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John Hammond
President
Meg Allwein
Executive Vice President
Jason Warden
Vice President
Alan Hoffmann
Vice President
(Past President)
Jeffery W. Lamb
Vice President
(Immediate Past President)
Jake Timmins
Secretary
Brian Bowerman
Treasurer
Josh Hart
Alumni Representative
Christopher Place
Industry Representative
Dr. RB Drennan
Faculty Representative
Dr. Karen Epermanis
Faculty Representative
Alyssa Bouchard
Student Representative
Mike Kelly
Student Representative
Noelle Codispoti
Executive Director
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Dear Students,
If you haven't already, now is the time to check out the GIS Career Center! Be sure to upload your resume and look through the job and internship listings from our partners. Exclusive to GIS members, this is a resource you don't want to miss.
We are excited to kick off the 2013-14 GIS Webinar Series tomorrow
with a segment on broker/carrier career opportunities. Our dynamic slate of speakers for the series will revisit popular topics from the 2013 Conference educational sessions. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities to enhance your industry knowledge.
Read on for details on these resources as well as chapter updates. We rely on your feedback and news stories, so keep them coming! We are especially interested in hearing what your chapters have in store as we approach the holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Fraternally yours,
Noelle Codispoti, ARM Executive Director, Gamma Iota Sigma |
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GIS Career Center: Opportunity Awaits
Have you visited the new GIS Career Center? It is exclusively for Gamma Iota Sigma members and features internship and job listings from our industry partners. Don't miss out - your next professional opportunity could be on there right now!
It's as easy as 1-2-3:
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The 2013-14 GIS Webinar Series Kicks Off!
November 21: Career Opportunities, Broker vs Carrier
The 2013-14 GIS Webinar Series will kick off tomorrow, Thursday, November 21 at 2:45pm EST with Career Opportunities: Broker vs Carrier. Join us as we set out to compare career opportunities and consider the benefits and challenges on both the carrier and brokerage sides of the industry. Specifically, we will explore two different career paths: Underwriter and Producer. Our presenter will be Scott Burns, CPCU, CIC, AIC of BB&T Insurance Services. Scott is an industry executive with extensive experience on both the carrier and broker sides. This webinar is brought to you by GIS and The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB), the premier association for the top regional, national and international commercial insurance and employee benefits intermediaries worldwide. Register here. 
Save the date for these upcoming webinars, and take advantage of opportunities to enhance your industry knowledge and ask questions of leading organizations and executives:
Thank you to Assurex Global for providing the host technology.
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Interview with Dr. Brenda Wells, CPCU, AAI
Beta Theta Chapter Faculty Advisor
Dr. Brenda Wells is the Robert F. Bird Distinguished Professor of Insurance and Director of Risk Management & Insurance at East Carolina University. Beta Theta Chapter was chartered on October 3, 2013, during the 42nd Annual International Conference.
What drove your school's interest in forming a chapter?
We kept hearing great things about the opportunities offered by Gamma, and some students asked to attend the annual conference in 2012. They did, and they came back absolutely thrilled and excited about the prospect of starting our own chapter. This process was entirely student-driven and I'm so proud of the pioneers who led the way on this.
What does it mean to you to have a GIS Chapter?
We feel more anchored and in touch with other schools that may be facing the same challenges that we face as a small program. It has instilled a sense of pride in our students, who now feel they are part of something much bigger than they were before. We are excited about what the future holds.
What are your hopes for the new relationship?
East Carolina University is "The Leadership University" and it is part of our mission to develop and create leaders. Gamma gives us the framework to do this by offering training and experiences that no other organization has for students. I also hope to see a greater sense of pride in the field of risk management and insurance. Sometimes as insurance people we apologize for what we do, but the reality is that we are a very valuable and integral part of the world's economy and we should be proud of that.
What do you think will be the most immediate impact on your students?
What I am seeing is a greater sense of camaraderie among the students after attending the GIS conference in Charlotte. Many of them went on the trip not knowing anyone else, and now they are in touch with each other regularly and participating in events together. It is nice to see those relationships develop, because as we all know risk and insurance is, first and foremost, a relationship business. The sooner students see and embrace that fact, the sooner their career success can begin. I'm really proud of my students for starting this chapter and proud to have been a Gamma member myself since 1987!
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Chapter News: Beta Theta
First Chapter Chartered at GIS International Conference East Carolina University originally took interest in joining Gamma Iota Sigma in 2012. The Risk Management Society decided that the next step in growing our newly established program would be to join the ranks of Gamma. With the hard work of past and current executive board members, Gamma became a reality. It was an honor to be recognized and chartered at this year's International Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The chartering ceremony was an amazing induction into Gamma. Our chapter is extremely proud to call ourselves the Beta Theta Chapter and look forward to growing within the fraternity.
Submitted by Kenny Blair, Beta Theta Chapter President
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Chapter News: Beta Iota
GIS's Newest Chapter is Keeping Busy!
This year's Annual Excess & Surplus Lines Insurance Symposium and Career Fair was extra special for Troy University. Not only were we once again given an awesome opportunity to network with industry leaders and fellow insurance students, but we also became a part of something much bigger. On November 1, 2013, Troy University officially became the Beta Iota Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, with 25 chartering members. We appreciate the help of all schools involved in our chartering ceremony. Gamma is something that our students have always been interested in and it is great to finally be involved with such a great organization.
The annual symposium that Troy University hosts with a generous sponsorship from the Derek Hughes/NAPSLO Educational Foundation is one of biggest events of the fall. It gives students an opportunity to become exposed to all that the Excess and Surplus Lines market has to offer. This year's symposium was another success. We had students represented from all over the Southeast and even reached out to schools like North Texas, Illinois State, St. Mary's, and New Mexico State.
The industry was also well represented. The job fair attracted several companies in the E&S lines market, including wholesale brokerages, companies, and managing general agencies. Our keynote speakers included names like Marcus Payne with All Risks Ltd. and Pat Talley with Lloyd's America. Each speaker brought something unique about the industry to present. It is always exciting as a student to get the personal connections with industry leaders like we are able to at our annual symposium.
We look forward to becoming more involved with all sorts of Gamma events in the coming year and also being able to increase participation from our insurance peers around the country at our symposium next year.
Submitted by Lee Tatum, Beta Iota President
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Chapter News: Eta and Rho
UGA/App State Football Face-off 
On November 8th, the Appalachian State Mountaineers went to Athens for a football face-off against the University of Georgia Bulldogs. The Rho and Eta Chapters decided to make the very most of this opportunity and connect our chapters. The Eta Chapter at UGA was gracious enough to host App State's Rho Chapter for a Friday afternoon event, during which our chapters enjoyed food and each other's company.
Willis came to present to our Gamma Iota Students about Willis as a company and their Risk Management Analyst program. Several of the Willis presenters were Gamma Iota Sigma alumni from the Eta and Alpha Kappa Chapters. They gave advice on building resumes, interviewing for jobs, and transitioning from the role of student to industry professional.
The day concluded with Eta and Rho students participating in a friendly game of Insurance Jeopardy. The following day, Gamma Iota Sigma students cheered on our teams as the Bulldogs went on to beat the Mountaineers. We had a great time connecting with our fellow Gamma Iota Sigma members!
Submitted by Alyssa Bouchard, Rho Chapter President
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2014 Spencer Scholarship Update
Only Online Submissions will be Accepted
Students, take note: the Spencer Educational Foundation will only accept electronic applications for the 2014 scholarship year. Attached is a copy of the application, due January 31, 2014. Students will be required to include all necessary documentation in one document including electronic transcripts, if possible. Students may also download the application from www.spencered.org.
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AAMGA's Student Research Contest
Enter for a $2000 Award and Trip to Hawaii!
On behalf of the AAMGA University, we invite you to be a part of the fourth annual AAMGA Distinguished Chair Student Research Contest. With this solicitation, the AAMGA seeks research papers on property and casualty industry-related topics focused on the issues and dilemmas faced by organizations and individuals in the Wholesale or Excess and Surplus Lines industry. Papers are due March 1, 2014.
Two winning papers will be selected from the submissions and the authors will be awarded $2000 and, at the AAMGA's expense, invited to attend (with their professor) the AAMGA Annual Meeting at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii, May 18-21 2014, where they will be recognized for their achievement. This event, attended by over 1000 individuals, is an invaluable networking experience.
In addition, the winners' research papers will be released to trade publications, including the Wholesale Insurance News (WIN) Magazine dedicated specifically to the Excess and Surplus Lines Industry. We encourage you to be a part of this opportunity! Find all of the details here.
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Featured Jobs at Partner Companies
The Hartford:
- Small Commercial Underwriting Trainee, Clinton, NY (#1304447)
- Middle Market Sales Underwriter, Various Locations (#1300439)
- Marine Sales Underwriter, Various Locations (#1202353)
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FREE Subscription to Best's Review!
Be sure you are taking advantage of the special offer from our partner company A.M. Best! Students and faculty can access a FREE subscription to Best's Review magazine - digital version. Link to the registration page here! Best's Review is the premier insurance industry monthly magazine, providing the latest global news and trends, plus industry analysis and featured articles. |
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About to Graduate? Stay in Touch!
Help us keep your contact information current! GIS boasts an alumni base of over 17,000 individuals from our 57 chapters and we need your help in updating our current records. Alumni and soon-to-be-Alumni, please use the link below to update your information, and pass it on to as many fellow graduates as you can.
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