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Crop Insurance Awards
effort to take her expertise to another level, Fulford was given the title of
Crop Risk Advisor and Crop and Agribusiness Resource and Education
Consultant. In this role, she works to educate the agricultural community
on crop insurance and risk management information with specific emphasis
on outreach to minority, women, and underserved farmers.
Fulford's responsibilities, accomplishments and contributions to Flatlands
and the agriculture community include developing focus groups
for at risk minority and women farmers, developing a survey to assess
the farm community needs, educating farmers on crop insurance products,
planning lunch and learn meetings for farmers, and providing social media
content for the agency.
Fulford strives to educate and reach those groups that may not have
traditional access to crop insurance information. Her history, experiences,
and initiatives make her an exceptional crop insurance agent
who is well deserving of the 2022 Crop Insurance Industry Outstanding
Service Award.
Sam Scheef Receives Crop Insurance
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sam Scheef was the recipient of the 2022 Crop Insurance Industry
Lifetime Achievement Award presented during the 2022 Crop Insurance
Industry Annual Convention held in Indian Wells, Calif., this
week. The Lifetime Achievement Award is designed to recognize individuals
who consistently demonstrate outstanding leadership to the
crop insurance industry.
During his 35-year career, Scheef was dedicated to the improvement
and success of both the company he founded and the crop insurance industry
as a whole. Through his organizational leadership and involvement
in crop insurance advocacy, Scheef was a strong voice in the development
of the legislation, standards, and procedures that helped shape the industry.
Widely respected for his deep affection for agriculture, extensive crop
insurance knowledge, and a passion for pushing the boundaries of technology,
Scheef truly exemplifies the core values of an industry leader.
For Scheef, a computer programming project in his twenties led to a 35year
career in crop insurance and the creation of the nation's fifth largest
provider of Federal crop insurance. process. With that, the trajectory of his
career changed completely.
Scheef was an expert at identifying areas where business inefficiencies
could be solved by technology. He developed several software systems to
automate processes for the complex and highly technical crop insurance
program, including the first Windows-based crop insurance processing
system for personal computers. Scheef founded a software company in
1996 to distribute the product: ARMtech Insurance Services. ARMtech
became a Managing General Agency in 1999 and deployed AgriNet, its
proprietary crop insurance processing software, for the 2002 reinsurance
year. In 2003, under Sam's guidance, ARMtech became an SRA holder by
purchasing American Agri-Business Insurance Company (AA-BIC).
With the development of its Document Imaging system, ARMtech was
the first Approved Insurance Provider (AIP) to feature a fully electronic
policy file, eliminating the need for cumbersome paperwork storage and
shipping. ARMtech also revolutionized the way claims were worked and
processed by creating a system that allowed adjusters to scan paperwork
directly to auditors. The speed and accuracy of the new process made it
Sam Scheef was presented with the 2022 Crop Insurance Industry
Lifetime Achievement Award by Kendall Jones (left), Chair of the
National Crop Insurance Services Board of Directors. Tom Zacharias
(right), President of National Crop Insurance Services,
possible for producers to receive claims payments much faster than ever before.
Scheef's vision and leadership were instrumental in the development of
both these advancements, and many more.
Scheef's leadership within the crop insurance industry extended beyond
ARMtech. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Association
of Crop Insurers from 2006-2010, serving as Chairman from 20062008.
He was also a member of the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau's
Executive Committee in 2006 and served as Chair of the organization
from 2011-2012.
Scheef's commitment to crop insurance is rivaled only by his devotion to
his family and community. One of the founders of Peoples Bank, Sam served
on the Board of Directors for 19 years. He currently serves on the Board of
Directors for High Point Village, the Texas Tech Therapeutic Riding Center,
and the Lubbock Chamber Orchestra. A licensed pilot, Scheef is the Chairman
of the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport Advisory Board.
He is married to Jana, and together they have a blended family of five adult
children and three grandchildren.
CROPINSURANCE TODAY®
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