NYSSBA finance director earns insurance license

On Board Online • May 27, 2013

By Eric D. Randall
Editor-in-Chief

Robert Schneider, NYSSBA’s director of finance, has completed a 96-hour course and passed an exam to become licensed in New York as a property and casualty insurance broker. He pursued the licensure because NYSSBA is now offering workers’ compensation insurance programs to members through a partner organization, PERMA.

“In order for NYSSBA to properly offer endorsed insurance programs to its members, at least one staff member needs to be licensed as a property and casualty insurance broker,” said Deputy Executive Director Rita Lashway. “We are extremely proud of Bob’s accomplishment, which enables us to provide an important set of services to our members.”

Workers’ compensation costs for school districts have increased 31.5 percent over the last five years, according to a June 2012 survey that NYSSBA conducted of member districts. Other research shows that workers’ comp benefits awarded to injured workers in New York State jumped 85 percent in the past three years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called attention to the issue in his 2013 State of the State address when he called for “streamlining the workers’ compensation process.”

One of the largest self-insurance pools in the country, PERMA is a non-profit association created in 1982 by local officials. More than 500 public entities in New York State – cities, towns, villages, counties, fire districts, school districts and BOCES - use PERMA to handle workers’ compensation claims as well as provide risk management, training and wellness programs. It covers more than 55,000 public employees statewide and has an asset base of more than $140 million.

Schneider, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Siena College, is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified association executive (CAE). For more information on workers’ compensation services available through PERMA, contact him at (518) 783-3731 or bob.schneider @nyssba.org.