The IIAV Board Approves Leadership Slate for 2018/19
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The IIAV Board of Directors has approved the report from the Nominations committee for the new slate of officers and directors for the association for the 2018/19 year.
As Chair-elect, Hunter Odom, Jr., with Suffolk Insurance Corporation out of Suffolk, Va., will automatically become IIAV Chairman for the coming year.
Chaired by past IIAV Chairman Bill Talley, IV, the nomination committee reported the leadership slate to include:
Dennis C. Winfree, CIC – Chair-Elect – I was born in Powhatan County, Va., and except for a brief time in Georgia and South Carolina, have spent my life as a Virginian. I graduated from VCU in 1975 with a degree in business administration and worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. and VA Farm Bureau Insurance Co. before becoming an independent insurance agent in 1980.
I just completed my 42nd year in the insurance business. I have owned my current agency, Horizon Insurance Services (Life & Health agency), since its beginning in1996. It is separate from my employment as vice president of Wood Insurance Agency Inc. (P & C), where I have worked since 2012.
I have served on various committees within the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia, as well as having served eight years as treasurer on the State Board of Directors. I served on the VAIA Board. This position allowed me to be a part of the future of our industry, through the promotion of our industry at various events, including teaching high school classes and doing career fairs as a volunteer.
I was awarded the distinguished “Agent of the Year” award by the IIAV in 2012 and also am a two time winner of “Committee Chair” of the year award, also by IIAV.
In my spare time I enjoy Beach Music, shag dancing and people-watching on the beach.
Jill Roth – 1st Vice Chair – I think I would be a great asset to the board, as I present many different facets of leadership. I have been involved in IIAV since 2010 and have dipped my toe into numerous task forces and committees. I do not take appointments lightly and immerse myself into the task at-hand. When involved in VAIA, I volunteered a handful of times for InVest and taught high school classes at TC Williams in Alexandria, Va. I have been the InsurPac liaison for Virginia since 2014, always pushing to make our goals. I set up Capitol Hill appointments for National Legislative Conference so that IIAV members can get the full benefit of the experience. I have recruited top speakers to keynote our young agent conferences since 2013, drawing in more young talent. As one can see, I have great enthusiasm for this industry and our association. I look forward to the opportunity of serving on the Board of Directors of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia.
Chris Cralle – District 1 Director – I am a life-long resident of Northumberland County, Va., and have always been proud of the fact that my family settled in Northumberland in 1680. I graduated from Northumberland High School in 1985 and from Mary Washington College with a BS in business administration in 1989, after which I came into the family business. Cralle Insurance Agency was founded by my grandfather, Lewis B. Cralle, Sr. in 1948, and I became president of the business upon the passing of my father, Lewis B. Cralle, Jr., in 1998. I am married to the former Jeanette Cobb and we have two children, Caitlyn Berg and Christopher L. Cralle. I hold the CIC designation, am a Past Master and current Treasurer of Westmoreland Lodge No. 212 AF & AM, I serve as Secretary of Westmoreland Royal Arch Chapter #41, I attend Light of Christ Anglican Church in Heathsville, and I serve on the Planning Commission for Northumberland County. I enjoy hunting and fishing in my spare time.
Mike Yergey – District 5 Director – 2nd Term – I started with Yergey Insurance Agency in 1995 after graduating from Ferrum College as a triple major in business. I started in sales for small businesses in the small family-owned agency and subsequently have worked in personal and commercial services, accounting and sales. I became a partner in 2004, handling personal lines and special programs. In 2017, I formed Yergey Insurance Services, specializing specifically in special programs that include private investigators and security guard industry. I have been working with State Organization and Departments of Public Safety Groups with their guidelines and bylaws. Yergey Insurance has been endorsed by many different National and State Associations for their insurance products.
Since graduating from college, I have been involved with a few different non-profit organizations like Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Northern Virginia (FCA) and Nokesville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, as a running member. I have also been a member of Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia (IIAV) since 1995, including as committee chair for the Membership Committee of the IIAV. I won the Young Agent award from the IIAV for outstanding contribution to the association during my time as committee chair and am now serving as a district director for IIAV.
I currently resides in Gainesville, Va., with my wife Mary and our three children.
Priscilla G. Hottle – District 6 Director – 2nd Term – I am the President & CEO of Hottle and Associates, an Independent Insurance Agency located in Northern Virginia. I also have offices in Warrenton, Marshall and Purcellville, Va.
With expertise in the placement of General Business & Health Insurance, Professional Liability protection, Crime, Bonding, Cyber Liability and Directors and Officers protection for select clients, the agency currently represents a number of mid-size to large firms in the DC Metro area. Additionally, the firm provides Personal Insurance protection to many middle market and high net worth individuals throughout its footprint.
I am the former Chairman of the Fauquier Chamber of Commerce, Founder of the Women’s Business Council, Former President (and first woman) of Intersure – a group of the most prominent insurance firms in the U.S. I am also the current Immediate Past Chairman of ARM International, a group of 220 partners in an insurance network across the country, and currently serve on the Board of Directors of IIAV, the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia, the Executive Committee of the Women’s Business Council, the Board of ARM International and the Board of Leadership Fauquier.
A former President of USI DC Metro, one of the largest Insurance Brokers in the Country, prior to USI, I was the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Patterson/Smith Associates, one of the top regional insurance agencies in the metropolitan Washington area. In that role, I served on many insurance company advisory boards and agent councils.
Jennifer Garriques – Young Agent Chair (Ex-officio appointment) – I am a Personal Lines producer with Garriques, Lloyd & McMahon Insurance in Richmond. I grew up in Goochland county and after graduating from Radford University in 2007, moved back to the area, spending a few years working in the advertising arena before switching to insurance. I have been in the insurance industry for about five years and have been involved with the Young Agents’ Committee for a little over four years. In addition to a focus on Personal Lines (specifically new business for her agency), I also assist with marketing efforts and help to maintain an online presence for GLM. I'll be the first to tell you that insurance is far more than meets the eye and I love putting my advertising background to work. I'm proud to be the third generation of my family’s agency: my grandfather started the agency in 1963 and both of my parents are also members of the agency team. I love staying active in any way that she can — running, working out or hiking. I also love to travel and try to take one major trip each year; this year it was Scotland and Ireland. And, when I'm not busy working, working out or traveling the globe, I spend time enjoying my family and friends.
Shawn Clavon, CPCU – Associate Member Representative – I started my insurance career selling life insurance part-time for Primerica while attending Lynchburg College, then worked at Nationwide insurance for seven years where I held several positions in Commercial Underwriting, Personal Lines Supervision, Commercial and Personal Auto Product Management, and Commercial Underwriting Management.
In 2010, I joined Alfa Alliance Insurance Corporation as a Commercial Product Manager and in 2012, became the P&C Underwriting and Product Manager for Alfa Alliance. I was promoted again in 2013, to my current role of Vice President of Commercial and Analytics. During my tenure at Alfa, I led the organization from being a Top 50 Commercial Multiple Peril organization to a Top 15 in the state of Virginia, based on SNL Market share data.
I believe in self-development outside of work. I graduated in 2003 with a BA in economics with concentrations in finance and in 2004, earned an MBA with an emphasis in finance from Keller Graduate School of Management, and completed the CPCU designation in 2005. I am also a recent graduate of the Alfa Leadership Academy, which was facilitated by Auburn University at Montgomery.
I'm a family man and have been married to Kristin for 17 years, blessed with three children: NiMeesha (15), Nathaniel (11) and Nehemiah (8). We've lived in Dinwiddie, Va., since 2007.
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These members were unanimously selected by the nominations committee and all have accepted their respective positions if elected. They will be elected by the membership by electronic ballot, the reports of which will be announced during the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors on June 27, 201,8 at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel. The new board members will be recognized during the following two-day Annual Conference of the association, but will begin their term on July 1, 2018.
Members of the IIAV Nominations Committee include:
William H. Talley, IV – Chairman – William H. Talley & Son, Inc. Petersburg, VA
Monty Dise – Asset Protection Group – Midlothian, VA
Rick Farmer – Towne Insurance/BH Baird – Warsaw, VA
Chuck Gibson – Bankers Insurance – Fairfax, VA
Pettus LeCompte – Straus Itzkowitz & LeCompte – Richmond, VA
Hunter Odom – Suffolk Insurance Corp. – Suffolk, VA
John Watson – Hanckel Citizens Insurance Corp. – Charlottesville, VA
Dennis Winfree – Horizon Insurance Services – Glen Allen, VA
Bob Yergey – Towne Insurance – Gainesville, VA
Doug Megill – Ex-officio – McLean Insurance Agency – Potomac Falls, VA
Bob Bradshaw – Staff – ex-officio – Secretary of the Corporation
