IIABA names new leadership team

Robert “Bobby” Bramlett has been inaugurated as the new chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), with Tom Minkler as chairman-elect, David Walker as vice chairman and Vaughn Graham as an at-large executive committee member. Bramlett succeeds Mike Donohoe, who will serve on the committee as immediate past chair for one year.

Bobby Bramlett is president & CEO of the Bramlett Agency in Ardmore, Okla. He began his insurance career with The Bramlett Agency in 1975 and has served as its president and CEO since 1983. He is past president of Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma (IIAO) and most recently served as vice-chairman of IIABA. In 2008, Bramlett received the IIABA’s highest Government Affairs award, the Sydney O. Smith National Legislative Award. He was also given IIAO’s highest award, The Eagle of Excellence Award, in 2009. Bramlett is a graduate of St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield, Wis., and earned his bachelor’s in Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Tom Minkler is president of the Clark-Mortenson Agency in Keene, N.H. He is a past chairman of the New Hampshire Association of Insurance Agents, past New Hampshire director on the IIABA national board and past president of the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents and is past chairman of the IIABA Government Affairs Committee. He has also served on various other IIABA committees including the Professional Liability Committee, the Agents Advocacy Fund, the IIAA Agency Administrative Services board of directors and the Captive Study Committee.

David Walker, CIC, AAI, LIC, is president of Hartland Insurance Agency in Hartland, Mich. He began his insurance career in 1979, and joined Hartland Insurance Agency as a producer. He has served on the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) Young Agents Council, Education Committee, Legislative Affairs Committee and Agency-Company Relations Committee. Additionally, he has served on the board of directors and as president of MAIA and the Genesee County Independent Agents. At the national level, he has served on the boards of the IIABA, CAP and IIABA Advantage, and as a member of the IIABA Professional Liability Committee.

Vaughn Graham is president of Rich & Cartmill, Inc. headquartered in Tulsa, Okla. He is a past chairman of the IIAO and has served on the IIABA national board of directors. Graham was recognized in 2012 with IIAO’s highest honor, The Eagle of Excellence Award. At the national association level, since 2009, he has chaired the IIAA Member Services Board, served on the IIABA Advantage Board, was a Trustee on the InsurPac Board, and was a member of the Agents & Brokers Roundtable.

In other industry news:

Robert Kerzner, CLU, ChFC, president and CEO of LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global, is the recipient of the Round Table of New York’s 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award.  

The award recognizes individuals for their contribution to the insurance and financial services industry, as well as their accomplishments in the areas of ethics, education and industry leadership. 

In 1974, Kerzner began his career at The Hartford as a life insurance sales agent, establishing performance records in field sales and management, before moving to senior management. He ultimately was promoted to executive vice president and head of the individual life division of Hartford Life, Inc.

Kerzner was named president and CEO of LIMRA after his retirement from The Hartford. He led the effort to bring LIMRA and LOMA together under a single management organization, LL Global, which became effective Jan. 1, 2008. Together, LIMRA, LOMA and LL Global have more than 1,200 members in more than 70 countries, including most of the world’s largest life insurance companies. 

The 94th Anniversary Black Tie Dinner of the Round Table of New York will be held Monday, Dec. 3 at the Union League Club in New York City. 

Larry Roth, president and CEO of Advisor Group, has been elected as the Insured Retirement Institute’s new chairman of the board of directors. Roth succeeds Lynne Ford, executive vice president for Calvert Distributors Inc. Ford now holds the position of past chairman and has been reelected to serve another term as a member of the board of directors. That term will expire in 2015.