Virginia Bates

VIRGINIA M. BATES has over twenty years of experience consulting to agencies and carriers and managing insurance operations for both a carrier and a large regional agency. She has a background in all property and casualty lines, experience as director of a country-wide underwriting school and direct involvement in many automated systems.  As co-founder of VMB Associates Inc., she has worked with many agencies on valuations and related issues, intelligent selection and use of technology, profitability, reducing E&O exposure, internal operations, marketing strategies, carrier relationships and successful use of technology. She speaks often on the evolving exposures and preventive strategies related to automation and electronic processing and documentation. She has conducted E&O audits and rehabilitation projects for agencies at the request of E&O carriers such as Fireman's Fund.  She developed and produces the Vendor Comparison Workshops that have helped thousands of agencies determine their automation needs and options.

She is a certified E&O instructor and regularly creates and conducts educational programs for many state agents' associations, carriers and vendor groups.  These programs encompass both technical subjects (such as personal and commercial risk management, direct and indirect property coverages, advanced workers comp coverages and rating, and umbrella coverages) and management subjects (such as E&O prevention, business planning, disaster recovery, profitable use of automation and procedures manual creation and implementation).

Virginia is the founder and Technical Executive of www.VMBhits.com. This is a testing website with which agency and carrier administrators can test the specific coverage skills, system usage abilities, E&O safety understanding, bookkeeping acumen, and educational needs of current employees and candidates for hire.  The site includes tests in just about every P&C coverage line and Benefits lines.

Virginia's educational background includes an honors degree from Swarthmore College and graduate work in management science.  She is a licensed broker and licensed insurance adviser.

SOME SAMPLE REVIEW COMMENTS & CLIENT COMMENTS (from classes and consulting work):

"Her positive attitude is always inspirational.  Her knowledge of material is always enlightening.

The industry should be proud to have her."    "The Best!"

“I love to have you in our office.  Everything seems possible at the end of the day!”

“I went to a class just to get continuing ed credits and you reminded me why I went into this business in the first place - to sell and to help people.  Thanks for making it fun again.”

“Thank you for treating us like a diamond-level client.  We know you always care.”