Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/156165
a a, le, i, an s are Canada 4-299ne may $26.95 ine are y those d. The d., the A Message from AMA's President Since AMA was founded in 1926, we have always focused on doing what is right for our members. Recently, we've been working to review our association's purpose, and we've come to realize that our founding purpose is still relevant today: protecting the things our members care about most. It's this idea that drives both the strategic and the everyday decisions we make at AMA. It's also what motivates our employees to work here and serve you, our members. I'm proud of the people that make up our organization and the caring spirit and integrity they share. This summer I saw that caring spirit in action, when our employees stepped up and volunteered to support the residents of southern Alberta. Like all Albertans, we were overwhelmed by the display of nature's strength that affected so many people in the south this summer. As we continue the work to recover, we have been overwhelmed by the strength of our caring and compassionate community. It was heartwarming to see the relief efforts of fellow Albertans, of people in other parts of the country and also of those beyond our borders. At AMA, we feel a deep sense of responsibility for our communities and the people who live here. Like so many others, we looked for ways to help. It's the small efforts by many that help rebuild our communities. We feel very fortunate that in the immediate hours after the flood, we were able to offer the use of our tow trucks to the City of Calgary and the Calgary Police Service to assist in their emergency efforts. We extended that offer to officials in other affected areas, too. We sent AMA Insurance employees to the affected areas to ensure that we delivered timely assessments and coverage for our policyholders whose homes were damaged by sewer backups, and for those whose vehicles sustained damage due to the floodwaters. Over the summer, we worked on a number of initiatives to assist our members and our communities. AMA organized teams of volunteers that we transported to the affected areas in southern Alberta to help lend a hand in the cleanup efforts. AMA employees across the province organized donation boxes of much-needed household items to help make the temporary housing spaces of displaced residents feel a little more like home. We made it possible for AMA employees to convert a vacation day into a cash donation for the relief effort of their choice. We also organized document-disposal services in affected areas so that flood victims could safely dispose of sensitive documents that may have been damaged. Our team donated thousands of volunteer hours to help, and we'll continue our support over the fall. The heartwarming stories our volunteers have shared about the strength of character and warm expressions of gratitude they have received from residents of southern Alberta have touched us all deeply. Alberta has experienced an unprecedented number of catastrophic storms this summer, and this has taken a toll on the people of our province. It has had an economic impact as well. As one of the largest Western Canadian insurance companies, AMA has settled an unusually large number of claims over these past few months. We're proud to have helped get our members get back on their feet. I want to assure members that our insurance company remains very strong financially and that we'll be there to meet the challenges you may face in the future. Small businesses in southern Alberta, however, have had a difficult time recovering from a loss of tourism due to the flood. One thing we can all do to support our province is to plan a weekend getaway to Calgary or any of the communities affected by the flood. We've researched a few options for you in this issue's Around Alberta section. I'll be planning a few weekend trips to southern Alberta this fall. I encourage you to uncover the splendour of the south with your family and friends as well. p04-09_MstH_NewFace.indd 5 Don Smitten President and CEO f a l l 2 0 13 | w e s t w o r l d A l b e r ta 5 13-08-12 9:53 AM