for TRIPS so that we can bring in several students from the [Rio Grande] Valley area in 2010. Dr. Wells has already invited me to return as a chaperone for next year’s convention in Fort Worth.”

A unique feature of TRIPS, which makes it “the first of its kind in Texas,” according to Wells, is that the board composition must represent a variety of interests, including current college students in an insurance program.

Source: TRIPS, www.texasrmi.com

Topics Texas Profit Loss Education Training Development Universities