Exhibitor GivEaways

GRAND PRIZE WINNER Jean Ellen Trapani winer of money cube giveaway.

•;Jeff;Sopko:;JBL;wireless;speaker
and;Zoom;energy;pack;from
American;Public;Life;Insurance
Company
•;Justin;Veyna;and;Helena;Ruffin:

$150;gift;card;to;Ruth’s;Chris
Steak;House;from;BBSI
•;Daryl;Stern:;Bose;bluetooth
headphones;from;BBSI
•;Matt;Cooper:;Bose;bluetooth
speaker;from;BBSI

Continued on page 4

SAVE THE DATE!

STOP BY THE REGISTRATION DESK TO SIGN UP FOR 2016

April 19-21

The Westin Diplomat, Hollywood, Fl

BY NATHAN SOLHEIM

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.— David Contorno was named Benefits Selling’s 2015 Broker of the Year at the Benefits Selling Expo Wednesday.

When Contorno was in the

7th grade, his school system in Westchester County, New York combined his middle school with another local high school.

For most kids, the restructuring probably passed without much more than a little extra razzing from the older students in the hall. For Contorno, though, it would prove to be a life-changing decision by the local school system.

One day, Contorno passed by the jobs board—which targeted high schoolers—and spotted a card from an agent looking for someone to do telemarketing for a major life insurance company. He pulled down the card, hopped on his bike and rode five miles to the agent’s office—only to be told that he wasn’t old enough.

“He said he was looking for
a 16- or 17-year old,” Contorno
recalls. “I said, ‘I biked here
all this way so the least you
could do is give me a shot.’
The next thing I knew, I was
calling clients and setting up
appointments. I did so well, I
was able to raise my rates after
a time.”
And like that, Contorno was
in the life insurance business at
the ripe old age of 14—a time
in life when most young boys
mow lawns or wash cars to earn
some money. After a few years,
Contorno would move on to
a small three-man benefits
brokerage in Nassau County,
New York, and before starting
his own brokerage a few years
later. Now, even at the relatively
young age of 38, Contorno
has accrued more than two
decades worth of experience as
a benefits professional.