His wife, Mable Browne, who he met in high school and dated throughout his time in the Navy and in college, brought him to several cocktail parties, one of which is where he met a “gentleman that worked for Union Central [who said he] was just what they were looking for” in an agent.  He also felt a strong connection to the life insurance business after his late father’s policy covered his, and his three sibling’s educations, stating, “Myself, and my 3 siblings were able to attend college fully paid for [and] I figured that stuff must be pretty good!” says Peter.

After joining Union Central, Peter quickly became the assistant manager. This “put him around a lot of other agents that were involved in extracurricular activities and NAIFA was it.” Once a member of the association, Peter rose through the ranks of the leadership Chairs at both the state and national levels, and ultimately, became the President of NAIFA-NY and GAMA. He credits this success within the association to his “ability to make things happen if he knew what needed to be happening.”

During his time at NAIFA, Peter ran for Trustee and was elected and served for two years. He then ran again and lost. Although he was disappointed, he says it's important “not to burn your bridges.” This sentiment holds true as Peter describes that just one year later, he received a call from NAIFA, saying, “We have an opening on the Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) Board and we think you would be the perfect person to take the slot and [he] told them he would be happy to.” Ultimately, Peter’s goal within NAIFA was to be on the Executive Committee, so when the Treasurer retired and he received a call to take on the role, he happily obliged and served in this position for nine years.

When it comes to NAIFA’s advocacy, Peter states that its contribution to the success of his business as well as his clients’ interests is “extremely important and the lifeblood of our industry." He explains how NAIFA’s monumental success advocating for the industry comes from its numbers, “While other organizations are out there […] companies will tell you, NAIFA is the front line, this is where the action happens because we have thousands of members, and no other organization has anywhere near that… NAIFA does a lot of [important] things, but advocacy is it—that’s where the action is. And that is evident in the way we have been operating and the respect that legislators have of [us].”

During his time with NAIFA, Peter testified many times and explained how the experience can be intimidating but worthwhile. He states, “[Testifying] can be very interesting and your knees start knocking […] when talking to a senator, we all get through it though because we have great people representing the organization, and they stand out.”

Peter is now writing a book, "Memoirs of the Greatness of Our Calling: 60 Years of Relationships in the Life Insurance Industry." In his book, he states how his time in the industry has given him purpose, “The greatness of our calling is what it’s all about, I’ve seen it now because of the length of time. But I have to tell you the number of death claims I’ve experienced. The lawyers, the bankers, they all come in and ask for money. I come in and bring money and that’s what it’s all about.”

Thank you, Peter, for your loyal service and leadership to our industry and association. We’re #NAIFAproud to call you one of our own.