The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents has made David Gorman its president, succeeding Mark Suhr.
Gorman, of Dallas, founded Red Gorman Insurance Services in 2018 and has a long history of service to the independent insurance agent community holding various leadership roles in the PIA of Texas and PIA National.
Joining Gorman as national officers are Vonda Copeland of Manhattan, Kansas, as president-elect; Albert S. Pappalardo, Jr. of New Orleans, as vice president/treasurer; and Erin Dey of Portage, Michigan as secretary/assistant treasurer. Each officer will serve a one-year term through September 30, 2027.
Suhr will now serve as immediate past president.
PIA, a national trade association representing professional independent insurance agents and their employees, said Gorman plans to build on several of PIA’s key priorities including helping independent agents embrace technology and fostering collaboration among members by serving as a strong voice and conduit for PIA affiliates across the country.
“I see my role as a continuous link in moving the initiatives of previous presidents forward—building on the progress PIA has made in strengthening our collective voice, advocating for agents and helping them harness technology to better serve their customers,” Gorman said. . When I first became involved with PIA in Texas, I never imagined I would one day have the opportunity to serve as national president. It’s an honor, and I’m excited to help carry this work forward.”
In seeking removal of the case to federal court, State Farm alleged that the plaintiffs had improperly included negligent procurement claims against Alabama agents in their complaint purely to keep the case in state court. The insurer argued the homeowners had no possibility of proving the claims against the agents, meaning the Illinois-based insurer was the only real defendant facing the Alabama plaintiffs. Thus, the case belonged in federal court under diversity rules, according to State Farm.
But the judge reminded the insurer that “Alabama pleading standards are relatively low and the burden for improper joinder is relatively high.” State Farm removed on the theory that there was no possibility at all that a state court would find that the plaintiffs could show some set of facts alleging negligent procurement. However, the judge found that the plaintiffs did in fact have a plausible basis that the local agents had been negligent.
The court further noted that State Farm had recently and unsuccessfully submitted a “substantially similar removal argument to the court under substantially similar circumstances.” That reference led the judge to caution the insurer about what she called a “practice of risky removal” and liken the insurer to a gambler:
