The Rough Notes Company 9th annual Community Service Award for independent agents

Magazine seeks nominations

By Robert N. Kretzmer, CIC

What do successful independent insurance agents have in common? These men and women share several characteristics, but the quality that stands out above all others is their desire to help people in need and give back to their communities. These are the special individuals or agencies that we seek for the 9th Annual Community Service Award for Independent Insurance Agents, sponsored by The Rough Notes Company.

Each year, we ask our valued readers to help us identify candidates for this annual Community Service Award. We are seeking those insurance agents or agencies that have performed extraordinary philanthropic deeds within their local communities. We seek to identify, recognize and honor those special individuals or firms that have “gone beyond the call of duty” to benefit the less fortunate.

Why are we seeking to honor insurance professionals for their charitable endeavors? We believe that untold numbers of agents and agencies perform selfless acts of giving to their fellow human beings without any recognition. We believe that identifying and honoring these very special individuals and/or agencies is appropriate and will perhaps spur other agents or agencies to begin charitable projects that will enable their communities to become much stronger and better places in which to reside.

Please take a few minutes to nominate someone within your agency, your agency itself or an agent from another agency. This is a wonderful opportunity for others to learn about what our fellow agents and agencies are doing locally to build community.

The Rough Notes Company has been privileged to honor nine outstanding philanthropic agents who have given of their time and financial resources to help the less fortunate. Former winners and their acts of giving are:

• 2006 (co-winner)— Mark Rollins of New York, who for several years has helped raise funds and build housing for the poor in Nicaragua through the Bridges to Community organization

• 2006 (co-winner)—Mark Williamson of Arkansas, who has raised substantial amounts of money to fund the Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute

• 2005—J. Douglas Reichardt of Iowa, who raised more than $20 million for the United Way of Central Iowa

• 2004—Jim McGovern of California, who established the “Walk for Ben” in memory of his grandson to support the battle against blood-related cancers for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

• 2003—Harry Swimmer of North Carolina, who runs a therapeutic horseback riding clinic for disabled children

• 2002—Jack and Jason Rua of Massachusetts, who raised record-setting funds for the Fall River United Way annual campaign

• 2001—Kenneth Felton of Florida, who recognized the need for after-school programs and opened the first Boys and Girls Clubs in Indian River County

• 2000—Dick Lees of Illinois, who raised enough funds to build an emergency room unit at his local hospital

• 1999—Al Singer of New Jersey, who helps feed thousands of children nationwide through his own program called People Against Starving Children

These past honorees, as well as our many Honorable Mention recipients, represent the kind of socially concerned, responsible men and women in whom the insurance industry can take great pride. Without a doubt, though, those we have honored are only a small percentage of the many insurance professionals who are equally worthy of formal recognition. Again, we ask you to please help us identify worthy candidate agents or agencies.

The Rough Notes Company will honor one winner and up to three honorable mention recipients for the upcoming Community Service Award. When submitting the nomination form, please highlight only one philanthropic project, accompanied by a verifying letter from the charity or philanthropic organization.

Please see the Award Conditions and Prerequisites below.

The winner and honorable mention recipients will be honored at an awards dinner in Indianapolis, Indiana, in March 2008, in conjunction with the 19th annual Rough Notes magazine Marketing Agency of the Year celebration. The winning philanthropic organization will receive a $5,000 check from The Rough Notes Company in the name of the winning agent. Each of the honorable mention charities will receive $1,500.

Each winning agent or agency will receive a beautifully engraved eagle statue recognizing its special contribution to its local community. Rough Notes magazine will also feature the winners and their charitable projects in an upcoming issue.

Please complete the Nomination Form on the following page using the guidelines provided. All nomination forms must be received at the offices of The Rough Notes Company on or before December 31, 2007. Nomination forms may be sent by the U.S. Postal Service, overnight express service or hand-delivered by the deadline; we do not accept faxed or e-mailed nominations.

As a committed partner, The Rough Notes Company wants to be the vehicle for identifying and honoring independent insurance agents and agencies for their unique charitable contributions to their local communities. Again, we ask you, our loyal readers, to help us recognize qualified agents or agencies for the Community Service Award for Independent Insurance Agents. Your participation is greatly appreciated not only by us, but by your peers as well. Thank you in advance for your help! *

The author
Robert N. Kretzmer, CIC, is the executive director of The Rough Notes Company Community Service Award. He oversees the award process from nominations to the award presenta-tions. He is a licensed agent associated with V.W. Brown Insurance Service, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland.

The Rough Notes Company Community Service Award

Award Conditions and Prerequisites

Purpose: To recognize and award an independent insurance broker, agent or agency that has demonstrated extraordinary community service within his/her/their local, regional or national community. And, to present the winning community service project with a check in the amount of $5,000 to help further its special cause(s).

Criteria: Nominees will be judged on their overall contribution (funds raised, people helped, volunteerism, etc.) to their community service project and/or initiative, and the positive impact (both short-term and long-term) that their efforts have made toward their community service project.

Nomination Period: Nominations will be accepted at the offices of Rough Notes magazine by U.S. mail, overnight delivery or hand delivery up to and including December 31, 2007. No nomination forms will be accepted after December 31, 2007. Please note that no facsimiles or e-mails will be accepted.

Conditions:
1. Nominators must complete the nomination form in its entirety and provide all supporting documentation;
2. All nomination forms and supporting documentation must be received at the offices of Rough Notes magazine no later than December 31, 2007;
3. No facsimiles or e-mails will be accepted;
4. All nomination forms and supporting documentation become the exclusive property of Rough Notes magazine. Further, the nomination form and supporting documentation may be used at the sole discretion of Rough Notes magazine to publicize the award and award recipient, and to promote the Community Service Awards program;
5. A letter from the community service project verifying and describing the project must accompany the nomination form;
6. Incomplete nomination forms or nomination forms without supporting documents will not be considered;
7. Nominators may nominate themselves or their agency.

Note: Please detail only one service project per nominee.

Selection: Designated individuals from The Rough Notes Company and selected others will review all nomination forms and supporting documentation and select a winner and honorable mention recipients. The winner and honorable mention recipients will be honored at the 19th Annual Rough Notes Magazine “Marketing Agency of the Year” awards dinner in Indianapolis. A representative of the winning community service project will also be invited to attend this function to be honored and presented with a check.

Awards:
1. The winning community service project will be presented with a check in the amount of $5,000 in the name of the award recipient.
2. The winning broker, agent or agency and honorable mention recipients will be presented with a sculptured engraved eagle.
3. Honorable mention projects will receive a check for $1,500 in the name of the award recipient.
4. Rough Notes magazine will publish an article to publicize the community service project, the award winner and the honorable mention recipients.
5. The awards dinner will be held in Indianapolis in late March 2008.

Mailing: All nomination forms and supporting documents are to be sent to or received at:
The Rough Notes Company
Attn: Community Service Award
11690 Technology Drive
Carmel, Indiana 46032-5600