Home Education & Events Awards Program

NetVU recognizes the commitment of volunteer and industry leaders through an extensive awards program.  Take a look at the distinguished list of NetVU award recipients.

Presidential Citation

Presidential Citation(s) will be given by the current chairman of the board at the National Conference for annual service to NetVU. The Information Exchange Committee may give recommendations to the chairman, but the chairman will issue the citations. Citations have been issued not only to members, but also Vertafore employees and insurance carriers, such as those active in interface.

Past Recipients: 

Rhys A. Ord and Gary Dempsey, 1997 • CNA, The Hartford, Arbella Insurance Group, Southgate Jones, Jr., 1999 • Gene Connolly, Dr. Robert Anderson, and Todd B. West, 2000 • Kathe Donlan, Sandy Darcy, Mike Randles, 2001 • Robert Schackner, 2002 • Loren Parsons, 2003 • Roxy Burinda, Vertafore Interface & Integration Solutions Group, 2004 • Tammy Jacquin, AAI, 2005 • Susan Hendricks, CIC, AAM, and Camille H. Zaffino, AAM, 2006 • Michael J. Foy and Cindy J. Prud'homme, 2007 • Kevin J. Dickmann and Kim Hartmann, 2008 • Steven J. Aronson, CIC, Carolyn "Cal" Durland, CPCU, Linda E. Rollings, and Jeff Yates, 2009; Michael Foy, CIC; Michael R. Gray, Joyce Sigler, CISR, CPIW, CPIA, 2010

James M. Gibson Service Award

The James M. Gibson Service Award recognizes service and achievement, which goes above and beyond the call of duty, for NetVU activity over the past several years. Nominations for the award recipient, a Vertafore user, will be solicited from Chapter leaders, committee members, board of directors, past presidents, Vertafore and the NetVU staff. Nominations from the current year, as well as preceding year’s, will be considered.  Current Information Exchange Committee members are not eligible for the award. 

Past Recipients: 

Margaret Taylor, 1994 • Beverly J. Coats, 1995 • Deborah Miller, 1996 • Steve West-Rosenthal, 1997 • Gilda G. Sandsness, 1999 • Camille Zaffino, 2000 • Anthony Martone, 2001 • Kay Barrett, 2002 • Jean Murphey, 2003 • Debbie Miner, CPCU, AAM, CPIW, 2004 • Lorraine J. Plezia and Cynthia L. Smith, 2005 • Michael J. Randles, 2006 • Gary W. Williams, 2007 • Cindy J. Prud'homme, 2008 • Joyce Sigler, CISR, CPIW, CPIA, 2009; Kevin J. Dickmann, 2010  

Automation Excellence Award

The Automation Excellence Award will be awarded to NetVU insurance agency that best exemplifies excellence in agency automation implementation. There will be two awards–one for an agency with 25 users or less and one for more than 25 users. The goal of this award is to celebrate innovative ideas that enhance agency efficiency, profitability and streamlined operations. Any NetVU member agency can be nominated for the Automation Excellence Award. The nomination may be initiated by the agency itself, or by another agency, an insurer, a vendor, etc. Agencies associated with NetVU Executive Committee and/or Information Exchange Committee members will not be eligible for this award.

Click here to submit a Nomination for the Automation Excellence Award. All nominations must be received by December 31. The recipient will be announced at National Conference.

Past Recipients:  
Parker, Smith & Feek Inc., 2005 • Gulfshore Insurance, 2006 • Moody Insurance Agency Inc. 2007

Louie E. Woodbury, Jr. Leadership Award

The Louie E. Woodbury, Jr. Leadership Award (previously known as the Presidential Award) was created to honor long time leadership to NetVU.  Nominations are solicited from board members, past presidents/chairmen, committee chairman, past board members and Verafore. Nominations from the current year, as well as preceding year’s will be considered. The recipient is selected by the Information Exchange Committee.

Past Recipients: 

Francis P. McDonnell (posthumously), 1994 • Louie E. Woodbury, Jr., 1995 • Maurice Eagan, 1997 • Linda Rollings, 1999 • Susanne Buyck, CAE, CMP, 2001 • Gary West, 2002 • William J. Travaille, CIC 2003 • Kathe Donlan, 2004 • Kevin N. Wheeler, CIC, 2005 • Beverly J. Coats, 2006 • Don R. Jordan, 2007 • James B. Phelan, CPCU, CLU, CIC, CPIA, 2008 • James R. Elrod, 2009; Gary W. Williams, 2010

Wade S. Dunbar, Jr.  Award

  
The Wade S. Dunbar, Jr. Award is presented to a person who has made significant contributions to insurance industry automation. Nominations are solicited throughout the industry and the recipient is selected by a committee made up of past presidents/chairmen and executive committee members.

History of the Award – This award was developed by NetVU following the untimely death of Wade S. Dunbar, Jr. Wade was a very successful insurance agency principal in North Carolina whose lifelong dream was for the industry to find a way to streamline the overall insurance process from insurance company to agent to consumer. 

Once Wade became aware in the late 1970’s of the power of automation, and what it could do, he had a vision that if agents, insurance companies and automation providers worked together; the dream of streamlining the entire insurance process could be realized.

At that time, Wade purchased an ARC system, the forerunner of today’s Vertafore.   He then began contacting other agents who had ARC systems to build understanding and support for this industry initiative.  From 1978 until his death in 1987, he worked tirelessly toward this dream of insurance company/agency single entry, multiple company interface. 

Particularly noteworthy was Wade’s ability to get agents from all over the country involved as well as all the major automation vendors and the leading national insurance carriers. He worked across proprietary lines drawn by the vendors and insurance companies and his unwavering adherence to the highest principles brought dissimilar groups together. Even after his passing, the initiative continued as an outgrowth of his steadfast devotion to focusing on the “good of the industry” instead of what was good for one individual or one company.

The Wade S. Dunbar, Jr. Award is designed to honor individuals who have demonstrated the same type of high principles while striving to continue Wade Dunbar’s quest for industry-wide solutions to the insurance process. The entire insurance/automation initiative has evolved over the years from just the thrust of single entry, multiple company interface, to a myriad of other initiatives. Therefore, the recipient may have been successful in ways not yet recognized or developed while Wade was alive. 

Qualifications for the Wade S. Dunbar, Jr. Award include: 

• Automation/technology involvement on an industry-wide basis 
• Recognized achievements while serving the industry from a vendor, insurance company, agency or industry organization perspective
• Exemplary personal standards relative to the insurance industry and the common good of all
• A long-time voice “for the good” of the industry void of personal agendas
• The accent of this award will be on industry-wide achievements so nominees should not be singularly focused on just one vendor or one carrier, but instead someone who has risen above single organization purpose and achievements.

The recipient could be any individual in the insurance industry including insurance agency vendors, agents or brokers, insurance carriers, or members of other insurance industry organizations such as ACORD, IVANS, IIAAB, PIA, Council of Insurance Brokers, etc. This person could currently be active within the industry or retired, alive or deceased.

Past Recipients of this prestigious award include: 

John Folk, 1988 • Lawson L. Swearingen, 1989 • Louie E. Woodbury, Jr. 1990 • Robert R. Treweek, 1991 • Robert Burns, 1992 • David W. Wroe, 1993 • Robert E. Merriman, 1994 • Herbert G. Treweek, 1995 • Robert Y. Barnham, Jr. (posthumously), 1996 • Don R. Jordan, 1998 • James B. Phelan, CIC, CLU, CPCU, CPIA, 1999 • Jeffrey M. Yates, 2001 • Douglas R. Bennett, 2002 • James J. Cutro, 2004 • Gregory A. Maciag, 2005 • David Findley, 2006 • Jim Rogers, 2008 • Mele Fuller, AAM, AIT, AAI, 2009; Dave Acker, 2010  

Quantum Award

The Quantum Award, established in 2002, is designed to recognize an insurance company’s achievements in working agency-company technology which offers a superior quantum advance in workflow productivity and profitability for member insurance agencies. Nominations are solicited from members, Vertafore employees, insurance company employees, and others. Finalists will be selected by the Information Exchange Committee and the Users Group board will select award recipients. This award has three primary objectives. 

Award Criteria

• To encourage insurance carriers to successfully deploy single-entry interface technology which utilizes best-of-breed technology, ACORD standards, and real-time processing.
• To recognize and reward those carriers who have successfully deployed such technology in live, working agency environments, and have helped their agencies grow and profit beyond normal means.
• To enhance the value of the important partnerships between NetVU members and the insurance carriers.

Award Determination

Nominations will be collected by NetVU through December 31. Members, Vertafore employees, insurance company employees, or others are free to submit nominations. Finalists will be selected by the Information Exchange Committee, and the Users Group board of directors will select award recipients.

Finalists will be selected prior to conference, and will receive one complimentary conference registration for any person designated to receive the award.

Click here to submit a Nomination for the Quantum Award. All nominations must be received by December 31. The recipient will be announced at National Conference.

Past Recipients: 

Travelers and Michigan Insurance Company, 2003 • The Hartford, 2004 • Encompass, 2005 • Safeco, 2006 • Selective Insurance, 2007 • CNA, 2008 • Allied Insurance, 2009

Francis P. McDonnell Education Memorial Award

The McDonnell Education Memorial Award was established to offer financial assistance for those members who could not otherwise afford to attend NetVU National Conference. A scholarship in the amount of $1,500 is awarded to cover conference registration fees, travel, and lodging (arrangements to be made by the NetVU staff to keep costs in control).  Nominations for this Memorial Award are solicited from the NetVU members and a winner selected by the Information Exchange Committee. Since this award is based on financial need, we do not publicize the name of the recipient.

Click here to submit an application.  The deadline for submitting an application is December 31.  The recipient will be notified no later than January 31.