community insurance center - corporate resume

www.inner-city.net 312-341-9080 1

COMMUNITY INSURANCE CENTER

Insurance * Benefits * Surety * Risk Management

a division of Inner-City Underwriting Agency Inc.

Corporate Resume

You are invited to join the Community

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Table of ContentsContents

Executive Summary 3Corporate Profile 4Community Involvement 6Insurance? 8Surety 10Employee Benefits 12Risk Management 14Leadership Team 16Leadership Team 18In the News 19


Executive SummaryThank you for taking the time to review our invitation to become a member of the Community - Community Insurance Center, a division of Inner-City Underwriting Agency, Inc. We prepared this report to give you an overview of:

• our company,

• the services we provide and

• the skilled professionals who work here.

We call this document our corporate resume because we are applying for the position of insurance broker and trusted risk management advisor to your organization.

We fully understand that there are many candidates applying for this very important job. However, we believe your community is the best place to buy insurance and risk management services and Community Insurance Center is the best qualified firm for your organization.

In this report, we provide compelling reasons for making us your insurance broker. We understand that today, it is more important than ever to receive real value for ev-ery dollar you spend.

Are you getting that value now from your current insurance broker? Do you want or believe it is possible to get more?

We have been in business for more than more than 53 years. The average relationship with our clients is 15 years and growing.

We sincerely hope you will give us a little more of your time by reviewing the balance of this report. In it, we explain our value proposition and the reasons for selecting us as the best candidate for the job.

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Corporate Profile Community Insurance Center and Inner-City Underwriting Agency ReunitedChicago, IL February 23, 2015: Milton E. Moses, president and owner of Commu-nity Insurance Center Inc, announced today, that he is handing the baton of leadership for his company to Matthew H. Cooper, president and owner of Inner-City Underwrit-ing Agency. In describing the transition, Mr. Moses and Mr. Cooper believe this purchase by Inner-City Underwriting Agency is more like a reunion than a business acquisition.

In 1995, Milton Moses and Matthew Cooper worked together to create Inner-City Un-derwriting Agency and its urban market program that helped several national insur-ance companies expand services in the city to every neighborhood. The Inner-City Ur-ban Market program was so successful, that within 5 years, the firm had helped more than 20 diverse insurance agencies throughout the city earn direct agency appoint-ments with the nation’s largest insurance companies at the time. That success required a new business model and led to the spin-off of Inner-City from Community in 1999.

Community Insurance Center, Inc., was founded in 1962 by the late Olympian and Congressman, Ralph H. Metcalfe. As an Olympian, Mr. Metcalfe won four medals and was regarded as the world’s fastest human in 1934 and 1935. In the famous 1936 Berlin Olympics, Ralph Metcalfe and teammate Jesse Owens lead the US relay team to a gold metal defeating Hitler’s team by a wide margin in the 4 X 100 meter relay.

After the Olympics, Mr. Metcalfe returned to Chicago to begin a dis-tinguish career in business and public service. He started Community Center Insurance Agency, Inc., later changed to Community Insurance Cen-ter Inc. to fill a void on Chicago’s South side for a business capable of provid-ing quality insurance and financial protection to residents and businesses.

In 1963, Milton E Moses joined the firm as operations manager, then promoted to president and ultimately the baton of ownership was passed to him when Mr. Metcalfe was elected to serve the first of 8 terms in congress for IL 2nd Congressional District.

Under the leadership of Milton Moses, Community Insurance Center grew into one of the largest African-American owned insurance agencies in the country.

The new company formed out this reunion will operate under the name of Community Insurance Center, a division of Inner-City Underwriting Agency Inc. Milton Moses will serve as Chairman Emeritus and Matthew Cooper as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Ralph H. Metcalfe Founder Community Insurance Center

Ralph H. Metcalfe, Jesse Owens and Teammates - 1936 Gold Metal Olympic Relay Team


Office Facility Our Firm is located in Chicago’s South Loop. You will recognize our office when driving in the area by the awning that covers our front.

Ralph Metcalfe, a world class Olympic Sprinter who at one time held the title world’s fastest human, established world class competitiveness as a core value of his insurance agency. To accomplish this objective, we have made significant investments in people and technology.

We operate a highly automated office utilizing enterprise class Windows. SharePoint, SQL and Exchange Servers. We operate on both local network and in the cloud.

Our record keeping has been paperless since 1998. In that time, we have invested in four major upgrades of one of the most advance imaging software system available on the market.

Our technology allows our Practice Leaders and Account Managers to securely access data both in the office and from remote locations over the internet.

We maintain a direct computer link with several insurance companies. Through this interface, we upload and download applications, rating and policy information.

Through our website, www.Inner-City.net, clients, staff, insurance companies and af-filiates are able to transact business electronically 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Insurance Company RepresentationThe Worlds Largest Insurance Companies are members of the Community.

We are committed to giving our clients the best the global insurance market has to offer. With this objective in mind, we stay active in many industry trade and profes-sional associations and subscribe to key industry information resources.

Our practice leaders, account executives and account managers work hard to stay current on industry trends and innovations through continuing education and market research.

Our firm has direct agency and/or underwriting contracts with many national and international insurance companies. We currently have business in place with more than 50 insurance companies

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Community Insurance Center has a 53 year track record of being at the forefront for positive change in our community. Our Founder, Ralph H. Metcalfe is credited by David Axelrod, in his book “Believer” as leading the political and social change in Chicago that ultimately lead to the election Howard Washington as Mayor of Chicago. Active involve-ment in promoting positive change in our community is a core value of our firm.

Directly or through representation of our staff, Inner-City is actively involved in many community based organizations and programs.

National African-American Insurance Association(NAAIA) - Chicago Chapter NAAIA seeks to promote the interests of African-American professionals and their com-munity within the insurance industry. Matthew Cooper, president of Inner-City Under-writing Agency is a founding member and the organizations’s first president.

Nationally, Matthew has been involved in starting chapters of this organization in Penn-sylvania, Delaware and New York.

Independent Insurance Agency of ILInner-City Underwriting Agency has been an active member of the Independent Insur-ance Agents of IL for more than 17 years. This is a statewide professional association wherein Matthew Cooper is a former member of the board of directors and past chair of the Urban Agents Committee.

Illinois Fair PlanThe Illinois FAIR Plan provides homeowners insurance to people who are unable to obtain it in the normal market. Matthew Cooper is a former board member of the Fair Plan. While serving on the board, Matthew actively worked to keeps rates in the Plan from increasing and expanding the quality of coverage afforded by the Plan to its in-sureds.

South Shore Chamber Inc.Matthew Cooper, a former resident of South Shore, served as the chairman of the South Shore Chamber for more than 5 years. During his tenor, South Shore became the second predominately African-American Community in the City to establish a Special Service Area (SSA42) The Special Service Area is a commercial district where a portion of the real estate tax revenue is managed and reinvested in the community by a neighborhood based organization. SSA 42 has been instrumental in increasing security in the South Shore Commercial District, expanding clean up and snow removal services.

Community Involvement


Chatham Business Association The Chatham Business Association supports the needs and development of businesses primarily located in the Chatham neighborhood. Community Insurance Center is an ac-tive member of this organization.

Cosmopolitan Chamber of CommerceThe Cosmopolitan Chamber is Chicago’s oldest Chamber serving the African-American Community and second oldest nationally, having originally started as a branch of Booker T. Washington’s National Negro Chamber of Commerce. Inner-City Underwriting Agen-cy has been an active member of the Chamber for more than 17 years. Matthew Cooper,is a past Chairman of the Board.

National Organization of Minority Architects - Chicago Chapter - Associated MemberThe National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) mission is to champion diver-sity within the design professions by promoting the excellence, community engagement, and professional development of its members. Inner-City Underwriting Agency is an as-sociate member of this organization and extremely active in supporting its goals.

Center For Cooperative Housing DevelopmentThe Center for Cooperative Housing Development, is a not-for-profit entity created to serve as a public advocate for housing Cooperatives in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

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If it ends in

Insurance?Employee Dishonesty Theft by employees is on the rise. To protect your business from this potential loss, you should purchase an employee dishonesty policy. This policy will reimburse you for loss of money, securities and other property caused by the dishonest acts of your employees.

Equipment Breakdown Insurance

This insurance pays for financial loss in-curred when equipment breaks down suddenly and accidentally. Equipment is subject to unique hazards such as power surges, short circuits, centrifugal force, mo-tor burnout, and mechanical breakdown. Equipment breakdown insurance covers equipment accidents from these risks of loss.

General Liability Insurance

This insurance pays your legal fees, court judgments and/or negotiated settlements. It pays these expenses if they are the result of property damage, bodily injury and/ or personal injury incurred by others because of accidents that occur: 1) on premises you own, rent or use 2) during the conduct of your operations away from premises you own, rent or use 3) from the use of or exposure to products you manufacturer or distribute 4) from the use of or exposure to work you have completed away from premises you own, rent or use 4) from work done on your behalf by independent contractors and/ or employees.

Business Auto PolicyCommercial Auto Insurance protects the named insured for 1) Auto Liability 2) Medical Payments 3) Underinsured / Unin-sured Motorist Liability 3) Physical Dam-age (Comprehensive & Collision)

Community Insurance Center is committed to helping its clients succeed by helping them manage Risk. We believe effective risk management is critical to overall management and success of our clients.

If what you are looking for ends in insur-ance, you can most likely purchase it from Community Insurance Center. Financial risk transfer through the purchase of insur-ance is key to creating an effective risk management program. Because insurance plays such a critical role, we believe it is important you have knowledgeable experi-enced insurance brokers working on your behalf to secure the best value for your insurance premiums.

In all of our relationships, we endeavor to become your sole source and manager for all insurance purchases.

Property InsuranceWith the merger of business from Com-munity Insurance Center and Inner-City Underwriting, we insure close to $1 Billion in property values.

Property insurance is purchased to cover your tangible and intangible assets can cause significant financial loss. Your broker should be able to explain three elements of property risk assessment. 1) identifica-tion of significant property both tangible and intangible 2) help you determine the loss valuation that best fits your financial situation 3) tailor coverage to include the most compressive list of perils that could cause loss to your property. a 2) The items insured. 3)The valuation basis for adjusting claims.

Business IncomeBusinesses normally purchase insurance to repair or replace buildings and personal property loss or damaged by fire and other perils. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t have income coverage. This is the major reason most business don’t recover after a loss.

With the merger of business from Community Insurance Center and Inner-City Underwriting, we insure close to $1 Billion in prop-erty values


Workers Compensation

Employees must be protected for loss wages and medical expenses that arise out of work related injuries. To ensure employers will have the money to pay these mandated benefits, most states require that employers demonstrate that they have the financial ability to pay any claims that may arise. Typically, this financial ability is demon-strated through the purchase of Workers’ Compensation insurance.

Umbrella Liability Policy The umbrella insurance policy is catastro-phe protection. It covers you when a claim or several claims exhaust the limits under your primary general liability, business auto liability and the employer’s legal liability section of your workers’ compensation policy. This policy provides coverage up to the policy limit excess of the primary limits.

Directors & Officers and Public OfficialsIn today’s evolving litigation environment, every person who serves as a director, officer, Public Official or Administrator whether their company or public entity is large or small, for-profit or nonprofit, is a potential target for litigation. These individuals may be personally liable for the decisions they make, potentially resulting in devastating damages and expenses.

Directors & Officers and Public Officials liabil-ity insurance is purchased by the organization, but it protects personal assets of people who serve on the board, or as officers or elected or appointed officials of the organization.

Inland and Ocean Marine (Transportation)Insurance for your property while in tran-sit either on land or by sea is called Inland or Ocean Marine Insurance. Inner-City has been insuring property for its clients around while and throughout the continen-tal United States

Pollution LiabilityAny location that may have materials on-site which could have caused the necessity for onsite cleanup, or third party bodily injury, or property damage claims. Pos-sible groups can include manufacturing, landfills, utilities, healthcare, warehousing, treatment storage disposal facilities (TS-DFS), agriculture, sites with storage tanks, research facilities, laboratories, universi-ties and general industry. Contractor and Real Estate Developers also have signifi-cant exposure in this area.

Professional LiabilityProfessional Liability insurance protects you and your organization from potential-ly catastrophic litigation caused by charges of professional negligence or failure to perform your professional duties. There are many professions and professional firms that are required to purchase profes-sional liability.

This insurance coverage is complicated and relatively few insurance brokers have any experience in this area of the insur-ance industry.

For more than 20 years, we have been pro-viding professional liability insurance to a wide array of professionals and profession-al firms and organizations. Our clients included: Police and Fire Departments, Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists, Accountants, Property Managers, Real Estate Brokers, Architects, Engineers, Psychologists, Social Workers, Clergy, Public Officials, Computer Technology Firms, Security Guard Agencies, Staffing Companies, Dog Trainers and more..

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Surety

• P e r f o r m a n c e• P a y m e n t• Wa g e & We l f a r e• L i c e n s e P e r m i t• C o u r t & P r o b a t e• F i d e l i t y B o n d sM i s c e l l a n e o u s

Bonds

Very few insurance brokers understand surety bonds, although all most every business will at some point need one. The protection offered by surety bonds varies depending on the specific bond type and how it functions.

While many believe construction compa-nies are the only type of business required to post bonds, that is simply not true.

According to the Surety Bond National Trade Association, there are more than 25,000 bond types.

We don’t claim to have experience with each and every type of surety bond. How-ever, our clients often comment that it is great to have us available to help them with both standard and the unusual bond requests they re-ceive from time to time.

Our construc-tion clients like us because no one works harder to deliver the bonds required in their business even when the financial statements and credit standings are not in the best condition.

Commercial Bonds We process most requests for Commercial Bonds within the same day. Commercial Bond is an umbrella category of bonds that includes license and permit bonds and much much more. We have full underwrit-ing authority for most types of these bonds with the ability to produce and execute them in our office.

The list of commercial bonds is extremely large. Here are just a few, but please visit our website for even larger list of the bonds can provide.

Appraiser Bond Auction BondAuto Dealer Bond ARC BondBroker Bond Business Service BondCollection Agency Bond Contractor License BondERISA Bond Employee Theft BondHunting & Fishing Bond Health Care BondJanitorial Bond Lottery BondMedicaid Bond Mortgage Broker BondNotary Bond Patient Trust BondPension Trust Bond Telemarketing BondTitle Agency Bond Transmitter BondUsed Car Dealer Bond Utility Bondvisit www.inner-city.net/licenseBonds for more info.

Contract BondsWe started our surety practice primarily because many of our small construction

BONDS FOR MBE/DBE’S

We created the only program in the nation that is helping small contractors obtain bonds and working capi-tal. In 2014, The Small Contractor Bridge Program provided Bid Bonds for more than 50 million in construction projects and issued pay and performance bonds for more than $10 million in construction.


Community Insurance Center is committed to growing our Company by helping you grow your Company. Our Surety Practice is a clear example of how committed we are to this mission. We developedour Surety Practice because many of our clients like being able to get the answers to questions in this complex area of the insurance industry from the same people who handle all of their other insurance needs. We also believed this practice was necessary because many of our small contractors were unable to obtain the bonding required to com-pete for the public sector and large private sector contracts.

companies unable to obtain the bonds they needed to compete for public sector and large private sector jobs.

Contract bonds guarantee the fulfillment of the terms of contracts:

for construction of private and public work,

for rendering service, and

for furnishing supplies.

For the owner of a construction project, a surety bond serves as a financial guaranty should the contractor fail to complete the job or pay subcontractors and more.

Bid Bonds Developer BondFederal Contract Bond Maintenance BondPayment Bond Performance BondSite Improvement Bond Subdivision BondSupply Bond Union Wage and Welfare Bondvisit www.inner-city.net/ContractBonds for more info.

Court BondsBefore you head into court for any reason you should look first find out if you will need to produce a bond. Court bonds include all the bonds a person may be required to obtain while participating in a lawsuit. Many court proceedings require

court bonds before a person tries to file some types of claims or tries to appeal a case. If this person, the principal, fails to compete the task he or she set out to do, the court will likely charge him or her for court costs.

Custodian Bond Executor BondGuardianship Bond Probate Bondvisit www.inner-city.net/CourtBonds for more info.

Miscellaneous Bonds As the name implies, Miscellaneous Bonds include all other types of bonds. Mostly bonds that relate to responsibilities of pub-lic officials or officers of the law. However, it can include bonds yet to be created.

When faced with the unusual bond re-quest, you can be confident in knowing we will do the research, explain it to you and give our best advice regarding your need to provide the bond.

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Employee Benefits• I n d i v i d u a l & G r o u p M e d i c a l• I n d e m n i t y P l a n s• P r e f e r r e d P r o v i d e r O r g a n i z a t i o n ( P P O )• H e a l t h M a i n t e n a n c e O r g a n i z a t i o n s ( H M O )• D e n t a l• L i f e• D i s a b i l i t y

Health Insurance

Your employees are your greatest investment. And health insurance can be a critical factor in retaining and recruiting employees, as well as maintaining productivity and satisfaction

Community Insurance Center sells a wide variety of health care insurance products, pre-scription drug plans, dental coverage and more to suit any size business and budget. Our range of plans, services and programs come from the leaders in Health Insurance and Employee benefits . The insurance companies we represent have the largest network of providers in the country.

The Affordable Care ActCommunity Insurance Center has been at the forefront of helping our clients understand this new and controversial law. We decipher fact from the many fictions being generated regarding this law. This law will have a significant impact on your business. It is impera-tive that you have accurate unbiased information to make informed decisions.

Qualified vs Unqualified Benefit PlansQualified benefit plans are tax deductible. Unqualified plans are not eligible for a tax de-duction and as a result are paid on an after-tax basis. The tax deductibility of a plan has a positive impact on the ultimate cost both to the employer and employee.

We are here to help our clients create benefit plans that give them maximum tax benefits while also affording the broadest coverage.Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) vs Preferred Provider Organization(PPO)

HMO and PPO are two types of health insurance programs developed to control the cost of insurance through substantial savings negotiated by insurance companies with net-works of doctors. In the HMO, insured employees select a doctor that they must use as their primary care physician. The doctor is paid a flat fee per patient. If the patient uses less service than required by the amount paid, the doctor earns a profit. Conversely, the doctor suffers a loss when the patient has a high utilization rate. Under the PPO plan the doctor is paid on a per visit basis at a rate less than his/her normal per visit rate.

In the HMO plan, employees must select a primary care physician at the start of the plan and will have to wait until the end of the month before any changes in primary care doc-tors take place. In the PPO plan, employees select the doctor when they need to make a visit. There is no waiting period if the employee decides to change doctors


Our clients value our advice and the way we help them evaluate all sides of an issue before making important insurance and risk management decisions. We started our Employee Benefits practice because key clients were frustrated and confused by the many choices and decisions that had to be made in this area. They wanted the same reliable service when purchasing employee benefits that they enjoyed with the purchase of property and casualty insurance from us.

Health Savings Accounts / High Deductible Health Plans.

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an ac-count that an employee can put money into to save for future medical expenses. Any adult can contribute to an HSA if they have coverage under an HSA-qualified “high deductible health plan” (HDHP). Contribu-tions to an HSA are tax deductible.

Dental InsuranceWe sell Dental Plans that are network-based with a strong commitment to preven-tion and cost containment.

Like Health Insurance, Dental Plans can provided on an HMO and / or PPO basis.

These plans allow employees to select any in-network general dentist in the network. Options are also made available to obtain care out of network.

DisabilityShort and Long Term Disability Insurance cover your loss of income due a non-work related injury. It is designed to replace any-where from 45-70% of your gross income on a tax-free basis should a sickness or ill-ness prevent you from earning an income in

your occupation. Inner-sells this coverage on a group and individual basis.

Life InsuranceWe can help you add value for your em-ployees. Use the buying power of your group to get affordable life insurance for the business owner and employees.

We offer basic, supplemental and depen-dent term life insurance coverage as well as Accidental Death and Personal Loss coverage.

Vision PlansYou can enjoy savings on your eye exams and more with a Vision discount pro-gram. We generally sell this benefit as an optional benefit for employees.

The plan allows to enjoy significant sav-ings on regular eye exams and eye glass purchases.

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EFFECTIVE RISK MGT.

To increase your potential for success, it is critically impor-tant to properly evaluate and effectively man-age risk. This is where we can help. We believe effective man-agement of risk leads to long term success for a business.

Risk ManagementRisk is inherent in all business and personal endeavors. To increase your potential for suc-cess, it is critically important to properly evaluate and effectively manage risk. We believe effective management of risk leads to long term success for a business.

No two businesses are alike. Therefore there is no single standard approach to the develop-ment of a risk management program. We offer many services that our clients can obtain on an as needed basis for their business.

Insurance Program Review (IPR)Insurance Program Review (IPR) is our most important risk management service. Before we become your broker, we conduct a thorough review of your existing insurance and risk management program. We believe effective risk management requires discipline and structure. In providing service to our clients, we follow a strict process that includes the following steps:

1. Obtain and maintain complete copies of all policies for the current and prior policyterms. We carefully review this information to establish the baseline for your insuranceprogram going forward.

2. Contact insurance companies to obtain currently valued losses for all of your policies.

3. Obtain copies of any loss control inspection reports and recommendations.

4. Conduct a “Loss Exposure Assessment” based on:

• Insurance policies

• Staff Interviews

• Financial Statements

• Organization Charts

• Inventory of Services

From the Loss Exposure Assessment, we share with you our findings and outline our rec-ommendations for tailoring your insurance and risk management program to fit the exact needs of your organization.

Leverage Insurance Company ResourcesWe represent insurance companies that are among the largest in the industry. These companies have made significant investments in risk management information systems, processes and research. Many businesses buy insurance but never take advantage of any of the benefits and resources available to them from their insurance company. We help you receive the full value of your insurance purchase through training on systems devel-oped by us and the insurance companies on your account.


Loss Control ServicesOur loss control services are designed to reduce severity and frequency of losses. In pro-viding these services, we know that there is no one size fits all solution. As a result, we customize our loss control services to fit the exact needs of the client. This can include:

Organizing or helping our clients to expand Safety Committees.

Conducting Facility Inspections

Developing Risk Management process and procedures manuals.

Premium and Loss Expense Allocation - This is a valuable service that many of our clients have come to appreciate and rely on in the management of their business. We help our clients allocate insurance and loss expenses so that stakeholders within the company are accountable and have an incentive to cooperative in management of risk.

Our premium and expense allocations are also critical in the budgeting and bidding for new business opportunities. With accurate information regarding the cost of your insur-ance, contractors are able to refine competitive bids for new business.

Certificate of Insurance TrackingVendors, service providers and subcontractors expose you to significant financial risk. It is important to obtain certificates of insurance to verify insurance is in place to protect you in case of a loss or accident.

Outsourced insurance tracking relieves your organization of the time-consuming work and administrative hassle involved in managing Certificate of Insurance compliance. Inner-City offers its clients a customized approach to achieve insurance compliance, and manage the entire process of soliciting, validating and electronically storing your incom-ing Certificates of Insurance.

Contract ReviewThere is an old saying in the legal profession, “those who rely on free legal advice get longer jail terms.” We keep this in mind when we review contracts on behalf of our clients. We don’t provide legal advice. We review insurance requirements in contracts to help client estimate the cost of compliance. We are available to work with your legal counsel to help you negotiate the most favorable terms possible and too avoid inclusion of requirements that cause your insurance costs to increase.

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Leadership Team

Matthew is the founder and president of Inner-City Underwriting Agency. He has more than 30 years of insurance brokerage, risk management consulting and underwriting experience.

Few in the insurance industry can match the depth and diversity of Matthew’s experience in the insurance industry, having started right out of high school when he accepted a full work-study scholarship to attend, St. John’s College of Insurance, in New York City.

Matthew’s entrance into the insurance industry occurred during a time when very few African-Americans were employed by the National and International Insurance Brokers. Overcoming many obstacles during his career, Matthew was able to progress from Work-Study trainee to hold key Management positions at the top two insurance brokerage firms in the world.

However, Matthew’s commitment to community has always been strong. This commit-ment was as a key motivator in his desire to leave the corporate world in favor of starting Inner-City Underwriting Agency more than 20 years ago.

In 1995, many insurance companies were ineffective in selling insurance in most large cities. The ethnic and cultural diversity of these neighborhoods created many challenges for their existing distribution network. Matthew developed and implemented a plan that helped many small urban based insurance agencies earn direct contracts with national insurance companies. The Inner-City program was so successful that the firm has re-ceived local and national recognition in many news articles.

Matthew H. Cooper,

President & CEO

Insurance service is less about the company than it is about the quality of the people who provide that service. Many of our competitors highlight their size. This, they believe, is the major reason you should do business with them.

We disagree. At the account level, our team can match up with any broker in the world larger or smaller.

Our Leadership Team is extremely strong with many years of industry experience and a consistent track record of outstanding service to our clients. From the beginning, we have maintained a strong commitment to the prompt delivery of quality service. We combined highly talented people with good proven technology and access to the largest and mostly highly regarded insurance companies in the world.


Larry Robinson, MBA, ARM CPCU, Chief Practice Manager

Junior Pierre, Chief of OperationsJunior has more than 15 years of diverse insurance industry experience having worked in claims for progressive insurance company, and sales and marketing with State Farm insurance company. He has completed course work and earned insurance certifications in property, casualty and claims managements. He is currently on track to earn a CPCU designation within the next two years

Junior is highly regarded for his administrative acumen. As Chief of Operations, he man-ages all brokerage functions with includes negotiating all agency contracts with insurance companies and wholesalers, establishing and monitoring client service standards and hiring and training client account managers and service representatives.

It is this diverse background combined with strong technology skills that has allowed Junior to make significant strides in increasing our services to small and emerging clients.

He is a graduate of the University of Illinois - Champaign, earning a BS in Business Administration-Marketing.

There is an old salesmen story about a company who sold ice in the 1920 and 30s. The company owner had one prospective customer who would not buy from him regardless of how hard he tried. He finally asked why and was informed that the other guy’s ice is colder.

Larry is responsible for making sure our ice is the coldest in town. He manages our largest and most complex accounts and makes sure our service to these clients far ex-ceeds that offered by anyone else in the industry. He stays current on industry trends and developments and oversees technical training and development of our practice leaders, account managers and client service representatives.

Larry has more than 30 year’s of insurance industry experience. His career has allowed him to acquire experience from almost every vantage point in the industry.

Larry started as property underwriter with Kemper insurance Company before accepting a job with C N A insurance company as an underwriting manager and then ultimately promoted to C N A’s corporate risk manager. From C N A, he accepted the challenge of serving as Chicago Title’s Corporate Risk Manager which included heading the reinsur-ance operations of the company.

Larry served at Chicago Title until he was personally recruited in 2001 to join then Inner-City Underwriting Agency, by Matthew Cooper.

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In 2015, we officially opened our first Branch office outside of Illinois, under the leadership of Gina Banks-Eanes. Gina, joined the firm in 2012 to head up our Small Contractor Bridge Program, after a 15 year career with Travelers Insurance Company in the Surety Bond and Executive Liability department. Under her leadership the Small Contractor Bridge program is growing nationally which has required Gina to relo-cate to St. Louis to oversee the implementation of the program in Missouri.

In addition to managing the St. Louis Office, Gina remains in charge of our National Surety and Construction practice.

Gina is a graduate of Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and has completed graduate studies in Organizational Leadership and Quality at Marian College, Fond du Lac, WI.

Leadership TeamCashaine (Cash) Williams Personal and Commercial Insurance Practice Leader

Gina Banks-Eanes Manager - St Louis Office

Cashaine’s insurance career started at Inner-City Underwriting Agency, after joining the firm in 2011. She has quickly progressed from Client Service Representative to Practice Leader responsible for managing and service all personal lines and commercial insurance business placed with insurance companies electronically.

Community Insurance Center maintains electronic interface with more than 10 of the world’s largest insurance companies. This relationship allows us direct access to comput-er systems of these companies to quote, issue, endorse and download policy information directly into our agency management system on behalf of our clients.

Nataly is on the fast track. She came to us from State Farm in 2014 as a client service representative. She was quickly promoted to her current position of Account Manager for Construction and Surety Clients.

She has more than 5 years experience in the industry as an underwriting assistant with State Farm Insurance Company.

Nataly is in training to become a Surety Bond Underwriter for our Contractor Bridge Program.

Nataly Salas, Construction and Surety Account Manager


In the NewsWe are proud that the work we have done over the years has been recognized and served as the feature for several news stories both with the industry trade press and national new outlets.

News Articles highlighting the good work Community Insurance provided for 1996 Democratic Convention.

Chicago Defender Newspaper Selects, Matthew Cooper, President Inner-City Underwriting Agency, 2013 Men of Excellence

Reprint from The Wall Street Journal - Thursday, May 6 199 by Paulette Thomas

National Press Foundation Thank You Letter and Award for Presentation on Homeowners Insurance Availability in Urban Market.

Kemper makes a move in the city, Kemper Insurance Magazine , Reprint from May 1995 by Steve Stanek

Aetna - Tapping into the City- Cover Story Aetna Magazine October 1995 By Mary DiLeo

Proving a Bridge Between Insurers and Independent Agents, Impact Magazine

Success In the City, Industry Focus Magazine March 2004, Amanda L Milligan


In school, writing a paper about what I did on

vacation or class trip was required by most of my

teachers. I never liked the assignment, but for

some reason, upon returning from Springfield

where I attended the annual Insurance Industry

Legislative Day, I had a strong desire to write

another one of these papers.

None of my old teachers are around to read it,

so I really appreciate the editors of this magazine

allowing me to share my thoughts with you.

I learned a lot in Springfield. I listened to pre-

sentations from candidates in the governor’s race

and enjoyed the banter of the political analysts

who talked about demographics and the strategies

of each of the candidates. I talked with state legis-

lators and watched committee meetings in ses-

sion. I acquired a lot of information.

Unfortunately, much of what I saw and learned

disturbed me.

In Springfield, the old military strategy of

“Divide and Conquer” is alive and well. In the

deployment of this strategy, strong emphasis is

placed on demographics and playing to your base.

The Holy Grail for all candidates running for

Governor is white women in suburban Cook and

DuPage counties. Chicago is predominantly black

and democratic. White republicans don’t stand a

chance in Chicago. For them, success is getting

30% of the vote which really means getting a

majority of white voters in the city. Illinois south

of I-80 is predominantly white and republican.

Success down south for democrats is 20 to 30%

of the vote and that is achieved only if the candi-

dates do not openly embrace the black issues that

make down state republicans nervous.

During my trip, I learned that the foundation

of our current political system rests on demo-

graphics and division. In our system, it is

paramount that I as a black insurance agent in

Chicago believe that I have nothing in common

with the white Country Company agent I met dur-

ing my visit who lives in the southern part of our

state.

Ironically, as I thought about the difference

between me and my downstate counterpart, I

found them to be superficial and insignificant. He

is white. I am black. He and I speak with different

accents and probably don’t like the same music

most of the time. Although, I will confess there

STATE AND FEDERAL INSURANCE INSIGHT24 MARCH 2006

Divide and Conquer is a Bad Political Strategy

by Matthew Cooper

are a few country western tunes that I actually

like, and I know many white people over forty

who like at least one or two Motown songs.

Putting these superficial differences aside, I

found that at our core, the white Country

Company agent from downstate and I are the

same. He wants to sell more insurance and I want

to sell more insurance. He wants a good education

and future for his kids and I want the same. He

and I, like 99% of insurance agents and brokers I

have ever met, are concerned about and involved

in our communities. We have a lot in common and

what we have in common is far more substantive

than our differences. Think about it. The possibili-

ty that a black person from Chicago and a white

person from downstate have a lot in common is a

radical idea, devastating to politicians everywhere.

Unfortunately, the strategy of “Divide and

Conquer” tries to convince us that what is good

for a white person downstate is bad for a black

person in Chicago. If legislation benefits black

people in Chicago then it has to be detrimental to

white people in DuPage County. This strategy

does not want you and me to remember that black

and white people died in the September 11th

attack nor is it beneficial for us to consider that

black people from Chicago and white people from

downstate die in Iraq with alarming frequency.

We are not that different. We have a lot in

common. We just don’t know each other and those

who employ the strategy of “Divide and Conquer”

do not want us to get to know each other.

The impact of this strategy on our industry

and association was very clear to me during the

luncheon. We had three maybe four black people

in the audience. Our association has cut back sig-

nificantly on its efforts to encourage black agents

to join and participate. The association’s apathy

is only matched by that of black agents in

Chicago who are not interested in joining the

PIIAI. This divide exists because our association

leans heavily toward the conservative republican

side of politics and most black agents lean heavily

toward the liberal side of the Democratic Party.

Finding common ground and compromise are

objectives no one seems to find desirable.

As insurance agents, we manage America’s

most important social contract. My premium dol-

lars in Chicago recycled through reinsurance con-

tracts help pay for your tornado losses downstate.

Your dollars downstate also recycled through rein-

surance contracts pay for losses on the south and

west sides of Chicago. We know and manage a

process where people have to come together for

the good of all. Because of this, we must reject

politicians and political strategies that seek to

divide.

Our association, although predominantly white

and republican, should lead the way. Let’s reignite

our efforts to recruit agents of all colors and

nationalities to the association and the industry.

Then let’s form a new political task force dedicat-

ed to finding common ground and compromise.

This is critically important to our industry and our

country. Nothing good can come from continuing

along our current path. “Divide and Conquer” is a

bad and evil political strategy.

Matthew Cooper is an agent with Inner-City

Underwriting Agency, in Chicago. He can be

reached at (312) 341-9080 ext. 221. �

INSURANCE INSIGHT STATE AND FEDERAL 25MARCH 2006

A BRIDGE TO EMPOWERMENTA new loan program created by the Illinois Finance Authority(IFA) is help-ing contractors qualify for the surety bonds they need in order to compete for public works (local, state and federal) contracts in Illinois. The program is called Small Contractor Bridge and it is administered by the IFA in part-nership with The Chicago Community Loan Fund.

The bridge provides working capital to small contractors after they have successfully competed for and won a public works contract with a local, state or federal agency that has signed onto the program. Because of this financing by the IFA and Chicago Community Loan Fund, Inner-City Underwriting Agency has been able to create the Small Contractor Bridge Surety Bond bond program. Inner-City works with the Chicago Community Loan Fund to pre-qualify contractors for both working capital and a surety bond line of credit. With this in place, the contractors are able to post the bid and performance bonds that are required on almost all pub-lic works projects.

Surety Bonding has long been a major barrier for small contractors, pri-marily contractors certified as minority owned(MBE), women owned(W-BE) and Disadvantage Business Enterprises(DBE). Through the Small Contractor Empowerment Program, Inner-City and its strategic business partners provide a comprehensive set of insurance, financial, administra-tive and risk management services. These services empower construction companies to significantly grow their businesses by allowing them to com-pete for projects they have been unable to compete for in the past because they could not obtain surety bonds.

Less than three months old, the program is already working. Inner-City has already provided bonds to support more than $5.5 million in Construction bids.

For contractors accepted into the Small Contractor Bridge Program, the ability to bid on public works contracts will open up new and more lucrative business opportunities. It also promises to create more jobs in the commu-nity because many of these firms are located in Chicago Neighborhoods and other areas of the State with high unemployment.

For more information on the Small Contractor Bridge Program, send an email request to Juan A. Cordero Vasquez, [email protected] or call 312-341-9080 x203.

Gina Eanes, Surety Practice Leader, Inner-City Underwriting Agency is handing a bid bond to LaJobie Mosley, Lion Construction Company with Matt Cooper President looking on. Lion Con-struction is providing employment and training in an area of the State that has ranked consistently among the highest for unemployment over the past 5 years.

Gina Eanes, Surety Practice Leader, Inner-City Underwriting Agency is handing a bid bond to Benjamin Avery, Avery & Pryor Construction Company with Matt Cooper Presi-dent looking on.

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