Membership Hard Hat Awards

Tim Westerman, LUTCF
Chesapeake, VA
Loyal Member Since 1997

Thanks to Tim's recruiting efforts, we added 24 new or reinstated members to NAIFA Nation! Like many members, Tim joined NAIFA in 1997 when his agency manager told him he needed to belong. As a Sales Leader for State Farm in Chesapeake, VA, Tim feels that "paying your NAIFA membership dues is paying for an insurance policy premium put in place to protect our livelihoods." Because of this mindset, he has strongly encouraged his team to belong to NAIFA.

Bruce Palmieri, CLU, ChFC, CFP
Baltimore, MD
Loyal Member Since 1994

Bruce served as NAIFA-Maryland's Membership Chair for a number of years and served as the state President in 2016. Bruce's firm, Palmieri & Shannahan is a proud NAIFA 100% Agency.

When Bruce Palmieri applied for a life insurance policy in 1990, he didn't expect to find a career--but that's just what happened. His Northwestern Mutual advisor recruited him into the business and, over 30 years later, Palmieri is a steward of the insurance and financial services industry.

Roger Sims, CLU, LUTCF

High Point, North Carolina

Loyal Member Since 2001

Roger Sims is NAIFA’s North Carolina State Membership Chair 2022, a graduate of NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), and an IFAPAC Contributor.

Since joining NAIFA in 2001, Sims has served as a board member, and he is the Immediate Past President of NAIFA-NC. His role as President shifted his focus towards advocacy and supporting favorable policies and legislation that protect his clients’ interests. He recounts how he learned the significance of NAIFA’s advocacy after attending the Congressional Conference in Washington, D.C. in 2015, stating "what really opened my eyes to what NAIFA does [was] going to the Congressional conference in DC.  [It is where the] rubber meets the road and protects our industry and protects the clients that we serve."

Cheryl Canzanella, CLU, ChSNC, LUTCF

Jacksonville, Florida

Loyal Member Since 2010

Cheryl Canzanella is a Past President of NAIFA-Northeast Florida and has served in leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. She is also a graduate of  NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor.

Canzanella is a recipient of NAIFA-FL's President’s award and the winner of the Grand Prize in NAIFA’s Q2 2022 Referral Contest. In 2019, she was recognized as NAIFA’s Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. Cheryl is also a Founding Past President of Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) Northeast Florida.

Beth Valente, CLU, CFBS, CLTC

Springfield, Massachusetts

Loyal Member Since 2013

Beth Valente is NAIFA’s Massachusetts State Membership Chair 2022, a graduate of  NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), and an IFAPAC Contributor.

Since joining NAIFA in 2013, Valente has been a powerhouse in referring individuals to NAIFA, and she has been instrumental in introducing NAIFA to several agencies for presentations.

Art Hayes

Effingham, Illinois

Loyal Member Since 1985

Art Hayes is the Immediate Past President of NAIFA-IL, a graduate of  NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor. Hayes is also a recipient of NAIFA Quality Award (NQA).

With this award, NAIFA honored his great contribution as a loyal member since 1985. As Art said "NAIFA has been an important part of my success and has helped me serve my clients better. It’s an honor for me to support my professional association, and I am pleased to be able to contribute to the success of my fellow NAIFA members".

Harlan Accola, CRMP, CSA

Marshfield, Wisconsin

Loyal Member Since 2015

Harlan Accola is the National Reverse Mortgage Director of Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, a NAIFA partner. He specializes in Retirement Planning, Reverse Mortgages, Equity Management, Investment Properties, Mortgage Planning, and Liability Management.

With this award, NAIFA recognized Accola’s important contributions to the organization, such as offering his professional knowledge in articles, events and webinars.

Neil Himmelstein

Center Moriches, New York

Loyal Member Since 1997

Neil Himmelstein is a member of NAIFA-NY Board of Directors 2022, serves as the Vice President of Programs. He is also an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor.

Himmelstein is also Past President of NAIFA-Long Island and a proud recipient of the Rudy Stegman award for outstanding achievement and leadership in the industry by NAIFA-Long Island.

Adam Sachs, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CLTC, AIF

Needham Heights, Massachusetts

Loyal Member Since 1994

Adam Sachs is NAIFA’s East Region Vice Chair of the National Membership Committee 2022, a graduate of  NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor. He is also a graduate of  NAIFA’s Financial Security Advocate (FSA).

Sachs is also Past President of NAIFA-MA, and has served on the National IFAPAC Committee. Early in his career, Adam became involved with the Young Advisor Team (YAT) and was the first person named as YAT Leader of the Year in 2010.

Chris Bor LUTCF, CLU, ChFC, CFP

Spokane, Washington

Loyal Member Since 1998

Chris Bor is NAIFA’s West Region Vice Chair of the National Membership Committee 2022. He is also a graduate of  NAIFA’s Leadership In Life Institute (LILI), an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor.

Bor is also the Immediate Past President of NAIFA-WA, and a Past Vice President of NAIFA-CA. As Chris said "We just put membership first, it's the first thing on the agenda at every meeting. Membership comes first, everything else is secondary".

Glenn Crawford, CDFA

La Crescenta, California

Loyal Member Since 2015

Glenn Crawford is NAIFA’s West Region Vice Chair of the National Membership Committee 2022, an IFAPAC Defender, and Contributor.

Crawford is also the Los Angeles Chapter Vice President of Advocacy 2022, Los Angeles Chapter IFAPAC Chair 2022, Past President of NAIFA-LA, and the first recipient of NAIFA's Hard Hat Award.