NAILBA Perspectives Winter 2019 | Page 27

Tessler delivers his acceptance speech. Broker World, Life Insurance Selling, The National Underwriter, The St. Louis Post Dispatch and a variety of other publications. He has spoken to thousands of insurance advisors, financial planners, stockbrokers, accountants, etc. about various life insurance topics as well. Michael has served on the Board of Directors of LifeMark Associates, Inc., LifeMark Partners, Inc., NAIFA (both the St. Louis and State of Missouri chapters) and the Life & Health Foundation for Education (LIFE). Michael was awarded the NAIFA – St. Louis 2008 Silent Hero Award for service to NAIFA and the community. In 2009, he was honored by becoming the namesake for the NAIFA St. Louis Silent Hero Award, now known as the Michael Tessler Silent Hero Award. He is a Past President of LIFE, Inc. and NAIFA – St. Louis as well a Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of NAILBA. Many thanks to Mark Pellicano of Pacific Life for leading this year’s celebratory toast honoring Tessler. NAILBA further thanks Pacific Life for their ongoing partnership and continued support of the Douglas Mooers Award and evening soirée. Pacific Life’s Pellicano recognized Tessler for his dedication to the brokerage industry, as a past chairman of NAILBA, a successful businessman, commitment to countless charities and non-profits across the St. Louis- region and beyond, and his work-family balance by coaching his kids’ baseball team. “Mike, you’re a leader, and somebody we should all follow,” Pellicano said. In 1999, Tessler served as NAILBA chairman. “ NAILBA’s founders believed in consumer choice, and doing the right thing for the consumer, by letting them have the freedom to choose the best and most affordable product, from a wide range of insurance carriers. These are the guiding, noble principles our Association was founded upon. Future NAILBA leaders will continue to make our Association the most consumer-friendly Association, delivering the most consumer value, in the world. ” Michael Tessler, President, Brokerage Unlimited, Inc. 2018 Douglas Mooers Award for Excellence Recipient Jim Sorebo congratulates Tessler www.nailba.org 27