Insurance Agents of Tampa Bay Establish Scholarship at USF

April 7, 2023 – Sarasota

 The Insurance Agents of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, educating and networking individuals in the industry, has established with a $30,000 gift an endowed scholarship at the Baldwin Risk Partners School of Risk Management and Insurance on the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus.

Andrew Aubery, president of the IATB board, said supporting the USF program, which is expanding thanks in large part to support from the industry, is essential to the future of the insurance industry as baby boomers and Generation Xers in the profession near retirement.

“We need more talent,” said Aubery, also the chief operating officer of Prime Group Insurance in Tampa. “Creating a new pipeline of future insurance professionals will allow our association and its members to align our core mission with a world-class university and add bright new insurance professionals to our industry.”

Aside from USF, only one other public Florida university offers a full major in the discipline. In addition, there are only 10 large risk management and insurance programs nationwide, each of which graduate about 50 people each year. With the industry facing a significant talent shortage in the coming years, the need to fill a variety of roles in risk management is tremendous.

Aubrey presented the gift to USF officials during the IATB’s Big ‘I’ Golf Tournament, a benefit for USF’s Risk Management and Insurance program, at Top Golf in Tampa.

“The RMI industry faces a number of challenges, among them is attracting talent to our industry,” said USF Associate Professor Steven Miller, director of School of Risk Management and Insurance. “I want to thank the IATB for supporting RMI education and partnering with us to serve students. Industry support enables us to help students explore the variety and quality of RMI career paths. Industry support helps us engage and develop students, both inside and outside of the classroom.”

USF’s School of RMI is growing, thanks to a $5.26 million gift last year from Baldwin Risk Partners that will allow the program to expand its programs to USF’s campuses in Tampa and St. Petersburg. The school also was renamed after the Tampa-based firm.

“We’re incredibly grateful for this donation from IATB and what it means for the future of the RMI program at USF and our industry,” said Elizabeth Krystyn, founding partner at Baldwin Risk Partners. “On behalf of BRP, we’re excited to see continued investment from others within the industry and shared confidence in the value of a risk management and insurance education and career.”

Learn more about the Baldwin Risk Partners School of Risk Management and Insurance at  https://www.usf.edu/business/schools/risk-management-insurance/