By Mary Ann St Marie, CPIW
As a famous poem starts, “How do I love thee, let me count the ways”. Well, that is how I feel about IAIP, especially as a retiree.
All the years I was working in insurance and am IAIP member, I took IAIP courses, applied for designations, attended conferences and conventions across the country, and of course made the many friends and lasting relationships I still have today. IAIP helped me to advance my insurance career and moved me up in the company.
Now that I’m retired, it is still important to me but in different ways. As the poem says, let me count the ways.
1. I’ve made friends for life, and we even travel to see each other and stay in touch. They are like family.
2. As a retiree I enjoy mentoring. I have mentored members of IAIP in business matters as well as IAIP responsibilities and association topics. This has been very rewarding.
3. I stay active by volunteering to be on committees such as nominating, bylaws, minutes approval, committee chairs and being our local president. This helps the association, and it is also a way for me to give back to an organization that has done so much for me.
4. I also teach a virtual class which is a Special Interest Community (SIC) for retirees, along with Betty Smith, who is also retired. These community meetings have been very well received. They cover a variety of topics that are of interest to retirees – not just insurance themes. A few examples are Decluttering, Caring for Aging Parents, and Cooking for One or Two, and Canning. We have great discussions on all the topics. We invite listeners to participate in the calls and also to recommend topics they are interested in learning about. Check us out.
Retirees have some extra time on their hands hopefully, and this is our time to share our knowledge and talents with others. We receive so much back in return.
I know my friends and relatives always come to me with insurance questions knowing I was in the business. By remaining in IAIP I am able to stay up to date with any changes that take place, so I am able to respond correctly to their questions.
IAIP has been a part of my life for 30 years and I continue to renew my membership and stay involved. I could never find better people to call my brothers and sisters than the ones I have in IAIP. Why don’t you try counting the ways.
Mary Ann St Marie, CPIW is a member of the St Paul Association of Insurance Professionals. She has been a member of IAIP for over 30 years. She worked for St Paul Companies which later became Travelers. When she retired, she was a Director in Claims. She is a local President, a past Region V RVP, and also a past Council Director. She is a widow with three children and eight grandchildren. She stays very active with volunteer work and also part time employment and is very active in her church.