Mission Statement
Vision
The Surety Association of Georgia will be the most widely recognized promoter of corporate suretyship in Georgia and the surrounding region of the Southeastern United States. It will be the foremost leader in communicating and promoting the use of fidelity and surety bonds to protect public and private interests.
Mission
The Surety Association of Georgia promotes corporate suretyship through the visibility, interaction, and communication of its members and associate members through active study and discussion of local surety issues.
The association also provides a central forum for correspondence among all vested stakeholders of corporate suretyship including other organizations, public bodies, and various non-member entities.
Communication is supported and made meaningful by:
- Acting as a clearinghouse of information.
- Educating and informing members of current issues affecting corporate suretyship.
- Cooperating with the Surety Association of America and related trade associations in the handling of industry legislative and regulatory activities.
- Promoting the value and use of fidelity and surety bonds to members and to the general public.
Officers
2018 Erik McMichael
2017 Katie Allen
2016 Katie Allen
2015 Eric Matlaga
2014 Eric Matlaga
2013 Corey Johnson
2012 Ryan Turner
2011 Sharon Potts
2010 Joshua Schumacher
2009 Patrick Tucker
2008 Joel Cannon
2007 Kyle Williams
2006 Michael Dawson
Advisory Committee – Mission & Guidelines
Mission
The Surety Association of Georgia (the “Association” or “SAOG”) Advisory Committee (the “Committee”) shall assess events and issues impacting corporate suretyship, educate industry stakeholders accordingly, and facilitate a resolution process defending the Association and its Member’s collective interests when appropriate and necessary.
Purpose
The Surety Association of Georgia formed the Advisory Committee to defend itself and its Members from attacks against the use of corporate suretyship in the State of Georgia.
The Committee will consist of voting and/or associate members of the Association. These members will serve on a volunteer annual basis as long as they are active participants of the Committee and Association. In the fourth quarter each year, the incumbent SAOG President will be responsible for appointing Committee members for the next calendar year. The Committee will consist of Senior Advisors and Associate Advisors. Senior Advisors must have a minimum of 10 years industry experience. Associate Advisors must have a minimum of 2 years industry experience. The Senior and Associate Advisors must consist of agent(s)/broker(s) and company representative(s), but may also include an SAOG associate member. Ideally, the Advisory Committee will have a mix of members who deal with contract surety and commercial surety. The Senior Advisors will select one among themselves as the chairperson for the Committee. One of the Senior Advisors not selected as chairperson will be the point of contact for the SFAA, and another the point of contact for the NASBP.
Members of the Association will notify the incumbent President of a new or existing local surety industry issues. The President will notify the Committee chairperson and/or Senior Advisors of a local surety issue. The Advisory Committee will field the issue and determine the appropriate course of action. The course of action may be to handle internally or refer to the SFAA or NASBP, or both. If handled internally, the response to the respective municipality or entity should clearly identify the issue and provide a recommended solution to the issue. The Senior Advisors will utilize the Associate Advisors as they deem necessary to facilitate the resolution of the issue.
At each SAOG quarterly luncheon, the Committee shall provide to the SAOG an update on new and existing issues, and communicate to the Association the course of action taken.
Advisory Committee Contacts:
Karina Plis – kplis@hanover.com
Ed Ward – eward@nielsonbonds.com
Sam Newberry – snewberry@suretybondsagency.com
Philanthropy Committee – Mission & Guidelines
Mission
The Surety Association of Georgia (the “Association”) is forming the Philanthropy Committee (the “Committee”) to provide the members of the Association opportunities to serve and support local communities where they work, live, and play.
Purpose
The Committee will work to meet the annual goals of the Association’s Philanthropic Program (the “Program”) which includes responsibilities for organizing, executing and overseeing any and all Program activities.
Overview
The Committee will organize events to support two charities per year with periodic activities including: 1) One Fundraising Event/Holiday Drive, 2) Food Service and/or other related projects. A third charity and additional events may also be added depending on participation and demand.
The Association will conduct all activities with charitable organizations that are incorporated and certified as Not-for-Profit entities under Section 503 of the Internal Revenue Code.
An overview of each activity is described below:
Holiday Drive
At the end of each year, in conjunction with the party, the Association will hold a fundraising and goods drive for a local charity. The purpose of the drive will be to support a charitable organization’s mission. This drive will be simple and the members will be incentivized to participate.
The charity selected for this drive may range from supporting a local family through a smaller charitable organization to providing support to larger charitable organizations.
Ongoing Service Opportunity
The purpose of the ongoing opportunity is to partner with an organization where the Association can make a long-term impact providing support primarily through service related activities. The selection of the charity will be by Committee and evaluated on an annual basis.
Optional Third Charity/Possible Single Event
A third or single event may be added, depending on demand, to allow the members of the Association to have input in supporting a charity. In order to facilitate this event, the committee may consider providing a Charitable Event Submission Form (the “Submission”) to the members of the Association allowing each member to submit a suggested charity to the Association. Once all of the Submissions are made, the Committee will review each one and decide on the charity and activity best suited for the Association.
***Refer to Exhibit A – Program Overview for a table that depicts the timeline of events for the annual Committee activity.***
Governance
The Committee will consist of a four-member panel consisting of both general and associate members of the Association. These members will serve on a volunteer basis for as long as they choose and as long as they are active participants of the Committee. On an annual basis, the committee will elect a chairperson who will be responsible for overseeing the activities of the Committee.
On an annual basis, the Committee will create a Charitable Activity Plan (the “Plan”) in the fourth quarter of the calendar year which will serve as the basis for the Association’s charitable activities. The Plan will be prepared and submitted to the governing officers of the Association for review and approval prior to the end of the calendar year and presented to the members of the Association at the first quarterly meeting of the year.
Also on an annual basis, the Committee will complete the Charitable Activity Annual Summary based on feedback received from Association members and the results of the charitable activities to update the Association’s members on the results of the year’s charitable activities and provide recommendations for any changes to the Program.
Joel Blackburn – jblackburn@cornerstonesupport.com
Katie Vansant – kvansant@travelers.com
Tameka Black – tblack@sspins.com
Jack Mabry – jack.mabry@chubb.com