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Vol. 3, No. 2, September 2006 Life Settlement News LISA: An Organization Positioned for Growth by Marlene Hoover Frith Director of Marketing & National Accounts
The Life Insurance
Settlement Association has taken a quantum leap forward within the past
several years – particularly as it relates to positioning itself as “the
voice of the industry.” In Scott Kirby, Co-President of Advanced Settlements who volunteers his time to sit on LISA's board of directors and where he is currently vice president of the organization, believes the organization is making tremendous progress on all fronts. In addition to having assembled a lobbying effort to help thwart a life settlement excise tax pending before Congress, this year LISA launched the organization’s first newsletter, published a white paper, issued a series of media releases on pressing industry topics, co-sponsored a special editorial section in The Journal of Structured Finance, and embarked on an industry-wide data collection initiative. LISA’s recent achievements clearly demonstrate that the association is poised and positioned to execute its vision of becoming the “public relations powerhouse” in the industry. Considering the formal definition of public relations as “the management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the publics on whom its success of failure depends,” (Source: Public Relations Society of America), LISA recognizes the role that an effective public relations strategy can play in fulfilling the organization’s mission to foster relationships necessary for organizational success. Through the guidance of the board of directors and the efforts of executive director Doug Head and his staff, LISA has been successful in broadening public awareness, educating public policy makers, and strengthening the marketplace through increased membership and participation. In a sense, LISA’s mission is coincidentally analogous to that of the Public Relations Society of America, which is “to unify, strengthen and advance” the profession. LISA has “unified” the industry behind legislative and regulatory initiatives that impact the industry; “strengthened” its membership; and “advanced” the pro-consumer message of life settlements. This fall, LISA will host its 12th Annual Conference in New York City and will once again provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and the sharing of intellectual capital critical to its mission. That said, I am reminded of a quote from Richard Cavanaugh, President & CEO of The Conference Board who stated, “If you come away from a meeting with one good idea, one new relationship, or one new understanding, then that meeting was successful.” The Conference Board, which was formed 90 years ago, is the world's preeminent business membership and research organization and is best known for the Consumer Confidence Index and the Leading Economic Indicators.
As a
member of LISA’s Public Relations & Marketing Committee and speaker at
LISA Although donating one’s time to participate in LISA activities can present challenges in terms of time away from one’s “day job,” the reward comes in the knowledge that volunteering one’s time for the greater good is "chicken soup for the soul." Having said that, I will close with a reminder from author Albert Pike who once said: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world, remains and is immortal.” _____________________________________________________________ Marlene Hoover Frith is Director of Marketing & National Accounts where she leads the company's branding and business development strategies. In addition to her participation in LISA, Marlene serves on the board of directors for the Financial Planning Association of Central Florida. Prior to joining Advanced Settlements, Marlene held a variety of business development, marketing, and public relations positions in both the private sector as well as in the political arena in Washington, DC. She received her bachelor's degree in communications from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and earned the APR designation (accredited for public relations) from the Public Relations Society of America in 2001, a credential indicating expertise of practice and mastery of the profession. On a personal note, Marlene is a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) whose ancestor, Captain Henry Hoover, fought in George Washington's army.
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spite of modest resources, LISA has
accelerated from zero to sixty within a brief period of time in terms of
its governmental affairs activities and public relations initiatives.
conferences, I have had the opportunity to witness the outcome of ideas
exchanged at these meetings and have been pleased to work with LISA’s
staff in executing a number of PR initiatives that began during our
breakout sessions at LISA conferences.