The success of any organization or association falls on its ability to continue a legacy of strong leadership. This was the focus of the NASBP leadership 15 years ago when the idea of a committee with the sole purpose of identifying future leaders of the association was born. The NASBP 5-15 Leadership Committee enables members to identify producers with five to 15 years of experience who they see as embodying the characteristics of future stewards of the Association. Enrollment is currently open, with nominations accepted through April 28, 2022. Do you know a producer who would be a good fit? Fill out a nomination form today!

Membership in the 5-15 Leadership Committee offers many benefits, including:

• Discounted registration for the NASBP Annual Meeting and NASBP Fall Meetings
• VIP events that provide exclusive access to NASBP leadership and surety company executives
• Quarterly conference calls with presentations on leadership topics
• Mentoring from fellow committee members and past/present leadership of NASBP

Being a part of the Committee also comes with responsibility. Once selected as a candidate for the Committee, there are annual requirements to fulfill to show the drive to be involved in all aspects of the industry. Participating in 5-15 Committee activities, attending NASBP meetings, and being active on additional NASBP committees are all part of the requirements for 5-15 Leadership Committee members.

Current Committee Chair Steven Tucker, Vice President of Member firm Tucker Agency in Fort Worth, TX, had this to say about his experience with the committee:

“Our mission is to identify, cultivate, and provide opportunities to the future leaders of our association, and that requires cooperation,” Tucker said. “NASBP provides the 5-15 with opportunities to learn from the best—meeting face to face with both agency and company executives—offering the next generation of leadership the skills and contacts to advance themselves. In turn, it is our responsibility to give back to the Association and do the same for those following in our steps.”

The Committee continues to evolve, developing new projects and content. New in 2021 was a Committee initiative to create a series, as part of NASBP Podcast “Let’s Get Surety.” “Lean Into Leadership: Talking Surety with the 5-15” features guest hosts from the Committee with topics pulled directly from their experience as young producers and members of the 5-15 Leadership Committee.

The success of the committee can be seen in the growth of 5-15 Committee members into Association leaders. In the last several years, an average of 30% of NASBP Board of Directors members are also 5-15 Committee Members. Current Board Member (Region 11 Director) and Committee Member Heidi Rodzen, Construction Surety Bonds Specialist and Surety Account Executive with Member firm Skillings Shaw & Associates in Lewiston, ME, had these thoughts about involvement:

“I’ve been around for a long time, but I hadn’t necessarily been in the account executive role for my entire career,” Rodzen said. “Bob (Shaw) made the recommendation, because we both see the value of NASBP—active involvement really does give you a good pulse of how things are going in the bond industry and the surety world across the U.S.”

As the Committee name suggests, there is an “end point” to a leader’s active involvement with the 5-15 Leadership Committee. When the member reaches 15 years of experience in surety, the member graduates from the Committee into a mentorship roll to current and incoming members. This “life cycle” of the Committee means there is always a need to nominate new members to keep the development of new leaders progressing.

Interested in nominating a young producer to the 5-15 Leadership Committee? Every year the Committee holds an open enrollment period from January 1 until the spring Annual Meeting. Nomination forms and more information on the nomination process, as well as Committee requirements and benefits can be found on the NASBP Website. Please contact the 5-15 Leadership Committee staff liaison, Bethany Jones, at bjones@nasbp.org with questions. Find out more about the Committee by reading the Surety Bond Quarterly article, “Extending the Value of Surety—NASBP’s 5-15 Committee Trains New Industry Leaders.” Learn about all the NASBP Committees here.

This Pipeline article is the fifth in a series describing how NASBP Committees are the cornerstone foundation of the Association. See the CEO Column that introduced this series, which was published in the March/April 2021 issue. See other Pipeline articles that describe the NASBP Industry Relations Committee, Government Relations Committee, Membership Committee, Professional Development Committee, and Automation and Technology Committee. (NASBP login required.)