Diamond-Level
Palmetto Partners:
IIABSC Agency
Johnson & Johnson, Inc.
Montgomery Insurance
/ Safeco Insurance
members of Liberty Mutual Group

Platinum-Level
Palmetto Partners
Banker Insurance

Gold-Level
Palmetto Partners
Progressive Insurance
St. Johns Insurance Company
Travelers

Silver-Level Palmetto Partners
Frontline Homeowners Insurance

General Sponsors:
Allied Insurance
Allstate Insurance/ Encompass
Builders Mutual Insurance Co.
Capitol Preferred Insurance Company
Central Insurance Companies
Companion Property & Casualty Group
Grange Insurance
Kimbrell Insurance Group
National Security Fire & Casualty

Penn National Insurance Company
Selective Insurance
State Auto Insurance Company
Summit
SwissRe/Westport
United Property & Casualty Ins.
Universal North America

IIABA Chairman-Elect Mike Donohoe delivered the oath of office to the incoming Board of Directors during their installation Monday night of the 112th Annual Convention held October 24-26 in Hilton Head, SC.

Kathy D. McKay, CIC, CPIW of McKay Stelling & Associates in Mt. Pleasant has been re-elected Chairman of the Board of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina by the general membership during the annual meeting.

Ashley Brady, CIC, of First Charter Insurance in Marion was re-elected Chairman-elect and Treasurer of the Board of Directors.

Jon A. Jensen, AAI, AIP of Correll Insurance Group in Spartanburg was elected National Director, a three-year term.

Three new directors were also elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors beginning Jan. 1, 2011: Gus M. Brabham, IV, CIC of Frank B. Norris & Co. in Columbia; Kimberly J. Gore, CIC of Associated Insurors, Inc. in Myrtle Beach; and Richard L. Walker, CIC of Cormell Streett & Patterson in Florence.

Agent of the Year

Henry Lowndes, Jr. of C.T. Lowndes & Company in Charleston has been named the 2010 Hayne P. Glover, Jr. Agent of the Year in recognition for rendering outstanding community service and contributing to the betterment of the insurance industry.

Henry is one of the smartest minds in our business, but prefers to work behind the scenes and under the radar. He is willing to challenge the status quo, but rather than just rocking the boat he truly engages thought and consideration of new ways to deal with insurance and ultimately protect customers.

As a principal to a family-owned agency founded prior to the Civil War, Henry has been active in Charleston-area civic groups for years, coaching youth baseball, softball and football. An agency doesn't reach its sixth generation without numerous community and industry contributions along the way.

The Agent of the Year Award is named for Hayne P. Glover, Jr., to honor his many years of dedicated service to the IIABSC state and national associations. Glover was from Greenville and is the only South Carolinian to serve as the national association president. Glover was an outstanding example of service to his community as well as the industry, which are the criteria used to evaluate nominees for the award.

The award was sponsored by Prime Rate Premium Finance in Florence.

Kim J. Gore, CIC of Associated Insurors in Myrtle Beach has been named the IIABSC 2010 Young Agent of the Year.

Kim has been very active in the leadership of the local association in Horry and Georgetown counties, even stepping back into the leadership role this year when an unexpected vacancy occured. She has been active on association committees and deeply involved in regulatory and political issues surrounding coastal property insurance.

She is also a media contact for insurance issues in the Myrtle Beach area, with multiple appearances on TV and in the newspaper.

The Young Agent of the Year Award is given to an independent agent, age 40 or under, who has rendered outstanding service to his or her community outside the field of insurance and who has contributed to the betterment of the insurance industry. It is sponsored by Prime Rate Premium Finance in Florence.

Industry Person of the Year

Maureen Floro of The Hartford in Charlotte, NC has been named the IIABSC 2010 Industry Person of the Year.

The award recognizes insurance industry representatives – other than independent agents – who have contributed greatly to the insurance industry in South Carolina.

Ours is a business of relationships, and Maureen has made the advancement of the insurance industry in South Carolina and building strong relationships with independent agents a priority throughout her career. She defines going above and beyond her agents in working together to place business, while delivering bad news with professionalism and grace.

When a Greenville agency decided to respond to local tragedy with a public fire-safety campaing aimed at elementary schools, Maureen jumped on board to provide fire safety hats and other materials for their distribution.

After retiring this year, Maureen will continue the education focus by instructing new insurance professionals at the Hartford School of Insurance.

AAMGA Achievement Award
IIABSC Outstanding Committee Chairperson

Lowcountry insurance executive Jay Taylor of Kinghorn Insurance Agency of Beaufort has been recognized for his outstanding service to the IIABSC.

Taylor, IIABSC board member and chairman of the state-level Trusted Choice Committee, was named Committee Chairperson of the Year and recipient of the AAMGA Achievement Award sponsored by the American Association of Managing General Agents.

Taylor has been working all year to achieve some pretty high goals that had been set for his committee. 2010 marked the beginning of our statewide involvement with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, which celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer and raises money for American Cancer Society's efforts to improve cancer research and treatment.

Additional Recognitions

IIABSC Agency Administrator Charlene Bernotas, CISR, ACSR, was recognized for her nearly 30 years of service to the association upon her retirement at the end of this year. She has worked with nearly every agency member in that time in some form or fashion, sometimes as the only staff member they ever have contact with. Her sense of teamwork is exemplary as well, doing whatever it takes to get the job done with a willingness to take on new challenges and pitch in whenever, wherever.

John R. Braddy, CIC, AAI of Braddy Insurance in Dillon was recognized for 15 continuous years of leadership and service to the association upon his retirement as National Director at the end of this year. He will continue to serve next year through our national association on the Trusted Choice Board of Directors.

Henry Lowndes, Jr. and his agency, C.T. Lowndes & Company, was recognized in celebration of their 160 years in business. As far as we can tell, this makes C.T. Lowndes the oldest agency in South Carolina, and possibly the entire southeast.

Henry G. Turner Memorial Golf Tournament
First place: Charles Stephenson of Progressive Insurance
Second Place: Chris Dunlap of Progressive Insurance
Third Place: Stewart Farris of Jackson, Sumner & Associates
Fourth Place: Beau Carter of Pinckney-Carter Company

Long-Drive Winner: Bill Fuge of Kinghorn Insurance
Closest-to-the-Pin Winner: Beau Carter of Pinckney-Carter Company
Closest-to-the-Pin Winner: Todd Hiott of American Modern Insurance Group