Congratulations to former SC Big I President Frank Sheppard, who was honored with the national Jeff Yates Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this month at the IIABA Legislative Conference. This award is the highest recognition our national association gives to a non-agent for a lifetime of work in the independent agency system. Named after National BIg I leader Jeff Yates, this award is designed to recognize those special people beyond the agent community who contribute to the strength and vitality of the independent agency system.
"I worked [with] and knew Jeff Yates, I know what this award means to our industry, and I'm just humbled to be one of its named recipients," Sheppard said in his video acceptance speech, as he was unable to attend and receive the award in person. “I'm proud of the work that Big 'I' agents do for their clients, for their communities, throughout the country. So, thank you, all of you Big 'I' members, for what you're doing. It was a true honor to work with you, to work for you, and I'm greatly blessed by this award."
Prior to his December 2024 retirement, Frank Sheppard led the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of South Carolina (IIABSC) since 2006 after having served 14 years as its vice president and director of membership services for IIABSC, overseeing communications, association products and events.
Sheppard was focused on association work from the start of his long insurance career when he began as a marketing underwriter in the Washington DC area at Smith-Sterneau, a Marsh company, in its association insurance program. He went on to become a sales executive for p&c products at the Goldsmith-Theodore Agency, an independent agency in Columbia, SC, before settling in to make his mark more broadly on the state's insurance landscape.
A dynamic industry and association leader, Sheppard has been recognized in his state with two Chairman's Citations and an industry impact award. On the national level, he has served on the Trusted Choice board, the State Partnership Task Force, and was a founding member of the Co-Branded Website Advisory Committee. He also served as chair of the Independent Agents Association Executives (IAAE) and has stepped up for countless other volunteer assignments and events across many areas of the Big I.
It is hard to point to anyone more widely respected for his knowledge, fairness and commitment to fostering dialogue between the industry and regulators/ legislators. Sheppard has dedicated his career to advocacy on insurance issues affecting the independent agency channel at both the state and federal levels. He mentored many young agents and association staff and shared his passion and innovative spirit in ways that will leave a powerful imprint on the industry for generations.