Dear fellow CPCU PNW Members, Candidate Members, & Friends,
Welcome to 2020! I’m not one for resolutions, but I always find the New Year to be a sort of “reset” – whatever I accomplished (or didn’t!) for the past year is now in the past and it’s time to recommit to whatever new goals I hope to achieve for the next year. I hope for many of you, that means getting involved or staying involved in the Chapter and all that CPCU has to offer. From education to networking, to life-long friendships and giving back to the community, the Chapter truly has something to offer everyone!
For 2020, we started the year off with education (and maybe a little celebration!) recapping the recent Washington Supreme Court decision in
Keodalah
. I know it is a relief for all of us that the Court reversed the Court of Appeals and we do not have the added worry of personal liability for every decision we make at work! (We hope!) Later in January, we headed to the South Sound to give back to the community, repacking food at the Emergency Food Network.
In April, the Society’s newly rebranded Leadership Summit, now called “SCALE” will be just down the road in Portland. This event is open to all, not just Chapter leadership and even our non-CPCU colleagues and friends are welcome to attend. We hope to see many of you there this year!
These are just a few of the highlights we have planned for the upcoming year. We hope you get involved – and bring a friend or colleague, CPCU or not, to an event. Someone once told me that you get back from an organization what you put in, the more effort you make to be involved, the more you get out of the organization. The Chapter is no exception. Come be a part of making us great!
Until then..
Terri Sutton, CPCU, AU
President, Pacific Northwest CPCU Society Chapter
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Every year the Pacific Northwest CPCU Society tries to give back to the greater community by participating in Volunteer Events around Puget Sound. We have worked with Library for the Blind, Regional Animal Services of King County, Eastside Baby Corner, and FareStart.
These tend to be smaller events, sometimes with space for just a few people, and can be a great way to connect personally with your fellow CPCUs. Family and children are always welcome (where restrictions do not apply) and we do lunch or Pizza & Beer after!
Our first Good Works event of 2020 was in the South Sound at
Emergency Food Network
and was a success! Our 9 volunteers repacked over 15,000 pounds of food, beverages and household items to be distributed by the Emergency Food Network to 82 partner programs across the South Sound.
Come join us as we continue to tackle food insecurity at our next South Sound event at Emergency Food Network's
Mother Earth Farm
on June 19th!
Our goal is for a minimum of four events per year. Do you have an organization you love to volunteer for? Want the Chapter to help out? Contact the Good Works Committee!
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To help you plan ahead, all events with dates are now available on the
Chapter homepage!
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Watch for additional Good Works, Volunteer, & New Designee and Candidate Member Events!
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Spring Seminar
- SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 @ Pemco
I-Day
- SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday, November 10th @ The WAC
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The Annual Cyber-Symposium, co-sponsored by PLUS and RIMS is scheduled for April 23rd at the Seattle Public Library's Washington Mutual Foundation Conference Room. Watch your PLUS/RIMS emails for additional details and registration information!
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Are you having trouble getting employer support for your development goals?
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One of the issues with a hard market is that not only are carriers toughening up their underwriting requirements but they tend to tighten other aspects of the business. This trickles down to agents & brokers pretty quickly as more time is spent placing client coverage.
Some of the first things to be affected are continuing education, training & development, and participation in industry related associations as these things take time and do not generally show an immediate positive impact on the ever important bottom line.
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We had our annual I-Day on October 24th at a new venue - The WAC. We celebrated the accomplishments of the Chapter’s New Designees – CONGRATULATIONS!!
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Prior to lunch, we kept with a Halloween theme discussing
Scary "Fun"dametals
with
Kevin Kwong
and
Additional Insured Pitfalls
(always scary) and
Are You "Sure": Fundamentals of Surety
with
Meredith Dishaw
.
Our Keynote Speaker, Tony Canas, Insurance Nerd did not disappoint with his Super Nerd costume and Engaging and Retaining Millennials in the Insurance Industry.
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Thanks to all participants in this year's All Industry Day. Special thanks to CPCU President (now immediate past), Jill McCook and David Gipson, Chapter Governor, our I-Day Committee, our many vendors, and all of the coffee sponsors!
Check out our photo album
HERE
.
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This time we want to focus on a Candidate Member.... Geoff Bedell, Attorney with Soha & Lang
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PNW Chapter:
How many years have you been in Insurance?
Geoff Bedell:
Since 2004, when I started at Soha & Lang.
PNW:
Tell me how you decided to pursue the CPCU designation?
GB:
My colleague, Paul Rosner, has a CPCU designation and in working with Paul over the years, I was able to see the value that CPCU brings in terms of both a broader understanding of the insurance industry and the opportunity to meet those working in it.
PNW:
Who are the people that support you with this journey?
GB:
Aside from Paul, Karen Weaver, who has now retired from Soha & Lang, has been a strong supporter. I have also found support from those I’ve met in the local chapter.
PNW:
What have you found to be the most challenging about completing your designation?
GB:
My last course to do is 540, so this answer could change but … the time commitment. The coursework is challenging and requires attention and time. Like everyone doing this, I have a “day job” that I have to schedule around to set aside time to study and prepare for the exams.
PNW:
Do you have any favorite study tips to share?
GB:
The method of studying that I learned from Jennifer Dinning, an attorney at Soha & Lang who is also a CPCU candidate: Read the materials and do the Course Guide once, then do a ton of practice tests. The quiz app is really helpful for this.
PNW:
What advice would have for other candidate members or those just getting started with their designations?
GB:
Don’t delay – it took me a few years to finally commit and get going.
PNW:
You are already volunteering with the Chapter, how did you get involved in the PNW CPCU Chapter?
GB:
I have been involved in other organizations, such as CLM, so I jumped in.
PNW:
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us.
GB:
I worked on a Nirvana video in March 1990. (Yep, true story)
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CE for CPCU -
Did You Know?
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The CPCU Society encourages those with the CPCU designation to continue creating value for their career and the designation by participating in Continuing Education (CE) for CPCUs. The program requires 24 hours of CE every two years and is provided at no additional cost to CPCU Society members. You earn credit by the hour when you attend your local Pacific Northwest CPCU Society luncheons and education events.
The chapter has been submitting credit on behalf of CPCU Society members and attendance for meetings that occurred over the last two years. These credits will begin appearing on your CE for CPCU accounts over the next few weeks! Check out more at
ceforcpcu.theinstitutes.org
.
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What's included in my Chapter Dues??
It's renewal season for Society Dues. Part of your invoice automatically includes the portion dedicated to your Chapter. If you're part of our Chapter, here are just a few things included as a part of your benefits:
- A minimum of 8 luncheons with educational sessions
- Discounted admission to our annual Spring Seminar
- Pizza and beer after each Good Works event
- Holiday Happy Hour invitation
- ...and more
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Volunteer Opportunities
Insurance isn’t just about claims, underwriting and sales―it’s also about people. That’s why it’s important to get involved. Increase your leadership, collaboration and networking opportunities by actively participating in your chapter or an interest group or by volunteering your time at a CPCU Society event. Volunteer and reap the personal and professional rewards that come when you actively engage!
Check out some of the open positions within the Pacific Northwest Chapter
HERE
.
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Mentor Program
Participation in the CPCU Society Mentorship Program is a great way to enhance the value of your CPCU Society membership. Our program provides two avenues of participation:
- Find a mentor for yourself.
- Become a mentor for others.
Whether you have expertise to offer or are looking to glean expertise from others, personal and career development occur on both sides of this relationship.
Open to all CPCU Society members!
Whether you've previously participated in formal mentorship or not, we encourage all of you to consider participation. We believe all CPCU Society members bring great value to our industry, and there is someone out there who will benefit from your experience.
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