The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors installed John Davidson as president Tuesday at its annual convention in San Francisco.
Davidson, a holder of the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow designation, is a field representative in Thousand Oaks, Calif., with New York Life Insurance Company.
Davidson succeeds David Smithkey, who will become immediate past president.
Jeffrey Taggart of Cody, Wyo., will be president-elect.
The other officers elected at the NAIFA convention are Cliff Wilson, secretary, and Peter Browne, treasurer.
Also at the NAIFA convention:
- Bylaws: NAIFA's national council has approved 2 changes to the group's bylaws.
The first broadens active membership in NAIFA to include agents and advisors licensed to sell life, health and property-casualty insurance. The other allows associate members to hold leadership positions in local associations.
- Awards: NAIFA has named James Benson to be the 65th recipient of its top award, the John Newtown Russell Memorial Award.
The award recognizes the recipient for sustained and meritorious service to the life insurance industry.
Benson, who holds the Chartered Life Underwriter professional designation, is president of Clark Benson L.L.C., an executive compensation consulting arm of Clark Consulting Inc., Barrington, Ill.
Benson joined the firm in 2005, after retiring as president of John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston.
Benson started out as a producer at Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, Newport Beach, Calif.
In 1997, Benson was appointed president of New England Financial, Boston, an affiliate of MetLife Inc., New York. Benson later became the unit's chairman.
In February 1999, Benson took on additional duties as president of individual business at MetLife.
Benson has served on the board of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting, Falls Church, Va., and as an interim chief executive officer of NAIFA.
He also has been a trustee of the American College and the American College Endowment Fund and a member of the LUTC board.
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