In 2011, the North Carolina Bail Agents Association began awarding individuals in our industry the honor of being inducted into our Hall of Fame. To this date 45 Bondsman have been inducted into the NCBAA Hall of Fame. Throughout the years the number of bondmen inducted has varied, but in recent years; we have limited it to 3 bondsmen per year. This number has been voted on by the board and is now part of our by-laws.
Every year, we ask for nominations to the Hall of Fame and set a deadline for nominations. The nominations are then vetted to make sure they meet the minimum requirements. The nominations that meet the requirements are then sent to the Board Members for a vote. The 3 nominations with the highest numbers of votes are then notified and inducted into the NCBAA Hall of Fame for that year. We will be asking for this year’s nominations very soon, therefore I wanted to go over the requirements and qualities that we look for. I hope this will make you think about who you know in our industry that would be deserving of this award.
The requirements are as follows:
- A nominee must have 20 years or more of continuous licensing as a bail agent
- Exceptional civic and community involvement
- Serve as a role model
The first requirement in itself is an accomplishment. Surviving in this industry for 20 plus years is hard to do and has to be appreciated in this volatile environment. It seems to me that the “climate” in which we work has changed a lot in recent years. Bondsman come and bondsman go, so longevity of 20+ years is a big deal.
Let’s talk about the second requirement, what does exceptional civic and community involvement mean to you? This could be a lot of things. Is this person active in their community? Do they assist with or part of a community organization? Are they active in the church or religious activities? Is there a charity that they are passionate about and what do they do to support that? Maybe they sponsor local sports teams through the school systems, city/county parks facilities or YMCAs. Some of our Hall of Fame inductees have been County Commissioners, School Board Members, and other elected officials in their life. These are just a few examples.
The third requirement is to serve as a role model. How does the nominee do that? Who do they do that for? Have they been a supervising agent and brought in and taught other bondsmen in our industry? Have they served with local/national organizations? Maybe they help out the school system to mentor young men and women. Maybe they have been a coach for local sports teams, etc.
The nomination form also asks for certain qualities in its nominees:
- Business Excellence
- Courageous Thinking
- Vision and Innovation
- Inspiring Leadership in the Community
- Role Model to Others
These qualities can be explained in many ways, so when you consider the requirements think of these qualities as well when nominating someone. Give as many details and examples as you can.
I wanted to put this all out there for our members to see and think about when nominating someone for the Hall of Fame. There are over 1,800 bondmen in NC and many of them would meet our requirements, so when you nominate someone think about the requirements and qualities that are listed above. Please give all the information you have so we can evaluate each nominee because we may not be familiar with the person. Any, and all information is helpful so we can make an informed vote on the nominees. The more information you can provide is greatly appreciated.
I am passionate about recognizing people in our industry. I know we have amazing people in our industry that have accomplished great things. People who have given of their time and energy to help not only our industry, our clients, and our communities. I hope you will take the time to nominate a deserving individual.
If you have any questions about the process, feel free to reach out to me.
Respectfully submitted,
Tracy Lowe
NCBAA Board Member
Hall of Fame Chair