10:00 a.m.

Registration

1:00 - 1:15 p.m.

Welcome and Introductions

Kristen Sizelove
Vice President – Member Development
NAMIC
Indianapolis, Ind.

Larry A. Bray, CPCU, PFMM
Vice President of Reinsurance
Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation
Madison, Wis.

1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

Opening General Session: Legal, Legislative, and Industry Updates
Our industry is constantly changing and evolving. Catch up on all the latest happenings with Charles M. Chamness, NAMIC president & CEO.

Charles M. Chamness
President & CEO
NAMIC
Indianapolis, Ind.

2:00 – 2:20 p.m.

Break

2:20 – 3:40 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Management and Leadership Principles
   David Lehman, president, Mennonite Mutual Insurance Company, will lead attendees through four areas of focus when thinking strategically. Attendees will learn the roles and responsibilities of sound corporate governance and how to allocate them to create the organization’s foundation, the importance and benefits of good strategies and how to discern and develop them, as well as the need for, and challenges of, great execution and how to achieve it with great teams.
   
   David Lehman
   President
   Mennonite Mutual Insurance Company
   Orrville, Ohio
2. PFMM Advanced: Role of the Board vs. Management
   Join Kevin M. Kinross, partner, Bricker & Eckler, LLP, for this session that will provide an overview of the various roles of management and the board of directors for farm mutual insurance companies from the company manager perspective.
   
   Kevin M. Kinross
   Partner
   Bricker & Eckler, LLP
   Columbus, Ohio

3:40 - 4:00 p.m.

Break

4:00 – 5:20 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Management and Leadership Principles (continued)
2. PFMM Advanced: Overall Competitiveness in the Industry
   In this session, industry veteran Karl Newman will share his lessons learned when pricing is only half the battle when working to earn and keep business. He will share practical tips and ideas on how to use ethical marketing tactics to create long-term relationships with policyholders. Attendees will learn how to effectively communicate insurance products/services that people want, need, and can afford; understand the real benefits your insurance product or service provides; formulas for determining and showing value; recognize that insurance is a promise to make things right after a loss; and ways to become the best at fulfilling your promise.
   
   Karl Newman
   President
   NW Insurance Council
   Tacoma, Wash.

5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception
Enjoy this great networking opportunity! Drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will be provided.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Breakfast

8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Human Resources and Personnel Management
   This session qualifies for 3.5 CPE Credits (Personnel/HR). Please note: In order to earn CPE credit for this session, attendees must attend both sessions of class at 8:00 a.m. and 9:50 a.m.
   In this session attendees will learn the importance of having a basic set of human resource operational guidelines for small business. Join Tom Meier, consultant, Equis Consulting, for this workshop that will provide high-energy lecture, small-group exercises, and large-group conversation to ground the topic in an effective way.
   
   Learning Objectives:
   
   • Understand the importance of having a documented, standardized process for talent identification, recruitment, development and potentially termination.
   • Identify a set of benchmarked “best practices” for documentation and standardization.
   • Utilize a set of resources to begin the process after the workshop.
   
   Tom Meier
   Consultant
   Equis Consulting
   Indianapolis, Ind.
2. PFMM Advanced: Capital Management
   This session qualifies for 1.5 CPE Credits (Finance)
   This presentation, led by Mark J. Ellsworth, CPA, Are, director of growth & development, Cain Ellsworth & Co., LLP, will focus on the practical tools that the manager of a farm mutual insurance company can use to improve performance and position the organization for a sustainable future. Some of the topics to be discussed include investment management, risk management, performance measurement, managing growth, and the decision making process.
   
   Learning Objectives:
   
   • Learn how to manage growth, investments and risk.
   • Assess your financial management skills.
   • Measure financial performance and capital.
   
   Mark J. Ellsworth, CPA, ARe
   Director of Growth & Development
   Cain Ellsworth & Co., LLP
   Sheldon, Iowa
3. Roundtable: Leveraging Connections in Your State
   This discussion will be a time to share ideas on how members can become more involved and engaged at the state level including how to prepare for a visit to Capitol Hill through NAMIC’s CCP.
   
   Neil Alldredge
   Senior Vice President - State & Policy Affairs
   NAMIC
   Indianapolis, Ind.

9:30 – 9:50 a.m.

Break

9:50 – 11:20 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Human Resources and Personnel Management(continued)
2. PFMM Advanced: Personnel Issues for Farm Mutuals
   Farm mutual managers face unique personnel challenges. In the session with Jennifer Rufatto, SPHR, consultant, FlashPoint HR, attendees will receive practical tips and tools that will help them with the selection and orientation processes. These will include selection and new-employee checklists that can be used to guide managers through key activities.
   
   Jennifer Rufatto, SPHR
   Consultant
   FlashPoint HR
   Indianapolis, Ind.
3. Roundtable: Federal Insurance Office Q&A
   During this time, learn about the Federal Insurance Office and how it affects your business.
   
   Jimi Grande
   Senior Vice President – Federal & Political Affairs
   NAMIC
   Washington, D.C.

11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.

Lunch

All FMDC and Leadership Forum attendees are invited to a buffet lunch during this time. All Leadership Forum sessions, including FMDC courses, will resume at 12:20 p.m.

12:20 – 1:20 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Agency Relations and Development
   This session, led by Peggy McDaniel, PFMM, reinsurance representative, Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation, will focus on developing and maintaining a positive working relationship between the company and the agency force. Attendees will discuss key issues that will assist in keeping the lines of communication open. They’ll also show how using contracts, products, technology, and team learning can benefit everyone.
   
   Peggy McDaniel, PFMM
   Reinsurance Representative
   Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation
   Fair Grove, Mo.
2. PFMM Advanced: Threats to Farm Mutuals
   This session, led by Jerry Zenke, PFMM, company manager, Mound Prairie Mutual Insurance Company, will discuss some of the unique and specific threats facing the farm mutual industry from a company manager prospective. Case studies and group discussion will be used.
   
   Jerry Zenke, PFMM
   Company Manager
   Mound Prairie Mutual Insurance Company
   Houston, Minn.
3. Roundtable: Engaging and Developing Your Staff
   Join this discussion about coaching and mentoring techniques that will keep your staff engaged even when budgets rarely allow multiple attendees to participate in educational seminars.
   
   Jennifer Rufatto, SPHR
   Consultant
   FlashPoint HR
   Indianapolis, Ind.
4. FMDC Course*: Mergers & Acquisitions/Financial Implications
   This session qualifies for 1 CPE Credit (Finance)
   (FMDC Finance & Accounting Module)
   Join us for this new session led by Connie Costigan, PFMM, president, CFM Insurance, Inc., on the financial aspects a board needs to consider when contemplating whether to seek a merger with another company or judging whether another company might be a good merger partner. What will be the financial impact and the implications on both companies in a merger – what actions might lead to the best outcomes for the company and its policyholders? This will give new perspective on how to interpret company financial ratios and judge a company’s financial health.
   
   Learning Objectives:
   
   • Identify reasons to consider a merger.
   • Learn how to evaluate a merge partner.
   • Identify steps to take in preparation for a merger.
   
   Connie Costigan, PFMM
   President
   CFM Insurance, Inc.
   Concordia, Mo.

1:20 – 1:40 p.m.

Break

1:40 – 2:40 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Agency Relations and Development (continued)
2. PFMM Advanced: Becoming a Company of Choice
   A company’s culture is at the center of the organization with several concentric layers surrounding its core. In this session, led by NAMIC Chairman James J. Kennedy, president and CEO, Ohio Mutual Insurance Group, attendees will learn the different layers within an organization and how they are all interconnected in order to make a more successful organization.
   
   James J. Kennedy
   President and CEO
   Ohio Mutual Insurance Group
   Bucyrus, Ohio
3. Roundtable: Evaluating Your Book of Business
   As the policyholder profile is changing, this discussion will focus on re-underwriting your book of business and effectively evaluating new and current business. This discussion will have an underwriting focus.
   
   Larry A. Bray, CPCU, PFMM
   Vice President Reinsurance
   Wisconsin Reinsurance Corporation
   Madison, Wis.
4. FMDC Course*: Strategic Business Planning
   (Management Module)
   Join David Lehman, president, Mennonite Mutual Insurance Company, as he leads directors in considering reasons for investing time, energy, and resources in developing a strategic business plan, as well as what a workable and action-focused plan for a smaller mutual might look like. Attendees will study three different segments of a strategic business plan, including the strategic “road map;” the “business map,” and the annual “business action plan and budget.”
   
   David Lehman
   President
   Mennonite Mutual Insurance Company
   Orrville, Ohio

2:40 – 3:00 p.m.

Break

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Agency Relations and Development (continued)
2. PFMM Advanced: Agent's Perspective of Carriers
   
   Moderator: James J. Kennedy
   President and CEO
   Ohio Mutual Insurance Group
   Bucyrus, Ohio
   
   Timothy D. Dambach
   Owner & Agent
   Dambach Insurance Agency Inc.
   Lilbourn, Mo.
   
   Paul Long
   Principal
   The Paul Long Agency, LLC
   Bolivar, Mo.
   
   James Joyner
   Owner
   Insurance Associates of Johnson County
   Warrensburg, Mo.
3. Roundtable: Attrracting New Board Members
   This will be a time to share ideas on how companies have worked to attract and maintain effective board members.
   
   Larry Cook, PFMM
   Executive Vice President
   Frontier Mutual Insurance Company
   Lincoln, Ill.
4. FMDC Course*: Board Evaluations
   (Management Module)
   Presented by Kevin M. Kinross, partner, Bricker & Eckler, LLP, this session will include the reasons for conducting a board evaluation, the process of conducting a board evaluation, and ways of following through on the results. Also to be discussed is how to determine if your board is really ready for an evaluation and the benefits of utilizing outside resources in conducting it.
   
   Kevin M. Kinross
   Partner
   Bricker & Eckler, LLP
   Columbus, Ohio

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.

FMDC Course*: Financial Implications of a Defined Benefit Plan
This session qualifies for 1 CPE Credit (Finance)
(FMDC Finance & Accounting Module)
Please join us as we present a brand new course to be conducted by Thomas Totten, CEO, Nyhart Actuary and Employee Benefits Company. Attendees with learn how to evaluate retirement plans for your company and weigh the benefits, impacts and implications. In today’s world where more employers are turning from defined benefit (i.e. pension) to other forms of retirement plans such as 401(k) plans, it’s important to understand the differences and how they work, and whether your company is big enough to offer such a plan or offers it in cooperation with another company.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how asset returns and lower interest rates have hurt the funding of pension plans.
• Learn how the funding of pension plans relates to the financial statements of the company.

Thomas Totten
CEO & Actuary
Nyhart Actuary and Employee Benefits
Indianapolis, Ind.

6:00 - 9:30 p.m.

Optional NAMIC PAC Activity: Take Me out to the Ballgame!
Enjoy an evening of food, fun, and baseball as the St. Louis Cardinals take on the San Diego Padres at home in Busch Stadium. More information will be available soon. Please contact Irica Solomon with any questions.

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions

1. PFMM: Public Relations and Marketing
   Farm Mutual Managers have to think about a great many things. Integrating public relations, marketing and advertising for your farm mutual can be a daunting process. In this interactive session with Richard H. Nelson, APR, IOM, director of public affairs, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, attendees will learn the advantages and disadvantages of these different, but interconnected, components of stakeholder engagement.
   
   Richard H. Nelson, APR, IOM
   Director of Public Affairs
   Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
   Indianapolis, Ind.
2. PFMM Advanced: Investment Policy and Strategy
   This session qualifies for 1 CPE Credit (Finance)
   Join Alton Cogert, CFA, CPA, CAIA, president & CEO, Strategic Asset Alliance, for this session that will discuss best practices for an insurer’s investment policy as well as key areas that must be considered for the strategic asset allocation decision. Importantly, the session will be customized to fit the unique requirements and circumstances of farm mutuals. The session will be interactive allowing attendees to share the greatest challenges they currently face when considering investment policy and strategy.
   
   Learning Objectives:
   • Become familiar with the key components of a “best practices” investment policy.
   • Understand which key areas must be considered when deciding upon an appropriate asset allocation.
   • Provide the groundwork for implementing an appropriate investment policy at your farm mutual insurer.
   
   Alton Cogert, CFA, CPA, CAIA
   President & CEO
   Strategic Asset Alliance
   Bellingham, Wash.

9:30 – 9:50 a.m.

Break

9:50 – 10:50 a.m.

General Session: Technology and Social Media
This session with Richard H. Nelson, APR, IOM, director of public affairs, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, will build on the fundamental information presented in the PFMM Public Relations and Marketing session to include how you can leverage new technology and social media to accomplish your company's business objectives.

Richard H. Nelson, APR, IOM
Director of Public Affairs
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
Indianapolis, Ind.

10:50 – 11:10 a.m.

Break

11:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

General Session:Leadership: It Takes More Than a Great Haircut!
Join Terry Sumerlin, owner, Sumerlin Enterprises, for this highly energetic and entertaining session designed to highlight strengths of dedicated professionals and to inspire each of us to greater accomplishments. Attendees will learn (or be reminded) how to maintain a positive attitude, how to stay enthused, how to communicate more effectively, and how to add more enjoyment to what they do.

Terry Sumerlin
Owner
Sumerlin Enterprises
San Antonio, Texas  

12:10 p.m.

Meeting Adjourns