The first speaker on the program was Sen. Michael “Mike” Bennett (R-District 21). The senator talked about legislative issues in the last session. The Essex v. Zota matter had been of great concern to our association and its members. Sen. Bennett was most helpful to us in supporting a bill that made corrections to an earlier court decision that critically affected surplus lines.

Incoming President Bowers presented Steve Finver with his President's Plaque as the outgoing president. He thanked Finver for his service in this position for the past two and one half years, a period of intense activity, particularly in the legislative arena. Finver was at the forefront in working on these issues both from his home base and in Tallahassee. In his closing remarks, Fiver thanked in particular the efforts of the insurance companies and associations that helped us with contributions this past year that made possible our success in the legislative arenas.

The morning session included two other speakers — both from Florida — who also talked about the 2009 legislative session as well as other issues.

Florida Association of Insurance Agents President and CEO Jeff Grady spoke about his association's recent activities, future goals, and the state of the market today. We were very pleased to have him as part of our program.

Each year we look forward to hearing from Gary Pullen, executive director of the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office, who brings us up to date on the activities and important changes that impact the surplus lines agents and companies who report to the service office.

The meeting was adjourned at noon for afternoon social activities that included both a golf tournament and a fishing tournament. That evening, festivities included a reception and annual banquet.

On Saturday morning, new President Bowers called the second business session of the convention to order. The first speaker was Douglas Mang, lobbyist and general counsel for FSLA. Mang spoke about legislative activities that affected our association this past year. His tireless efforts on our behalf regarding the Essex v. Zota legislation were successful, and our association acknowledged his commitment.

The next speaker was David Leonard, president of RSUI Group, Inc. We always look forward to having a president of a surplus lines insurance group give us a perspective on our industry from a company's point of view. Leonard's comments were most informative.

We were fortunate in having two speakers with us this year who represent large national associations in our industry. Bernie Heinze, executive director of AAMGA, and Stephen Stephan, director of government relations at NAPSLO, traveled to Boca to meet with our group. They both updated us on the activities of their organizations this past year, and discussed pending national legislation that will affect our industry. Both AAMGA and NAPSLO were very supportive of our position regarding Essex v. Zota.

As the convention concluded, President Bowers thanked all of the speakers, attendees, and sponsors for their commitment to the association and the conference. He also announced that our next convention will be held at Amelia Island Plantation on July 22-24, 2010. We'll see you there!

Roger Gobler is executive director of the Florida Surplus Lines Association. He may be reached at 904-631-1322 or [email protected].