Celebrating Our 2024 Milestones and Looking Forward to 2025 – A Letter from Mark Vuono, Environmental Divisional President

As a youngster, I remember my elders saying that time seems to go by faster as you get older, which didn’t seem to make any sense. Now that I am the “elder”, I can certainly understand what they had meant, this past year seemed to have flown by. While 2024 seemed to have had its challenges more than previous years, it ended up on a positive note and was an exciting year for the Environmental Division. As we close the chapter on 2024, it's a perfect time to reflect on the remarkable achievements and accomplishments we've successfully navigated as a team. This past year has been a testament to our team's resilience, innovation and unwavering commitment to excellence. From expanding our product offerings to strengthening our relationships with clients and associates, we've made significant strides in our mission to lead the industry. Looking ahead to 2025, we are excited to build on this momentum by embracing new opportunities and continuing to deliver exceptional value to our stakeholders. Together, we will face the future with confidence and a shared vision for success.

From Coast to Coast: Our 2024 Travels

Last year was a whirlwind of activity as our team traveled far and wide to attend events, conferences and over 30 cities to meet with our clients. These engagements have been invaluable in strengthening our industry presence, fostering new relationships, and deepening existing ones. As we reflect on these experiences, we are inspired by the connections we've made and the knowledge we've gained, all of which will propel us forward into an even more successful 2025.

• New York Holiday Party: We kicked off the new year by celebrating our valued brokers and agents at Great American Environmental’s New York Holiday Party! Our team gathered with brokers to celebrate a successful 2023 at the world’s most awarded pub, The Dead Rabbit.
• Denver Ski Trip: Despite the turbulent weather, our team made the trip to enjoy the slopes alongside key brokers. Attendees met for dinner at the Bighorn Bistro, catching up over dinner and drinks. The following day, with a fresh blanket of snow covering the slopes, everyone had a wonderful day skiing and catching up.
• Port Jefferson Fishing Charter: Attendees socialized, had plenty of time to catch fish, and even engaged in friendly competition to see who could claim the prize for reeling in the largest catch of the day!
• SEIP Conference: On top of broker meetings, two of our division’s senior underwriters, Austin Connell and Scott Tardif, had the opportunity to host a session at the conference, providing a thorough overview of recent trends in redevelopment, focusing on repurposing commercial sites for residential use along with other current trends.
• WSIA Annual Marketplace: Our team members Heather Boyd and Patrick Mahoney had an enjoyable and productive experience at the conference, meeting with prospective brokers, reconnecting with key brokers, and exploring new business opportunities. We’re looking forward to attending next year’s marketplace!
• Target Markets 24^th Annual Mid-Year Meeting: Kirk Davenport and Patrick Mahoney had a busy time in Tampa and were highly productive in developing future business opportunities with Great American Environmental.
• IRMI Construction Risk Conference: Eric McCabe and Kirk Davenport's visit to San Diego was highly successful, allowing them to connect with both new and familiar contacts, effectively market our contracting and program capabilities, and secure valuable leads for our division. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to meet with our key contacts and look forward to participating in next year’s IRMI Construction Risk Conference.
• RIMS 2024 Annual Conference: In May, Heather Boyd and Rick Ringenwald traveled to San Diego, CA to attend the RIMS 2024 Annual Conference. There they met with brokerages and other members of Great American, leading to productive conversations about things like the current market, carbon sequestration and other industry trends.
• 2024 FETTI Conference: This March, Trish Shippee, our Divisional Assistant Vice President of Claims, attended and presented at the 2024 FETTI Conference. Trish, along with other environmental claims professionals, was able to speak to the audience about ethical decision making in environmental contamination cases.

Hard Work at Home: What We've Introduced This Year

2024 was a period of dynamic growth and innovation for our division, marked by the introduction of a variety of new resources and updates. We've launched comprehensive marketing materials to better support our sales teams and clients, produced engaging podcast episodes that delve into industry trends and insights, and developed a suite of educational and training materials to enhance our team's expertise. Additionally, we've rolled out new products and updated existing programs to meet the evolving needs of our market. These initiatives reflect our commitment to continuous improvement and our dedication to providing exceptional value to our stakeholders. Learn more about them below:

AeroProtect: Due to popular demand, we turned our aviation enhancement into its own product! Learn more about AeroProtect using the brand-new educational resources below:

• Handout
• Webpage
• Podcast Episode

CarbonProtect: In collaboration with the Mergers & Acquisitions and Specialty Construction divisions, we developed a product enhancement that satisfies coverage needs for carbon capture and storage (CCS). Check out our handout to learn more and our storyboard to learn about how CCS technologies can affect your clients!

• Handout
• Storyboard

ProProtect: We saw a gap in the market for small business contractors, and we set out to fill it. Learn more about ProProtect, our solution for contractors with annual revenues below $25,000,000 here!

• Webpage
• Fact Sheet

PCM Updates: This year we upgraded our Professional and Contracting Services product to make it more client-focused and accessible. Learn more!

• Handout

New CPC Resources: When you work to protect your clients against environmental hazards, it is important to consider the regulatory requirements imposed by federal and state environmental agencies with respect to financial assurance. Closure and Post-Closure (CPC) care is a type of financial assurance your clients can use to meet these obligations. This year we focused on updating our CPC materials, so you and your clients have access to modern, concise and informative references regarding CPC coverage.

• Fact Sheet
• Training Materials
• Did You Know? Handout

Storage Tank Riskopolis: Storage tanks are necessary in a variety of industries including warehousing, trucking and logistics, service stations, aviation and more. Therefore, pollution concerns stemming from faulty installation or outdated parts can cause environmental catastrophes almost anywhere. Learn about the exposures your clients could face in our newest Riskopolis!

Team Wins

This year, our very own Gregory Kelder, Divisional SVP and Head of Claims, was awarded the prestigious IBA Hall of Fame award. The Hall of Fame award is given to individuals in the insurance industry who demonstrate outstanding contributions, active leadership and involvement in industry associations. His achievements have not only elevated our division but have also set a benchmark for excellence that inspires us all. Read more about his award here.

Another one of our Claims team members also received a prestigious award this year. Sara Brothers, Divisional Vice President and Consultant of Claims, was one of the recipients of Women We Admire’s Top 50 Women Leaders of Insurance Award. This honor is given to women who are driving innovation, adapting to industry changes and demonstrating leadership and collaboration at their institutions.

Additionally, we had two members of our Underwriting team receive the IBA Rising Stars Award. Erin Mitton and Scott Tardif both demonstrated exceptional leadership in the insurance and risk management industry. IBA Rising Stars are recognized for their inspiring work and their role in driving industry development for the next generation.

Congratulations to Gregory, Sara, Erin and Scott for being such amazing team members and excellent industry leaders. We all look forward to 2025 to see all the great things you continue to accomplish.

Division wide, we proudly promoted 18 dedicated team members, recognizing their exceptional contributions and commitment to our success. We believe in nurturing talent and providing opportunities for growth within our division, and each individual demonstrated outstanding performance, leadership, passion and an embodiment of our core values. Additionally, we are honored to now have nearly 10 members of our team who have been with us for a decade or more, showcasing their dedication and our strong sense of community within the division.

As we celebrate our 2024 achievements, we are excited to see how all these leaders will continue to inspire and elevate our team in the coming year.

Welcoming 2025!

As we look ahead to 2025, the upcoming year promises to be filled with new opportunities, continued growth and strategic expansion. Our focus will be on expanding our product offerings and coverage appetite, enhancing our premier customer service with innovative technology, and providing our employees with the training needed to become industry leaders. We remain committed to fostering a culture of professionalism and integrity.

• Events: We’re looking forward seeing everyone at our annual division-hosted events like our Port Jefferson Fishing Charter as well as attending industry conferences such as the RIMS Conference and the Target Markets Mid-Year Meeting.
• Environmental Insider: Our newsletter is designed for brokers like you! We release multiple editions a year packed with new information about what we are doing at Great American Environmental including product and program updates, podcast releases and drops of our most popular marketing resources like Riskopolis and Claims Scenarios. Sign-up here and have all 2025 newsletters sent directly to your inbox.
• Broker Toolkit: The toolkit is our comprehensive collection of educational and marketing materials. We regularly update it with all our newest resources like learning tracks, fact sheets and informational handouts. Sign up for it here!