“Better Together”–More Than a Presidential Theme

The pathway to become President of NASBP has been a fortuitous journey. For me, the path has encompassed all parts of my 40-year career in this industry. Becoming President of this Association was not a goal or even a fleeting thought when I initially began attending NASBP Regional and Annual meetings. I looked upon the NASBP Presidents as individuals who were icons of the surety industry, almost larger than life; and I admired them for their work in advocating for the use of the surety product.

One of our NASBP Past Presidents, Derrell Dodson (pictured), was among those individuals. Many years ago I volunteered to teach a class at the local AGC office to help educate young contractors on the process of surety bonding. Before I taught the class, I thought it wise to gain some insights from a successful, experienced surety bond professional, Derrell, who was then teaching a similar class; and so, I signed up to attend the class he was instructing. I quickly noticed how Derrell communicated with these contractors. When teaching, he made a comment that has stuck with me since that day, probably 35 years ago. Derrell told the attendees, “There are many facets to success, and you might be the best worker ever; but you cannot achieve success by yourself.” He explained, “You must develop relationships in business with people that can help you succeed. The survival of a new business is tough, but it becomes much easier if you have enough people willing to help you be successful.”

As the years passed, I took his advice to heart, looking for opportunities to surround myself with supportive people. I became more involved in NASBP activities and committees, making many of my best friends in the Association. These were individuals whom I grew to admire and respect. These women and men advanced in the leadership of NASBP, and many of them are now NASBP Past Presidents. As my friends became more involved, it made the process of my involvement in NASBP a natural progression. I began to take on more responsibility, so I could participate together with my friends. I believe that being with these leaders helped me grow, and, by our being together, it made me become a better surety professional and a better person.

Participation in committee work with the local AGC chapter further provided opportunities to increase my network of friends and colleagues. Interestingly, my activities with an AGC committee helped grow my involvement with NASBP.

Every NASBP First Vice President’s year is ramped up with preparations for the next year, when he or she will serve as the NASBP President. Mine was no different from those who have served previously in that position, and, like theirs, mine included choosing a theme for my presidential year. In anticipation I began to keep a notebook with me for months, and every time I had a thought about a potential theme I would write it down. I probably made 20-30 notes regarding potential theme ideas. Then, during a conversation one day in my agency office about how our office staff works so well together, I mentioned how we are “Better Together.” And there it was–the culmination of years of working with our staff, underwriters, and clients–my belief that, when we work together, we can accomplish greater tasks, and all become “Better Together.”

Working face-to-face, I believe, is the best way to learn from each other, making us “Better Together.” The past 15 months of quarantining and working from home has been difficult for all of us. I am particularly concerned about our younger members and younger underwriters who have not been able to learn from their mentors and peers in-person during this time. Although much of the “book” stuff of the surety business can be taught remotely, the nuances of how we do business are better taught—and learned—in person. Learning how to conduct meetings with clients and underwriters and how to work through difficult situations is a process that I believe is best taught in-person, not in a remote environment. That is why I am so excited that NASBP will be holding its William J. Angell Surety School in-person this summer, and our young producers and underwriters can learn from the best instructors in this business and hear the instructors’ real-life stories.

In fact, the Association is undertaking pursuits requiring collaborative efforts of colleagues and industry groups. NASBP already is planning a joint, federal Legislative Fly-in for 2022 with SFAA, so we, as an industry, can, once again, work together to educate members of Congress about the value of our product. In addition, NASBP, together with the SFAA, International Credit Insurance & Surety Association, and Surety Association of Canada are working with the RiskStream Collaborative to explore how blockchain technology can be utilized to bring process and efficiency improvements into the use of powers of attorney documents. Also, I hope you have marked your calendars to attend, at a minimum, one of the NASBP East and West meetings this fall. At these meetings we will learn about the latest challenges our industry faces and meet with colleagues to collaborate on how we can continue to provide our surety product to stakeholders.

I look forward to working with everyone this year and setting the groundwork for many accomplishments and successes for you, your firm, and our industry because I truly believe—together—we will accomplish our goals, and we are “Better Together” in undertaking those pursuits.

Tracy Tucker is President of Tucker Agency, Ltd. in Fort Worth, TX. He can be reached at tracy@tuckeragency.com or 817.336.8520.