Let's Get Surety

On this 100th episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we take time to celebrate another success on the advocacy front! We are joined by Philip Macres, a principal at Klein Law Group PLLC and leader of the Coalition that seeks alternatives to the letter of credit (LOC) requirement in the BEAD program, and NASBP's Director of Government Relations Larry LeClair. We discuss some background on Broadband and LOC's. As well as discussing the exciting NTIA press release that came out on November 1, 2024 and what it means! Check out the September 6th letter mentioned during the podcast and gear up for NASBP's 2024 Legislative Fly-In where this will be one of the items for Fly-In attendees to address. With special guests: Philip Macres, Principal, Klein Law Group, PLLC and Lawrence LeClair, Director, Government Relations, NASBP Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic Surety!

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Danette Back, Partner and Head of Industry Verticals at USI Insurance Services to discuss how surety and insurance teams can work together and support each other. She discusses the importance of having holistic conversations about Risk Management with clients, and the need to seek out education such as NASBP's Surety School to fill gaps in knowledge. Danette also shares insights into what she is seeing from her vantage point of overseeing both PNC and Surety teams. Find out more about how you too can attend NASBP's Surety Schools! With special guest: Danette Beck, CPCU, ARM, CRIS, Partner - Head of Industry Verticals and National Construction Practice Leader, USI Insurance Services Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic Surety!

Among NASBP’s valued stakeholder partners is the American Subcontractors Association, Inc., a national association representing the breadth of the subcontractor construction community. NASBP has enjoyed and continues to enjoy a productive relationship with ASA and looks forward to enhancing that strategic relationship in 2024. Let’s Get Surety® sat down with Richard Bright, CEO of ASA, at NASBP's 2023 Annual Meeting, to talk about ASA's expansive organization, its services, and its plans for growth. Richard discusses the importance of the association in advocating for payment, contract language, and workforce issues, as well as the successful initiatives they've implemented to reduce retainage. Since our conversation, the FASA Natural Disaster Guide mentioned in the episode has come out. Find out more about ASA, including how to become a member, by visiting www.asaonline.com. With special guest: Richard Bright, Chief Executive Officer, ASA and FASA Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!  

On this episode of NASBP’s Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by NASBP Past Presidents John Bustard of King & Neel, Mark Munekawa of Woodruff Sawyer, and Tracy Tucker of Tucker Agency, Ltd. We look at the past, discussing each of our guests’ entry into the surety industry as well as the roots of their NASBP involvement. Additionally, we discuss their unique presidential terms, all of which were altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The stories they tell exemplify the importance of resourcefulness and leading and moving forward through unprecedented times. You can check out other terrific content in the recordings of the Virtual Events that are mentioned during our conversation at NASBP’s SuretyLearn. Listen to all of the interesting and engaging episodes in the Thinking Back Looking Forward: NASBP and the Surety Industry with NASBP Past Presidents series. With special guests: Tracy Tucker, President, Tucker Agency, Ltd, John Bustard, Senior Vice President, King & Neel, LLC, and Mark Munekawa, Sr. Vice President – Surety, Woodruff Sawyer Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Aaron Steffey, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, of Propeller Bonds, who shares his insights and observations on electronic bonding. We discuss the importance of the digitization of surety, as well as some of the ups and downs, such as how the pandemic helped move electronic bonding forward more quickly, as well as the many hurdles still in front of us. Check out the other Let’s Get Surety® episodes on electronic bonding to learn more! With special guest: Aaron Steffey, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Propeller Bonds Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Nathan Wonder of CAC Specialty who shares perspectives and updates on alternative energy bonding. We discuss the growth and changes in the Solar and Wind power industries and the need to standardize the bond forms in the alternative energy space. Nathan also touches on bonding opportunities on the horizon in the burgeoning hydrogen and carbon sequestration and geothermal energy industries. Check out Nathan's past presentations, “Future Opportunities in Surety: Navigating Changing Landscapes” which was part of the NASBP April 2021 Virtual Event as well as the Virtual Seminar titled “Shedding Light on Surety in the World of Solar Power” and the Surety Bond Quarterly article he authored with the same title. With special guest: Nathan Wonder, Vice President, Surety - Natural Resources, CAC Specialty Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by federal executives John Miller of the Office of Capital Access and Jermaine Perry of the Office of Surety Guarantees at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), who share perspectives and information regarding SBA’s capital access lending and bond guarantee programs, which benefit and strengthen small businesses by giving them the capital and credit needed to progress and thrive. Find out more about these federal programs available to small construction businesses nationwide at https://www.sba.gov. With special guests: John Miller, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Capital Access at U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Jermaine Perry, Director, Office of Surety Guarantees, Office of Capital Access, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Cash McMillen of The Cashion Company and Brianna Stephenson of Parrot Surety Services to discuss their surety careers. They share how they found their careers in surety, what their roles and tasks are during a typical day on the job, and how they knew that they had found much more than a job with their surety careers. Both Cash and Brianna share advice for those looking for a career and encourage them to consider a career in surety.  With special guests: Cash McMillen, CIC, Partner, Executive Vice President – Operations-Insurance and Bonding, The Cashion Company, Inc. and Brianna Stephenson, Surety Bond Specialist & Marketing Manager, Parrot Surety Services Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!  

On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Government Relations staff Larry LeClair of NASBP and Mike Oscar of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA) to discuss current federal legislative initiatives that NASBP and ASA are working together on and significant recent wins! They discuss efforts to amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) to ensure performance and payment protections are in place on WIFIA funded projects, as well as pursuing proposed legislation on bonding federal P3 projects, and introduction of H.R. 2726 the Small Business Payment and Performance Act, which will remedy situations in which small construction businesses are forced to finance federal contracting agency unilateral change orders. Get more information from NASBP about advocacy efforts by signing up for NASBP’s Focal Point, an electronic legislative/regulatory bulletin, and find out more about ASA’s advocacy work on their website and in their magazine Contractor’s Compass. With special guests: Lawrence LeClair, Director, Government Relations, NASBP and Michael Oscar, Director of Government Relations, American Subcontractors Association (ASA) Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Old Republic!

Are you curious how blockchain technology is changing the surety industry? On this episode of Let’s Get Surety®, we are joined by Greg Davenport of Liberty Mutual Surety and Sandy Hampel of The Institutes RiskSteam Collaborative to discuss the substantial strides a broad industry effort facilitated by The Institutes RiskSteam Collaborative has made exploring blockchain technology to digitize surety processes. Davenport and Hampel discuss how blockchain technology can generate greater efficiency in processes by, for example, allowing faster verification and authentication of bonds. They relate the impressive work now being accomplished with surety and technology partners, including the ability to provide demonstrations of proofs of concept at NASBP’s recent 2023 Annual Meeting, and the plans for 2024. Check out Greg’s past episode that touched on the earlier days of this process titled, “Blockchain Technology in Surety” and visit The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative online to get more information. With special guests: Greg Davenport, Sr. Vice President, Global Risks, Liberty Mutual Surety and Sandy Hampel, Director Life & Annuity and Commercial Lines Products, The Institutes RiskStream Collaborative Hosted by: Kat Shamapande, Director, Professional Development, NASBP and Mark McCallum, CEO, NASBP Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Surety!