As a baby boomer who has worked in the association profession for over 40 years, I have long had the opportunity to work with a wide range of some pretty talented people. Grant Brewer was not only a talented professional, but he had a gift of graphic design that I have come to appreciate and admire.

 

Grant was 25 when he passed away unexpectedly on September 7, after suffering complications from a chronic illness. A chronic condition that I don't believe any of us on the IIAV staff even knew that he had. While Grant was certainly a private person, we enjoyed his keen wit and his comments on things he found amusing that the staff did. A week before his death, I was speaking with him about this work and he indicated that he was very pleased to have a year of working for IIAV behind him, as he would now know many of the activities and programs before him and would not be surprised. All in all, he enjoyed his work and he was good at it. 

 

I admire graphic artists and I have worked with many. I love good design and appreciate it because I have seen what I would consider "bad design" and a significant amount of half-hearted attempts. Grant reveled in good design, and for example was proud of the IIAV 125th anniversary logo, which was simplistic and effective in its concept. (And believe me, we saw a lot of designs from a wide range of graphic artists prior to our selection.)

 

Grant was a quiet person and an integral professional, associate and friend on the IIAV staff and we will miss his kind smirk ... which when you saw it, you knew you had done something that amused him.

 

Following a successful career with Erie Insurance, Richard Messler has joined the staff of the Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia as the new Director of Industry Relations. In this capacity, Rich will be meeting with independent agencies throughout the state — both IIAV members and non-members — as well as creating partnerships with insurance companies who are dependent on the independent agency distribution system.  

Many Virginians would face financial hardship if a wage earner in their immediate family died unexpectedly. Life insurance is designed to protect loved ones against the loss of an individual’s income or services. During Life Insurance Awareness Month (September), the State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) Bureau of Insurance (Bureau) reminds Virginians that there are many factors to consider when determining if life insurance is right for you and your family.

During two legislative sessions, IIAV has fought to prevent motorcycle lane splitting from becoming legal in Virginia. The motorcycle industry has been aggressive in getting lane splitting/filtering legal.   However, they have lost another battle.

 Hurricanes and other natural disasters can take a huge toll on businesses, including closures or disruptions that may last for days or longer. Some businesses may never reopen following a natural disaster and others that reopen may fail within one year of the disaster due to its effects.

Increases in federal flood insurance premiums that are projected to surpass 700% over the coming years are already leading people to back out of home purchases and will likely lead to an exodus of residents and businesses from southern Louisiana, officials told a federal judge in New Orleans. The testimony came in a hearing in a lawsuit Louisiana and nine other states filed against the federal government to block sharp increases in national flood insurance rates. A phase-in of the new rates began in 2021. Annual increases are limited to 18%. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the new method of computing rates has resulted in reductions or little or no increase for most policy holders.

Question: Can I restrict employees from using their smartphones while working? Or when in the workplace?

 

Answer: Yes, you can restrict most cell phone or smartphone access and/or usage even though the reason behind doing so may vary from situation to situation.