PIA Connection Online

By Mike Skiados, PIA National CEO

Last year, I had the opportunity to travel across the country, attending as many affiliate events as possible on what became my listening and learning tour. What I found was both inspiring and clarifying. Everywhere I went, I saw warmth and community. I saw mentorship and a willingness to share information openly. I saw diversity of markets and a deep sense of professionalism. I saw technology leadership, a strong focus on developing young agents, grassroots advocacy in action, and a culture that embraces innovation and constant change.

In short, I saw proof that insurance is a relationship business built on trust, innovation, and collaboration between agents and carriers. Those conversations did more than inspire me. They helped shape our strategic priorities for 2026. Working closely with the Executive Committee, we developed a focused plan built around six objectives designed to strengthen PIA’s foundation and accelerate growth across the country.

1. Expanding Membership. The independent agency landscape is evolving rapidly. Consolidation, technology shifts, and generational change are redefining what membership means and how value is delivered. We are developing a national membership growth strategy that affiliates can activate locally, with refreshed value propositions, easier onboarding, and models aligned with today’s marketplace realities. Growth is not just about adding numbers. It is about ensuring that the next generation of independent agents sees PIA as essential to their success, as a partner in the professional journey from day one.

2. Elevating Education and Professional Development. Education is one of PIA’s historic strengths, and we intend to elevate it further. We are enhancing the CPIA pathway with advanced and specialized offerings that extend its impact and prestige. At the same time, through our Technology Council, we are positioning PIA as the trusted, unbiased voice on agency technology. Agents consistently tell me they want clarity, not sales pitches, including practical insight into what works, what integrates, and what drives profitability. Professional development is no longer optional in today’s environment. It is a competitive advantage. And we’re ensuring that PIA will lead in delivering it.

3. Strengthening PIA’s Brand and Communications. I have been struck by the incredible work happening at the Affiliate level. But too often, that story is told in silos. If we want to grow our influence and expand our reach, we must operate with a cohesive brand. We are building shared brand architecture across National and Affiliates, investing in multi-channel communications, expanding digital outreach, and leveraging new platforms to amplify our message. The goal: share our story of professionalism, community, and advocacy at scale.

4. Unifying the Association as One PIA. One theme I heard repeatedly across the country was collaboration. That spirit extends to how we operate as an association. We are modernizing operational frameworks and clarifying governance, built in partnership and grounded in fairness. One PIA is not simply a phrase. It is a commitment to coordinated execution, consistent member experience, and shared accountability. When we are aligned, our affiliates are stronger  and so are our members.

5. Increasing Advocacy Influence. Grassroots advocacy is alive and well across our affiliates. I witnessed it firsthand. And as regulatory complexity increases, our national advocacy must also grow in sophistication and scale. In 2026, we will expand advocacy capabilities, strengthen legislative intelligence, deepen coalition-building, and elevate visibility on the issues that matter most to independent agents. This includes partnering with top-tier government affairs expertise to ensure we are not merely reacting to legislation, but helping shape it. Advocacy is our heritage and very important to our members.

6. Diversifying and Growing Revenue. Financial strength enables mission strength. To support innovation, advocacy, and education, we’re building a resilient and diversified revenue model. We’re strengthening non-dues revenue through corporate partnerships, enhancing financial discipline and transparency, and modernizing our dues structure. Revenue is not the goal. Impact is.

What I learned across America is simple but powerful: PIA matters because relationships matter. Community matters. Trust matters.

Our affiliates embody mentorship, professionalism, and forward thinking. They are adapting to constant change while holding fast to the core truth of our business: that insurance is built on relationships between agents, carriers, and clients.

Our responsibility at National is to ensure the association reflects that spirit: modern yet grounded, innovative yet collaborative, unified yet locally empowered.

Together, as One PIA, we are not just responding to complexity. We are guiding through it.