Daily News

Board of Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents Taps John Dowd Jr.

HOLYOKE — The Dowd Insurance Agencies, an insurance provider serving New England for more than 115 years, announced that John Dowd Jr., president and CEO of the Dowd Insurance Agencies, was selected to serve on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Assoc. of Insurance Agents (MAIA).

Membership in the MAIA is open to independent, licensed insurance agencies doing business as individuals, partnerships, corporations, or other forms of business organizations in Massachusetts. With 1,300 agency members, MAIA is one of the largest state and regional associations of independent insurance agents in the country.

The new board of directors began their term on Jan. 1. The board as a whole establishes positions on various industry issues and advocates for the agency community before government bodies. Individual members of the board of directors are the official representatives of the MAIA members in their geographical areas.

“The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents has a long track record for consistent support for the insurance-agency community,” Dowd said. “I am very pleased to serve among this group of dedicated insurance professionals.”

A 1980 graduate of St. Michael’s College, Dowd is an accredited advisor in insurance (AAI) and a licensed insurance advisor (LIA). He began his career as an underwriter for the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. and joined Dowd Insurance Agency in 1982. Along with his selection to the MAIA board, he is also active in his community, serving on numerous boards, including the Sisters of Providence Health System, CityStage and Symphony Hall, Storrs Library of Longmeadow, Longmeadow Youth Football, and the Longmeadow Youth Sports Council.