AUSTIN, TX – Each year, a group of exceptional insurance professionals are chosen by The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research to represent their states and compete to become the National Outstanding CSR of the Year.
This prestigious award, regarded as the foremost national award of its kind, recognizes the contributions and commitment of those who serve clients within the insurance industry.
To qualify for the top state honor, the 2018 candidates submitted an essay on the following topic:
“In today’s business environment, CSRs are finding that more work is required from a smaller staff pool. As a CSR, what four ways have you found beneficial in helping you accomplish work tasks while still providing excellent customer service? In short, how do you do more with less?”
Additionally, entrants must have demonstrated commendable service to their agencies, their industry, and their community. The only eligibility requirement for this award is that the candidate must be an insurance customer service representative or have primary responsibility for insurance customer service duties.
“The Outstanding CSR of the Year Award recognizes the annual exemplar for exceptional customer service representatives across the nation,” said Danielle Janecka, Senior Vice President of The National Alliance.
“Through their essays, contributions to their agencies, and their letters of recommendation, every one of the state winners helps to raise the standard for personal and professional excellence. We honor them for their clear contributions to their colleagues, teams, and organizations. They are the face of customer service for our whole industry.”
Each state winner receives a framed certificate and is eligible to compete for the national honor, which carries a $2,000 cash award, a gold and diamond pin, $1,000 cash award for the nominator, and a scholarship for the recipient’s employer to any program offered by The National Alliance.
Additionally, the name of the Outstanding CSR of the Year is inscribed on a sculpture permanently displayed at the national headquarters of The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research in Austin, Texas.
State Winners:
| State | Name | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Kathleen A. Dragan | Hill Insurance Services, LLC |
| California | Jenny Chea-Vaing, CISR | Singlepoint Insurance Services, Inc. |
| Delaware | Maria T. Metcalfe, CISR | Bellevue Insurance Services, LLC |
| Florida | Catrin Liffner | Beck Partners Insurance |
| Illinois | Sara K. Mancini, CISR Elite, AIS | Market Financial Group, Ltd, a division of Arthur J. Gallagher |
| Indiana | Amanda Stoller | Ovation Insurance |
| Iowa | Jeremy Smith, CIC, CISR | The Accel Group |
| Kansas | Kimberly Andersen, CISR | J. Goodman Insurance Agency |
| Kentucky | Brandy Marcum | Market Finders Insurance Corporation |
| Louisiana | Kristen G. Fligg, CISR | Amerisafe |
| Maine | Lori Duval | F.A. Peabody Company |
| Maryland | Gregory A. Clem | HUB International Mid-Atlantic, Inc. |
| Michigan | Brian St. Charles, CISR | Michigan Community Insurance Agency |
| Minnesota | Starr L. Marshall, CISR | Reliable Agency |
| Mississippi | Laura A. Freeman, CISR | Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance, Inc. |
| Nebraska | Michele Koehler, CISR | Integrity Insurance Group |
| North Carolina | Teresa P. Gedraytis, CIC, CISR | James E. Moore Insurance Agency, Inc. |
| Ohio | Beth Ann Mitchell | Lauber & Will Insurance Agency |
| Oregon | Kendall I. Pori, CIC | Protectors Insurance, LLC |
| Pennsylvania | Ashley M. Fitzsimmons, CISR | Fitzsimmons Insurance Agency, Inc. |
| South Carolina | Anna M. Kocuba, CISR | Kinghorn Insurance of Beaufort |
| Tennessee | Elizabeth A. Wilkins | Martin & Zerfoss Insurance |
| Texas | Linda M. Dailey | Insurance Partners/SWBC |
| Utah | Stephanie Holden, CISR, CPSR | SentryWest Insurance Services |
| Vermont | Katie LaFreniere, CISR | Crowley Insurance Agency |
| Washington | Amy Hayes | Duncan & Associates, Inc. |
| Wisconsin | Stacey M. Migliano, CISR | The Trottier Insurance Group |
| Wyoming | Cindy Gerhold | HUB International |
The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, the nation’s premier provider of advanced educational opportunities for insurance and risk management professionals, includes the Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) Program, the Certified Risk Managers (CRM) Program, the Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) Program, the Certified Personal Risk Managers Program (CPRM), the Certified School Risk Managers (CSRM) Program, the Dynamics Sales Training Series, the School for Producer Development, and The National Alliance Research Academy.
For further information, contact:
The National Alliance
P.O. Box 27027
Austin, Texas 78755-2027
phone: (800) 633-2165
website: TheNationalAlliance.com
