SOCIETY HEADLINES
Online Registration Is Now Available for the 2008 Annual Meeting and Seminars
Start planning your trip to Philadelphia today! The CPCU Society’s 2008 Annual Meeting and Seminars web area is live. You can register online, book a hotel, and preview special events and seminars. The 64th Annual Meeting and Seminars will be held on September 6–9 in Philadelphia, Pa. Just announced: Phil Keoghan, host of the TV series The Amazing Race, will share his own quest for success with attendees at the 2008 AICPCU Conferment Ceremony. Among other highlights: hear timeless lessons in leadership from Keynote Speaker Doris Kearns Goodwin, an award-winning author and historian; gain insights into industry trends at general sessions on “Heritage and Horizons: Leadership Perspectives of Large Regional Carriers” and “Through the Looking Glass: Industry Insiders Contemplate the Future”; and choose from more than 40 educational seminars that can help keep you competitive. Check out the Annual Meeting and Seminars web area, and register online today.

Use Your Smart Phone to Access the Membership Directory and Calendar
Ever been lost or stuck in traffic on your way to a meeting? If you have access to the CPCU Society’s web site through a wireless handheld device, such as a Blackberry or Treo, you can search Society’s online Membership Directory or Educational Events Calendar anytime, anywhere. You can look up a member’s address, phone number, or e-mail address; find out where a Society event is being held; or get driving directions through your phone. Find out how to access membership and event information from your phone.

Society President Featured in Two Industry Publications
James L. Britt, CPCU, the Society’s 2007-2008 president, was featured in two insurance industry trade publications in April. He was quoted extensively in “The Main Ingredients,” which appeared in the April 15 issue of Risk and Insurance magazine. The article describes the types of people who become underwriters. Britt also co-authored an article with Daniel J. Pliszka on “Career Development: How Do I Get Where I Want to Go?” The article, published in the April issue of Public Risk magazine, addresses the opportunities for career advancement in light of the impending “brain drain” and labor shortages on the horizon.

Leadership Summit Enjoys Strong Attendance and Support
The CPCU Society’s 2008 Leadership Summit, April 2-5, in Orlando, Fla., drew nearly 400 attendees, including 180 chapter leaders from 106 chapters. In addition, 38 chapters sponsored events at the Summit, setting a new Summit sponsorship record. Chapter sponsors receive many benefits, including Circle of Excellence credit and recognition on the Society’s web site. The Summit included the Board of Governors’ spring meeting, committee and task force meetings, chapter leader workshops, and CPCU Society Center for Leadership courses. See photos of the chapter sponsors.

Vermont Chapter Wins Ethics Award
Congratulations to the Vermont Chapter, which won the Society’s 2008 Ethics Awareness Award for its unique approach in celebrating Ethics Awareness Month in March. The chapter invited Art Cohn, an elite diver and historian, to talk about ethics in history. The chapter received the award at the 2008 Leadership Summit in April. Read more about the Vermont Chapter’s program, and find out how other chapters celebrated Ethics Awareness Month.

Society Spotlights Champion at Hartford Steam Boiler
Noreen Kuziak, CPCU, a property reinsurance underwriter for HSB SpecialtyRe, and the director of New Designees for the Connecticut Chapter, is a CPCU Society Champion at The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company. She credits her role as a Champion for her enhanced visibility with senior management of both HSB and parent company AIG. Kuziak is now working with the AIG Insurance School to develop initiatives to promote awareness of, and interest and enrollment in the CPCU and the CPCU Society across the different AIG companies. Read more in the May 2008 Champion Spotlight. To sign up to be a Champion at your employer, send us an e-mail.

Tap Into a Community of Winners
CPCU Society members are “winners.” A March 2008 survey of the Society’s Member Opinion Panel found that Society members realize not only earnings gains, career advancement, and personal growth from their CPCU designations, but also become more effective and higher performing employees. Read the survey report, and join the Member Opinion Panel today.

FROM THE MEMBER RESOURCE CENTER . . .
Are Your Member Records Up to Date?
If you have moved, changed jobs, or have a new phone number or e-mail address, please update your member records. Keeping your records up to date ensures that you will continue to receive Society publications, important e-mails, and other timely information. To review and update your member records, log in to the CPCU Society web site and click on “Update Your Member Contact Information.” To change chapter or company information, or if you need assistance in updating your e-mail address, send an e-mail to the Member Resource Center, or call (800) 932-CPCU, option 4.

To ensure accuracy when notifying the Member Resource Center of address or e-mail changes, or to register for an educational event, please provide your member ID number, or your name exactly as it appears on your member records.

VITAL INDUSTRY ISSUES
Product Recall Litigation: The Case of Merck
Recently, our society has witnessed an alarming increase in the number and magnitude of recalled products. Product manufacturers and distributors in the United States must deal with the realities and aftermath of mass product recalls. In the May CPCU eJournal article “Mass Tort Litigation: The Case of Merck,” Karen Epermanis, Ph.D.; Raul A. Martinez; and Brenda Wells, Ph.D., CPCU, AAI, describe Merck’s approach to the Vioxx recall and resulting litigation, and discuss some of the litigation issues surrounding mass tort litigation. Read it today, and subscribe to the CPCU eJournal reminder service to receive a monthly e-mail with a direct link to the latest issue.

WE’RE “SPREADING THE WORD!”
May Visibility Spotlight Winner “Spreads the Word!” on AIG Intranet
Bart Shachnow, CPCU, CFP, CLU, ChFC, associate director of the Broker Outreach Program for the AIG Insurance School, recently wrote an article about the CPCU designation for AIG’s intranet, which reaches employees around the world. Shachnow has also developed several tactics to increase awareness and interest in the CPCU designation. Response to these visibility efforts has exceeded expectations. “Our Atlanta office ran an informational program on designations with little advance notice and planning, and 40 people still showed up. Clearly there is an interest here; we need to respond to that interest and need for support effectively,” he said. Read more in the May Visibility Spotlight. In recognition for his “Spread the Word!” efforts, Shachnow will receive a business card holder with the CPCU Society logo.

Get the recognition you deserve! To be considered for the Visibility Spotlight, send us an e-mail with details on how you “Spread the Word!” Or send a submission through any of the online feedback tools.

CAREER FOCUS
How Are Industry Trends Affecting Your Career Growth?
Today’s career landscape is vastly different from 10 years ago. With four generations in the workforce, insurance organizations are beginning to transform along with their employees. In this timely article by Martin E. Murphy, CPCU, of The Jacobson Group, find out what these industry changes mean for you:

• The Changing Face of Insurance: The Industry’s Hiring Outlook for 2008

Check out the latest career development articles to learn how you can advance your career and help your company to be more productive.

BACK TO SCHOOL
Upcoming Educational Events
In • May, and • June, the CPCU Society will present technical education workshops and CPCU Society Center for Leadership courses in the following cities:

Online registration is available for members and nonmembers. A state filing roster fee may apply to each technical education workshop and leadership course, depending on the state. If you wish to receive the double discount for CPCU Society Center for Leadership courses, mail or fax your completed registration form to the CPCU Society, or call the Member Resource Center. For more information, send an e-mail to the Member Resource Center, or call (800) 932-CPCU, option 4.

INTEREST GROUP NEWS
CLEW Interest Group to Present Maryland Symposia
The Consulting, Litigation and Expert Witness Interest Group (CLEW) will present a symposium on “How to Start Your Own Consulting Practice” on May 28, and a second symposium on “Order in the Court! The Insurance Professional as Expert Witness & Litigation Consultant” on May 29. Both programs will be held in Chevy Chase, Md. See the agenda and register today.

Personal Lines Interest Group to Hold Webinars
The Personal Lines Interest Group will hold a two-part webinar on “Predictive Modeling” on May 15 and May 22. Personal Lines Interest Group members may attend the webinars for free. The cost for other Society members is $29 for one part; $39 for both parts. See the description and register today.

CPCU SOCIETY JOB NETWORK NEWS
Good News for Job Seekers
Now is a great time to seek opportunities in the insurance and finance industry. The U.S. Department of Labor indicates that 184,000 openings occurred during the first quarter of 2008, with only 118,000 hires. See what’s new on the CPCU Society Job Network. And be sure to update your résumé and post it anonymously on the Job Network.

CPCU SOCIETY SHOP ONLINE
Society Offers Stylish New Lapel Pin at a Great Price
In response to requests from chapters, the CPCU Society is proud to offer the new CPCU Bar Pin. The silver-colored, nickel-plated pin features the letters “CPCU” in a border outline. Priced at only $7.50 each, these distinctive pins are an affordable gift for all the new designees in your company or your chapter. Or, buy a bunch for your CPCU colleagues. You can purchase the CPCU Bar Pin directly from the Society for $7.50, plus shipping and handling. For more information or to order, send an e-mail to Patrick Hansell, or call (800) 932-CPCU, ext. 2730.

More CPCU merchandise is available online. With summer just around the corner, now is a good time to stock up on CPCU Society polo shirts and other items. Visit the CPCU Society Shop Online.

WORDS TO LIVE BY . . .

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it.”

—Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
American statesman, printer, inventor