Awards Recognition

PIMA Awards

Recognizing outstanding achievement in affinity market



Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award, created in 2001, recognizes members for their extraordinary service to PIMA.

Distinguished Service Award Past Recipients:

  • Anne Dieleman / Bill Suneson (2025)
  • Angela Daisy / Kevin Garvin (2023)
  • Jean-Marie Lovett / Kara Shipulski (2022)
  • Sean Cox / Ann Dieleman / Tracey Gray-Walker (2021)
  • Frederic Hron / Michael Griffin / Pamela Moy (2020)
  • Barb Baumann / Scott Berlin / Patrice Nolan (2019)
  • Jill Fecher / Andrew Kucheriavy / Jeanne Sheehy (2018)
  • Kelly Abeles / Angela Daisy / David Schaeffer (2017)
  • Mona Buckley / Doug Gahagan / Susan Hussar / Sean Sullivan (2016)
  • Ann Dieleman / Sam Fleet / Chuck LaTournous / Michael Murphy (2015)
  • Chris Burke / David Armstrong (2014)
  • Chris Burke /  Michael Griffin / Ann Nagle (2013)

Founders Award

The PIMA Founders Award was bestowed in 1989 in honor of Forrest T. Jones to recognize a lifetime filled with contributions to the insurance marketing distribution system, including historic innovations in marketing practices.

Recipients include:

George H. BonSalle P. Allen Haney Charles C. Lawry
James C. Boon II Richard F. Jones Richard L. Mize
Stanley T. Brooks Forrest T. Jones John W. Noonan
Warren D. Gardner J. Thomas Koch Frank C. Tuttle
Harvey J. Goodstein Robert R. Koch

Legend Award

Created in 1997, the PIMA Legend Award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves by making an outstanding contribution in the creation, growth and evolution of the insurance marketing business.

Recipients include:

Jim Larson, The Hartford (2025)

Marty McCarthy, Mutual of New York (2004)

Shannon Warner, Pearl Insurance (2024)

Gary Kirke, KVI (2002)

Denise Friday, AMA Insurance Agency (2023)

Bill Van Orsdel, KVI (2002)

David Dunn, New York Life (2010)

Arch M. Parker, AEGON Special Markets, Group, Inc. (2000)

Frank Cella, Albert H. Wohlers & Co. (2006)

John P. (Jack) Pearl, John P. Pearl & Associates (1999)

Donald F. Lang, Maginnis & Associates (2006)

Albert H. Wohlers, Albert H. Wohlers & Co. (1998)

Mike Fox, New York Life (2004)

Leadership Award

The PIMA Leadership Award, created in 2025, recognizes a PIMA member who exhibits leadership qualities within their PIMA-member company and/or the affinity market and has shown commitment to PIMA through volunteer service on task forces, committees, or other programs.

Recipient includes:

Tracey Gray-Walker (2025)

Rising Star Award

The PIMA RISING STAR Award, created in 2025, recognizes a professional who is early in their affinity industry career and exhibits leadership qualities within their PIMA-Member company and/or the affinity market.

Recipient includes:

Katie Schultz (2025)

PIMA Memberships

Explore how PIMA can help you accelerate growth

Leverage the collective expertise of 550+ experts and deal makers who bring unmatched industry knowledge to the table.

Explore Memberships

Become a Member

Accelerate your business growth with affinity distribution

Access exclusive networking and educational opportunities when you join.

Apply Now

Frequently asked questions.

Affinity refers to the B-B-C model that allows product providers to partner with intermediary organizations to reach their customers.

The Affinity Market refers to a business strategy where specialized products or services are offered to a targeted group of consumers who share common interests, characteristics, or other affiliations.

The affinity market is made up of insurance providers, insurance brokers, and the firms that provide services to those firms. It also includes the customer (the C in B-B-C), which includes employers and their employees, professional associations and their members, banks and their customers, and any number of other consumer or business groups with affiliated members.

Establishing partnerships using an affinity model affords a company the opportunity to develop products, services, and often pricing specific to individual groups of consumers. In turn, the consumer group is more responsive to the products or services, often due to more relevant offerings, to more economical solutions and to learning from a trusted and existing relationship.