KERI MORRELL,
CIC, AAI, AIS, ASLI, CISR, CPSR, CPIW, DAE

August 29th will go down as a day for the history books.  Hurricane Katrina made landfall and affected so many lives including our own.  I can only imagine the loss that many people have felt.  Although, we here in Southwest Mississippi were greatly affected by this catastrophic event, we were spared the devastation that occurred on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

Most of us suffered through the first week without power and water.  Many of us took in relatives and friends that were more directly affected by the devastation of the storm and we all worried for friends and loved ones that were displaced or left homeless.  But thankfully, all of us weathered the storm with very little in the way of damage and the inconveniences were short-lived.

Our lives have become more chaotic at work from the deluge of claims and demands for service and information about our insured’s policies.  Perhaps the first wave of claim filings is at an end, but we are now having to deal with the second wave of calls concerning adjustors – where are they, who are they and when are they coming as well as when will my claim be paid and why wasn’t I paid for this or why isn’t this covered.  Many of these things are out of our control, but this is when we need to stand up and be the professionals that we educated ourselves to be.  This is what the insurance industry is really about – this is when our customers need us the most.

Yes, we’re tired, tense, overworked, understaffed, perhaps even under-equipped for such a huge event.  But we are all professionals – and our contact with our customers especially at this time should be conducted with sincerity, concerned empathy and above all else – professionalism.

The days and weeks of difficulty will continue for some time, but recovery is underway and we need to be part of that recovery.  I want to thank the many members of Region III and especially Ann Tharp, for their help, support, concern and encouragement during this time.  Your many calls, emails and offers of help have been greatly appreciated.  We are truly blessed to have such a large and caring NAIW family

September

October

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Dependability - The certainty of proper performance of duty.

Bearing - Creating a favorable impression in carriage, appearance and personal conduct at all times.

Courage - The mental quality that recognizes fear of danger or criticism, but enables a man to proceed in the face of it with calmness and firmness.

Decisiveness - Ability to make decisions promptly and to announce them in clear, forceful manner.

Endurance - The mental and physical stamina measured by the ability to withstand pain, fatigue, stress and hardship.

Enthusiasm - The display of sincere interest and exuberance in the performance of duty.

Initiative - Taking action in the absence of orders.

Integrity - Uprightness of character and soundness of moral principles; includes the qualities of truthfulness and honesty.

Judgment - The ability to weigh facts and possible solutions on which to base sound decisions.

Justice - Giving reward and punishment according to merits of the case in question. The ability to administer a system of rewards and punishments impartially and consistently.

Knowledge - Understanding of a science or an art. The range of one's information, including professional knowledge and an understanding of your followers.

Tact - The ability to deal with others without creating offense.

Unselfishness - Avoidance of providing for one's own comfort and personal advancement at the expense of others.

Loyalty - The quality of faithfulness to country, the family, the company, to one's seniors, subordinates and peers.

In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. insurance industry has established the Hurricane Insurance Information Center (HIIC) in Jackson, Mississippi. Additional centers will be opened in other Gulf Coast locations as conditions permit.

The HIIC will act as a primary source of insurance information to the media and conduct an active consumer outreach program in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

A Web site ( http://www.disasterinformation.org ) will offer claim filing tips, provide general information on insurance coverages and refer people to insurers, government agencies, and other sources of assistance.

"The insurance industry's overriding priority is helping the people of the Gulf Coast to recover from this devastating event," said Gordon Stewart, president of the Insurance Information Institute, which is establishing the Center on behalf of the insurance industry.

The insurance industry has created similar disaster insurance information offices following major catastrophes, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City and last year's Florida hurricanes. The disaster offices provided insurance information to thousands of displaced homeowners and businesses in restoring communities.

The Hurricane Insurance Information Center will be located at the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, 124 Riverview Drive, Flowood, Miss. 39232. The telephone number is 1-800-942-4242.

With the goal in mind to obtain uniformity in insurance regulation, address concerns expressed by the industry, and ultimately, to protect consumer interests, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has developed a central online location to report suspected fraud. The NAIC On-Line Fraud Reporting System (OFRS) for Industry is now available on the NAIC Web site (www.naic.org ). Consumers may also report suspected fraud anonymously from the same location.

Forty states, including the District of Columbia, are currently accepting reports of suspected fraud from both consumers and the industry through the new NAIC system. Additional states are expected to utilize the system in the next few months. Those reporting fraud in the 11 states still not connected to the system will be directed to those states reporting format via the NAIC system.

In order to utilize the system, participants need an NAIC Company Code (C0-Code) or the code of the company you are reporting on behalf of, in addition to the following information:

· Reporting Person - your contact information.
· Subject - the person suspected of fraud.
· Claim - the information that was provided with the insurance company.
· Fraud Type - the classification of the fraud allegedly committed.
· Fraud & Investigation - detailed information about the fraudulent activity and the status of any current investigations.
· Involved Party - any person that has information regarding the fraudulent activity.

Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., NAIC is a voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories.

With our work days becoming more and more complex, it seems we need to find more time to get more work done.  Then when we do get our work done, we have no “play” time for ourselves.  Below is a list of ideas that will give you some hints on how to avoid wasting time.  This will allow you more time for you to complete your work and for you to have some fun!

Give yourself plenty of time

Relax

Understand what must be done

Build the "right" habits

Schedule your day

Use "idle" time to your advantage

Break tasks into manageable bits

Prioritize on importance and need

Plan to work and work your plan

Use technology but don't get bogged down with it

Gather the facts, Analyze the situation

Make a decision

Watch out for "paralysis-by-analysis"

Don't procrastinate, Tie up loose ends

Implement your action plan

Do it right the first time