SOUTHEAST REGIONAL NEWS
Florida State University and The National Alliance for Insurance have announced the creation of a master's degree program in risk management and insurance. The degree program is entirely online and is designed primarily for working insurance professionals who are unable to attend traditional on-campus courses. The curriculum includes 11 courses for a total of 33 graduate hours. The program admissions requirements are a satisfactory undergraduate GPA and an acceptable GMAT score. The cost of the program is $675 per three-hour course for Florida residents and $875 per three-hour course for out-of-state residents. For more information go to www.cob.fsu.edu/rmi, or contact Randy E. Dumm at (850) 644-7880 or rdumm@cob.fsu.edu, or Dr. Pat Maroney at (850) 644-8217.
Area news
Meetings planned
The following organizations are hosting annual meetings in the next few months:
* Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) of Virginia and the District of Columbia: June 2-4, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. For more information, call the PIA-VA/DC at (804) 264-2582.
* Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (IIAV): June 26-29, in Wintergreen. For more information, call IIAV at (800) 288-4428 or (804) 747-9300.
* Independent Insurance Agents of Delaware (IIAD): June 19-21, at the Princess Royale Hotel & Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. For more information, call IIAD at (302) 424-4081.
* Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA): June 27-29, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. For more information, go to www.faia.com.
* AlabamaIndependent Insurance Agents (AIIA): June 13-15, at the Sandestin Beach Hilton in Destin, Florida. AIIA Young Agents: August 11-13, at Perdido Resort in Gulf Shores, Alabama. For more information on these events, go to www.aiia.org.
* Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia (PIAGA): July 21-23, the Westin Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. For more information, go to www. piaofgeorgia.com.
* Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia (IIAG): June 19-23, at the Hilton Head Marriott Beach and Golf Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Young Agents Committee: May 8-12, at the Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City, Florida. For more information on these events, go to www.iiag.org.
* Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland (IIAM): June 7, at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. For more information, call IIAM at (410) 766-0600 or (800) 673-2442.
* Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi (IIAM): June 2-5, at the Sandestin Beach Hilton in Destin, Florida. For more information, go to www.msagent.org.
* Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina (IIANC) Young Agents: June 9-11, at the Embassy Suites Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For more information, go to www.iianc.com.
Georgia
New law causes concern
According to the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia's (PIAGA) newsletter, there has been confusion about the state's new Uninsured Motorist Law (SB 187), which took effect January 1, 2002. For an itemized list of how to treat new business and renewals, go to www.piaofgeorgia.com and click on "PIA NewsLink," then click on the January 2002 edition.
South Carolina
Thompson elected SAC chairman
Frank A. Thompson, II, CPCU, CIC, with Peoples Underwriters of Conway and Myrtle Beach and immediate past president of the Independent Insurance Agents of South Carolina (IIASC), has been elected 2002 chairman of the Southern Agents Conference (SAC). SAC is comprised of 13 states from Maryland to Louisiana. The conference is planning an annual workshop in early December for state leaders to discuss agent and association issues and initiatives. Seven committees meet during the workshop: commercial and personal lines, benefits and services, education, legislative, technology and young agents. State leaders also
meet to discuss matters of common interest. Chairmanship of the conference and committees is rotated among the states.
Virginia
State Farm raises HO rates
State Farm Fire and Casualty Company has announced an average statewide rate increase of 10.7% for homeowners insurance policyholders. The new rates were implemented January 1 for new customers and March 1 for current policyholders when they renew their policies. State Farm's most recent Virginia homeowners change was an overall decrease of 1.5% in January 2001. *