Margaret Ellison Simonds, Director of New Business and Underwriting at First American Insurance Underwriters, Inc., in Needham, Massachusetts. was recently elected Secretary of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) of Massachusetts.

The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company has presented Eric Pyles, financial advisor and partner at Cambridge Financial Services in Chandler, Ariz., with the Financial Professional of the Year Award.

Bill Zimmerman, Founder, President and CEO of LifePro Financial Services, was recently sworn in as president of the San Diego Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Zimmerman will now oversee all the responsibilities and activities of NAIFA in the San Diego area.

American General Life Companies (American General), a part of AIG, has named Joe Ross Vice President, Sales Productivity and Business Development. He joins American General from Protective Life in Cincinnati, where most recently he served as VP, Sales Development.

The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company recently presented NAIFA member Susan Cooper, CLU, ChFC^®, CFP^®, CDFA, CAP, with a 2012 National Chairman’s Award. Cooper is the managing director of Penn Mutual’s career agency in New York City.

This is Cooper’s second National Chairman's Award, which recognizes Penn Mutual Career Agency System managing partners and managing directors who have demonstrated exceptional all-around performance and leadership.

About 1,000 NAIFA members are taking advantage of the opportunity to be part of an important history-making event: NAIFA’s Congressional Conference. The meeting, currently under way in Washington, D.C., was organized by NAIFA to give members a platform to educate their lawmakers about the important role insurance plays in the lives of millions of Americans, and why it is imperative that tax reform does not make it more expensive or more difficult for Americans to purchase this valuable product.

NAIFA-West Virginia recently honored Philip T. Seibert for 77 years of service in the financial-services industry.

The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, a more than 166-year-old company, has appointed Anthony Williams, LUTCF, financial advisor of Empire Wealth Strategies, the company’s New York City career agency.

NAIFA recently completed its PIC and PAC training for volunteer leaders in Washington, D.C., prior to Congressional meetings on Capitol Hill.

The practice of Clint Fish, RFC, has grown significantly since he won Advisor Today’s Four Under Forty Award in 2009. We recently caught up with Fish and learned about his company’s successes, his plans for the future, and why he thinks NAIFA membership is so valuable.