As of this issue of Pipeline, NASBP has presented three winners with a $100 Amazon.com e-gift card which is sponsored by e-SURETY. The only requirement for entry in the drawing is the individual has to have posted a message to one of NASBP’s more than 40 eGroup Discussions during that month. Qualifying candidates must start the discussion on a new topic or respond to a message to a current ongoing discussion started earlier by someone else.

“Everyone is using technology to communicate, and it’s important that we, as bond producers utilize that to our benefit,” according to Joshua A. Etemadi, Producer, Construction Bonds, Inc. a Division of Murray Risk Management and Insurance, of Fairfax, VA. “SuretyConnect is a great way to do that; we can communicate with each other regarding vital topics such as legislation and financial reporting guidelines or just keep in touch with old friends from Surety School. As newer producers and contractors utilize SuretyConnect, it is important to have a tool such as this to keep in touch and to continue to be of service to contractors’ needs.”

To send a public message to an NASBP eGroup Discussion:

1. Log in to nasbp.org by clicking My Profile or Log in.
2. Click My Profile > eGroup Discussions to view the eGroup Discussions to which you are a member. You belong to the e-Groups displayed in bold face.
3. Click on the word “post” (in the top right side of the screen) to send a message to one of these eGroup Discussions. Alternatively, respond to a current discussion by clicking on the words “Reply to eGroup” from a delivered eGroup message in your email inbox.
4. If you would like to join additional eGroup Discussions, click on the words Add/Change Subscriptions.

The titles of some of the eGroup Discussions may sound familiar. Some of them include the Surety School Alumni, Virtual Seminar Participants, various NASBP Committees and NASBP Steering Committees. The eGroup Discussions with the most members are those representing an industry topic. These include, Agency Management and Technology, Construction Finance and Accounting, Contracts and Bond Forms, General, and Legislation, Regulations, and Rules. Recently, the e-Group Discussion called, “General,” had an engaging discussion about the resident agent countersignature laws that many of the membership still encounter despite the fact that these are unconstitutional. Visit the General eGroup Discussion to view the thread of emails on this topic, by going to My Profile, eGroup Discussions.

The winners to date of the monthly NASBP SuretyConnect drawing include:

• September, 2010 Winner: Catherine L. McMillan,  J. Smith Lanier & Company, Knoxville, TN
• October, 2010 Winner: C. Wayne McCartha, McCartha, Cobb & Associates, Inc., Columbia, SC
• November, 2010 Winner: Linda Becchetti, Financial Pacific Insurance Co., Rocklin, CA

For additional assistance, please contact Dave Golden, Director, Technology at dgolden@nasbp.org.