NAIFA is pleased to announce five new inductees into the NAIFA Hall of Fame. The NAIFA Board of Trustees authorized the creation of the Hall of Fame last year to recognize and celebrate members whose extraordinary service and contributions represent the legacy of the most accomplished, impactful, and inspirational members of the NAIFA family.
The 2025 NAIFA Hall of Fame Inductees are:
* posthumous inductees
The Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the 2025 Belong Awards Dinner, October 14 in Arlington, Va.
“The 2025 class of NAIFA Hall of Fame inductees are among the strongest, most influential leaders our association has known. Their contributions have had indelible impacts on NAIFA that continue to this day,” said Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair John A. Davidson, LUTCF, FSS. “From shaping public policy that continues to move our industry forward to setting extraordinary standards for professionalism, client service, and business success, these NAIFA members exemplify the heights to which all insurance and financial professionals should aspire and offer strong examples for us all to follow.”
Peter C. Browne, LUTCF, was a NAIFA member for nearly 40 years. He was the President of NAIFA’s New York City and New York state chapters. He served on the NAIFA Board of Trustees for three years and then served as national Treasurer for seven years. Browne served on the Life Underwriting Training Council Board of Trustees for two years and The American College Board from 2001-2010. He was also a member of the Life Happens Board of Directors. He was the 2015 recipient of the John Newton Russell Memorial Award.
Ben Feldman developed a distinctive approach to selling life insurance that led to his own extraordinary success and created a path to success for countless other agents and advisors. During his career of more than 50 years at New York Life he set records for the highest annual sales ($100,000,000), daily sales ($20,000,000), and was one of the top earners, with annual commissions surpassing $1,000,000 in the later years of his career. He dedicated himself to mentoring a new generation of agents. Feldman was the 1984 recipient of the John Newton Russell Memorial Award.
Terry K. Headley, LUTCF, FSS, LIC, was a tireless political advocate on behalf of NAIFA and the industry and a selfless supporter of NAIFA’s political action committee. NAIFA’s Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award, recognizing an outstanding member for their political action and grassroots work, is named in his honor. Headley served as President of NAIFA-Omaha and NAIFA-Nebraska. He was NAIFA’s national President during the 2010-2011 term and his efforts were crucial in the defeat of the DOL’s fiduciary rule proposal, protecting the interests of advisors and their clients. He also served as a member of the Life Happens Board of Directors. Headley received the John Newton Russell Memorial Award in 2020.
Robert M. Nelson, CLU, LUTCF, FSS, has been a NAIFA member for 52 years. Beginning in 1993, he chaired an agent’s national task force to reform sales illustrations and testified 13 times at regulatory meetings and in front of the U.S. Senate, resulting in all 50 states adopting the task force’s major recommendations. As NAIFA’s national President for 2001-2002, he presided over a national CEO search. Nelson is an accomplished speaker on agent productivity and has developed a “20-point day” system that he has presented to tens of thousands of agents.
Lester A. Rosen was NAIFA President for the 1973-1974 term. As President, he engaged in extensive international outreach, helping establish life insurance associations in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Europe, Japan, and Singapore. He was the driving force behind a NAIFA financial literacy and public education effort that funded the “You Owe It to Yourself” television series on PBS, which informed the public on financial management and life insurance. He was a strong advocate for high agent-licensing standards. In 1975, Rosen received the John Newton Russell Memorial Award.
The NAIFA Hall of Fame Selection Committee is responsible for reviewing nominations and selecting up to five members each year. The criteria for selection are:
Members of the 2025 Hall of Fame Selection Committee are: