To: NAIFA - Michigan Members & Guests

The Annual Day on the Hill is set for Tuesday, December 3, this is an opportunity to meet with your Legislators and communicate the purpose and mission of NAIFA and the importance of our products to the voting public. The Advocacy Team Team has been hard at work creating, developing, and continuing strong relationships with our state legislators. This is our strength – Advocacy! With the recent turnover in the House and Senate, it is more important than ever to use our DOH to meet and welcome new legislators, as well as, continue dialogue with existing legislators.

Our most important NAIFA-Michigan function of the year, we urge you to consider attending this year’s events.

NAIFA - Michigan will be reaching out to members who have signed up to be a legislative contact to set up appointments with legislators. Appointments will be set regionally for all members attending the Day on the Hill.

Testimonials
“To my fellow NAIFA members: I encourage you to join us for the annual Day on the Hill in May. There are several benefits, starting with your enhanced grasp of the political process and public policy. More importantly, you can help your elected officials to understand our issues a bit better. And most of our issues have to do with protecting our constituents—providing security and opportunity, rather than just benefits for us as practitioners. Hopefully, this all results in better outcomes, and the more of us who attend, the greater our success.” – C. Richard Herrold, CFP, AIF

When I was first asked to attend NAIFA’s DOH I was intimidated. What do I do? What do I say? I was pleasantly surprised that our Government Relations Team had this all mapped out. I was provided with detailed talking point topics that were relevant to the time. I was also teamed with seasoned veterans to help me learn the process. I learned that our legislators are people, just like us, who were looking for information. Information about our industry that they were not subject to in their private lives.

That was 1998 and I have missed very few DOHs since. I have created many great relationships with veteran legislators who will take our call if there is something of importance to discuss. This is of the utmost importance to protect our industry from negative legislation, as well as, encourage positive legislation. Let’s make a strong presence at our Capital on December 3.
Chuck May, NAIFA – MI Advocacy Chair & Past State President

“I always make attending ‘NAIFA – Michigan’s Day on the Hill’ a priority. It allows me to learn the details about our organization’s public policy priorities and to use that knowledge to educate my legislators about those issues. In addition, by articulating our position on those priority issues, I become better at communicating the things that are important to my clients, our community, and my agency.” Jim Fuerstenau, LUTCF, CIC, NAIFA – MI Past President

I feel our annual Day on the Hill is so important to attend for many reasons. With term limits, it is very difficult to build a relationship within a short time with legislators, so we need to meet them and let them know about our business, what we do, and who NAIFA is. After we build relationships we can work with our legislators on issues that are pressing for us, and sometimes get support for a new bill. It is vital to me to represent NAIFA-MI professionally, and our lobbyists appreciate our views and support. Lynn Hopkins, CIC, NAIFA – MI Past President

NAIFA Michigan is in the trenches, working with the legislature to fine-tune bills that directly impact what we do. It's like a dance of words, ensuring everything aligns just right. They trust us to get it spot on for the folks we serve. Can you imagine if they didn't have us to lean on? It's a bit scary, isn't it?

NAIFA Michigan’s Annual Day on the Hill is the biggest opportunity of the year for you to personally help your profession and the clients that you serve. To the folks in the Capitol, the NAIFA board is just the tip of the iceberg. They see us, sure, but they might not realize the massive support network we've got beneath the surface. Our Day on the Hill is our chance to show them our real depth.

We're not just a bunch of suits and ties; we're passionate, dedicated professionals who live and breathe this stuff. The impact on our client’s lives is profound. That's why we're willing to take a day out of the office and show up in Lansing—to fight not just for ourselves but for the families who trust us with their financial futures.

We need those lawmakers to understand that when we speak up, it's not just us talking. We're speaking for hundreds of their constituents, folks who rely on us to guide them through some of life's most important decisions.

So, if you haven't already signed up for our Day on the Hill, I'm urging you to do it now. Whether you've been with us for years or you're just starting, your voice matters. Let's make sure they know just how passionate we are about what we do.

Let's make the 2024 Day on the Hill one to remember!

Scott Embree, LACP, NAIFA – MI Immediate Past President