The Marketing Alliance (TMA) Recognizes Ron Verzone, CFP, LTCP, with Billy Vogel Award

April 12, 2011 (St. Louis) - The Marketing Alliance (TMA), a provider of services and distributor of products to independent insurance agencies throughout the United States, recently recognized Ron Verzone, CFP, LTCP, president of Exeter, NH, based, United Underwriters, Inc., (http://uuinc.com), with the Billy Vogel Award for his leadership, business contributions, and service to the financial services industry at its annual meeting in Tampa.

The Billy Vogel Award, which is TMA’s highest honor, is presented annually to individuals in the financial services industry who distinguish themselves through their business acumen, sense of innovation and, above all, integrity. The award is named for William E. (Billy) Vogel, the late president of W.S. Vogel Agency, Inc. of Livingston, NJ, who exemplified all of those qualities.

“Receiving the Billy Vogel award was a surprise. Anytime you receive an award determined by your peers it magnifies the honor. The fact that this is a TMA honor makes it that much more gratifying,” said Verzone

“Brokerage General Agents are a unique community. While we are competitors, we are friends. It’s probably the only industry where we have this level of camaraderie and openly share ideas on how to improve our businesses because we want everyone to succeed,” added Verzone.

Verzone, who recently stepped down as TMA Chairman of the Board, but remains a current board member, is one of the three original founders of TMA. He co-founded the organization along with Jim Stewart and Ed Murray on March 8, 1996.

“One of our greatest accomplishments in recent years was to hire Tim Klusas as TMA president. Tim is so low key and focused on making the company successful. His leadership and drive have been paramount in growing TMA to a level of success beyond what we imagined possible when the company was launched 15 years ago,” said Verzone.

“Ron is a rare leader who thinks nothing of giving everything and everyone his all but doesn’t expect anything in return. His example is prominent in every part of TMA where he challenges us to think creatively and consider ways to continuously improve our services to clients,” said Klusas.

Verzone’s industry leadership involvement includes:
• Former National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) Chairman of the Board
• Current member of Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU)
• Current member of the national and local chapters of the Association of Life Underwriters
• Current member of the General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA)
• Current member of the Boston Estate Planning Council
• Current member of the international and New Hampshire Association of Financial Planners

Verzone is an internationally-recognized speaker on insurance issues ranging from Impaired Risk and Legislation to Estate Planning and Long Term Care. He is a frequent guest columnist for well-known business and trade publications, and authored “Guide to Underwriting the Impaired Risk,” which has been distributed worldwide.

Verzone has a degree in medical technology from the University of Texas, and a bachelor’s of administration from the University of Hartford. He is a Certified Financial Planner, a Certified Insurance Consultant, a Certified Long Term Care Professional, a Licensed Investment Advisor for Life and Health, and a Registered Investment Advisor.

Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, TMA (Pink Sheets: MAAL) is one of the largest organizations offering support to independent insurance brokerage agencies, with a goal of providing members value-added services on a more efficient basis than they can achieve individually. The Company provides its members located across the country access to a wide array of life insurance and annuity products from an extensive network of carriers. To learn more about TMA, please visit the company Web site located at www.themarketingalliance.com or call 314.275.8713.

Ann Marie Mayuga
AMM Communications LLC
P.O. Box 240134
Ballwin, Missouri 63024

This release was published on openPR.