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SIO Awards: Rewarding LSA Accomplishments
There are 47 local surety associations (LSAs), and each addresses local surety bond interests in some way. One presents to contractors on the basics of surety bonding. Another meets with a private construction owner to discuss bonding in the private sector. Another encourages bankers and lenders to require bonding as part of construction loans. Yet another talks to a trade association or union about bonding for small or emerging contractors.
These activities build up, and before you know it, your association has participated in five, 10, or even more activities to promote contract surety bonding. Shouldn’t your members be rewarded for these accomplishments?
 SIO’s Awards for Excellence in Surety Bond Promotion do just that! Associations that conduct five activities are eligible for SIO’s Silver Award, and those that conduct 10 or more are eligible for a Gold Award. SIO’s Platinum Award is given to an individual member of The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) and National Association of Surety Bond Producers (NASBP) who has undertaken special initiatives to promote contract surety bonds. The Platinum Award is not based simply on volume, but takes into account the impact of the member’s actions in promoting the value and benefits of contract surety bonds.
Entries for the SIO awards are due February 9, 2007. For more information, visit www.sio.org/surety/awards.html or call Marc Ramsey, SIO Communications Manager, at (202) 686-7463.
What Can Your LSA Do?
- Present to contractors, subcontractors, emerging contractors, public and private owners, bankers, CPAs, A/E professionals, and trade
associations;
- Speak at educational institutions;
- Offer scholarships;
- Exhibit at trade shows;
- Volunteer in your community;
- Publish articles in trade journals; and
- Order free SIO materials for your specific audiences.
Tiger Trust
- SFAA and NASBP members who convince a private construction owner to require a surety bond on a project may be eligible SIO’s Tiger Trust.
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What LSAs Are Doing This Year
Mid-Atlantic Surety Association
 The Mid-Atlantic Surety Association is collaborating with the National Veterans Business Development Corporation on a regional presentation for veterans in November in Harrisburg, PA. Expected to draw about 200 attendees including U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, the event is designed to create opportunities for emerging contractors. “It’s a primer to let the veterans know about contracting with the government and surety bonding for their companies,” explained association President Dennis Gunzelmann, Senior Underwriter, Safeco Surety, Blue Bell, PA.
For emerging contractors, SIO recommends:
Surety Association of St. Louis
 The Surety Association of St. Louis is collaborating with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) in its efforts to implement electronic bidding and the use of an annual bid bond. To advise MoDOT, the association is working closely with the NASBP/SFAA Joint Automation Committee, the Surety Association of Kansas City, and NASBP Region 4 Vice President Thomas English, Thomas McGee LC, Kansas City, MO. “We want to make sure the MoDOT program is open to everyone and doesn’t have restrictions and is easily used,” said association PR Committee member Denny Lutz, Bond Manager, Welsch, Flatness & Lutz, St. Louis, MO.
 The association also staffs a booth with the Surety Association of Kansas City at the Missouri Municipal League to ensure city officials understand bonding and how it applies to them. Other activities include volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, supporting a local construction charter high school, and presenting at several trade associations and educational institutions.
For assistance with electronic bidding and bonding, SIO recommends:
- NASBP/SFAA Joint Automation Committee;
- Mark McCallum, NASBP General Counsel and Director of
Government Relations, (202) 464-1173; and
- Joseph Orgovan, SFAA Director of Information Technology, (202)
778-3634.
For public construction owners, SIO recommends:
For private construction owners, SIO recommends:
Surety Association of Illinois
Surety Association of Illinois Board members are meeting with a local union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #134, to negotiate bond forms to help smaller contractors obtain surety bonding and to allow larger contractors to obtain bonds more freely. “Improving this bond form will help a lot more contractors obtain surety bonding,” said association President Hans Buvary, Bond Account Executive, The Hartford, Aurora, IL. Edward G. Gallagher, SFAA General Counsel, has been assisting.
The association also continues to work with the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on warranty issues. Members will meet with the toll authority later this year in an effort to permanently reduce 10-year warranties to one- to three-year warranties.
For assistance with legislative issues, SIO recommends:
- Lenore Marema, SFAA Vice President of Government Affairs, (202)
778-3637; and
- Mark H. McCallum, NASBP General Counsel and Director of Government Relations, (202)
464-1173.
Alabama Surety Association
 The Alabama Surety Association continues to offer “A Practical Study of Contractor Surety Bonds & Contractor’s Insurance” to Auburn University, said association President Jeff Cutshall, Surety Manager, J. Smith Lanier & Company, Birmingham, AL. “This is a good way to prevent some of the misconceptions of the surety industry by young contractors,” Cutshall said. “We want to show the students that surety bonding is not an overnight process and there is a right and wrong way to get off the ground floor.”
Presenters include Alvin Bresler, Vice President, and Ryan McClendon, Account Executive, J. Smith Lanier & Company, Birmingham, AL; Wayne Messick, Director and Manager, CNA Surety Corp., Birmingham, AL; and Mark Little, Surety Underwriter, CNA Surety Corp., California.
For students and educators, SIO recommends:
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Surety Association of Indiana Has New Look
 The Surety Association of Indiana has redesigned its Web site and changed its Web address to www.indianasurety.org. Its old Web address will no longer redirect visitors to the new address after September, so be sure to change any links out there.
The association previously was known as the Surety Association of Indianapolis, and the redesign and new Web domain reflect the transition to the new name.
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