​(Cooperstown, New York, May 9, 2013) — The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York (IIABNY) today elected Andrew J. Kaufman as its chair of the board for the 2013-14 term. Kaufman took the oath of office during a ceremony following IIABNY’s Annual Business Meeting, held at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown. Members also elected and installed new officers and regional members of the board of directors.

Kaufman is president of insurance agency Aurora, Inc. in Albany. A member of the IIABNY board of directors since 2008, he has chaired a task force on New York’s troubled group self-insurance system for Workers’ Compensation. He also served as a member of the board’s finance committee. Previously, he held the top positions in several insurance organizations, including the Capitol District Insurance Community, Independent Insurance Agents of the Capitol Region and Albany Insurance Day.

Kaufman is active in charities such as the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. A product of the State University of New York (SUNY), he captained the men’s varsity swimming team at the College at Oswego. He set school records in three freestyle events and was among the top finishers at the SUNY Athletic Conference championships three consecutive years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oswego and a master’s degree from the University at Albany.

Kaufman stated several priorities in his acceptance speech. Chief among them were legislation to reform the use of certificates of insurance; a prominent role for agents and brokers in New York’s health insurance exchange; increasing diversity within the insurance industry; improving the relationship between insurance producers and the New York State Insurance Fund; and protecting the property insurance marketplace in coastal areas in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

He also stressed the importance of Project CAP, a suite of programs and services designed to help independent agents and brokers reach online insurance shoppers. “Many of you may know that three out of four automobile insurance clients start their search for insurance on the Web,” he said. “It’s critical that independent agents, through their recognized and valuable Trusted Choice® brand, find a prominent place in those web searches.”

Other officers elected and re-elected to IIABNY’s executive committee for one-year terms are:

• James D. Sutton, CIC, AAI, president of James F. Sutton Agency Ltd. in East Islip, New York, elected chair-elect.
• R. Todd Rockefeller, partner of DeRosa, Rockefeller, Sohigian & Werdal, Inc. in Harrison, New York, elected secretary-treasurer.

IIABNY members also elected and re-elected the following regional directors to two-year terms:

• Louis Atti, CPCU, vice-president of The Evans Agency in Angola, New York, to represent the central and western areas of the state;
• Michael Coughlin, chief executive officer of Coughlin Group in Larchmont, New York, to represent the New York City metro and suburban areas;
• Mark Garvelli, vice-president of Walsh Duffield Companies in Buffalo, New York, to represent the central and western areas of the state;
• Charles P. Shank, CIC, president of Shank & Falvey Insurance, Inc. in East Greenbush, New York, to represent the state’s Capitol District and areas north; and

Lane S. Rubin of The Excelsior Group in Valley Stream, New York, won a two-year term as an at-large member representative on the Nominating Committee. This committee evaluates candidates for leadership positions and makes recommendations to the membership.

Earlier in the day, the IIABNY board of directors re-elected David G. Evans, CFP, of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia, to a one-year term as a directors-at-large.