The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big "I") has installed Greg Sandrock (pictured), a partner at The Cornerstone Agency in Tampico, Illinois, as its chair for 2026-2027.
He was sworn in at the association's Fall Leadership Conference in Baltimore.
Sandrock succeeds Angela Ripley, owner and president of VW Brown Insurance Service in Columbia, Maryland. Ripley will stay on the executive committee for another year as immediate past chair.
Bryan Clinkscales, owner of Boone Ritter Insurance in Springdale, Arkansas, was sworn in as chairman-elect. George "Chip" Atkins III, CEO of RH Clarkson Insurance Group in Louisville, Kentucky, became vice chair.
Sandrock has held leadership roles at both state and national level. He was president of Big I Illinois and its national director before joining the Big "I" executive committee in 2022. He has also chaired the association's crop insurance task force and served on the InsurPac board of trustees, the steering committee and the government affairs committee.
His background in crop insurance sets him apart from many recent chairs. Crop cover is a core line for rural independent agencies, and the Big "I" lobbies on federal crop insurance policy through its task force. A chair with direct experience of that market gives agricultural agents a stronger voice at the top of the association.
Charles Symington, Big "I" president and CEO, said Sandrock's decades of service showed strong leadership, industry expertise and commitment to advocating on Capitol Hill for independent agents.
Sandrock said his priorities as chair are to increase young agent involvement in the national association and to help state associations reach emerging leaders. He also wants to help independent agencies use technology to work more efficiently while keeping the personal service that distinguishes the channel.
"As independent agencies across the country face the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly evolving technology landscape, I am committed to building on our success in developing the next generation of leaders who will strengthen the independent agency channel," Sandrock said.
Both priorities reflect pressures the association's own research has identified. The Big "I"'s 2026 Agency Universe Study found that AI use among independent agencies had tripled since 2024. Keeping up with AI was new to the study's list of challenges agencies face this year.
For member agencies, Sandrock's agenda points to a year focused on succession and adapting to technology rather than any major shift in policy. The emphasis on young agents is practical. Many independent agencies face perpetuation questions as owners approach retirement, and an association that brings younger producers into leadership roles helps build the pipeline of people able to take on agency ownership.
Sandrock takes office during a period of change at the association's staff level too. The Big "I" recently promoted three longtime executives as its chief operating and financial officer and the president of its for-profit subsidiary prepare to leave. The volunteer and staff leadership will be bedding in together through 2027.
The Big "I", founded in 1896, represents more than 25,000 agency locations.
