Leon Huffman, co-chair of the NAILBA government affairs committee, told opening-day attendees at NAILBA's annual meeting in Hollywood, Fla. on Thursday that "Silence is not an option."
More than 1,000 people were in attendance during the first day of the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) 28th annual meeting.
Huffman, who is president of Huffman & Associates, Orlando, Fla., in addition to his NAILBA office, reviewed how developments in the economy and Congress are affecting the insurance business. The financial services industry "is portrayed as the epitome of everything wrong with corporate America," he said. The government is "making aggressive moves to regulate our business, our fiduciary role, our suitability role, and even our supervisory responsibility over our own agencies." After discussing many threats to the business, he urged NAILBA members to help NAILBA present the industry's views. "We can't do it alone. We need you to fight too. Silence is not an option."
Also during Thursday's main platform, NAILBA Chairman Gary S. Dworkin told the audience that 2009 has been a terrific, vital, challenging and exhausting year for the association; but the association was able to complete a strategic overhaul so it could better focus on these areas: advocacy, education, networking with others in the industry, and member growth.
