By Regina Lemanowicz
1. Your name and Region. Do you belong to a local association or are you a MAL? How long have you been a member?
Chenise Blalock/ Region VII- Honolulu Association of Insurance Professionals
2. What inspires you to be part of Insurance Professionals and what prompted you to join?
When I joined HAIP in 2014, I had been in the business for about 15 years but had never considered insurance as my “career”. It was more of a holding place for where I wanted to go. But just before joining IAIP, I started doing Toastmasters and when encouraged to take the CWC course, I realized it as an opportunity to hone the speaking skills I was already learning. What inspires me to continue being a part of IAIP are the multiple avenues to increase my leadership skills, the opportunities to mentor
other new professionals and the lifetime relationships that have been built over the years. It’s nice to know that I can reach out to one of my professional peers with an
insurance concern in another state and receive valuable information and they have done the same.
3. Describe a memorable collaborative effort, such as a committee, task force, or program, where you worked effectively with others to achieve a common goal.
Working collaboratively with a Team is what I do best. LOL!
Currently, I co-chair the Education committee for our local association and have been doing so for about 4 years to develop one of the strongest continuing education
programs in the state. We host approximately (both in-person and virtual) 5-6 courses per year.
It’s challenging but extremely rewarding to collaborate with other insurance associations and carriers like the HI CPCU chapter, Zephyr Insurance; RLI Insurance to provide additional educational and leadership events like our annual “All Insurance Day” program to over 150 insurance professionals.
I’ve worked closely w/Dr. Ed Keanui for the past 8 years to mentor Jr/Sr High and college students at the University of Hawaii West Oahu; speaking frequently to students
in or considering The Risk Management program to encourage them to pursue insurance as a viable and stable career in an unstable economy. And a few years ago, I collaboratively worked with several HAIP and other Region VII members to host the 2023 Region VII conference in Hawaii.
In addition, I’ve had the privilege of being on the RVP selection committee.
Locally, a CWC Instructor- for 3 yrs, CWC guest instructor for 3 yrs and a co-coordinator for the IAIP convention competition on numerous years.
Community Service within the association for Food drives, Charity Walks; March of Dimes events to raise awareness and monies for our community.
Currently the co-Assistant to the Region VII RVP (Terri Brennan). All of these committees, events, and educational opportunities can’t be accomplished without the collaborative effort of “many hands making light work”.
4. What is one of the most memorable experiences you’ve had as a member, whether it was a meeting, a specific project, or a challenging situation you encountered?
Early in my membership, the current President unexpectedly stepped down while I was VP/Pres Elect- although I had just started learning what HAIP was all about I
immediately had to step up and lead. The thing I remember most is how the other seasoned members stepped in and helped me. They didn’t DO it for me, but guided me, so that I would learn quickly. Sometimes your best learning experiences are the ones where you make the most mistakes. Let’s just say I learned A LOT that year!
5. What is a good tip on how to share the benefits of membership with an employer?
With budget cuts everywhere, the best way to get your employer to support your membership is to be a good employee. When your employer sees your effort (timeliness, going the extra mile, team player), they will want to invest in your progress. And they must see the value in what you’re doing as a member of IAIP. If they see your enthusiasm for the association and YOUR time/energy investment to learn and grow, it makes them want to contribute to that growth. IAIP has so many tracks to advance a person’s skill levels. We offer great Leadership and Communication courses as well as Community Service opportunities, which contribute to teambuilding. Share this with your employer and make them a believer and participant in your success.
6. What Insurance Professionals programs have you taken that you would highly recommend to another member?
The Confidence While Communicating course is a definite must! Almost everyone has a fear of public speaking, but what the program also teaches is how to communicate in small groups, business settings, meetings and even one on one.
I can’t really think of a career that doesn’t require communication skills whether it be written or oral and in the professional arena it adds to your credibility when you are an effective communicator.
7. Our organization’s vision statement includes: Insurance Professionals is the leading provider of education, skills enhancement and leadership development to members and partners of our industry. Which part of our Vision statement do you feel has had the biggest impact on your personal or professional growth?
I’d have to lean towards Leadership Development. But not for the reasons you think. Yes, I’m extremely grateful that IAIP has provided numerous opportunities for me to demonstrate leadership as President of my local association and Chairman of various committees, but what has been most meaningful to me is the opportunity to pass those skills on. We have about 4-5 women & men that recently joined HAIP and they’re eager to learn and grow but they can only do that when we (old timers) are willing to invest the time (and sometimes money) to make that happen. It’s the opportunity to nurture, encourage and mentor that is most meaningful to me. It gives me great JOY to see someone flourish and grow. The CLP program is an excellent tool to make this happen. We are currently pursuing ways to have the CLP courses instructed in our time zone weekly, so we can knock it out in 5-6 mos. If they’re willing to commit the time, I can get the “investors” to supplement the cost for the classes, and I also want to work with them to use the resources IAIP provides through scholarships and grants. There’s a Hawaiian term “mālama kekahi i kekahi,” which means, “Take care of each other”.. because that’s what we are committed to doing.
8. What are your hobbies, interests, or a particular cause you are most passionate about?
I love to sing! I sing all the time. I also love to read, cook, garden and volunteer. I’m currently serving at my church as a Trustee and Committee Chair for the Hawaii Foodbank; coordinating over 50 volunteers to distribute meals for over 250 families each month. It’s a big task but I love it! I know you didn’t ask this question, but I just wanted to say.. I believe one of the most effective ways to get new members to stay and become “old members”, is to get them immediately engaged. They won’t necessarily be ready to head a committee but maybe you can encourage them to be a meaningful part of a committee. Give them a task that will strengthen, stretch and help them grow. See their potential, believe in them and then match their effort… And if they ARE ready to lead that committee make sure, you’re providing a good safety net w/lots of encouragement, support and direction.