10/06/2026
Last week was a great week representing Kansas independent agents at the Big "I" Fall Leadership Meeting in Baltimore! The hotel was right across the street from Camden Yards, home of the Orioles!
KAIA was again honored to receive the Diamond Elite Excellence in Insurance Education Award, recognizing our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality education and professional development opportunities for Kansas agents. Our Young Agent leaders (Jordan Crow, Ashton Fee, and Regan Ours) participated in the Young Agents Leadership Conference, connecting with peers from across the country and developing the new ideas to lead our future agency leaders. Dave Hulcher , Beth Smoller, Dave Vogel, and Bryan Schmitz gathered with other state association lobbyists to discuss emerging legislative and regulatory issues, NAIC and NCOIL initiatives, and the impact on agents and consumers. Lastly, Jo Erin Stuteville attended the national board meeting receiving updates on the priorities, initiatives, and future direction of the Big "I" and the independent agency channel.
Most importantly we finally got Bryan to try a raw oyster on the half shell and he said it wasn't that bad! Kansas agents are well represented at a national level.
