Dear Colleague,

Formed in 1998, AMCOMP is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to professional excellence in the field of workers compensation. It was established to further educate all workers comp professionals in the industry while maintaining a current understanding of emerging trends and issues in the workplace and how they relate to the field of workers compensation.

The last few years have demonstrated the rapid and often unexpected changes and challenges in our industry. We have undergone unprecedented scrutiny and faced unimagined catastrophic risks and losses both man-made and natural as well as new regulatory and statutory structures governing the insurance industry. All of this has brought challenges and opportunities for our industry and our members.

As professionals in the industry, we feel that the importance of passing this valuable information along to our members through conferences and seminars, newsletters, monographs and digests is essential.

AMCOMP's certified Workers Compensation Professional (WCP) education program is intended to develop a stronger foundation of knowledge and a higher level of understanding of the many aspects of workers compensation. The program shows how the various pieces (i.e. claims handling, underwriting, risk management, pricing, etc.) work together. AMCOMP's three-part WCP course curriculum is intended to advance the comprehensive level of understanding for the individual who has completed the program.

In addition, a recent decision recognizing the strength of the educational curriculums of two prominent industry organizations, the American Society of Workers Comp Professionals (AMCOMP), together with the American Institute for CPCU and the Insurance Institute of America (AICPCU/IIA) have announced course waivers for certified professionals in one organization who seek certification in the other.

Given the overlap of information provided in the two courses, candidates for the CPCU designation who hold the WCP designation can ask for a waiver of the CPCU 520 course. Similarly, those candidates for the WCP designation who hold the CPCU designation can ask for a waiver of the AMCOMP Part One curriculum. We are very pleased with this partnership, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the AICPCU/IIA as we continue to strive to maintain the integrity and degree of excellence in workers compensation by raising the professional standard of practice.

We are happy to report that over the past year, AMCOMP has begun broadening the locations in which our seminars and workshops are held. This coming year we are proud to add Denver and Rhode Island to the list of locations that already include New York, Boston, Florida, Arizona, California and Las Vegas.

AMCOMP conferences and seminars are attended by prominent industry leaders and others at every level of achievement from across the country and internationally. In the coming year, we plan to broaden our scope and present additional conferences internationally so that the educational value of the Association can be shared with others.

AMCOMP's conferences and seminars also give attendees a forum to network with other industry professionals. Participation in AMCOMP programs offer attendees the opportunity to establish new business contacts while sharing experiences on the latest industry trends and issues. Further, through AMCOMP's Member Directory & Resource Guide, members have the ability to utilize the services of other members.

AMCOMP's Corporate Partnership program allows organizations the opportunity to publicly recognize their organization's commitment to support and endorse the highest professional standards in the workers compensation industry.

In addition, each year at AMCOMP's Annual Meeting & Conference, attendees and members receive a new monograph/digest. This past February, AMCOMP's third digest was published, entitled State Workers Compensation Special Funds. Other monographs/digests include: Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance Annotated Policy, and Exclusive Remedy digest, with citations. AMCOMP has dedicated itself to providing a new monograph/digest each year so that over a period of time, AMCOMP members will have a wealth of resources to refer to that address the many aspects of the industry.

On behalf of the AMCOMP Board of Directors, I am pleased to report that AMCOMP is committed to doing everything we can to ensure that this Association continues to provide programs and reference materials that reflect the membership's interests and needs and to explore emerging issues for the benefit of the industry as a whole.

We hope to see you at our next conference and we look forward to your participation as a member of this prestigious workers compensation organization.

Sincerely,

Donald T. DeCarlo

AMCOMP Chairman/President