Leaders Are All Around Us, Including You



By Dean Giem, Chair, NetVU Executive Board and President/CEO, Paradox Insurance Agency

Posted 8/3/2021

What’s your definition of a leader? During our Annual Meeting in May I made the statement that everyone is a leader. Not a leader like the CEO who sits in his corner office and gives orders, but a leader who makes everyone around them better.

If everyone is a leader, then your NetVU board is full of leaders. And I think I speak for all of us when I say our commitment as leaders is to you – to lead you to a better solution, to share what we’ve learned to help you succeed.

Insurance is a people business at the end of the day, and we can all agree that NetVU is  “strength in members.” That’s a play on the words “strength in numbers” and to me it means numbers alone aren’t enough. It’s the human element that means everything; it’s people helping people. We see it every day: volunteers teaching new system enhancements, CSRs helping each other solve a problem and agency principals tackling challenges together. It’s an unselfish calling, really. And in the end everyone wins.

As I look at this year’s NetVU board I see a group of energetic, talented, generous people who are listening to our members, who are bringing their years of experience to the table and who are eager to create an environment in which you and your organization can thrive.

Our job is not to set corporate policy or dictate rules. We are here to serve. That’s why we all got into this great business in the first place – because we have a passion to serve others. NetVU leadership is committed to advocating on behalf of YOU, ITS MEMBERS and Vertafore solutions to build stronger relationships across the entire independent insurance agency ecosystem for the expanded use of technology solutions to drive further efficiencies and effectiveness.

Because we serve four-year terms we get to know each other pretty well. That familiarity creates a family-like atmosphere, where we can speak our mind and respect each other’s opinions. The result of these invigorating discussions? A better NetVU for you, our members.

We are not all CEOs. You probably didn’t know the board has a service manager and a accounting manager and a chief information officer. This cross-section makes for richer insights and ensures that all perspectives are represented. Our newest member, Bonnie Wood, director of retail standards and operations at Brown & Brown, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing MGAs.

We have a great brand in Vertafore, backed by an all-in owner, Roper. We have fantastic member volunteers like you. And our executive board is made up of the best people, bar none. It is an honor and a privilege to work with these talented leaders – leaders in every sense of the word.

Dean Giem - Chairman of the Board

Dean Giem

Chairman of the Board
Paradox Insurance Agency  
Kalispell, MT

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Dana Coates - Board Member at Large 

Dana Coates

Board Member at Large
United Western Insurance Brokers, Inc 
Pasadena, CA

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Kate O'Toole - Board Member at Large 

Kate O'Toole

Board Member at Large
Starkweather & Shepley Inc. 
East Providence, RI

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Bonnie Wood - Board Member at Large

Bonnie Wood

Board Member at Large
Brown & Brown
Atlanta,GA

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Joyce Sigler - Chairman Elect

Joyce Sigler

Chairman-Elect
Jones & Wenner 
Fairlawn, OH

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Oliver Connor - Board Member at Large

Oliver Connor

Board Member at Large
Connor Insurance Agency, Inc 
Sherrills Ford, NC

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Lorraine Plezia - Treasurer

Lorraine Plezia

Secretary/Treasurer
Risk Strategies Company (RSC)
Lincoln, RI

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Cassidy Smirnow

Cassidy Smirnow

Chief Customer Officer
Vertafore 
Denver, CO

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Jessica Jeffress - Ex-Officio

Jessica Jeffress

Past Chairman
Peel & Holland 
Benton, KY

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Jim Dahoney - Board Member at Large

Jim Dahoney

Board Member at Large
Marshall & Sterling, Inc. 
Poughkeepsie, NY

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Jim Rogers - Board Member at Large 

Jim Rogers

Board Member at Large

The Hartford
Hartford, CT

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Jon Gorman

Jon Gorman 

NetVU Executive Director
NetVU
Irving, TX

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