NAHU 2011: Candidates Call for Marketing Push, New Ed Offerings

SAN ANTONIO — The National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) should organize a campaign that would make consumers as aware of NAHU membership as they are of National Association of Realtors membership.

Don Goldmann, a California benefits sales education manager, proposed that idea here at the 2011 annual convention of NAHU, Arlington, Va.

NAHU Officer Races

Goldmann, a NAHU regional vice president, is competing with another NAHU regional vice president, Ruthann Laswick of Phoenix, to be NAHU's next secretary.

NAHU also has two candidates for the office of treasurer. Ryan Thorn is squaring off against Chris Harrison.

The candidates have been promoting themselves with stickers, convention badge NAHU Meeting holder lanyards, and chocolate bars and chocolate coins.

The candidates themselves have said they agree on most issues, such as the need to increase NAHU's membership.

Harrison has made a point of focusing on the need to strengthen NAHU's professional development programs.

"Professional development isn't continuing education," Harrison said. "Professional development is a choice about being ready to handle what comes next."

Realtor vs. ?

Goldmann said NAHU should raise the several hundred thousand dollars needed to hire a top media creative team.

In California, he said, he state Realtor group has promoted the message that consumers should do business with a real estate insurance agent who is a Realtor group member, not simply a licensed agent, Goldman said.

A good creative team might come up a comparable approach for NAHU, and it might, for example, come up with a health insurance equivalent of the term "Realtor," Goldmann said.

NAHU also has to continue to ramp up legislative affairs efforts, Goldmann said.

"We want to make sure that we're not just sitting at the table, but also preparing the menu and eating the feast," Goldmann said.