Gamma Iota Sigma News                        
January 2014
 
In This Issue
43rd Annual Conference
GIS Career Center
Chapter News: Zeta
Chapter News: Nu
Interview with Beta Iota's Dr. Ed Duett
Spotlight on GIS Board President John Hammond, CPCU
Calling all GIS Alumni!
Seeking Scholarships
Noelle Codispoti Named 2013 Woman to Watch by Business Insurance
Quick Links







Board of Trustees
 

Margaret Accordino, ARM

 

Khadine Adams

 

Meg Allwein*

 

Lauri Atkinson

 

Michael Boa

 

Alyssa Bouchard*

 

Brian Bowerman*

   

Noelle Codispoti, ARM*

 

Glenn Dorr

 

RB Drennan, Ph.D.*

 

Karen Epermanis*

 

Brittany Foye

 

Jacob Galecki

 

Wesley Griffiths

 

John Hammond*

 

Josh Hart*

 

Derek Hazeltine

 

Jeffrey D. Henry, M.Ed.

 

Alan F. Hoffmann*

 

Peter Hohman, FCIP, CRM, CAE, ICD.D

 

William J. Hold

 

Cynthia Hornby

 

Mike Kelly*

 

Tim Kelly

 

Matt Kletzli

 

Julia Kramer

 

Jeff Lamb*

 

Lance A. Lancour

 

Tim Leman

 

Lyric Lewis, AIC, FLMI, AIAA, ACS

 

Steve Marohn

 

Stephanie McElroy

 

John Meder

 

Peter Miller, CPCU

 

Christopher Place, FSA, EA*

 

Paige Stiefel

 

William Tarinelli, Jr.

 

Jason Terrell

 

Jacob Timmins*

 

Jason Warden

 

Dr. Alan C. Williams, Emeritus

 

Decker Youngman

 

 

* Executive Committee Member

43rd Annual International Conference
Mark Your Calendars!

Gamma Iota Sigma is pleased to present the 43rd Annual International Conference, which will take place October 2-4, 2014 in Dallas, Texas. It is the premier event for the insurance industry to engage the next generation, with an agenda that includes:
  • Career fair
  • Speaking opportunities
  • Educational sessions
  • On-site first-round interviews
  • Plenty of networking events
Last year, 405 students from 38 colleges and universities across North America participated, and this year's accomplished group is looking to meet you!

Our students are the future leaders of the insurance industry - support their passion and come and meet them! Sponsorship details are available online: find a package that's right for you.

* Sponsors who register in January receive one free 180-day entry-level job posting on the GIS Career Center!

GIS Career Center: Targeted Recruiting
Build Your Pipeline, Attract Top Talent
 
Does your organization have open jobs and internships? Are you looking to hire the best and brightest students preparing for careers in the insurance industry? Be sure to visit our new Career Center!
 
It is a resource to reach Gamma Iota Sigma members exclusively, where you can easily:
  • post your internship and job opportunities
  • search student resumes
  • set up a resume alert
  • manage applicants
Our 1,800 student members are majoring in Risk Management, Insurance, Actuarial Science and more, including Statistics, Finance, Business and Mathematics. Don't miss out - your future employees are looking for the opportunity to work with you!


Chapter News: Zeta 
Gamma Goes Green!  

 

The Zeta Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma at Georgia State University holds one volunteer event per semester, and this past semester we thought we would try something a little different from what we have done in the past.  For Fall semester 2013, we volunteered with Trees Atlanta.

 

Trees Atlanta is a non-profit group that is dedicated to addressing Atlanta's tree loss, protecting its forests and creating new green space in the city. They utilize volunteers to help plant in the fall and winter months, and to perform routine maintenance on the areas they have already improved. Zeta Chapter members volunteered to help plant trees in the Brookwood Hills community of Atlanta, so new trees can grow to replace those that are missing from the canopy.

 

Eight GIS members along with about 20 other volunteers went through a crash course in the proper way to plant a tree. We were then given shovels and gloves and began our morning of playing in the dirt. All volunteers planted about 16 trees throughout the neighborhood. The people who live in the community helped as well and were very grateful for our help.

 

I think I can speak on behalf of my fellow Gammas when I say we were very happy to have been of service. It was a great morning and we helped contribute to the green future of our beautiful city. We look forward to our next volunteer event this spring!

 

Submitted by Amy Matthes, Zeta Chapter President

Chapter News: Nu
Raking It In 

 

The Nu Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma at Central Michigan University finds opportunities around the community to volunteer as often as possible. This past fall, we volunteered with the Commission on Aging. The Commission on Aging is a department within the Isabella County Governmental Unit that serves the needs of older adults and their families and has been a part of the Mount Pleasant, Michigan community for over 40 years.  

 

With autumn quickly turning into winter, the Commission on Aging needed a number of volunteers to spend their Saturday morning raking yards for the elderly in the area. The Nu Chapter saw this as a great opportunity to get involved and give back to the community. It was a cold November morning, but we had a great turnout of 13 members. Because there were so many houses that needed their yards raked, we split into two groups for the day. Between the crisp fall weather and the number of participants, the day of raking seemed to go by in an instant. The residents made it a fun and easy job as well; they constantly brought us doughnuts, cider, and hot chocolate to help keep us warm. They were so grateful for this small act we completed for them.

 

Activities like these not only benefit the community but also help create a bond between members.  The Nu Chapter has found that volunteering serves as a spectacular opportunity for members to get to know each other outside of the classroom.

 

Submitted by Hillary Mahoney, Nu Chapter President

Interview with Dr. Ed Duett
Beta Iota Chapter Faculty Advisor
 

Dr. Ed Duett is Faculty Advisor to the Beta Iota Chapter and Director of the Risk Management & Insurance Program at Troy University's Sorrell College of Business. Beta Iota Chapter was chartered on November 1, 2013, during the NAPSLO E&S Symposium in Birmingham, Alabama.

  

What drove your school's interest in forming a chapter?

Gamma Iota Sigma provides the ability to interact with industry professionals and students at other universities, which is a great opportunity for our RMI students at Troy University.

 

What does it mean to you to have a GIS Chapter?

You always want to be associated with a winner and Gamma Iota Sigma is definitely a winning organization. The growth and continued improvement in all aspects of GIS over the past few years have been extraordinary. As I have worked with other universities with Gamma chapters, I have witnessed the increased value of Gamma Iota Sigma for students and universities.

 

What are your hopes for the new relationship?

I hope our students can learn from the industry professionals and we can see the activities and accomplishments of other universities that might be beneficial for Troy. We are very excited to be part of Gamma Iota Sigma!

 

 

Dr. Duett was previously a professor in Eastern Kentucky University's Insurance Studies Program and Chair of Insurance and Professor of Finance Emeritus at Mississippi State University, having retired there in 2010 after 23 years teaching. A prolific writer and active visiting professor, Dr. Duett completed his doctoral studies in 1987 at the University of Georgia after completing an MBA and bachelor's degree at Mississippi State.


Spotlight on: John Hammond, CPCU
GIS Board President and AIG's Great Lakes President 


How did you get into insurance?

I was fortunate coming out of Miami University in 1992 in that I had a good contact in the industry - my father. Thanks to him, I got my start at Hartford Insurance in Hartford, Connecticut and it was off to the races. I'm a testament to the great opportunity this industry affords as I've done very well and coming out of college it was not by design. GIS students truly have a huge head start when it comes to building a career in our industry. From Hartford and their fantastic training program, I relocated to Chicago. It was there I moved to AIG. I started in casualty underwriting, made my way into management liability (a great career move - get out of your comfort zone periodically), and then from Chicago to St. Louis into my current track of General Management. Along the way, I didn't stop educating myself as I completed my CPCU and then went on to get my Masters Degree from Northwestern University.  

 

What do you love most about the industry?

People and Relationships! A big part of insurance, in particular underwriting, is building relationships with your brokers and customers. If you value relationships and work to build them, you will enjoy a lot of success in our industry. I love the people aspect of the business. I've been fortunate to be in management roles and there is no greater satisfaction than watching people succeed. I think that is why I enjoy being around the students of Gamma Iota Sigma. I enjoy seeing them get their first jobs and launch what I know will be long and successful careers.

 

Why did you get involved with Gamma Iota Sigma?

Back to my point on relationships, I had two people who encouraged me to become involved. They were important relationships and I'm glad to say that John Meder and Steve Marohn are both still engaged as Gamma Iota Sigma board members. My passion for GIS really took off when I attended my first conference and I saw the incredible talent GIS students had to offer our industry. It only increased as Noelle Codispoti stepped in as Executive Director and I realized the growth GIS could achieve and the impact it could have on our industry.

 

Words of Wisdom

Gamma Iota Sigma students truly have a head start in terms of having successful careers in the insurance industry. However, I would encourage students to play the "long game." There is no doubt they will be successful but those who are patient and thoughtful about their careers will have long-term and sustainable success in our industry. Short-term success can sometimes be easy but success over a long period of time takes patience and planning. That being said, there is no doubt the students of GIS will achieve success in our industry.

Are you (or do you know) a GIS Alum? 
Stay in Touch for the Latest News and Updates!
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Help us keep your contact information currentGIS boasts an annual membership of over 1,800 students and an alumni base of more than 17,000 individuals from our 57 chapters, and we need your help in updating our records. Use the link below to update your details, and pass it on to fellow alumni!

Scholarships: Investing in the Future
We Help Match Talent with Resources

Does your company or organization offer scholarships to students? Let us help spread the word among Gamma Iota Sigma members! Email us the details or for further discussion.
 
 
Business Insurance Honors Noelle Codispoti
As 2013 Woman to Watch

 

GIS Executive Director Noelle Codispoti was selected by Business Insurance as one of its 2013 Women to WatchThe award honors 25 women leaders worldwide each year for their outstanding work in insurance, risk management, employee benefits and related fields. During the December 3 awards luncheon in New York City, Ms. Codispoti spoke about how uniquely positioned Gamma Iota Sigma is to "revolutionize the way the industry recruits fresh talent."

 

Read the full announcement.



__________________________________________________________

Noelle Codispoti, ARM
Executive Director, Gamma Iota Sigma
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