It is hard to believe that three years and six months ago I left my keys on the desk and walked out of my office door for the last time. Who would have thought that after that much time I have been asked to write for the MTMIC Newsletter?
Normally I start my dialogue with a weather report from the Arizona desert but, after my recent trip to Michigan on a joint business and personal trip I will confirm that 90 degrees with 90% humidity is roughly equal to 108 degrees with 15% humidity. For the first time since 2013 my wife accompanied me to visit the kids and grandkids. It was great for her to see them but the 5th grade graduation ceremony in a packed non-air-conditioned gym was a reminder to both of us how warm it can get in Michigan.
Some of you may know that I have not completely disappeared from the roster at MTMIC. I continue as an employee of MTMIC as an underwriting consultant to the President. The company has continued to flourish in my absence and the staffing has remained at the same level, except for the addition of me in a part-time capacity.
Currently I provide the underwriting review of all prospects and renewal policies. John Karlen and I have developed review criteria which allow me to process the so-called ‘normal’ risks with regular exposures while at the same time allowing him the time to do the things a President of an insurance company would normally do. His input is regularly sought on underwriting matters that could impact the profitability of the company. We regularly communicate to discuss and review underwriter decisions and theory.
Now for the reason I visited Michigan; we are constantly reminded of the passing of time. This week we had a scheduled appointment with the new President of the Compensation Advisory Organization of MI (CAOM). CAOM is the MI entity which develops experience modifications for all employers in the State.
It is likely you did not know that I was the Manager of that Organization in one of my former positions. A young man I hired fresh out of college in 1974 (Jon Heikkinen) was retiring as the current President of that entity after 43 years of continuous employment. It was our extreme pleasure to wish Jon well in his impending retirement and to welcome his replacement, Dave Brueckman. It is important to remain in good stead with the bureaucracy and nothing says friendship like 43 years of being on a first name basis with people you rely on.
Another visit for the week was with the State office which regulates aspects of the insurance industry in MI. Our visit was beneficial to MTMIC in that they gained additional insight into our operations and we encouraged them to ‘keep us on their speed dial’. It didn’t hurt that historically I have known the director of the department since the 70’s when he first started his career.
It was a great trip to visit the offices again; it has been over a year since I have had the opportunity to visit the staff in the MTMIC office and I am happy to announce that everyone pretty much is the same as I recall from 2013.
On a personal note, I look forward to continuing in my part-time pursuits with MTMIC at least a few more years. John has enticed me to stay by providing a nifty new computer which has a modern operating system that Microsoft actually updates on a regular basis!
Have a Great Summer!