My term as your
99th Big I CT Chair of the Board is drawing to a close. I am thrilled to have led our Association during the celebration of our 125th anniversary. 125 years of unwavering commitment to our members and industry is a remarkable milestone.
Reflecting on this past year working with my fellow Board members and members of our talented Association Management Team, I am proud of what we achieved in support of Big I CT members.
Having a voice in Hartford and Washington is critical to the success of our members and our industry. We had several “wins" during the 2024 CT Legislative session, with more work to be done. In April, several of us, along with 600 or so independent agents country-wide, attended the annual Big I National Legislative Conference. With synchronized “talking points," we met with our respective national elected officials, presenting our position on key industry issues.
We recently announced a new membership benefit: full access subscription to
Catalyit at no additional cost. This outstanding resource will help members make educated technology-related decisions while maximizing the utilization of current tech equipment and applications.
We have several active and impactful member committees, including NextGen, Technology, and Legislative. These committees work on behalf of our members to attract, educate, and retain young agents, leverage and expand technology resources, and advocate for current and longer-term issues significant to our members and our industry.
Jointly with our Big I NY counterparts, our respective boards continue to explore areas of collaboration and opportunity to create efficiencies and expense savings with our shared Management Team, benefiting both associations. Moreover, we identified common goals that would enhance the benefits for our respective members. These include expanding NextGen initiatives, broadening our approach to technology solutions, and leveraging legislative initiatives that benefit our clients and industry. Communication is ongoing and fully supported by our respective Boards.
During our recent Annual Meeting, we installed a talented Board of Directors distinct in terms of age, experience, agency affiliation, and geographic location. Moreover, our Association's financials are strong, and we have the capital resources available to prudently invest in our future.
I want to express sincere thanks to my fellow Board members for your support, commitment, and leadership during my term as Board Chair. Together, we made a difference for our members and our industry.
Lastly, I close my comments with an assurance that Big I CT's relevance to our members and our impact within our industry across our state, regionally and nationally, has never been stronger than it is today.
One year ago, I posed the question…
"it's your Association; what do you want it to be?" The question remains: get involved, make a commitment, and make your voice heard. Build on our proud 125 years of history and relevance.
Bob Jones, Board ChairBig I CT