Athens State Professor to study insurance affordability for Governor

Athens, ALA. - Athens State University’ Associate Professor of Management Tom Pieplow was recently appointed to assist Alabama’s Affordable Homeowners Insurance Commission by Governor Robert Bentley.

               “Dr. Pieplow will be assisting as a member of a subcommittee formed for educational purposes,” states Athens State President Bob Glenn.  “His charge would be to ensure that any statutory and/or regulatory proposals to the Governor from the commission be economically sound.”

The commission was created last May by executive order to combat the crisis of a lack of affordable comprehensive insurance for homeowners plagued by violent storms, natural disasters tornadoes, tropical storms and hurricanes.

               Pieplow was tapped to assist the commission at the suggestion of committee member John Caylor after being identified by Glenn as a person of expertise.      

Pieplow will be responsible for putting forward his advice in a formal presentation to the 31 member commission.  The commission will then present their findings to the Governor. 

The commission and subsequent subcommittees will remain in force until such time as the executive order is modified or rescinded by the Governor.

“As a result of April’s tornados, everyone saw the catastrophic losses our area incurred,” remarked Pieplow.  “But over the last decade, extreme weather conditions have contributed to a tripling of homeowners claim costs and the average price for coverage paid by Alabamians is now in the top third of the nation.”

Pieplow continued, “Governor Bentley recognizes that a lack of affordable comprehensive insurance for homeowners impacts the State of Alabama far beyond the storm damaged communities and because effective legislative solutions have worked in other states, he established the Affordable      Homeowners Insurance Commission to study the issues arising from a lack of affordable and comprehensive insurance for Alabama homeowners.”

The commission and subsequent subcommittees will remain in force until such time as the executive order is modified or rescinded by the Governor.

Guy McClure
Guy.McClure@athens.edu
January 17, 2012
www.athens.edu