CAA Immediate Past President to Serve as IIAT Director

 Seven CAA Member Agencies Involved in Leadership Roles in The Independent

                     Insurance Agents of Texas in 2008



    AUSTIN, Texas, July 16 /EMWNews/ -- Today Combined Agents of

America, LLC (CAA) proudly announced that its immediate past president Bill

Bridges, CIC, will serve for a 3-year term on the board of directors of The

Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT), known as the Big I. His term

begins Sept. 1. Bill, the executive vice president of Duncan, Fraser &

Bridges (Pampa, TX), will continue to serve on CAA's newly-elected

Management Committee. CAA is a managing general agency (MGA) committed to

strengthening the independent insurance agency system through profitable

growth, quality and service for its member agencies.



    "We're extremely proud that Bill Bridges will continue to serve, steer

and strengthen the insurance industry in Texas in big ways by serving both

on the Big I board of directors and CAA's Management Committee," said Don

Jones, CAA president and president of Crockett Insurance Service,

(Crockett, TX). "CAA continues to attract members of the highest caliber

who impact the independent insurance agency system with strong leadership

and deep pools of industry knowledge."



    CAA applauds the other six CAA member agencies -- Barnard Insurance

Agency, Bartlett, Baggett & Shands, Inc., GBS Insurance Agency, Inc., LLP,

Pierson-Fendley Insurance Agency, LLC, Pinnacle Insurance Group, Inc., and

Whorton Insurance Services -- that actively help IIAT meet industry

challenges by contributing their best people to serve on IIAT committees

and in local leadership roles across Texas in 2008.



    IIAT is the nation's largest state association of Trusted Choice

agencies. Its board consists of four officers, the immediate past president

and nine board members. Alongside Bill, another CAA member, Curtis Fendley,

CIC, managing partner of Pierson-Fendley Insurance (Paris, TX) will

continue serving out his third year on the IIAT board. Steve Davis of GBS

Insurance (Houston, TX) -- another CAA member agency -- will be rotating

off the IIAT board this fall.



    "I look forward to working with Bill Bridges, one of three new

directors on our board," said IIAT President-Elect Garry Kaufman. "The year

ahead will present many new challenges and opportunities. With the guidance

of this board, IIAT will meet those challenges head on."



    Bill Bridges has been reappointed to the IIAT Budget & Finance

Committee, where he has served previously, for the next year. Bill also

serves on the Texas Mutual Agents' Council and the Travelers' Regional

Agents Council. He previously served as president of the Panhandle

Independent Insurance Agents Association and on Republic's Commercial Lines

Council. A graduate of McMurry University, Abilene, he and his wife, Karen

have two children.



    The following CAA board members and their top producers will hold IIAT

leadership roles in 2008:



    Bill Barnard, CIC, partner at Barnard Insurance will serve on the IIAT

Budget and Finance Committee for a one-year term starting this August and

continue to serve for a second year as regional vice president of the

Insurance Men and Women's Political Action Committee of Texas (Impact)

Committee. Barnard will also serve as the immediate past president of the

Big I Wichita Falls local association. A family owned and operated agency,

Barnard Insurance is headquartered in Wichita Falls, Texas and was founded

in 1930.



    Bill Bartlett of Bartlett, Baggett & Shands is regional vice president

for IIAT IMPACT. Bartlett, Baggett & Shands has served the insurance needs

of East Texans for over half a century since 1932. Founded by Bill's

grandfather, E. L. Bartlett, as Bartlett Insurance Agency, the agency

expanded to Bartlett, Baggett & Shands in 1954.



    Brent Borgstedte, CAA chairman and president of GBS Insurance is the

treasurer of the Big I Houston local association. GBS Insurance is a

full-service insurance agency located in Bellaire, Texas and serving Texas

since 1946.



    Curtis Fendley, CIC, managing partner of Pierson-Fendley Insurance, is

serving his third year on the IIAT board. Pierson-Fendley Insurance, has

served Paris, Texas and its surrounding areas since 1955.



    Don SoRelle, senior producer at Pinnacle Insurance Group is the

president of the Big I Central Texas local association. Pinnacle Insurance

Group operates in Waco, Texas and was founded in 2003 by Wayne Peel, CIC,

CPCU.



    Mark Bridges, son of Bill Bridges, will serve as the new president of

the Panhandle Independent Insurance Agents Association for 2008-09. Mark is

a producer with Edmond, Deaton & Stephens agency (Amarillo, TX) which is

owned by CAA member agency Duncan, Fraser & Bridges.



    Michael Whorton, CIC, producer at Whorton Insurance Services, will

serve as the new president of Big I Austin local association for 2008-09.

Michael will also serve as the IIAT Legislative Leader Team and on the IIAT

Trusted Choice Media Team. His father, Jim Whorton, founded Whorton

Insurance in 1972 and it continues to operate in Austin, Texas.

    About Combined Agents of America, LLC



    Founded in 1997 Combined Agents of America, LLC (CAA) is based in

Austin, Texas, and comprised of 36 independent insurance agencies located

throughout the state. By funneling the agencies' combined premiums, CAA

brings larger volume commitments to insurance companies, while empowering

its members to enlarge their bottom line and realize greater benefits from

insurance companies, vendor discounts, profit sharing and other incentives.

In 2007, CAA generated over $400,000,000 in combined property and casualty

annual premiums, and works with 18 of the largest insurance companies in

the nation. CAA is nationally ranked as the number one independent agency

in the southwest region by many of the top rated insurance companies and

ranked 18th of the "Top 100" independent agencies in the nation by the

Insurance Journal in 2008. All CAA member agencies remain independent and

are recognized by insurance companies as a key component to their future

growth and goal commitments. Additional information is available at

http://www.combinedagents.com.



    CAA member agencies include: Aars & Nelson Insurance Agency, Barnard

Insurance Agency, Bartlett, Baggett & Shands, Benchmark Insurance Group,

Benton-Luttrell-Brown Company, Bigham-Kliewer-Chapman-Watts Insurance

Agency, Bill Russell Insurance Agency Inc., Bosworth & Associates, Bryan

Insurance Agency Ltd., Brownrigg Insurance Agency Inc., Cravens-Warren &

Co., Crockett Insurance Service, Duncan-Fraser & Bridges Insurance Agency

Inc., Ed Weeren Insurance Agency Inc., Evans-Ewan & Brady Insurance Agency

Inc., First Insurance Services, Henry Norris Insurance Agency, Inc.,

Garrett Insurance Agency, Inc., GBS Insurance Agency Inc., Grona Boles and

Martin Insurance Agency Inc., Insurance Associates of Texas, Insurance Net

Inc., JHC Insurance Agency Inc., J. S. Edwards & Sherlock Insurance Agency,

McCorkle Commercial Insurance Agency, Mims & Smith, Pierson-Fendley

Insurance, Pinnacle Insurance Group Inc., Porter Insurance Agency Inc.,

Purifoy & Company, The Shropshire Agency Inc., Siegeler Insurance Agency,

Inc., Walthall-Sachse & Pipes, Inc., The Weatherby-Eisenrich Inc., Wellmann

Insurance Agency, Inc., and Whorton Insurance Services.






     Press Contact:

     Courtney R. Holder

     Tel: (512) 853-9086

     [email protected]