Certainly seems that when I last wrote this article it was a very different world….and I guess it was. I wasn’t sure how it would work when the IIAV staff decided that we would change our operations to a work from home business model but hopefully, we have been able to respond to your questions and concerns without missing a beat.
For some of us, it’s been like drinking from a firehose. I have to say it was an enlightening day when Governor Northam was having a news conference on essential businesses and before his conference even ended, my phone started ringing off the hook.
We remain dedicated to helping our members/you in any way shape or form. First, if you call us at the primary number (804) 747-9300 you can reach us by our extensions. You won’t even know that you’re being routed to the entire Richmond metro area.
We have also worked to create our “Coronavirus Resource Page” dedicated specifically to information that our agency members need, unique to our business and industry. Navigating the massive amount of “helpful information” out there is a full-time job in and of itself. There is a lot of “interesting” information being sent but if it doesn’t have a direct application to your businesses and our industry, it’s not going to be on our website. Take a look at www.iiav.com. There are some GREAT on-demand webinars by our national technical guru Chris Boggs that have great information for you and your staff.
Let me suggest this: If you have a question that needs to be researched, contact our office. We’ll do the research for you and get right back to you. If it’s important enough for your agency, others might have the same question too. We might very well post the issue on the website under the resources.
By now you’ve also seen that we moved the convention from the end of June to October 11-14. Frankly, I was shocked that the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Marriott had the space and time available. Unfortunately that schedule might not be right for some, but for others, it might be more convenient. The decision was a darned if you do, darned if you don’t and we had limited options available at The Marriott. We can only hope and pray that by October we’ll be looking back on all this.
Stay in touch. Let us know what you need. And by all means, please stay safe and well.
Sincerely,
Robert N. Bradshaw, Jr., MAM
IIAV President & CEO
Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia