President's Message

December 11, 2023

By 
Debra Tedeschi Varner
Varner & Van Volkenburg, PLLCClarksburg, WV

Dear Fellows:

As John F. Kennedy once said, “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” It has been an honor to serve as the President of the ACCC for the past six months. As the snow falls in West Virginia and the holiday season enters its full swing, it seems to be a fitting time of the year to thank the Fellows of the ACCC, Executive Director, Carol Montoya, Account Director, Pearl Ford-Fyffe, and their staff, the Officers, Executive Committee and Board of Regents for the many contributions and tireless effort put into making the ACCC a success. Thank You. 

The Fellows who make up the ACCC have done a tremendous job of making a difference in our lives through planning and participating. The Insurance Law Symposium recently held at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law was a tremendous success! An excess of 100 participants showed up, including students from three different universities, claims executives, and Fellows and Non-Fellows alike. Congratulations to Mike Hamilton and Jo-Ann Lytle, Co-Chairs of the Committee for a job well done!!! Kudos to Professor Tom Baker for his efforts in making the Symposium a success. And, a huge thank you to all of the speakers, moderators and attendees. You nailed it!!!

The next Insurance Law Symposium will take place in November 2024 in conjunction with the University of Minnesota School of Law. Angela Elbert has put together a fantastic team and planning has already begun. Stay tuned for more details.

The Planning Committee for our Annual Meeting at the Intercontinental in Chicago May 8-10, 2024, is hard at work. The Meeting Agenda has been prepared and early registration is open. You can register now by using this link. Thank you to the Planning Committee for its efforts to date. 
 
And how about the work of the Pop-Up Committee? Co-Chairs Mark Gravely and Lisa Weixelman have knocked it out of the park with more to come. There have been seven Pop-Ups so far this year, with more scheduled for December 20, 2023, and March 26, 2024. If you have not yet registered, do so now. Thank you to the Pop-Up Committee for all its work. 
 
A special thank you to Marty Pentz and Andy Downs, Co-Chairs of the Outreach and Regional Meetings Committee for helping to coordinate food, friendship, and perhaps a cocktail or two throughout the country this year. Many thanks to the Fellows who undertook the tasks in their locale. From the photos floating around it appears that a good time was had by all!!!
 
The ACCC will end this calendar year with many achievements having been made. Let’s keep the momentum going in 2024. Again…. Thank You for making a difference in our lives. 

Happy Holidays & Best Wishes for a Safe and Happy New Year!

Warm regards,

Deb