Hard to believe that 16 years has passed since a group of eclectic insurance professionals got together to start the Windstorm Insurance Network, an educational association dedicated to educating all the various parties involved in insurance loss adjusting issues. Prior to that first meeting, I would never have predicted that given the nature of all the opposing interests regarding not only high-dollar losses but also egos, complex insurance contract terms, as well as a host of fact issues of a loss from wind and other perils, that this endeavor would have been so successful.

But here we are getting ready for the 17^th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference which starts next week.  From the attendee list I have seen, there will likely be very close to a thousand professionals gathering in Orlando, Florida at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort from all over the United States.

From a personal perspective I could not be more proud to have been a part of this organization and hopefully contributed to its success since its inception of 1999.  It was indeed an honor to have been asked to serve on the founding Board of Directors of WIND, to serve as its President during a tumultuous string of weather events when four hurricanes struck Florida in a period of 45 days, to be awarded the WIND Presidential Recognition Award at the 2011 Houston,TX conference and finally to be designated as a “WIND Fellow” in the founding class of the Windstorm Insurance Network Fellows Program  along with nine other insurance professionals in 2014.

As to this year’s conference, Tutwiler & Associates Public Adjusters will again be well represented at the conference.  Rick Tutwiler, PCLA, who is currently Conference Co-Chair, Marketing-Membership Chair will be on the faculty in the workshop titled “Wind vs. Wave Action Damage to Structures” along with faculty:  Ken Gilvary, M.S., P.E., Haag Engineering Co. and Randall Horden, National Catastrophe Director, Mid-America Adjusting Members.  Public Adjuster Michael Platts of our Tampa office will be on the faculty of the workshop titled “Storybook 101:  Interactions Between Insureds and Insurers” along with faculty:  Janice A. Kelly, Esquire, Southeast Law Group; Theodore A. Corless, Esquire, Corless Barfield Trial Group and Christopher S. McLeod, Regional Claim Manager, Auto Club Insurance Company of Florida/Auto Club South Insurance Company.  I along with an esteemed panel:  Janet Brown, Esquire, Boehm, Brown & Harwood; Wayne Taylor, Esquire, Mozley, Finlayson & Loggins, and Art Newman, Belfor will teach a double session for the WIND Certified Umpire Recertification® class working with experienced umpires who act as the middlemen in the appraisal dispute resolution process found in property insurance policies in the United States and other countries across the globe.

Public Adjuster Brad Barrett and Chris Barrett from our Orlando office along with Public Adjuster Mike Stabile from our executive office in Tampa will fly the flag and be our ambassadors in the various workshops they will be attending.  Other staff from Tutwiler & Associates are busy representing their current clients and are unable to attend. All of them have contributed in past conferences as faculty, something we are very proud of.

I am told there is still space available.  So please register now because in the past, walk-ins have been turned away due to a full house. I look forward to seeing you in Orlando, Florida.