The NAIFA-North Dakota Minot affiliate is regrouping, reengaging, reenergizing, and reconnecting! Watch the NAIFA-ND Events page for your next opportunity to join! Not in the Minot area? No problem, contact the state office at info@naifa-nd.org to find out how you can host an Affiliate event in your area!

The NAIFA-North Dakota Advisor of The Year Award is given in recognition of an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the industry, the Chapter, and the insurance buying public. The recipient brings credit to the insurance business community and to their community in general.

By the time you read this, the 2022 primary election is over and we now know who the slate of candidates are for every district in the State of North Dakota. Many districts this year had multiple contenders entering the races. How involved were you in the races in your area? Did you take time meet with the candidates to discuss where they stood on the issues important to us? Regardless of what you did or didn’t do for the primaries, you need to realize that the work is not done.

NAIFA-North Dakota was well represented at Congressional Conference last month in Washington, D.C. Thank you all for your leadership and service to NAIFA.

Have you ever engaged in a conversation about LILI with a LILI graduate? Once you get them talking, it is hard to get a word in edgewise.

Members of the Minot Affiliate, Kimberly Lee, Lyle Kraft, Jacob Thrailkill, Kim Albert, Stacy Norton, and Paul Siebert, are gathering in Kim Albert's office for three consecutive Tuesdays over the noon hour to complete the Grassroots Engagement Series. Everyone brings their own laptop and registers individually, and all will have their Financial Security Advocate badge before Congressional Conference! Thank you to all who are attending.

Jessica Westgard Larson, MBA, RICP, AIF is a Financial Representative, Registered Representative and Financial Advisor at Principal Financial Group® in Fargo. While a student at Concordia College in Moorhead, she started working part-time as a file clerk for her father, Les Westgard, who was also an agent for Principal® at the time. Following graduation, Jessica found herself continuing in a full-time administrative role for Les and pursuing her insurance and securities licenses so she could dig deeper into a customer service role. In 2007 she took the leap into an agent/advisor role, as her father was nearing retirement. They worked through a multi-year transition plan for her to take over his client block. In the years since, she has enjoyed making the practice her own and taking it to the next generation.

Terry Kraft, LUTCF, has two jobs on his resume: Lawn mowing and American Family Insurance Agent. Terry started with American Family in 1983 while he was finishing up his Business Administration degree and playing basketball at University of Mary (or as he has stated, taking up space on the bench of the basketball program at UM).

Lindsey Vogel, LUTCF is a licensed insurance agent and financial advisor with Witthauer Financial Group in Jamestown. After graduating from University of North Dakota and living and working in Grand Forks for a while, she moved back to her hometown in 2014 to work in the “family” business. Her grandfather, Herb Witthauer, started in the insurance industry in the mid-60s, and her father, Paul Witthauer, joined in 1984. Working in the insurance industry and following in the footsteps of grandpa and dad was always on the back of her mind, and although it took a while to make that decision, since 2014 she has not once looked back.

Not every successful financial professional was a two-time All-Conference quarterback at North Dakota State University. But Steve Walker, LUTCF, a loyal NAIFA member since 2009, believes some of the traits that made him a standout for the Bison on the football field have contributed to his success as Vice President and Senior Insurance Consultant with Gate City Insurance Agency in Fargo, ND. They also make him a worthy recipient of Advisor Today’s Four Under 40 award.