Volunteer for a NASBP Committee and Receive a Bountiful Return on Your Investment

One of the driving motivations for joining NASBP is that surety is a relationship business. It’s about the relationship between the agent and client, as well as the relationship between the agent and underwriter and that of underwriter and client. The stronger the relationship and communication between the parties, the more business benefits for everyone. Strong relationships between surety professionals—producers and underwriters—across geographic markets build better surety practices that help our clients and prospects. A large part of my success is due to the relationships I developed with other NASBP members. Many of those relationships started at a NASBP meeting and were solidified and deepened by working with colleagues on various committees. Members of a particular committee, by definition, have common interests and goals, and by working together to achieve those goals, they often become lifelong friends.

We recently wrapped up our Midyear Board Meeting in Asheville, NC. Like the NASBP Annual Meeting & Expo, the Midyear Meeting schedules all of the Committee meetings the day before the Board Meeting. Then, the next day Committee Chairs report on the Committees’ activities during the morning NASBP Board Meeting. The Midyear Meeting is a working meeting without the distractions of entertaining and other events we have at the Annual. Those in attendance get a chance to take deep dives into some of the issues that the NASBP and surety industry at large are wrestling with.

All the NASBBP committees look for ways to strengthen our community and provide value to the membership. The Government Relations Committee advocates for, protects, and advances the interests of professional surety bond producers and of suretyship. Building legislative awareness and opposing adverse legislative and regulatory policies falls to the Government Relations Committee. One of the ways the Committee monitors and informs the membership about legislative threats and opportunities that crop up across the country is by publishing the NASBP Focal Point e-bulletin. An important Committee initiative is the Federal Legislative Fly-in. Be sure you register for the February 24-25, 2026 Fly-in here: https://www.nasbp.org/networking-events/upcoming-events/legislative-fly-in/2026legislative-fly-in/

The Industry Relations Committee works with trade groups like the AGC, CFMA, ASA, FASB Private Company Council, and many others to convey the importance of surety bonds and the role of the bond producer through various means including speaking engagements and dissemination and placement of articles and materials in trade publications as well as NASBP publications, such as the Surety Bond Quarterly magazine, NASBP SmartBrief and Pipeline enewsletters, NASBP Blogs, and NASBP social media channels.

The International Committee recently published the “International Surety Bonds—Navigating Surety Around the World” brochure. As countries, like India, build their surety market, it’s a growing opportunity for all of us, and we need to be aware of these developments.

The Small & Emerging Business and Commercial Surety Committees do critical work to educate both NASBP members and the public at large on how surety affects these markets. The issues faced by these clients are often very specialized. Whether it’s a new contractor that needs U.S. Small Business Administration support for its first bond or one that needs to understand the nuances of increasing a customs bond, having the resources to understand the risks and how to best help clients mitigate these risks is essential for our members.

To me, the Ethics Committee is central to surety. Character is one of our “3Cs,” and the hardest to evaluate. This Committee keeps the spotlight on the role of ethics in our daily lives. If you have an opportunity to sit in on one of the ethics classes at the NASBP Surety School, take it. The faculty discussions with students will make you realize ethics isn’t always as cut and dry as you may think.

The Automation & Technology Committee has the challenge of promoting appropriate technology, which seems to change every day. Initiatives like standardizing the transmittal of financial records with XBRL and advancing digital bonding are needed for the surety industry to stay relevant. XBRL will be key to the successful integration of AI into underwriting and risk assessment. AI can’t decide what makes a good risk, but it can crunch data faster than any other tool available—it just needs quality, error-free inputs.

The Professional Development Committee is our keystone to Building Better because this Committee advances the knowledge and skills of surety bond professionals by developing and offering professional development and educational programs, including the William J. Angell Surety School, NASBP Virtual Seminars, workshops, and distance learning courses.

On the business side of things, the Finance Committee does the yeoman’s work of making sure we remain on solid, financial footing. Thanks to its stewardship and close coordination with the other committees and staff, the NASBP operates from a position of strength. The NASBP Finance Committee is working closely with the Membership Committee to review our membership and dues structure given the changes to our members and general industry business practices over the last 5-10 years to ensure we remain a strong, vital organization.

Selected by the current President, the Annual Meeting Program Committee organizes the capstone event of the year—the NASBP Annual Meeting & Expo. The upcoming meeting at The Broadmoor from May 17-20 doesn’t happen by itself! The members of the Committee are planning an engaging, relevant program that celebrates the past year and important initiatives for the years to come.

The 5-15 Leadership Committee is focused on developing leadership by encouraging participation in NASBP committees and events. Giving these members the opportunity to meet surety executives and other industry leaders broadens their perspective. Many of the 5-15 members will be the movers and shakers of the surety industry down the road. Committee involvement is by nomination form submitted in the open enrollment period each year from January to the Annual Meeting.

All the NASBP committees need the involvement of surety professionals who have fresh and new perspectives. Participation is a terrific way to get introduced to other people in our industry that you may not have the opportunity to meet otherwise. Surety is a relationship business. I strongly recommend that you engage in NASBP, your association, by participating in one of these committees. You get out of NASBP what you put into it, and the possibilities are endless. If you want to serve on a NASBP Committee, complete the NASBP Committee Interest Form here: https://www.nasbp.org/networking-events/committees/request-to-join-a-committee/. Each member of a NASBP committee is appointed annually by the NASBP President. For more information, contact NASBP staff or the Committee Chairs to see how you can be Building Better!

Robert Coon is Vice President – Surety at Scott Insurance in Greensboro, NC. He can be reached at rcoon@scottins.com or 336.510.0072.