This spring semester, Ray Tedder, App State RMI alumnus and former chairman of the Brantley Board of Advisors, started teaching the FIN 3150 course which focuses on commercial insurance. Tedder is a high-achieving professional with decades of industry experience who adds a valuable and unique industry perspective to this course. The Brantley Center is grateful for his willingness to teach our students and give back to the program that put him on the path he is on today.
Tedder graduated from the Appalachian State risk management and insurance program in 1991. He grew up in Southeastern NC in Bladen County until the age of 13 at which time he moved to Raleigh, NC for 2 years. He then finished high school in Charlotte. While attending App State, Tedder completed an internship at Royal Insurance in Charlotte. He then went on to work as a claims adjuster and underwriter for several companies before joining BB&T Insurance-McGriff as a commercial broker, later earning a promotion to Senior Vice President and Agency Executive.
In 2010, Tedder joined the Brantley Center Board of Advisors, a group of successful insurance professionals dedicated to exposing students to the great opportunities that the insurance industry provides. When asked about joining the board, Tedder said “It was an honor to be invited to join. I knew it would provide me a direct opportunity to give back to the RMI Program at App State which had given so much to me both in the beginning through my education, as well as over the years of being in the insurance industry. The opportunity to serve, advise and help navigate the changes and challenges of one of the top nationally recognized RMI programs both in number of student majors and national program recognition was exciting.”
Tedder’s priority as a board member and Chairman was to be a part of a great group of professionals (other board members) who could offer industry experience, guidance and suggestion for the purpose and operations of the Brantley Center, and to develop a strategic plan to help take those opportunities that the Brantley Center offers to the students to the next level. Tedder’s ingenious perspective contributed to various projects such as strategies to increase fundraising opportunities, developing a strategy on how to meet the additional needs from the growth of the RMI Program at App State, ideas on how to recruit for future program perpetuation, funding ideas for additional travel needs of the students, funding for additional opportunities for scholarships, and also the development and creation of the first Employee Benefits Minor program countrywide. Tedder also served on the IIANC Young Agent’s Committee from 2000 – 2008, including in Chairman role, and was named NC Young Agent of the Year in 2007. In 2016 he began his first term on the IIANC Board of Directors which he still serves on today. His current and final term will end next year in 2023.
Although Tedder has significant experience in the “real world” industry, he has always felt at home in an educational environment and sharing his knowledge. When asked about why he decided to teach this semester, Tedder said “I have always had a passion for teaching others and giving back to be a part of something much greater than myself. I know the opportunities and doors that the App State RMI program, Brantley Center and GIS opened for me throughout my career, and it was an honor to have the opportunity to give back to that through teaching.”
Tedder is currently teaching FIN 3150 – Commercial Insurance. This course is designed to walk through all of the various commercial lines coverage forms, discuss exposures for various types of commercial entities, and apply the appropriate risk management technique(s), (including transferring the risk to an insurance carrier when applicable), for the given situation to create a client centric unique risk management program to protect the assets of that particular commercial entity.
Tedder is a strong advocate for students reaching their full potential and experiencing the opportunities that this career path can offer. He knows firsthand the impact it can have on one’s life and development. In his words - “The insurance industry demands a high level of ethics, integrity, honor, trust, reliability and dependability regardless of whether you are in underwriting, claims, marketing, wholesale or retail sales, or on the risk management side. These valuable life traits carry over into everything that I do both at work and in my personal life, and no question have shaped who I am to make me an overall better person.”
Thank you again Ray for being a part of our student’s academic journeys and success!
Ray Tedder
