ASK YOURSELF...
Are you an undiscovered star or current manager ready to move to the next level?
Do you have a future leader in your agency, but don’t have the time and resources to help them reach their full potential?
 LET US HELP YOU!
Join the Big I Connecticut Leadership Academy and learn to lead your agency to success.
Cliff, April, and Jim create an environment that these folks would feel very comfortable talking about real-life things amongst each other, and I think that was part of the success that we had. David boyce cpcu, tompkins insurance agencies president/ceoOVERVIEWThe Leadership Academy is a two-part leadership development series, consisting of Leadership Academy 1 and Leadership Academy 2—each a 6-day program held one day a week for six weeks. Leadership Academy 1 focuses on building a foundation of self-leadership, championship culture and vision, and strategic planning. Participants will identify their strengths, address growth areas, and learn practical tools to lead with confidence and clarity. Leadership Academy 2 builds on these concepts, emphasizing advanced leadership strategies like leading for co-elevation, fostering team excellence, and delivering impactful strategy presentations. Together, these programs equip participants with the skills to inspire their teams, cultivate a winning agency culture, and achieve long-term success.
Don't just take our word for it. Hear from grads...
Don't wait. this is your moment.
I want to nominate an employee
Day 1 | April 10: Levels of communication, principles of connection, diversity and inclusion, agency communication Day 2 | April 24: Vision, direction, & inspiration; types of goals; goal planning; goal management Day 3 | May 8: Setting expectation; structure; management vs. leading; motion and inspiration; case studies & questions Day 4 | May 22: Team projects; ideal presentations; team building process; PowerPoint skills Day 5 | June 5: Leadership in the real world; the power of caring; candid coaching; real world leadership Day 6 | June 19: Team projects, course wrap-up, awards ceremony; course evaluation |
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$2900 for Big I NY members; $5000 for non-members.
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The course requires a workbook, included in the tuition cost. |
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- Championship structures
- Managing vs. leading
- Team development
- Diversity, equality, and inclusion
- Levels of Leadership
- Communication styles
- Goal setting
- Expectations and accountability
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- They could be the person who pays for your retirement through agency perpetuation
- You don’t have the time/format to adequately train your next rising star
- You have a manager who could use some coaching to really excel in their position
- You’ll give your employee exposure to running an agency that they don’t get on a day-to-day basis
- You’ll end up with a more professional, more productive employee
- If your employee writes one large commercial account because of the skills gained at the Academy, you’ll likely offset the cost of tuition
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I want to nominate an employee
Looking for more?
Take the next step to continue elevating your leadership skills after completing Leadership Academy 1.
*This program is only open to graduates of LA1
Register Here Leadership Academy 2
2025 session dates & topicsDay 1 | April 10: Review of Big I Leadership
Communication Building Trust & Communication Empathy
Day 2 | April 24: Self-Leadership
Anxiogenics Self Discovery, Assets and Biases & Accountability vs Responsibility
Day 3 | May 8: Championship Culture and Vision
Core Values, Setting Priorities & Roles
Day 4 | May 22: Strategic Planning
Creating Strategy & Implementing Strategy
Day 5 | June 5: Leading from Co-Elevation
The Leadership Coach
Day 6 | June 19: Strategy Presentations
Course Evaluations
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Meet Your InstructorsWe’ve put together a top-notch team of expert coaches to guide and train in core leadership skills.
 CLIFF D’ANGELOhas always had a passion for coaching people. He’s enjoyed a successful career in sales and management for nearly 30 years, working at three multimillion dollar, industry-leading companies: Moore Business Forms, Kohler Plumbing Products, and Ferguson Enterprises.
He is an Og Mandino Habit Finder Certified Coach, and finds those writings and principles the keys to selling and coaching success. He also coaches high school football and girls lacrosse in Florida.
 APRIL BALLESTERO
has decades of experience in sales, leadership, management, and training. She holds a Masters of Leadership from William Jessup University, an Og Mandino Leadership and Habit Finder Certification, and an Abelson Disc and Emotional Intelligence Certification.
Her clients have used her services to double their revenue; grow strong, healthy, and connected teams; and to increase productivity, value and opportunity through her customized coaching experiences.
 JIM LOMBARDO
has been in the insurance industry since 1982. He previously has worked for Utica National, Merchants, Met P+C and National Grange Mutual.
He became licensed and worked for a large independent agency in Central NY until 2002 when he started his own firm. For the past 17 years, he ran an insurance agency and a Registered Investment Advisor for one of the largest credit unions in New York. He joined Big I NY in 2019 as The AVP of Learning and Development.
He has a B.S. in Management Science from SUNY Geneseo and an M.B.A. from SUNY Empire State. Jim truly enjoys teaching insurance and “giving back” as an adjunct instructor for Utica College, Mohawk Valley Community College and LeMoyne College. He is a certified pre-licensing instructor for the New York State Department of Financial Services.
What a leader has to say...
QUESTIONS?
Ask Jim!
Jim Lombardo, CPCU, AAI, AIM, MBA
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