Our Future Is On Our Doorstep

227. That is the number of students that completed the Summer 2010 and Winter 2011 sessions of the William J. Angell Surety School. 227 new, enthusiastic, passionate surety advocates. 227 surety minds in need of development, guidance, leadership, and continued education. 227 people thirsty to grow and to put their energy and knowledge to work for the betterment of our agencies and brokerage firms, our Local Surety Associations, our clients, our affiliates, and our Association, NASBP.

In previous Pipelines, I have written to you about NASBP staff activities and how they are creating new and exciting opportunities for education and advocacy. I have also written to you about NASBP committees and opportunities for direct involvement in the future of our Association. This Pipeline column is a request to you, to all of our membership. I ask each of you to take the time necessary and make the investment to become a mentor to these young surety professionals, as they deal with these troubling economic times and the fast-paced business world that is today’s surety industry. They can benefit tremendously as we commit to train them and lead them, both by example and by day-to-day involvement in their careers.

I was fortunate to have a tough taskmaster of a mentor at the start of my career. NASBP Past President Tom Wiley was charged with assisting in my development as a surety bond producer. To say that he was not thrilled with the raw materials he was handed was an understatement. I am sure that I often tried his patience, but he was never too busy to take the time to ask my opinion or to explain a situation. I am thankful for the time he spent with me, as I am thankful for others within our organization, who saw something in me and assisted me in moving forward at various times in my career.

Today, it seems that there is not enough time in the day to lend a hand to our clients, to our families, to new business generation, to other work issues, to our NASBP involvement, and yet here I am, asking you to find extra time to mentor our newest passionate advocates. The future of our agencies, the surety industry, and NASBP depends on us developing our next generations, to make sure that the passion and interest grows. At some point in all our careers, it is time to give back to what got us here. Surety has been rewarding to each and every one of us. It is time to pay that reward back. We have to look no further than the NASBP Surety School faculty to observe this payback. Each year, our School’s faculty members give up a minimum of two weeks of their personal time, providing the foundation for our newest members. They selflessly volunteer this time, even training future competitors, for the benefit of our surety bond business.

NASBP is here to help you be a mentor by providing learning opportunities and educational tools that teach and review the fundamental principles of our business. NASBP’s Virtual Seminars provide current, relevant content to assist you in discussions and training of these young professionals. Also, the Professional Development Committee is starting development of a core curriculum for the basics of customer service representatives, a critical aspect of the business every aspiring professional should understand. The Commercial Surety Committee has recently completed an on-line, self-paced training course on the fundamentals of commercial surety. The 5-15 Leadership Circle Committee is working on management and business development programs focused on the needs of young professionals, which will be made available in the near future. In addition, the 5-15 Leadership Circle Committee will guide them in their future NASBP involvement. There are numerous NASBP opportunities and tools available to assist the future leaders of our industry in their development and growth.

Please take the time and make the effort to reinvest in our industry by assisting and developing our youngest members. There are many rewards for anyone who takes the time, I promise. In closing, I leave you with a heads up. At the January NASBP Surety School, mentorship was discussed, and all Level II students were challenged to find a mentor. If you don’t approach them, be prepared, they will approach you.

I thank you in advance. Our industry and our Association are counting on you.

J. Spencer Miller
NASBP President

J. Spencer Miller, President, Schwartz Brothers Insurance Agency, Inc. in Chicago, IL. Spence can be reached at smiller@schwartzbrothers.com.