The opening general session (January 30, 2012, 8:30-10am) kicks off with keynote speaker Bronze Star Valor recipient Keni Thomas. The highly successful movie "Blackhawk Down" is based on his Army company's mission in Mogadishu, Somalia. His message of "Train as you fight: Fight as you train" emphasizes continued improvement and training as vital steps to success in battle and in life.
The closing general session (February 2, 2012, 8:30-9:30am) features former NASA astronaut Mike Mullane, who was selected as a Mission Specialist in 1978 in the first group of Space Shuttle Astronauts. He has completed three space missions and logged 356 hours in space aboard the shuttles Discovery and Atlantis before retiring from NASA and the Air Force in 1990. Mullane has been inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame and is the recipient of many awards including the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit and the NASA Space Flight Medal.
Nearly 1,500 property insurance professionals are expected at the three-day event, which is hosted by the Windstorm Insurance Network, Inc. (WIND) (association website: www.windnetwork.com ).
The conference is designed to provide a variety of general sessions and workshops for all segments of the windstorm insurance industry, including insurance agents, insurance company claim managers, adjusters, risk managers, attorneys, accountants, contractors, engineers, and other experts and consultants.
By bringing together all segments of the occupations that deal with the aftermath of a windstorm, the 2012 WIND Conference seeks to develop and promote a greater understanding of windstorm issues among property insurance professionals. Approximately 1,000 people attended the 2011 WIND Conference in Houston, Texas.
In addition to keynote presentations, more than 30 professional workshops will focus on important issues and developments arising out of past hurricane seasons. Topics include building code updates, commercial losses, meteorological updates, sinkholes, appraisals, insurance fraud, and property insurance law updates, among others.
The 2012 WIND Conference will offer an expanded continuing education (CE) program with general sessions and workshops that provide credits to insurance agents, adjusters, attorneys, contractors, engineers, and for several professional disciplines in multiple states. Certifications will also be offered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Windstorm Insurance Network Umpire Certification Program, and the newly created WIND Professional Appraiser Designation.
Log on to www.windnetwork.com for a complete schedule and for instant downloading of the 2012 WIND Conference brochure.
The Windstorm Insurance Network is the first educational member organization for property/windstorm claims industry professionals. It was formed in 1999 with the goal of bringing a diverse industry group together to review and discuss windstorm related insurance issues and concerns.