The mission of the Association is:
1. To protect persons seeking surplus line insurance in Oregon while encouraging the development of new and innovative types of insurance.
2. To assist the Oregon Insurance Division in the administration of surplus lines insurance regulations and to encourage compliance by surplus lines agents and insurers with the surplus lines laws of the state of Oregon.
3. To monitor and provide input for regulatory and legislative changes affecting the insurance industry and communicate those changes and related issues to association members.
4. To support and promote educational activities relating to the insurance and surplus lines industries.
5. To promote professionalism among members of the Association.
In furtherance of this mission, the Association shall:
1. Foster good public relations with the insurance industry and the general public.
2. Encourage an exchange of information among members and support the development and dissemination of educational information for the benefit of members and the excess and surplus lines insurance industry.
3. Maintain liaison with other segments of the insurance industry, including insurance commissioners, regulatory bodies, insurers, and insurance producer groups.
Insurance in the United States began in 1752. In the early years, the industry was essentially unregulated and it was "buyer beware". There were no government regulation or standards and policyholders often found that when it came time to collect a claim, the money wasn't there. Individual states passed legislation to address the issues but there was no real regulation until the 1850's. At that time, states began to establish insurance departments and in 1871 the insurance regulators of various states met in the first "commissioner" meeting to discuss issues of state regulation which they had in common. In subsequent meetings (now called National Association of Insurance Commissioners - NAIC - meetings), standards or model laws were established that all states were encouraged to adopt. Eventually all states developed a requirement that any insurance company desiring to do business in a state must become licensed or "admitted" in that state. Requirements for "admission" varied widely by state but all set minimum financial strength, reporting and taxation requirements. Generally, the states require each admitted insurer to file a schedule of rates it will use and require adherence to those "filed" rates in all policies issued.
Unfortunately, the admitted insurers have never been able to address all of the insurance needs of industry. In many cases, the unusual exposure presented is beyond the scope of the admitted market underwriters' experience, in others the magnitude of the potential loss exceeds the capacity of all of the admitted insurers combined. As industry has grown, so has the need for greater capacity and the ability of insurers to cover the new risks which are evolving. Early on, Lloyd's of London stepped forward to fill the gap created by the admitted insurers' inability to address some insurance requirements. The entrepreneurial underwriters at Lloyd's were alert to the great potential of this country and in 1890 Cuthbert Heath of Lloyd's wrote the first American risk ever, in Lloyd's "Non Marine" market. Recognizing that non- admitted insurers such as Lloyd's were necessary when admitted insurers were unable to fill industry's insurance needs, the regulators established special rules to permit the writing of insurance with non-admitted carriers under certain circumstances. As the coverage to be written was excess or "surplus" of the amount or type that could be written in the admitted market, the non-admitted market came to be known as the "Excess and Surplus Lines" market. All states have developed statutes controlling the placement of insurance in the non-admitted market. While requirements vary by state, they all require some minimum financial strength (established by statute) and confirmation that the coverage was not available in the admitted market. Most states require that the non-admitted transaction be handled by a specially qualified "surplus line" agent who is personally responsible for making sure that the insurer is qualified, that the coverage is not available in the admitted market and that the appropriate taxes are collected.
The Surplus Line Association of Oregon was originally formed in 1939 at the direction of the Insurance Commissioner of Oregon as an unincorporated Association of Surplus Line Brokers. Its purpose was to assist the Insurance Division in regulating and collecting taxes on the surplus line business written in Oregon.
In August of 1980, the Association was incorporated as a non-profit corporation for the following purposes:
To cooperate with recognized organizations of admitted insurance carriers and insurance agents for the proper use of the surplus line market by members of the corporation
To discourage and prevent violations of the law regarding surplus line insurance by members of the Association and insofar as possible, by non-members
To encourage fair dealing between members and with the public and admitted insurance carriers
To adopt and enforce rules, insofar as permitted by law, for the accomplishment of the objectives of the corporation
Under the Oregon Surplus Line Law, the Association also shall:
A. Be the advisory organization of the surplus line licensees.
B. Provide means for the examination of all surplus line coverages written by its members to determine whether such coverages comply with the law.
C. Communicate with organizations of admitted insurers with respect to the proper use of the surplus line market.
D. Supervise the calculation, reporting and remittance of the state premium tax due on surplus line placements.
Supported by filing fees paid by policyholders on the approximately 26,028 (2006) new or renewal surplus line policies examined each year, the Association today continues its role of examining surplus line placements and reporting taxes to the state. In addition to its examining duties, the Association supports insurance education and research in the surplus line industry. An Executive Director and staff are employed to discharge these responsibilities subject to the oversight of a volunteer board of five directors elected from the membership.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, Forestry (1975). Commission in U.S. Air Force (1975). Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter "CPCU" (1985). Associate in Risk Management "ARM" (1989).
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE: Joined Marsh's marketing department in 1986 with 10 years underwriting experience with two major property and casualty insurers. Assumed duties as Client Executive in 1988; elected Assistant Vice President in 1989; elected Vice President in 1993.
PROFESSIONAL/COMMUNITY ACTIVITES: American Heart Association (Past Board Member), Society of CPCU, Pleasant Valley Country Club, SLAOR Board Member 1999-2001; SLAOR Board Secretary-Treasurer 2001.
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Founder and President of Evergreen Insurance Managers, Beaverton Oregon.
WORK HISTORY: Dyan began her insurance career with Primex Insurance Brokers, a Managing General Agency located in Tigard, OR in 1990. She was a Multi-Line Underwriter there for over 10 years. In 2000, she moved to Kenneth I. Tobey where she was a Vice President for theTransportation Unit serving Washington, Oregon and Alaska clients. In 2003, she joined the McFall General Agency as an Underwriter. In 2007, opened her own wholesale agency: Evergreen Insurance Managers.
She has been a licensed producer since 1993, and obtained her surplus lne license in 2000. She has been active on the SLAOR education committee since 2005.
EDUCATION: University of Missouri graduate.
WORK HISTORY: 40 years in the insurance business. Currently - Vice President and an owner at Fullerton & Co. Past President of IIABO Portland and for the State. He served as a director of IIABA (National Big "I") and on its Finance Committee. He has served on the SLAOR Board 1998-2000 and was President in 1999 and 2000.
Jim is the Marketing Manager for Red Shield Insurance Company and Rainier Insurance Company. He has 30 years of insurance experience working for both non-admitted and admitted companies and in the brokerage environment. Jim has many years of strategic and versatile professional insurance experience including having a broad knowledge of insurance company marketing techniques, which were developed by working with national and regional carriers. Jim was a SLAOR past Board member from 2004 - 2006. As Secretary Treasurer in 2006, Jim sat on the Executive Finance Committee for the Association.
Bob graduated from the University of Oregon in 1971 with a B.S. He worked for Safeco as a commercial underwriter and then started Independent Insurance Wholesalers in 1983. Bob has been in the wholesale business since 1979. He was President of the SLAOR in 1994 and 1995. Bob has been a SLAOR Board member at various times since 1985. Currently, Bob is a member of the SLAOR Finance Committee and a Board member of the Surplus Line Association Political Action Committee.
EDUCATION: B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.B.A., Stanford University, C.P.C.U., A.R.M.
WORK HISTORY: With SLAOR since 10/1/2000; prior to SLAOR - 39 years with Fred. S. James / Sedgwick / Marsh in various client service and management capacities. Past President, Oregon Chapter C.P.C.U. Past President, Independent Insurance Agents of Portland. Former SLAOR board member.
FAMILY: Wife Linda, two step-children, three children.
EDUCATION: B.A., University of Oregon.
WORK HISTORY: With SLAOR since 09/1992; prior to SLAOR - foreign language instructor.
FAMILY: Two children, one grandchild.
Note: If a surplus line producer intends to file any policies, that producer must submit a Filing Registration Application form and elect a filing system. Membership in the Association is not required in order to use the Association's filing service. Any party, member or non-member, desiring to file a policy in order to comply with Oregon law must complete and submit a Filing Registration Application form (click on "Filing Procedures" at left of screen, and then click on "Register with SLAOR" tab at top of next screen.)All surplus line producers licensed in Oregon are eligible for membership in the Surplus Line Association of Oregon (SLAOR). The Association is responsible for reviewing all Oregon surplus line placements and assisting the State of Oregon in collecting premium taxes on Oregon surplus line placements.
To become a member, applicants must first have secured an Oregon surplus line license through the Oregon Insurance Division. After licensing, applicants for membership are required to accept and pledge adherence to the Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws of the Association (click on "By-Laws" tab at top of screen) and submit an application for membership. Membership in the Association shall automatically terminate upon a member's ceasing to be an Oregon licensed surplus line producer. Members desiring to file policies in compliance with Oregon statutes must also submit a Filing Registration Application form (for the form, click on "Filing Procedures" at left of screen, and then click on "Register with SLAOR" tab at top of next screen). Membership alone does not allow use of the Association's filing system.Print the form and complete manually:
SLAOR Membership Form