September2017

Jillian Macievic and Ryan Weiner, are the insurance producers and face to face relationship drivers between our office and the industry.

insurance intermediary organization in the U.S. and sev- enth in the world. The company operates 195 locations in 41 states and 3 foreign offices. While of a size that provides customers access to virtually every highly rated insurance underwriting company in the country, as well many within the European insurance marketplace, Brown & Brown’s real strength is in the great flexibility it provides our brokers at the local level. Each office is operated as an entrepreneurial entity, making it possible to respond rapidly to the needs of local customers, with local knowledge. The office in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania has several niche focuses, with community associations being a large one. The account management team that we have in this office is accessible, reliable, and responsive, which is a huge contributor to our success in retaining our community association customers while still having the ability to wel- come new customers as well. What trends do you see for the Community Association Industry? As communities age, the frequency of losses will inevitably increase. Severe losses in a community will obviously impact future premiums, but the frequency of reported losses will have an equally negative impact on the future as well. In an effort to minimize future losses, most associations are taking the nec- essary proactive steps from a risk management standpoint….. dry vent and fireplace cleaning, water hose and water heater replacement, grilling rules and safety, etc.. The future trend however, to minimize frequency, has to do with the associa- tion insurance deductible structure. Some associations will have no choice but to increase their master policy deductible as a result of loss history. Others will make the decision to increase the deductible in an effort to have unit owner insurance be primary for more of the respon- sibility of the loss. Items that are giving rise to master policy losses, are actually the owner’s responsibility to maintain, so having the personal insurance have some more “skin in the game” not only makes sense, but it improves long term loss history as well. An actively involved association insurance broker that can assist in the claims handling process with per- sonal adjusters and units owners, will lead to a positive impact going forward as well. n

Advisor in Insurance (AAI) designation and began a specialty practice in the Community Association arena. As a result of their efforts in providing the highest level of insurance and risk management services to the industry, Jillian and Ryan have developed a portfolio of over 450 Associations in New Jersey. Backed by an incredible service team, they take pride in educating their Boards and Unit Owners on all insurance matters, and handle their business with the highest level of professionalism and ethical behavior. Is there a specific project or program that you would like to highlight? Besides our involvement in the “selling and servicing insurance” business, we are heavily invested in the “recruit- ing and enhancing” business as well. One way we develop future leaders is through our own Brown & Brown University. In our formalized 13 weeks of classes, Brown & Brown veterans take younger team members under their wings. The students work through lessons, including employee benefits and property and casualty programs, led by people who have reached the top of the profession We know Brown & Brown University is an effective way to help people succeed. Since it was founded in 2003, the University is responsible for turning out many graduates who are among our top performers. Our producers have a passion for learning. They consistently pursue opportunities for professional development and certification, earning des- ignations as Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), to name just a few. What might someone be surprised to learn about your company? Brown & Brown has grown and expanded to the point that it is currently ranked as the sixth largest independent

See the complete list of Ultimate Sponsors on page 2 of this issue.

77

S E P T E M B E R , 2 0 1 7