The End of an Era: Celebrating Brenda Steinbach
It’s not every day we say goodbye to a colleague whose name is nearly synonymous with our organization—but today is one of those days. It is with deep gratitude and a touch of wistfulness, that PIA of Wisconsin announces that our beloved Education and Convention Director, Brenda Steinbach, is retiring after an incredible 41 years of service.
Brenda’s journey with PIA began back in March of 1984, when our office was in Mayville, Wisconsin—a city where her father, Stony Steinbach, CAE, had established PIA three decades earlier. She was initially hired to run courses for the rapidly growing Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) program and went on to help PIA launch and manage programs like CISR, CPIA, and Ruble Graduate Seminars, shaping professional education for generations of agents.
And we do mean generations… It’s remarkable to reflect on the fact that Brenda has helped train three generations of insurance professionals in some PIA member agencies. Her influence has rippled across Wisconsin and far beyond.
Behind every successful seminar, every smooth-running convention, and every CE credit earned through PIA was Brenda’s steady hand and incredible attention to detail. Her thoughtful planning has created outstanding experiences for thousands of students and convention attendees alike—bringing more than 500 people to some of our most successful annual gatherings.
Even when the world changed overnight during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brenda didn’t skip a beat. With in-person events canceled and uncertainty everywhere, she quickly moved our entire education program online. Thanks to her leadership, we became one of the first agent associations in the country to resume virtual training—transforming what could have been a down year into a banner year for education revenues for PIA of Wisconsin.
From her childhood days in her father’s insurance office to our various homes in Mayville and Madison, Brenda has been a part of every PIA office. Her unwavering commitment, kind heart, and passion for education have left an enduring mark on our association and on all of us.
We will be celebrating Brenda in person at Engage 2025, happening October 22–23 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. She would love to see you there and get to spend some real time with you as a fellow attendee!
As she heads into a well-deserved retirement, we hope you’ll join us in thanking Brenda for her decades of outstanding service. Her smile and spirit will be dearly missed, but her legacy will carry on in the agents she’s helped to train and the lives she has touched.
If you need to get in contact with Brenda on a personal level, you can reach her today and tomorrow at bsteinbach@piaw.org and then at her home email: thisishome@charter.net. Her last day with PIA is tomorrow, May 30th.
Congratulations again, Brenda - and THANK YOU!