WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Council Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 Scholarship Program, awarding $5,000 academic scholarships to 84 deserving students pursuing higher education (full list below). These scholarships recognize exceptional individuals with the potential to become future leaders and significant contributors to the commercial insurance brokerage industry.
Since 2017, The Council Foundation has invested in the next generation of insurance professionals, awarding a total of $4.8 million in academic scholarships to over 850 students. This year’s cohort of scholars represents a diverse group of talented individuals from universities across the country.
“The talent our industry wants to recruit is out there and we must create a compelling case for them to want to join us,” said Robert L. Cohen, Chairman & CEO of IMA Financial Group and Council Foundation Board Chair. “The Council Foundation is working to create that space and avenues for young professionals to gain exposure to the world of risk, and explore career opportunities within the insurance brokerage sector. There’s much work to be done,” said Cohen, “and we’re grateful to our Council Foundation donors for their intentional support and commitment to our mission.”
The mission of The Council Foundation is to bring fresh, diverse talent into the brokerage sector. The scholarship program is a partnership between the Foundation and leaders of internship programs at Council member firms. Member firms conduct their own review process and identify their most exceptional interns to be awarded the scholarship, with the goal of eventually bringing these students on full-time and/or retaining them in the commercial insurance brokerage sector.
Six of this year’s recipients have also been honored by named scholarships (*) administered by The Council Foundation – Chelsea Ramirez-Porras, Assurex Robert P. Ashlock scholar, Bailey Davis, Assurex Game Changer scholar, Jordyn Porter, IMA Financial Group scholar, Sanders O’Kelley, Franklin Wheeler scholar, Kidist Dash, Dave Oberkircher scholar, Emma Braswell, USI scholar, and Ashley Auderer, Tom Motamed scholar.
About The Council:
Founded in 1913 and based in Washington, D.C., The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers is the premier association for the top 150 commercial property/casualty insurance and employee benefits intermediaries worldwide. Council members are market leaders who annually place 90 percent of U.S. commercial P/C premiums and 70 percent of all employee benefits business. The Council’s Government Affairs team represents our member firms with a strong, unified voice on Capitol Hill and within the regulatory space. CouncilPAC, The Council’s political action committee, consistently maintains its position as the leading PAC in the insurance industry. In addition to providing best-in-class professional development resources and publishing Leader’s Edge, an award-winning industry content platform, The Council hosts four annual leadership forums: The Insurance Leadership Forum (ILF) and Employee Benefits Leadership Forum (EBLF), gathering leading brokers, carriers, and strategic partners in the commercial P/C and EB sectors respectively; the Operations & Working Groups Forum, offering leadership development opportunities for C-suite brokerage executives; and the Legislative Summit, connecting Council members with key legislators on broader issues impacting our industry.
