Change can be refreshing and scary in equal measure. But, to decrease those uneasy feelings, a little information can go a long way.

When the Housing Authority Insurance Group Board of Directors faced turnover in 2008, Board member Eric Brown and others thought the newcomers could use help to find their footing.

“The thinking was to provide a way for new Board members to be educated about HAI Group in general,” Brown said. “Then, specifically, we wanted to do a primer on the insurance business and do it from the perspective of HAI Group. The goal was to have a more informed Corporate Board.”

Those developing the training used an “Insurance 101” theme to push forward. Specific categories like Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) were chosen – including numerous details about corporate governance because it is a hot topic in the national media.

The daylong training session entailed a PowerPoint presentation narrated by HAI Group President and CEO Dan Labrie and Senior Staff members. Labrie reviewed ERM, while Senior Staff members offered overviews of their department’s responsibilities.

By day’s end, Brown said Board members were better-educated and impressed by what is accomplished at the HAI Group home office.

“In putting this together,” Brown said, “it gave the Board many important ideas and gave us an appreciation for the staff and its commitment, camaraderie, and competitiveness in an ever-changing market. It gave the Board a sense of pride about the company and pointed out the need for additional training.”

Board training will result in more effective planning.

“I learned many new things at the training,” Brown said. “There were many little nuances about the insurance industry that will help us down the road.

“Also, it gave the Board ideas about how to better shape, in collaboration with the staff, a Work Plan for 2010.”

And, in turn, effective planning will alleviate the uncertainty felt by whatever changes HAI Group and its Board of Directors face in the future.