Douglas Jackson, current president of the Society of Registered Professional Adjusters (RPA), was crowned the 2008 Claims Professional of the Year at a special award ceremony held on Tuesday, June 10, 2008 during the 12th Annual ACE America's Claims Event. Sponsored by New York-based law firm Smith & Brink, P.C. and Claims Magazine, the award recognizes overall excellence in the claim-handling arena. Recipients are usually involved heavily in continuing education initiatives that foster a sense of commitment to not only upholding the integrity of current industry practices but also improving upon them.
Throughout his more than 30 years of experience as a claim professional, Mr. Jackson has worked as a staff adjuster with both commercial and residential carriers. He now serves as president of southern California-based Southwest Claims Service, an independent insurance adjusting company that Mr. Jackson started with his wife, Elaine. The company provides claim adjusting and consultation services to commercial and personal line insurers, with a primary focus on property and casualty lines.
Early on, it was apparent to the California Association of Independent Insurance Adjusters (CAIIA) board that Mr. Jackson was a consummate claim professional extremely worthy of such a distinction. In a letter nominating Mr. Jackson for this award, Peter Schifrin, CAIIA president, cited the RPA president's tireless efforts to rejuvenate the RPA board, all of which has culminated in an increase in membership and heightened organizational credibility. Mr. Schifrin also emphasized successful education initiatives and other contributions.
“Mr. Jackson is the past president of the CAIIA,” he said. “During his time on the executive board, he was instrumental in the creation of the Seminar for the Evaluation of Earthquake Damage (SEED), a program that assists adjusters in complying with California earthquake certifications requirements.”
The program combines the expertise of top earthquake engineers, attorneys, the California Earthquake Authority, and insurance adjusters. It continually evolves and improves as more scientific studies confirm the damages that can be expected during a major quake. Mr. Jackson stays involved by being one of the organizers and instructors at each SEED seminar that CAIIA hosts.
“The one-day program is intense and enlightening,” Mr. Jackson said. “It not only satisfies the 3-year certification requirement for earthquake losses, but also handles fair claims and SIU recertification guidelines. I am very proud to still be involved in this training today.”
Aside from this specific program, Mr. Jackson reinforces the notion that nurturing the potential in each professional will strengthen the industry — its image and effectiveness — for years to come.
“We need to remember that education takes many forms,” Mr. Jackson said. “Each of us has found our path to furthering our competence and professionalism and any educational format should be results-driven. I still look back to my first job and to the commitment the company made to me and other rookies by sending us to 'property' school and then 'policy' school. Even after 2 months of rigorous training, it realized that pairing us with senior adjusters — destined to become our mentors, our guides to the real world — was just as important as the tangible resources, such as books and classes.”
When asked to what he can attribute his success, Mr. Jackson says that he is grateful for the helping hands of coworkers, mentors and educators. He also encourages others to get involved and take pride in such a commendable profession. To all who have met him, his fervor seems infectious.
“I, a regional independent adjuster, take on the numerous and mostly volunteer training programs and am involved in various professional claim organizations because we should all give something back, whether this is in the form of time for organizing events or teaching classes,” Mr. Jackson concluded. “Every adjuster is ultimately responsible for improving his or her own expertise and professionalism. Challenge yourself. Commit yourself. Consider this an invitation to step forward and be the mentor that some new adjuster is desperate to have.”
The 2008 ACE America's Claim Event is being held at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, from June 9 to 11, 2008.
For more information about RPA, check out www.rpa-adjuster.com. To read more about the CAIIA, including the SEED program, visit www.caiia.org.
Interested in more education/training news and in-depth articles? Head over to Claims' education/training channel for more information.
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