Agents Say Goodbye to ?One-of-a-Kind? Elsie Reamy

Elsie Reamy, who for 41 years was affiliated with the Professional Insurance Agents Association of Virginia and D.C. (PIA-VA/DC) and served as the organization’s executive vice president, passed away in April after a long battle with cancer. She was 75 and resided in Richmond, Va.

Reamy began her career in 1970 as office manager for what was then called the Mutual Insurance Agents’ Association of Virginia and (Washington) D.C. Following her retirement from PIA-VA/DC in 2003, she retained a part-time affiliation as state legislative chair for another eight years.

Besides the countless awards and recognitions for her contributions to the association – such as growing membership, building offerings to more than 100 classes, creating an education foundation and two PACs, and her tireless involvement with insurance causes throughout Virginia – Reamy was known as leader of a professional organization run with a major dose of Southern hospitality.

“There’s really no limit to the sense of fellowship and community that Elsie’s charm and professionalism brought to nearly every phase of the insurance industry in Virginia,” said Dennis Yocom, current executive vice president of PIA-VA/DC. “They really broke the mold with Elsie; she’s one of a kind and will be remembered fondly by agents across the nation.”

Over the span of 41 years, Elsie earned countless awards, and recognition for so many organizational “firsts” that they cannot be accurately listed. Here are just a few: more than doubled agent membership and staffing; increased budget by 10 times; built educational offerings to more than 100 classes annually while increasing attendance by 50 percent; created publications, an education foundation and two PACs; grew convention attendance annually; wrote the 70+ year history of PIAVA/DC titled “A Legacy of Service and Fellowship”, and adopted Special Olympics of Virginia as charity of choice 34 years ago. Her most endearing accomplishment is that Elsie took a self-help concept from a group of professional insurance agents and, by applying a major dose of Southern hospitality, turned it into an organizational “family” providing personal professional services to more than 500 agencies and in excess of 2,500 agents in Virginia and DC.

In her own words: “I want your association to always be an agents’ association; by this I mean for programs and services to be those you need and use. I want it to always be meaningful to you, and for you to feel that you’re the one running it.”

Reamy was a licensed insurance agent with numerous designations and was a certified association executive (CAE). In 1991, she was given an Award of Excellence from the Virginia Society of Association Executives. She was recognized by her insurance association peers as Executive of the Year in 1992 by the National Society of PIA Executives, and in 1996 was honored as Industry Person of the Year by the Insurance Women of Richmond. In 2003, Reamy received recognition on the floor of the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly for her service to the association community, to the insurance industry and to the Virginia Legislature.

She was also active in the church community, having served as a leader, church school teacher and secretary at local churches. Reamy is survived by a brother, Joseph Reamy, of Montross, Va.

Donations in Reamy’s honor may be made to the Elsie Reamy Scholarship Fund, c/o PIA VA/DC, 8751 Park Central Drive, Ste 140, Richmond, VA 23238 or to Ephesus Christian Church General Fund (P.O. Box 1027, Montross, VA 22520); or Bethany Christian Church Memorial Fund (5400 Forest Hill Ave, Richmond, VA 23225).

Elsie Reamy Remembered (Ins. & Financial Advisor 4/22/13)
PIA Press Release (4/11/13)