CIC Live Webinar: Agency Management Institute

CE Credit:

Pending CE Approval


Deadline to register is July 20th, 2026

Learn the fundamentals of strategic planning within an agency and learn what actions are needed to achieve growth.

In the CIC Agency Management course, you will learn how to apply the management theories, methods, and procedures necessary to operate a successful insurance agency. Leave the class prepared to implement strategies designed to increase agency profitability.


Updated and revised 2-day course.

Strategic Planning (4 hours)

What does it take to have a thriving agency? The answer is strategic planning, actions aimed toward agency profitability. Learn about change-management processes, establishing actionable goals, identifying appropriate insurance markets, and conducting essential analyses. Use tools that measure an agency’s financial health, including examinations of cash flow, budgets, income statements, and balance sheets — all of which provide the insight required for making effective strategic decisions.


Agency Talent Management (4 hours)

Acquire the tools necessary to build and manage today’s diverse workforce. Learn how to recruit, hire, and manage personnel who reflect an agency’s culture and allow for a more productive and satisfying work environment. Learn how to hire for success, including how to write position descriptions, conduct interviews, train new employees, evaluate performance, and manage separations.


Managing Agency Client Retention and Acquisition (2 hours)

Acquire and keep new clients and learn how to meet their expectations. The information provided in this section will teach you how value, vision, and mission statements shape your agency’s brand and help you capture and keep clients. Learn how to market for success and maintain fruitful client relationships. Discover how to determine the profitability of an account.


Managing Agency Technology Utilization (3 hours)

Learn how to evaluate existing technologies to determine how to effectively engage with clients and insurance companies. This section will help you learn how to select and implement the tools and technology that support your agency’s workflows, standards, and procedures — the foundations for profitable growth.


Ethical Responsibility (3 hours)

Learn the relevance of professional ethics in the workplace and the legal duties an ethical agent, agency, and insurance company are responsible for. Understand how unfair trade practices influence ethical behavior, and how missteps can lead to Errors and Omissions. This section will provide you with the foundations of ethical behavior, steps in ethical decision-making, and the process of establishing a Code of Ethics.


Please make checks payable to PIA NE/IA.


Jul 22, 2026

8:00 am

-

Jul 23, 2026

5:00 pm

View agenda

Webinar

$445.00

PIA Members: $445.00

Register

Jul 22, 2026

8:00 am

-

Jul 23, 2026

5:00 pm

View agenda

Webinar

Instructors

Jerry Kennedy

CIC

Jerry owned and managed an agency in Grand Coulee, Washington, for over 40 years. He has long been an advocate of professional continuing education having earned his CIC designation in 1983 and is a National Faculty member and Educational Consultant for the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance. Active in the industry, Jerry served on the technical committee of the Independent Agents of Washington and chaired the Far West Agents conference, a technical forum with Insurance Services Office. He currently serves as faculty for IIAA's Virtual University. Jerry was honored by the PIA of Washington/Alaska as "Agent of the Year" in 1994 and served as President of the Association in 1997-1998. Jerry is an active volunteer in his community and in 1995 was named "Business Person of the Year" by the Grand Coulee Dam Chamber of Commerce.

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Robert Shomo

CIC

Bobby Shomo is President of Shomo-Madsen Insurance which is headquartered in central Iowa. Shomo-Madsen Insurance is a Best Practices Agency recipient for six years running and represents approximately 16 Insurance Companies with an agency mix of roughly 45% Personal Lines, 25% Commercial Lines, 20% Municipalities and 10% Life and Health. The agency has five locations and 25 employees with their main office in Marshalltown, Iowa. They continue to pursue growth through both acquisition and organic growth and are scheduled to close their next agency purchase on October 30th, 2020. Bobby is involved in the agency on a full-time basis as a managing partner, a producer specializing in schools and municipalities and the Human Resources manager. Prior to purchasing his first agency, Bobby spent six years on the company side primarily in casualty claims with rotations in underwriting and loss control. His MBA was earned with concentrations in Finance and Accounting and he received his CIC designation in 2012. Bobby has a passion for education as both a teacher and a student. His background brings a perspective from both the company and agency sides. In addition, his agency experience has developed from a relatively small, single owner shop with three employees and a handful of contracts to his current structure with a 50/50 partner, multiple locations and staff of twenty-five. Additionally, Shomo-Madsen Insurance has had to deal with three catastrophic weather-related events in 25 months. An EF-3 tornado in July of 2018 that hit main street; a major hail storm in May of 2019 and a Derecho (106 mph straight-line winds) in August of 2020. Bobby is currently working toward his CRM designation.

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Brian Bartosh

LuTCF

Brian Bartosh is President of Spire America Holdings, Inc. which operates under the brand names of Top O' Michigan Insurance Solutions and Spire Insurance Solutions. Based in Alpena, Michigan, the agency provides Property and Casualty Services along with Financial Services to its clients through a network of branch sales offices throughout Northern Michigan and virtually outside of their geographic area. Brian began his career in 1979 as an agent with his father's agency. In 1980, he installed the agency's first computer system for rating and marketing. In 1984, their first management system was put in place. From the start, they have used the system to its fullest and have continued to implement the most current technologies available. Brian has served as chair of the users group for Applied Systems (Applied Client Network) and also previously as President in the late 1990's. He has primarily focused on product development and implementation of interface between agents and companies. Brian earned his Certified Insurance Counselor designation with The National Alliance (now known as the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance or The Alliance) in 2007 and has received his Life Underwriters Training Council Fellowship (LUTCF) designation as well. He has also served as a National Faculty Member of The Alliance and has been presenting on the topic of Agency Management since 2008. In addition to Agency Management, Brian is a frequent speaker on the issues of automation, implementation of improved workflows and marketing to clients and prospects. He is especially fluent on the topic of Real Time and how agencies can use this technology to not only serve their clients better but reduce their overall costs. He has spoken to groups throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom on these topics. In addition to speaking to groups, he has also authored many articles on these subjects, which have appeared in various national publications. Although much time is spent on supporting the industry, Brian also participates in his community.

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Additional Information

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations received between Jul 8th at 8:00 AM and Jul 17th at 7:59 AM will incur a $20.00 non-transferable fee.

Cancellations received after Jul 17th at 8:00 AM will incur a $50.00 non-transferable fee.

Please Note:

Recording devices, paging systems, cell phones, wristwatch alarms, laptops or other electronic devices may not be used during presentations. In accordance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we invite all registrants to advise us of any disability and any request for accommodation to that disability. Please submit your request as far as possible in advance of the institute you wish to attend.

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