Dennis Cuccinelli, LACP, an Independent Advisor associated with Certified Financial Services from Paramus, NJ, has received NAIFA's inaugural Annual Membership Hard Hat Award. He was presented the award by current NAIFA President Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP, and incoming 2023 President Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, November 14 in Washington, D.C., at NAIFA’s Belong awards celebration that was part of the National Leadership Conference.

Cuccinelli is a member of NAIFA’s Board of Trustees and serves as the 2022 National Membership Chair. Himself a tireless recruiter of NAIFA members, Cuccinelli led an effort that made great progress in the association’s recruitment of new members since the organization’s restructuring in 2019. As National Membership Chair, Cuccinelli was the visionary behind creation of NAIFA’s 100% Agency and Financial Security Champion programs that encourage group memberships by firms and agencies.

“Dennis Cuccinelli epitomizes the hard work that goes into recruiting and retaining new members for our great association,” said Holzberg. “Dennis is our natural choice for the first-ever annual Membership Hard Hat Award. Insurance and financial services remains a largely word-of-mouth business when it comes to building our practices and finding new clients. NAIFA is no different when we are recruiting new members. We rely on people like Dennis. He will not only roll up his sleeves to personally encourage individuals and groups to join NAIFA but inspires other NAIFA leaders to do the same.”

Cuccinelli is the past-president of NAIFA-NJ. He has promoted increased responsibility among insurance producers in New Jersey via changes to the New Jersey Insurance Regulations and is the catalyst of a bill that became law in 2011. He has testified before the New Jersey Assembly Banking and Insurance Committee in support of stronger producer compliance regulations.

Cuccinelli received the Life Happens realLIFEstories Award and is the recipient of the Central Jersey Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ Life Underwriter of the Year Award and the New Jersey Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors Underwriter of the Year Award. He is also a recipient of NEF’s Edward E. Phillips Outstanding Citizenship Award.

The NAIFA Membership Hard Hat Award is a new award created to recognize volunteer leaders who show extraordinary dedication to building NAIFA’s membership. NAIFA presents quarterly Membership Hard Hat Awards to recipients from around the country as well as the annual award.