“Mike has led by example and is a true champion of the independent agency system in his home state of Minnesota,” says Robert Rusbuldt, IIABA president and chief executive officer. “The Big 'I' is proud that he will now head the association's leadership team as the chairman of the executive committee.”

In an interview with National Underwriter, Donohoe says he is humbled by his selection, referring to himself and his 13-person agency as “typical” of the leadership that has preceded him.

During his term, he says he wants to emphasize the role independent agents play in their communities beyond just businessmen and women.

“We are the T-ball coaches, the mayors and city councils, the church trustees and the fundraisers,” says Donohoe. “There is a quality that is hard to quantify in most of the agents who are members. There is more that drives us than what you may see in print. We are advisors, counselors and problem solvers. For some reason, people are drawn to us and comfortable with asking us for advice on all kinds of things outside of selling insurance. I want to make consumers understand what we do.”

He indicates that during his one-year term he would like to see the IIABA membership grow by making the producer community understand that together they can have a greater influence on legislation, branding, identifying and dealing with threats to the producer community, and finding educational opportunities.

“We have a lot to offer agents in the small to mid-size range and they might not even know it,” Donohoe says.

“Re-selling what we have and why [independent agents] should belong is important to me and something I think we can make some progress on,” he says. “My goal is to let people know what we do and that we do it well.”

Donohoe has served as president of the Minnesota Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers and represented the state on the board of directors. He was twice named Minnesota Young Agent of the Year and was named Minnesota Agent of the Year in 1994.

He was elected to the IIABA's executive committee in 2006 and has been instrumental in the success of the Big “I” Virtual University and served as chairman of its task force from 2001 to 2006.

Donohoe was a founder of the Big “I” Eagle Agency, an independent agency for association members. He was awarded the Woodworth Memorial in 2005.

The association also named Bobby Bramlett chairman-elect.

He is president and CEO of the Bramlett Agency in Ardmore, Okla. He began his insurance career with The Bramlett Agency in 1975 and has served as its president and CEO since 1983.