Stephen Tague, CPIA, of Rockaway Township, N.J., is vice president of the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey Inc. Tague is principal of van den Heuvel & Fountain Inc., in Augusta, N.J.

An active member of PIANJ, Tague is vice president of the Business Issues Committee and the Business Cost Reduction Task Force. He also is chairperson of the Northwest Advisory Council and is a member of the Executive/Budget  & Finance and Project Y Committees.
Tague was twice named Director of the Year by PIANJ.

In his community, Tague is a member of the Rory O'Moore Pipes and Drums and is a high school soccer referee.

Jerry Rhinehart:  Mr. Rhinehart serves on the National Faculty of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors and is also on the Faculty of the Florida Insurance School.  He attained his CIC in 1986, his CLU in 1987, his ChFC in 1988, and his RHU in 1977.  He is a director and former president for the Tallahassee Chapter of CLU and ChFC.  He also served as a director and secretary/treasurer for PIA of Florida and is a past “Agent of the Year” for that organization.  He is a past National Board Member of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (Austin, TX). Since 1985 he has conducted more than 1200 classroom, convention and webinar programs for insurance, legal and accounting groups. Topics have included: life insurance, disability insurance, estate planning, long term care insurance, business life insurance planning, and health insurance. He resides in Panama City, FL and is a licensed life, health and property/casualty agent.

Mishell is the co-owner of KJM Consulting & Training, Inc. in Munnsville, New York. KJM specializes in providing a broad range of high quality training programs to insurance agencies; insurance companies and banks throughout the north east. These programs, normally designed for Continuing Education credits, cover all areas of the insurance & banking business, providing comprehensive education at all levels in entry level insurance; customer service; Commercial Lines sales & service; Personal Lines sales & service as well as management techniques. In addition to the customized training KJM also provides consulting services focusing on E&O; Procedure Manual development and implementation; and Agency Management training techniques.

Mishell currently holds New York State Property and Casualty Brokers and Agents Licenses; a New York State Life and Health Brokers License; a New York State Producer License to Act as a Consultant; a Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation; a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation; the Accredited Advisor of Insurance (AAI) designation; and the Federation of Insurance Professional Counselor (FIPC) designation.

A member of the Associate Faculty of Certified Insurance Counselors, Mishell is a frequent speaker for Professional Insurance Agents of New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut for CIC and CISR programs along with various other topics. Mishell is a past president of the Federation of New York Insurance Professionals and is a board member of the Insurance Professionals of the Mohawk Valley; she is the current President of the Madison County Historical Society along with being a member of the National Notary Association.

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn

Gary has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. Today, he ranks amongst MetLife’s top advisors, serving clients that range from individual families to business owners, professionals and non-profit organizations.  

Working with Gary means that he is your advocate and financial guide -- he helps you explore the many financial strategies and vehicles available to address your  unique needs.  Whether you’ve just met him, or you’re a long-time client, Gary considers it his responsibility to educate you with what you need to know to attain your financial goals. It is about empowering you to make smart decisions about your money. Above all, Gary believes he serves his own interests best by serving your best interests first.

Gary received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing from Marist College in 1975.  During his senior year of college he was chosen for Marist College’s University Year for Action, a federal internship program where he served as the Legislative Aide to the Mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie. 

Gary is licensed to sell Life and Health Insurance in New York, and holds the Series 6 and Series 63 licenses as well. He is also licensed to sell Property & Casualty Insurance in New York.

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn

Steven D. Lyon is the founder and principal of Lyon Consulting Services, LLC, an independent management consulting and educational firm. Lyon utilizes the 24 years of expertise and experience that comes from owning,
operating, and managing one of the most respected and profitable insurance agencies in northern New Jersey.

In addition to owning an independent agency, Steve has served as the regional director of education for a large brokerage firm, and was a regional vice president in charge of personal lines for the insurance division of a
dynamic banking institution.

He provides a wide variety of management tools and guidance techniques to assist agencies with practical,hands-on knowledge, measurably improving their efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability. Steve has earned his CPCU, CIC, CRM, AAI, ARM and AIS designations and lectures for many agencies and companies in the tri-state area. He has worked with PIA, IIANJ, and the Society of CIC; and his consistently high ratings and unique
teaching style make him a favorite among seminar attendees.

John Fear has worked in the insurance industry for over twenty years in the areas of Life & Annuity, Small Commercial, Boiler & Machinery, Field Operations, Process Engineering and Personal Insurance. In 2007, John left the corporate life to start his own consulting firm – Premier Business Consulting.

As National Director of Agency Development at Travelers, John conducted nearly 100 workshops for agency owners and principals (with 1,500+ attendees). John also developed and facilitated over 60 Sales training sessions throughout the country for more than 2,000 Producers and CSRs. He has consulted with dozens of agents across the country, focusing on improving sales and maximizing operational efficiencies.

Since starting his own business, he has been a featured presenter at several National Sales Meetings for major insurance companies and Independent Agency organizations. Those experiences have given him an outstanding knowledge of, and insight into, real life solutions that effectively meet agency needs. His workshops enable agents to meet and exceed their business objectives by incorporating sound business principles into their everyday operations.

John lives in the Adirondack Region of New York State with his wife Cheryl and their two year old Cairn terrier Sasha.

Your instructor is Bill Haggerty, CPCU, ARM, AIM, AU. Bill is underwriting manager at Housing Authority Insurance Group in Cheshire, Connecticut. Before his current position, Bill spent 25 years with Zurich Insurance North America in underwriting and marketing management positions. He began his insurance career with The Hartford Insurance Group in New York before moving to Farmington, Connecticut with his family in 1990.

John Fear has worked in the insurance industry for over twenty years in the areas of Life & Annuity, Small Commercial, Boiler & Machinery, Field Operations, Process Engineering and Personal Insurance. In 2007, John left the corporate life to start his own consulting firm – Premier Business Consulting.

As National Director of Agency Development at Travelers, John conducted nearly 100 workshops for agency owners and principals (with 1,500+ attendees). John also developed and facilitated over 60 Sales training sessions throughout the country for more than 2,000 Producers and CSRs. He has consulted with dozens of agents across the country, focusing on improving sales and maximizing operational efficiencies.

Since starting his own business, he has been a featured presenter at several National Sales Meetings for major insurance companies and Independent Agency organizations. Those experiences have given him an outstanding knowledge of, and insight into, real life solutions that effectively meet agency needs. His workshops enable agents to meet and exceed their business objectives by incorporating sound business principles into their everyday operations.

John lives in the Adirondack Region of New York State with his wife Cheryl and their two year old Cairn terrier Sasha.

Jim Pittz, CPIA, joined the PIA team in 2008 and currently holds the position of business issues director. His background spans more than 25 years with agencies, carriers and insurance technology companies, with most recently working as an underwriting manager for a national carrier.

In his current position, he is responsible for the development and implementation of PIA’s overall technical industry-relations strategies and programs. He also advises PIA leaders and management on issues such as industry trends and PIA outreach, in addition to providing association members with information on insurance laws, regulations, residual-market procedures, policy forms, etc.

Pittz received his bachelor of arts from the State University of New York at Geneseo, in speech communication.

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn

John Fear has worked in the insurance industry for over twenty years in the areas of Life & Annuity, Small Commercial, Boiler & Machinery, Field Operations, Process Engineering and Personal Insurance. In 2007, John left the corporate life to start his own consulting firm – Premier Business Consulting.

As National Director of Agency Development at Travelers, John conducted nearly 100 workshops for agency owners and principals (with 1,500+ attendees). John also developed and facilitated over 60 Sales training sessions throughout the country for more than 2,000 Producers and CSRs. He has consulted with dozens of agents across the country, focusing on improving sales and maximizing operational efficiencies.

Since starting his own business, he has been a featured presenter at several National Sales Meetings for major insurance companies and Independent Agency organizations. Those experiences have given him an outstanding knowledge of, and insight into, real life solutions that effectively meet agency needs. His workshops enable agents to meet and exceed their business objectives by incorporating sound business principles into their everyday operations.

John lives in the Adirondack Region of New York State with his wife Cheryl and their two year old Cairn terrier Sasha.

Rita Hollada is the Vice-President of The Insurance Professionals, Inc., a consulting and professional education group. She is an honors graduate of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia and began her professional career in human resources management before entering the insurance industry in 1979 when she and her husband started an agency from scratch. She remains a licensed agent and broker.

Rita earned the designation of Accredited Advisor in Insurance in 1983, followed by the designations of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter in 1987 and Certified Insurance Counselor in 1988. In 1997, she was awarded PIA National's Presidential Award for her work with flood insurance and natural disaster legislation. She received the CPIA designation in 1998 after assisting that organization with the development of its Saleswise Success Seminars.

Rita remains an active member of the insurance industry, representing PIA National on several committees. She is also a contributor to numerous magazines and professional journals. Rita wrote a regular column on flood insurance issues for the Professional Agent Magazine for several years. She currently serves on the Flood Insurance Producers National Committee where she served as Chairman for two years. She also has served on the board of the Natural Disaster Coalition.

In addition to the insurance industry, Rita has been invited to speak on effective communication and customer service to many diverse groups. She is a member of the National Faculty of the CIC program as well as an instructor for other National Alliance programs. She designs and instructs special topic courses for insurance companies, agencies, industry associations and local community colleges and often works as a consultant with agencies on agency management issues.

John Fear has worked in the insurance industry for over twenty years in the areas of Life & Annuity, Small Commercial, Boiler & Machinery, Field Operations, Process Engineering and Personal Insurance. In 2007, John left the corporate life to start his own consulting firm – Premier Business Consulting.

As National Director of Agency Development at Travelers, John conducted nearly 100 workshops for agency owners and principals (with 1,500+ attendees). John also developed and facilitated over 60 Sales training sessions throughout the country for more than 2,000 Producers and CSRs. He has consulted with dozens of agents across the country, focusing on improving sales and maximizing operational efficiencies.

Since starting his own business, he has been a featured presenter at several National Sales Meetings for major insurance companies and Independent Agency organizations. Those experiences have given him an outstanding knowledge of, and insight into, real life solutions that effectively meet agency needs. His workshops enable agents to meet and exceed their business objectives by incorporating sound business principles into their everyday operations.

John lives in the Adirondack Region of New York State with his wife Cheryl and their two year old Cairn terrier Sasha.

Mishell is the co-owner of KJM Consulting & Training, Inc. in Munnsville, New York. KJM specializes in providing a broad range of high quality training programs to insurance agencies; insurance companies and banks throughout the north east. These programs, normally designed for Continuing Education credits, cover all areas of the insurance & banking business, providing comprehensive education at all levels in entry level insurance; customer service; Commercial Lines sales & service; Personal Lines sales & service as well as management techniques. In addition to the customized training KJM also provides consulting services focusing on E&O; Procedure Manual development and implementation; and Agency Management training techniques.

Mishell currently holds New York State Property and Casualty Brokers and Agents Licenses; a New York State Life and Health Brokers License; a New York State Producer License to Act as a Consultant; a Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) designation; a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation; the Accredited Advisor of Insurance (AAI) designation; and the Federation of Insurance Professional Counselor (FIPC) designation.

A member of the Associate Faculty of Certified Insurance Counselors, Mishell is a frequent speaker for Professional Insurance Agents of New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut for CIC and CISR programs along with various other topics. Mishell is a past president of the Federation of New York Insurance Professionals and is a board member of the Insurance Professionals of the Mohawk Valley; she is the current President of the Madison County Historical Society along with being a member of the National Notary Association.

Robin C. Federici, CPCU, AAI, ARM, AINS, AIS, CPIW, began her career in the property & casualty insurance business over thirty years ago. She has in-depth knowledge and experience in both insurance agency and company operations and procedures. She is an experienced writer and presenter of classroom instruction, webinars and streaming video programs.

For over fifteen years, Robin served as the Director of Education and Communications -- and then Assistant Executive Vice President -- for Rhode Island's largest professional trade association for independent insurance agents and brokers.  During her tenure, Robin earned many awards including the prestigious L.P. McCord Education Award.

In 2003, Robin formed her own training and consulting company, – Insurance Education & Training Associates, LLC (IETA).

Robin earned the Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI) designation in 1987. In 1992 she earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and in 1999, the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation. In 2011, she earned the Associate in Insurance (AINS) and the Associate in Insurance Services (AIS)

She is a past president of the RI Chapter Society of CPCU and served as a member of their Scholarship Board. Robin is also a past National Governor and member of the national Society of CPCU Board of Governors.

Robin has served the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (IIABA) on several committees, including the ACSR sub-committee and the Virtual University Research and Development Committee.

Robin was also a long-time member of the Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) Advisory Committee of the Insurance Institute of America/American Institute of CPCU.

Robin currently serves as a Technical Insurance & Agency Management expert for the IIABA Virtual University.

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn

Curtis Pearsall is the founder and principal of Pearsall Associates, a consulting firm focused on providing expert Errors & Omissions (E&O) loss control and risk management services to insurance agencies. He also provides litigation consultation and expert witness testimony for agencies and insurers.

Pearsall has more than two decades of experience in managing a national agents E&O program for Utica National. His prior background also includes more than five years as an insurance agent, so he has a hands-on knowledge of the agency world. He holds the designations of CPCU, CPIA, AU, ARM and AIAF.

Pearsall is President of the American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society.

Pearsall's writings on the topic of E&O regularly in Insurance Journal, Rough Notes and the numerous PIA state association publications. He is also a noted speaker, having made speaking engagements and seminars for various organizations at venues throughout the country.

Connect with Curtis Pearsall on LinkedIn