FIC Legislative Conference Promotes Business Community Cooperation

Transcription

1 FIC Legislative Conference Promotes Business Community Cooperation The Florida Insurance Council conducted its 2012 Pre-Legislative Workshop this week at the Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, hearing from two former House speakers and promoting cooperation and shared agendas with the Florida Chamber and Associated Industries of Florida. We discussed dozens of issues, including PIP, the Cat fund, legal reform, workers comp drug repackaging, life insurance developments and implementation of the federal health care act. The legislative workshop was moved up from December because the 2012 session begins in January instead of March due to reapportionment. Our program included two former House speakers, Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher of Jacksonville and Allan Bense of House Speaker Bookends: Former House Speaker Allan Bense; FIC President Cecil Pearce; Peter Corrigan, CEO and president, Florida Family Insurance, Jacksonville and chair of the FIC Board; and Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher, Jacksonville, also a former House Speaker. Panama City, who also appeared in his role as Chair of the Florida Chamber. Another key speaker was Erika Alba, Jacksonville, Public Affairs Director, Foley & Lardner and Chair of the Board of Associated Industries of Florida. A key theme of the conference was to promote the critically important partnership between the insurance community and the key business groups, including the Chamber and AIF. Speaker Thrasher and Nationwide s David Karr: Senate Rules Chairman Thrasher; David Karr, Gainesville, Nationwide, Vice Chair of the FIC Auto Committee; and FIC lobbyist Robert Reyes, Floridian Partners, Tallahassee.

2 Thrasher Award: Cecil, Peter and former Speaker Thrasher. Bense Gets Gavel: Peter; former Speaker Bense, who received a gavel trophy from FIC; and Cecil. Gil Honored for Commitment to FIC: Gil Valdes, New York Life, New York City, Chair of the FIC Life Committee, with Peter and Cecil. Gil received a special award for hard work in recruiting other life insurers throughout the country to join the FIC Family.

3 AIF Board Chair Honored: Cecil and Peter; Erika Alba, Jacksonville, Public Affairs Director, Foley & Lardner and Chair of the Board of Associated Industries of Florida; and AIF Board members Mike Jennings, Jacksonville, Prudential Financial and Michael Stern, FIC s Big Kahuna: Yep, Cecil.

4 Discussing PIP, I Bet: Michael Stern, FIC Secretary and Executive Committee member, and Rene Hernandez, Travelers, Chair of the FIC Auto Committee. Financial Markets, Comics or Sports: Brad Kading, Washington, D.C., President & Executive Director, Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR). Washington Suburbanite and Bulldog: Dennis Burke, Washington, D.C., Reinsurance Association of America; and Don Brown, DeFuniak Springs, Don Brown Consulting.

5 Mrs. FIC Chair: Laurie Corrigan, Jacksonville; Erika and Jerome Alba, Jacksonville; and Chris Verlander, Jacksonville, Associated Industries of Florida. Tampa Bay Contingent: Sandy Jerger, Lisa Buchianico, Ray Blacklidge, Pinellas Park; Judi Durdan, Tarpon Springs; and Tom Jerger, Pinellas Park. Farm Bureau Dudes: Bert Gindy, Gainesville, and James Trafton, Tallahassee, Florida Farm Bureau Insurance Company.

6 AIF Huddle: Mike Jennings, Prudential Financial; and Jose Gonzalez, Tallahassee, Associated Industries. Hello, Ladies: Dianne Rowe, Tallahassee, FIC; Liz Reynolds, Jacksonville, FIC; and Kerri Rance, RenRe, Bermuda. Hartford Huddle: Gerald Wester, Tallahassee, AIA and AIF; Bob Yaas, Hartford, CT, The Hartford; Ray Farmer, AIA, Atlanta; Don Brown; and Curt Leonard, Tallahassee, ACLI.

7 Chamber s Teye: Teye Reeves, Tallahassee, Florida Chamber; and Joshua Aubuchon, Tallahassee, Pennington Law Firm. Gerald s Daughter: Michael Stern; and Elizabeth Wester, Tallahassee, Floridian Partners; her dad is Gerald Wester. Cute Couple: Cathy Guzzo, and Gary Guzzo, Tallahassee, Floridian Partners.

8 Fine FIC Group: Harry Spring, Tallahassee, Humana, Immediate Past Chair, FIC; Gail Saunders, Tallahassee, FIC; and Dianne Rowe. More FIC: Dianne Rowe, Sam Miller, Tallahassee, FIC; and Gail Saunders. Had to Squeeze in the Golfers Somewhere: Larry Curtain, Tallahassee, Holland & Knight; Tom Koval, Sarasota, FCCI Group and Chair, FIC Workers Comp Committee; and Gary Guzzo.