Issue #232 - 2.24.2023

New Director of DIFI Appointed by Governor Hobbs

Governor Hobbs recently appointed Barbara Richardson as the next Director of the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). Ms. Richardson is expected to join DIFI on March 6, 2023 as Interim Director until she is confirmed or rejected by the Republican controlled Senate.

Ms. Richardson was the Commissioner for the Nevada Division of Insurance from March 2016 until February 2023. Prior to that, she served for twelve years as the Director of Operations and Fraud for the New Hampshire Insurance Department. Additionally, she has worked at various times in her career for CNA, Kemper Financial, the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago and Putnam Securities.

A graduate of Vassar College, Ms. Richardson has a law degree from the University of New Hampshire School of Law and an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago. On a national level, Ms. Richardson has been an active member on various committees, task forces and work groups of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), including most recently, the Innovation Task Force, the SERFF Board and the AntiFraud Task Force.

OSHA Withdrawals Proposal to Revoke Arizona's State Plan

The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration plans to withdraw a proposal to reconsider and revoke final approval of Arizona’s for occupational safety and health.

The State plan will remain in place.

Back in April 2022, OHSA had released notification for proposed reconsideration and revocation of Arizona's state plan due to failures to adopt various safety and health standards. During the public comments period, Arizona advised OSHA that it had adopted the standards that were of concern.

Virtual Open House for Updated Oak Creek Canyon Flood Maps for Coconino County

FEMA has released an updated flood map for the portions of Oak Creek Canyon in Coconino County and the Coconino portion of the City of Sedona. This new map will become effective on March 21, 2023. Residents and business owners are encouraged to look up their flood risk by visiting www.coconino.az.gov/FEMAFloodplainRemapping. 

Some property owners will find their risk has increased compared to the previous flood map. Others will find that it has decreased. To learn more about these new maps, the CCFD and the City of Sedona are hosting a free virtual Flood Risk Open House on March 1, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Topics will include An overview of the mapping project; How to access the flood maps and view your property; What the effects are related to flood insurance and building requirements; and Resources for additional information and questions.

No registration is needed. Simply sign on before the start of the meeting at: Meeting Link

Passcode: 967231 Or by telephone: 1-669-900-6833 or 1-888-788-0099 (Toll Free)

Webinar ID: 836 8681 7072  Passcode: 967231

Agency Marketing Reimbursement

A Member Benefit

The Trusted Choice Marketing Reimbursement Program helps agencies offset the cost of various marketing activities that include our logo and customer experience upgrades.

Including the Trusted Choice logo in your marketing both allows you to leverage the national recognition and reputation of the brand and also helps expand the brand’s reach. Learn more.

Social Media Training for Your Agency

Trusted Choice has launched a brand new free social media training program that provides tips for choosing and optimizing the best social channels for your agency.

Whether your agency needs to start from scratch or you're trying to take your strategy to greater heights, you can choose which level to get started on based on your experience.

“Level 1: Intro to Social Media" covers the basics and is best for agents brand new to social media. “Level 2: Intermediate" explores post creation and scheduling, plus best practices and key terms, and is designed for agents new to using social media on behalf of an agency. “Level 3: Experienced" covers more advanced topics like Facebook ads and boosted posts, and helps agents aiming to expand their audience.

Get started now. 

ACORD Releases

Results of Insurance 2040 Survey

ACORD today unveiled the results of an industry-wide survey on the future of insurance.

Survey participants weighed in on the technologies, capabilities, practices, and strategies projected to have the greatest impact in the global insurance industry over the next 20 years. The results highlight the key insights and priorities for insurers as they look to the future. A summary of the Insurance 2040 survey results is available here. 

Helpful Links

• Insurance License Search
• Continuing Education Transcript Search
• Insurance License Application
• DIFI Enforcement Actions, Hearings and Reports
• NCCI Arizona State Advisory Resources Page

The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions has recently released its 2022 Annual Insurance Report