Association Board Members Tackle Hot-Button Topics…

We have excellent news to share with our members. Two projects we have been working on diligently are nearing completion.

Board members Ron Schwerdt and Keith Shapiro have gathered information from state insurance commissioners and attorneys general for a report on the legalities of saving deductibles. This has been a hot-button issue within our industry for years and an ongoing project for the past three months.

It is an emotionally charged issue with serious ramifications Since the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 puts regulating insurance in the control of state regulators—not the federal government—we may end up with 50 different decisions. However, looking at the responses, most of the elected officials are doing what politicians do best: pass the buck! That said, we will issue a full report in the next few weeks.

Now to the second project. Board member Ricky Bayne has been busy developing an app for NAPDRT members’ use. Ricky has developed a number of programs in the past for our organization and for techs to use. The creator of ARinvoice—one of the first electronic estimation and accounting programs designed for PDR techs—Ricky has also used his talents to write the accounting and membership programs we use at NAPDRT.

The new app—which will be compatible with both Android and iOS platforms—will have a membership lookup feature to allow members to check their membership status. It will also feature tool company links, with notations indicating which companies offer member discounts, as well as companies that support NAPDRT in other ways, such as with tool giveaways and seminar sponsorships. There will be other links as well, and it will become a valuable portal for our member news and notifications. Stay tuned for updates.

In closing, we ask that you keep in mind our colleague and Board VP Tim Childers. Tim battled cancer a few years ago. It has returned, and he is currently undergoing several rounds of treatments.

Tim has proved indispensable to our organization, having served on our board since its formation. He is also very visible at the Mobile Tech Expo, where he has spoken at seminars, judged the Dent Olympics, and everyone who signs up to join NAPDRT at the Show has their ID printed by Tim. The entire NAPDRT Board wishes Tim a heartfelt get well soon. And we are sure that everyone in the PDR industry does as well.