Association News

​Big I NY is proud to announce the Big I NY members that have been appointed to serve on key IIABA committees in the upcoming 2024-2025 term.Steve Zogby of Scalzo, Zogby & Whittig in Utica will be Chair of the Professional Liability Committee and Ron Brunell, CIC of Acrisure in Garden City will serve as a member of that committee.Ted Walsh, CPCU, CIC of Walsh Duffield Companies in Buffalo will serve as a member of the Large Agents & Brokers Council.Ashley Engl of Jencap in Buffalo will serve on the Young Agents Committee.The following Big I NY staff will also serve on IIABA committees:Kathy Glahn –…

Leaders and staff from Big I New York yesterday warned the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) that the New York personal insurance market is tipping into crisis.The meeting on late Thursday, July 26, 2024 included:Agent leaders David Bodenstein, Chair of the Board; Kelly Gonyo, Vice Chair & Secretary/Treasurer; Ron Brunell, National Director.Association staff Lisa Lounsbury and Tim Dodge.DFS representatives including Executive Deputy Superintendent of Insurance, Bhava Agnihotri.Big I New York shared current market data on the profitability of personal lines business and per capita costs of insurance in New York versus those in neighboring states. We also presented data on the increase…

Big I New York's members elected David Bodenstein as Chair of the board for the 2024-2025 term. Bodenstein was sworn in during a ceremony at our Annual Business Meeting during Go Big, held at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, on May 13th. Bodenstein is the President of Mike Preis Inc. Insurance Agency, in Jeffersonville, NY.Bodenstein was elected to the Big I NY Board in 2017 and previously held the Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer position, and has also chaired the group's finance committee. He is Vice-President/Director of Calicoon Co-Op Insurance Company and Chairman of the Jeffersonville Planning Board. Bodenstein says he is honored to assume the leadership role at Big I NY.​David Bodenstein shared:"Over…