Total Quality Agency (TQA)

From Ordinary to Extraordinary

If you’ve ever dreamt of delving deep into every aspect of what drives your agency with the goal of building a comprehensive plan to take it from successful to extraordinary – Big I Michigan’s Total Quality Agency (TQA) program exists to help you do just that.

Under the guidance of national expert agency consultants Mary Eisenhart Belka, Cheryl Koch and Chris Burand, the TQA journey will provide you with the tools to take an unprecedented look at the good, the bad and the ugly of your agency’s operations/procedures, leadership/management, valuation/perpetuation, company relationships, marketing and more.

From there you’ll build a rock solid plan - then work the plan to make the changes necessary to get your agency where you always knew it could be – the next level. TQA’s program structure includes accountability to others in the program to keep you on track every step of the way.

2022 Session of the Total Quality Agency program

Update Opportunities for TQA Graduates

Six (6) hours of update credit (earned by one or more agency employees) are required annually to maintain your agency's TQA designation. Attending one of the following Big I Michigan 2022 offerings will satisfy this requirement:

TQA Update Seminars: Earn 6 TQA update credits by attending a 3-hour Seminar and submitting an updated strategic plan. Download a TQA Update Info Sheet
Ultimate Account Manager School: Attendance by one staff member will satisfy your agency’s 6 TQA update credits.
Young Agents Conference: Our 2022 conference has already taken place. Please choose one of the options above for your 2022 TQA update credit.

Current TQA Agencies

Click here to view a list of agencies currently holding the TQA designation.

TQA 2022 Sessions

For details on all sessions, click here.

Session #1: Foundations March 14 and 15

Session #2: Operational Success - Redefined April 11 and 12

Session #3: Recruit, Engage & Retain May 9 and 10

Session #4: Financial Success, Worth & Perpetuation June 6 and 7

Session #5: Strategize & Capitalize! July 11 and 12

Session #6: Choosing & Managing Company Relationships August 29 and 30

Session #7: Leadership, Commitment & Management in a Changed World October 3 and 4

Session #8: The Plan Comes Together December 5 and 6

About Our Presenters

Mary Belka Mary M. Belka, CPCU, ARM, Are, RPLU, CIC, CPIW
Mary Eisenhart Belka has spent more than 35 years in the insurance industry, both in independent agencies and with insurance carriers. In 1996, she became an insurance industry consultant, and is the owner of Eisenhart Consulting Group in Lincoln, Nebraska, a consulting firm dedicated to helping insurance organizations become extraordinary.

Mary has been featured in Rough Notes and other insurance industry publications, and has authored a Best Practices tool for IIABA, The Next Generation: A Young Agent’s Best Practices Leadership Guide. She has also chaired local and state Big “I” Education Committees. Mary develops and presents insurance industry management, technical, Best Practices, motivational, and risk management seminars throughout the U.S.

Cheryl Koch Cheryl L. Koch, CPCU, CIC, ARM, AAI, API, AAM, AIM, AIS, ARP, ACSR, AFIS
Cheryl has served in nearly every capacity in an Independent Agency, having been an Account Manager, Producer and Agency Owner. She now devotes her time to agency management consulting and training and speaking at industry functions throughout the country. She is the President and CEO of Agency Management Resource Group located in Roseville, California. Cheryl consults on marketing and sales, sales management, agency operations, automation, and strategic planning.

Chris Burand
Chris Burand is president and owner of Burand & Associates, LLC, and a management consulting firm specializing in the property-casualty insurance industry. Chris is recognized as a leading consultant for agency valuations, producer compensation plans, E&O carrier approved E&O procedure reviews, and agency operation reviews. He also provides the acclaimed Contingency Contract Analysis® service and has the largest database and knowledge of contingency contracts in the insurance industry.

What Your Peers Think of the Program

“As long time insurance agents who became new agency owners, the TQA program gave us great information on how to set attainable agency goals, learn effective management techniques, how to analyze our finances and much more. We highly recommend the TQA program.”
— Scott Lyman, Tracy Magnuson & Coleen Pepin, Iron Range Agency

“Very thought provoking. Thoughts about future plans, goals, and issues. Revelations about the past and how it creates a path to the future whether good or bad. Motivation to try to create a future that you want and consider successful.”
— Jill Rogala, Bridge Insurance Group LLC

Questions?

Check out our TQA Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact Caryn Bedford, Chief Learning and Talent Officer at cbedford@michagent.org, (517) 327-8045.

Accommodations

In accordance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we invite all registrants to advise us of any disability and any requests for accommodation to that disability. Please submit your request as far in advance as possible for the program you wish to attend. If you have any questions, call (800) 589-6501 or email to info@michagent.org

Cancellation Policy

If you must cancel your registration, you will receive a 25% refund. No refunds will be given to those who attend part of a program, or who are no-shows. If you do not cancel and do not attend the program, you will be considered a no show and no money will be refunded, nor will your money be transferred to a different class.