[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 141 (Monday, September 8, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S8120]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ROBERT FULWIDER

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today I congratulate Mr. Bob 
Fulwider as he nears the end of his term as the 103rd chairman of the 
Nation's largest insurance association, the Independent Insurance 
Agents & Brokers of America, IIABA. Mr. Fulwider was elected to the 
IIABA's executive committee in 2002, and was installed as the 
association's chairman last September.
  Founded in 1896, IIABA, or the Big ``I'' as it is better known, is 
the Nation's oldest and largest association of independent insurance 
agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, 
brokers, and their employees. During his term as chairman of the Big 
``I'', Bob Fulwider has been a leader on a number of issues for the 
association including regulatory reform and natural disaster insurance. 
Perhaps most importantly, during this year's consideration of the farm 
bill and specifically its impact on crop insurance, Mr. Fulwider was a 
forceful advocate for his association who led with professionalism and 
determination.
  Mr. Fulwider has over his lifetime built two financial and insurance 
planning service businesses throughout eastern Iowa including West 
Liberty and West Branch, IA. Mr. Fulwider is also a former national 
board director and a past president of the Independent Insurance Agents 
of Iowa, IIAI.
  Mr. Fulwider has been honored with several national and state awards. 
He has been honored with two IIABA Presidential Citations--in 1987 and 
1994. He was named IIAI Agent of the Year in 1993 and received the 
association's ``Mr. Chairman'' Award in the same year. He also received 
the Agent of the Year Award in 1990. He is the first honoree in the 
Iowa association's history to receive the award twice. In 2002, Mr. 
Fulwider was honored with the Sydney O. Smith Award, IIABA's highest 
individual government affairs honor. In 2003 he was named to the Iowa 
Insurance Hall of Fame.
  In addition, Mr. Fulwider is extremely active in his community. After 
graduating from Iowa State University, he taught in Iowa public high 
schools and served on the Iowa State University faculty prior to 
entering the insurance business. Mr. Fulwider is past president of the 
Muscatine County Economic Development Council and training director and 
board member of the Iowa Council--Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Fulwider 
has served as Scoutmaster of his local troop for 25 years and has 
received numerous Scouting awards including the Silver Beaver. 
Additionally, he is active in his church and Masonic Lodge.
  I want to thank Bob Fulwider for his work with the IIABA over the 
years and for his commitment to his profession, his community, and our 
state of Iowa. His efforts are greatly appreciated. I am proud to count 
Bob as both a constituent and a friend. I wish him, his wife Jan, and 
their family all the best in their future endeavors.

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