Name: Marjory Gehring

Company: Woodbury & Co.

Position: Account executive

How long in business: More than 30 years

Spike credits: 446.50

HBA: Wilmington-Cape Fear

HBA involvement: Local membership chair 1986-1992; Local Board of  Directors,1987-1992; State membership chair 1991; Past State Director, Region I; Past Associates Committee member; Associate
of the Year 1987,1992.

Nickname: Marge

Marital status: Married to Charles Gehring

Children: Robin Michelle Tyndall, Robert Steven Schafer, and four grandchildren.

Favorite food: Seafood

Ideal vacation: Summers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Last book read: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Wolfe

Hobbies: My horses, training my collie dog, reading, writing, working in the yard. Spoiling my grandchildren!

Pets: One collie dog; one kitty cat; two horses.

First job: Photographer’s assistant. When I single-handedly messed up a bride’s wedding pictures, I decided that was not the career for me!

If you had 15 minutes in front of the NCHBA membership, what would you say about recruitment/retention?
I encourage every Spike to have a personal testimony of involvement and share that experience with each potential new member at orientation meetings. Although the local, state and national associations provide much value for the membership fee, each member’s personal involvement will be his or her ultimate benefit. The HBA is not a social club, it is an active, viable trade association and its strength is in its numbers. Always encourage your members to participate in Legislative Day in Raleigh, to see that strength in action.

One of the benefits of membership is the insurance program offered by the BMIC. As an insurance agent, I have used the insurance program as a recruitment tool, but I have always attempted to get each new member involved in the association for the maximum benefit of membership.

Never lose an opportunity to ask a potential new member to join you in attending a general membership meeting of your local association. Introduce them to as many other members as possible … network, network, network!