As summer begins to wind down, I hope everyone had the opportunity to enjoy some time with family and friends, take a vacation, or simply slow down and enjoy everything West Virginia has to offer during the summer months.



We certainly ended the summer on a high note with another successful Big I WV Young Agents event at Adventures on the Gorge. It was great to see such a strong group of young insurance professionals come together from across the state. Everyone had a great time enjoying the activities and beautiful setting, but just as importantly, there was plenty of learning and professional development mixed in as well.

This year’s educational sessions included discussions on pollution liability and cyber insurance—two areas that continue to become more important for our agencies and our customers. Events like this are a great reminder that some of the best learning happens when we bring people together, share experiences, ask questions, and build relationships with others in our industry.

I want to thank everyone who attended, along with the companies, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers who helped make the event such a success. The continued involvement of our Young Agents is important to the future of our association and the independent agency system here in West Virginia.

With summer coming to an end and school back in session, we now turn our attention toward fall. Football games, cooler evenings, festivals, changing leaves, and all the other things that make fall such a great time of year in West Virginia are just around the corner.

Fall also means one of the biggest events of the year for our association. The Big I WV Annual Convention will be held October 14–16 at Stonewall Resort. I hope everyone will make plans to join us. The convention is always a great opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues from across the state, meet with our company partners, learn something new, and enjoy some time together outside of the office.

Please mark October 14–16 on your calendar, and I look forward to seeing everyone at Stonewall Resort.

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer and is ready for a great fall. Thank you, as always, for your continued support of Big I WV and the independent insurance agency community across our state.

Chris Parker, CIC

President

Big I West Virginia