Big I NY Honors Outstanding Agent Members & Company Partners

May 16, 2024

(Dewitt, New York, May 16, 2024) – Top member agents and company partners of Big I NY, an insurance agency trade organization, were recognized this week for their achievements. Seven awards were announced at the association’s Annual Business Meeting on May 13 and Go Big event on May 14 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY.

The awards are decided by the Chair of the Board and the Executive Committee based on specific criteria for each honored.

The following recipients were honored at the Annual Business Meeting:

Big I Western NY was named the Local Association of the Year. The association was recognized for its member and community engagement, providing outstanding programs for young insurance professionals, and working with students to attract them to our industry. This local excels at public relations with social media ads and local television commercials enhancing the image of independent agents. This group is always in force at local, state, and national legislative events, sending numerous members to advocate on behalf of Big I NY members.
Yuliya Karpov of NBT Insurance received the Joel S. Pollack NextGen Young Agent of the Year award. This honor is given to an agent (under the age of 40) who has displayed an outstanding commitment to their clients, agency, and industry, much like Joel S. Pollack before he was tragically killed by a drunk driver 25 years ago. Yulia has more than seven years of experience in the insurance industry, has a passion for community invovement, and serves on several committees, including the NextGen CNY committee where she has shined and helped them expand their reach through social media. Yuliya immigrated to the U.S. from the Ukraine when she was 10 years old and is well-positioned to be a successful female insurance producer.
Doug Benz of New Buffalo Insurance Agency, was recognized for his dedication and longtime support of the association’s advocacy efforts with the Vincent Alba award. Benz is a staunch advocate who facilitates communication with elected officials in his area, helps coordinate his local association’s annual legislative breakfast, and always participates in Big I NY legislative events on the state and national level. He supports the PACs and is articulate and well-versed on issues impacting independent insurance agents. He is also an active and thoughtful member of the Big I NY Board.
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Scott Hobson, MPA received the Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes an individual’s outstanding and lasting contributions to Big I NY. Scott is at the helm of our legislative and government affairs team and has earned incredible respect from the industry. His tireless dedication is key to the many legislative successes Big I NY achieved in 2023. The photo inspection reform was finally signed into law and we defeated legislation that would have banned non-compete agreements and expansion of the wrongful death law. We met with leaders at the Department of Financial Services to draw attention to the need to stabilize the insurance market and set political fundraising records for both IAPAC and InsurPAC, along with the largest member participation at the National Legislative Conference.
Big I NY’s highest honor is the 1882 Fellow Award, which recognizes significant contributions made to the association, the industry, and community. This year’s recipient is Ron Brunell. Ron has so much passion for Big I NY and his local association, his enthusiasm is infectious and impactful. He bleeds for Big I NY and our members, as his father did before him. He is at a point in his life where he could kick back and let others step in, but not Ron – he is all in 100% of the time. The number of committees he has served on are too numerious to count, but legislative issues are his passion. He moved up the ranks on the Big I NY board to serve as Chair from 2021-2022 and is now the Big I New York National Director.

The following awards were presented at Big I NY’s Go Big on May 14, 2024.

For the third year in a row, New York Central Mutual was nominated by the majority of our local associations for Big I NY Top Personal Lines Carrier. They place great value on relationships with independent agents and offer competitive products and outstanding service.
The top carrier partner for Commercial Lines went to Cincinnati. Their underwriters have deep knowledge and are empowered to make decisions to provide competitive insurance programs for a wide range of businesses. They treat the agency/company relationship as a partnership.
Ron Martin of Preferred Mutual was honored with the Thom McDaniel award. This award is a reflection of Ron’ dedication and unwavering support of the Independent Agency system by their words, deeds, and actions. Ron puts his heart and soul into impacting issues that affect agents in New York and offers valuable input to promot collaboration and industry partnership on matters of importance to our industry.