Iowa Nominee Selected as the 2013 National Outstanding CSR of the Year
AUSTIN, TX - August 8, 2013 – Ms. Nicole Keck, CISR, Commercial Lines Coordinator and Senior Customer Service Agent for AW Welt Ambrisco Insurance, Inc. in Iowa City, Iowa, has just been awarded the most prestigious honor available to insurance customer service representatives: the 2013 National Outstanding CSR of the Year Award.
The Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) and the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) selected Ms. Keck as the winner of this award from a field of 49 state winners. After five finalists were chosen from this field, a blue-ribbon panel of five judges evaluated the finalists based on their individual contributions to the insurance community, and the strength of their essays written on the topic: “Communication is one of the most important parts of building strong relationships with your clients, companies, and coworkers. Identify and explain the four greatest barriers to effective communication that you face (or have faced) and how you’ve worked to overcome these barriers.”
Nicole Keck was praised by an associate as “committed and driven to excellence. She is always willing to help others and strives to make others around her better. Nicci has helped our agency open our eyes and minds to new ideas and methods of communication internally to help us improve our service model and better serve our clients. It is so difficult to find someone with so many strong character and leadership traits, but Nicci has them all.”
In her essay, Ms. Keck cited four communication barriers she has faced and how she has overcome them: (1) finding a common language; (2) communication style differences; (3) email pitfalls; and (4) time management.
Ms. Keck receives a cash award of $2,000, a distinctive gold and diamond lapel pin, and her name is inscribed on a sculpture on permanent display at The National Alliance headquarters in Austin, Texas. A scholarship will be awarded to her employer, AW Welt Ambrisco Insurance, for participation in any National Alliance program.
In addition to the selection of Nicole Keck as the national award recipient, four national finalists were chosen from a particularly competitive field of applicants:
Alicia Carlson, CISR, AIS, AU with Howalt-McDowell Insurance in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Michael Lemay, CIC, CISR, API, AIS, AINS with Cross Insurance in Portland, Maine
Jennifer Lude, CISR with Liberty Mutual Insurance in Salt Lake City, Utah
Kadi Quinn, CISR with McKay Insurance in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Each finalist receives a special gold and garnet lapel pin, $500 cash award, and publicity in a national trade journal.
For additional information about this award, contact The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research: P. O. Box 27027, Austin, Texas 78755-2027; 800-633-2165; Email [email protected]; Website: www.TheNationalAlliance.com.
Contact:
Danielle D. Janecka
Senior Vice President
The Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives
512-349-6181; [email protected]
